OMSAS - University of Toronto | Ontario Universities' Application Centre

About the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto

Toronto has a long history of educating physicians, with the first school of medicine founded here in 1843. The medical school at the University of Toronto has a rich history of research and discovery, including the discovery of:

insulin,
stem cells,
the gene that causes cystic fibrosis and
the genetic causes of some variants of Alzheimer’s disease and several cancers.

Many vaccines were developed and tested at the University of Toronto during the 20th century, and various surgical procedures were pioneered here, including lung transplants and pediatric cardiac operations.

Location

Our Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program

Program Information

The MD Program Structure

Foundations (Year 1 and 2)

Clerkship (Year 3 and 4)

Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

Course Prerequisites

You are required to complete:

2 full course equivalents (FCEs) in life sciences and
1 FCE in humanities, social sciences and/or languages.

1 FCE consists of either 2 half-year university courses or 1 full-year university course.

We strongly recommend that you complete the prerequisite courses prior to applying. If you are in the process of completing any prerequisite courses at the time you apply, enrollment in these courses must appear on your transcript. You must successfully complete these courses as registered on the transcript that was submitted as part of your application.

If the courses are not complete and are not showing as current registrations on your transcript, your application will not be considered.

This information should be included in the University of Toronto prerequisite section of the OMSAS application. List the name of the course and course code, and indicate whether it was a full-year or semester course.

Examples:

Life Sciences:
- Anatomy
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Botany
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Molecular Genetics & Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Physiology
- Zoology

Note: Chemistry and Physics are not Life Sciences. If you are listing Chemistry courses to meet requirements for other medical schools, you must also list 2 FCEs in Life Sciences.

Social Sciences:
- Economics
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Criminology
Languages:
- Courses in a language other than your native language.
Humanities:
- Classics
- English Literature
- Philosophy
- History
- Religious Studies
- Cultural Studies

Note: This is not a comprehensive list of approved courses.

Check with Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) Enrolment Services if you are unsure of the acceptability of a particular course as a prerequisite. Email UME Enrolment Services with:

the course name,
the course code,
the university name,
a brief course description from the university course calendar and
whether it was a full-year or semester course.

Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement

Minimum Undergraduate Credit Requirement

The following minimum undergraduate credit requirements apply if you are a(n):

Undergraduate Applicant Attending University in Canada

CEGEP Applicant

Applicant Attending University Outside of Canada

Optional: Academic Explanations Form

Non-academic Requirements

When reviewing the brief personal essays, ABS and references, we assess attributes, activities and achievements in terms of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s mission and values and the MD Program competencies.

Specifically, we evaluate materials according to the following 4 clusters:

Professional Cluster: Maturity, reliability, perseverance and responsibility.
Communicator/Collaborator/Leader Cluster: Communication, collaboration, teamwork, time management and leadership.
Advocate Cluster: Advocacy, community service and social responsibility.
Scholar Cluster: Academic standing, achievements in leadership, research and social responsibility as demonstrated by (but not limited to) awards, conference presentations, publications and scholarships.

In your brief personal essays and ABS, you may write about activities and achievements undertaken and completed anywhere in the world. The nature and outcome of the activity is more important than where it took place – participation within your local community is as important as international experiences.

The brief personal essays, ABS and statements, and references will be assessed independently of all other materials you submit with your application.

Brief Personal Essays

Autobiographical Sketch (ABS)

Verifiers

References

Interviews

Additional Admission Requirements

Graduate Applicants

The University of Toronto will consider your application if you have completed a graduate program or are enrolled in the final year of a graduate program.

If you will not complete your graduate degree requirements by June 30 in the proposed year of entry, you will not be considered; this policy is strictly enforced. Applicants who do not provide an expected date of degree completion or who re-classify into another graduate program will also not be considered.

Our MD Program values a diverse applicant pool with students from all academic backgrounds. To acknowledge the academic challenge of undertaking graduate work, applicants pursuing graduate degrees will receive credit for their accomplishments during the file review process.

Graduate applicants will receive credit for their graduate work based on the following categories:

Doctoral degree conferred
Doctoral degree in progress
Research-based master’s conferred
Research-based master’s in progress
Course-based master’s conferred

We will assess applicants enrolled in a course-based master’s that is in progress as undergraduate applicants.

