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Eligibility Requirements for Undergraduate Medicine
If there is any discrepancy between the information presented here and that presented at www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions, the latter will prevail.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Degree
For Applicants in the University Categories
These requirements apply to applicants who apply holding university degrees as either a Quebec resident, an Out-of-Province Canadian, or International. Quebec residents applying through the First Nations and Inuit of Quebec Faculties of Medicine Program, the Non-Traditional Pathway, or the Med-P should refer to their respective applicant category (as defined in Applicant Categories).
The degree used as the basis of admission must be successfully completed by July 31 of the year of entry to the M.D.,C.M. program. This degree must be a Bachelor's degree and meet the following conditions:
Basis of Admission (Undergraduate) Degree
A 120-credit (“four-year”) or equivalent Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in any discipline. Applicants who have successfully obtained a Diploma of Collegial Studies (Diplôme d'études collégiales; “DEC”) in a pre-university program can apply with a 90-credit program from a Quebec university.
The basis of admission degree must have been undertaken on a full-time basis and should be completed in the time prescribed by the program. A full course load (as defined by the institution awarding the degree) is expected in regular sessions. Summer or other interim sessions are acceptable, assuming a full-time registration in regular sessions. The Admissions Committee expects a minimum of 60 consecutive graded credits at the time of application.
Second Bachelor's Degree
Candidates holding or currently pursuing a second Bachelor's degree may use the second degree as the basis of admission degree if:
All Bachelor Degrees
Students from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to consider medicine as a career. Prospective applicants should pursue courses of study, whether in the natural or social sciences or the humanities, which appeal to them and which have as their aim a broad education and intellectual training rather than merely anticipating the medical curriculum. The Faculty seeks to ensure, by way of the basic science prerequisites, that all students have an adequate preparation in science.
The Admissions Office does not consider degrees without a marking or grading system; narrative transcripts are not accepted.
International Medical Degree
Applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and who hold a medical degree awarded by a recognized university outside Canada or the United States of America may be eligible to apply to the first year of the M.D.,C.M. program if:
- Official transcripts sent by that university show numerical or letter grades for all courses completed and the candidates meet the specific requirements of science prerequisites and MCAT's described under the criteria for the M.D.,C.M. program.
- The criteria for selection will be the same for these candidates as for those candidates applying to the M.D.,C.M. program with a Bachelor's degree. The international medical degree (and its grade point average (GPA)) will be the degree used as the basis of admission.
- The Medical Council of Canada's Equivalence Examination is an acceptable alternative to the MCAT in this case.
Basic Science Prerequisites
Basic Science Prerequisites
Applicants must have successfully completed, by January 15, 2016, all of the following at a college or university level:
- in Biology / Biological Sciences a minimum six (6) credits of introductory coursework, with labs;
- in Chemistry a minimum six (6) credits of general (or physical) chemistry coursework, with labs; a minimum three (3) credits of organic chemistry coursework, with labs;
- in Physics a minimum six (6) credits of introductory coursework, with labs;
where: minimum course hours do not include compulsory laboratory or practical work. Grades of “Pass/Fail” (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) or of similar schema are not acceptable in coursework (numerical or letter-class grades are required).
Academic performance in these courses will be considered; courses completed more than eight (8) years before the application deadline will not be considered; distance or correspondence education courses are acceptable only by special permission and at the discretion of the Office of Admissions, Equity and Diversity (Faculty of Medicine).
MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
MCAT Compulsory
Any applicant whose basis-of-admission degree was awarded from a non-Canadian university is required to write and submit scores from the MCAT; submission of all MCAT results is compulsory. EXCEPTIONS:
- Candidates applying via the Non-Traditional pathway (NTP)
- International Medical Graduates applying for placement with Advanced Standing
- International Medical Graduates applying for admission into the first year of the M.D.,C.M. program who are submitting a Medical Council of Canada's Equivalence Exam (MCCEE1) score
MCAT Not Required
All applicants who have completed their basis-of-admission degree at a Canadian university are not required to submit an MCAT score. Applicants to the Med-P program are also not required to submit MCAT scores.
MCAT Optional
Applicants applying to the M.D.,C.M. program whose basis-of-admission degree was awarded by a Canadian university who are NOT applying via the Non-Traditional pathway and who are NOT submitting an MCCEE1 score, may choose to submit an MCAT score.
About the MCAT
About the MCAT
Information regarding the MCAT, including testing dates, locations, and preparation materials can be obtained from the . Test takers are required to read through the MCAT Essentials document. Be aware that registration for the computer-based test is limited. We suggest that you inquire about registration as early as possible.
Submitting Your Results
Submitting Your Results
MCAT results must be released to and received by the Office of Admissions, Equity and Diversity by the relevant application deadline. Please consult with the MCAT administrators, the , to arrange for the release of your scores electronically (preferred method). Paper result reports are only accepted by the Office of