You cannot update your application after the October 1, 2024, deadline.

Graduate Degree

Graduate applicants who have not yet received their graduate degree and who are offered a position in the MD Program will be required to submit proof of successful completion of all requirements of the graduate program (including successful defence of a thesis, if applicable) prior to June 30, 2025.

Graduate applicants offered a position on the expectation that their degree will be completed, and who are not able to meet this deadline, will not be granted an admission deferral and will lose their seat in our program.

UME Enrolment Services requires a final transcript from all applicants accepted from graduate programs, as proof of conferral of their degree.

Graduate Degree Verifiers

Graduate applicants are required to provide the contact information of a graduate verifier:

For a research-based degree, your verifier should be your graduate supervisor.
For a course-based degree, your verifier should be your graduate program administrator.
Applicants who had their graduate degree conferred should provide a Graduate Studies Office contact for any questions about the program.

This information is entered in the Referees section of your application, but your graduate verifier’s role is not the same as your referee’s role. Your graduate verifier may be contacted to confirm your degree type and anticipated program completion date.

Ensure that your graduate verifier can provide the required information and is available during the application process.

Let your verifiers know in advance that UME Enrolment Services may contact them.

MD/PhD Program Applicants

The MD/PhD Program at the University of Toronto provides highly qualified students the opportunity to integrate medical school with intensive scientific training. Its purpose is to prepare clinician scientists for careers in academic medicine.

Applicants to this program must meet the same requirements for MCAT, GPA and course prerequisites as all other MD Program applicants. The program does not have a designated quota for admission.

Submit admission materials to OMSAS as per the regular MD admission process along with the following additional materials:

MD/PhD Personal Essay: Reflecting on your personal and research experiences to date, how do your experiences relate to your decision to pursue a physician scientist pathway, and the kind of ideas that you wish to pursue in your PhD? This essay must be 250 words or less and is submitted as part of your OMSAS application.
An academic curriculum vitae (CV). This CV must adhere to the format outlined on the MD/PhD Program website. Access the CV template. Upload your academic CV directly to OMSAS via Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) by October 4, 2024.
Three MD/PhD references using a common MD/PhD reference form for OMSAS applicants applying to Toronto, Ottawa, Queen’s and Western. Note: These MD/PhD references are in addition to the 3 Confidential Assessment Forms that are required for MD applicants, as part of the standard OMSAS application for the University of Toronto. If you are a graduate applicant, one of your MD/PhD references must be from your graduate supervisor. The references should highlight:
- potential for success as a physician scientist,
- performance in research, including initiative, perseverance, technical skills, data interpretation, etc.,
- capacity to succeed in both an undergraduate medical and a PhD curriculum,
- self-starting behaviour,
- contribution to the research the candidate was involved in, including publications, if any, and
- capacity to learn from others.

OMSAS must receive all these required references by October 1, 2024.

Notes:

The same referees can provide your regular MD application references and MD/PhD references (e.g., graduate supervisor, if applicable). The MD/PhD Admissions Subcommittee does not review your MD application references. To send the MD/PhD reference form to your referees, enter their contact information in the designated fields within your OMSAS application.
All MD/PhD applicants must submit an academic CV.

Admission Categories

Optional Application Programs

The University of Toronto offers 2 optional application programs that reflect the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s strong commitment to diversity, as demonstrated in its Diversity Statement [PDF].

The Black Student Application Program (BSAP)

The Indigenous Student Application Program (ISAP)

Recognizing the commitment to social responsibility in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s mission, the MD Program implemented ISAP to increase the number of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) medical students at the University of Toronto.

Members of the Indigenous community, including faculty, physicians, residents, medical students and members of the public, take part in admission file review and interview processes.

To apply to this program, you must meet the same minimum requirements for MCAT, GPA and course prerequisites as all other applicants. The program does not have a designated quota for admission.

You must submit admission materials, as per the core MD admission process, and the following additional materials by the stated deadlines:

Self‑declared Indigenous status via the OMSAS application.
One of the following as proof of Indigenous ancestry to apply to the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine through the ISAP:
- A copy of a Status or Treaty card
- A copy of a Nunavut Trust Certificate card, roll number or any other proof accepted by Inuit communities
- A copy of a membership card in a Métis registry recognized by the Métis National Council (the Métis Nation of Ontario, Manitoba Métis Federation, Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, Métis Nation of Alberta and Métis Nation British Columbia)
- Proof that an ancestor’s name has been entered in the Indian Register according to the Indian Act, on the band list of an individual band or the Inuit roll
- Written confirmation of Indigenous ancestry from the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
- Written confirmation of membership in a band council that has its own membership code
- Other acceptable documentation
The ISAP Personal Statement is an opportunity for you to tell us about your personal connection to your Indigenous community, perhaps in the way you would share with an Elder or Wisdom/Knowledge Keeper. The statement will be read by members of the Indigenous Student Application Program (ISAP) Advisory Circle, which includes an Elder, Indigenous faculty members and Indigenous medical learners. We recommend that this statement be 250-750 words. Ensure you submit your statement with the OMSAS application. If you are unsure about how to proceed, we invite you to liaise with the Office of Indigenous Health for support: indigenoushealth.support@utoronto.ca.

OMSAS must receive proof of Indigenous ancestry documentation via SAM in the OMSAS application. The deadline for receiving your document(s) is October 4, 2024.

If you have questions or would like further information about ISAP, email our Office of Indigenous Medical Education.

Information for International Applicants

For fall 2025 entry, a limited number of supernumerary spaces will be allocated to specific international training programs that have contractual arrangements with the MD Program.

These supernumerary seats are non-funded seats and, as such, applicants who are considered through the International application stream must be enrolled in specific international training programs and cannot be citizens or permanent residents (landed immigrants) of Canada.

Email UME Enrolment Services if you have any questions regarding your eligibility to apply.

International Stream

Information for Military Medical Training Plan (MMTP) Applicants

Admission Policies and Procedures

Our program is offered on 2 campuses at the University of Toronto:

230 incoming students will be at the St. George campus (downtown Toronto) and
59 will be at the Mississauga campus.

Up to 34 additional students will be admitted to the designated Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health seats. In addition, a limited number of supernumerary spaces are allocated to specific international and military training programs that have contractual arrangements with the MD Program.

There is no single background that is an ideal preparation for the study and practice of medicine. Medicine requires a mix of individuals with strong academic foundations in the social sciences, humanities, physical sciences and life sciences.

Academic excellence is measured by assessing the grade point average (GPA) and confirming that the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) results meet U of T’s stated threshold requirement.

Non-academic and academic attributes, activities and achievements are assessed by reviewing your brief personal essays, Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) materials and references.

You are required to submit the names, addresses and telephone numbers of persons able to substantiate statements made about your non-academic and academic attributes, activities and achievements. Random verification checks will take place between January and April.

The discovery that any submitted application information is false or misleading, concealed or withheld will invalidate your application and result in its immediate refusal. If this is discovered after you are admitted, it will result in the revocation and cancellation of an offer of admission and/or registration.

Instructions for Submitting Required Documents

Information for Successful Applicants

Acceptance

Wait List

Final Transcripts

Deferrals

Registration Requirements

First Aid and CPR

Immunization

Police Record Check and Disclosure

Essential Skills and Abilities Required for Studying Medicine

Additional Information

Notice of Collection

The University of Toronto (the University) collects information you provide to OMSAS/OUAC as part of your application to the Temerty Faculty of Medicine (the Faculty).

Personal information collected through OMSAS/OUAC will only be accessed by authorized university and faculty staff on a need-to-know basis. The information will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

Collection of Personal Information

Use of Personal Information

Disclosure of Personal Information

For questions about your personal information at the AFMC, contact:
Jon Kimball
Director, Data & Information Services
Telephone: 613-730-0687, ext. 279

For questions about your personal information at the Faculty, contact:
Hana Lee
Director, Enrolment Services & Faculty Registrar
Telephone: 416-978-2715

Contact Information

Enrolment Services – Undergraduate Medical Education
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Medical Sciences Building, Room 2124
1 King’s College Circle
Toronto ON M5S 1A8

Telephone: 416-978-7928
Fax: 416-971-2163
Email: medicine.admiss@utoronto.ca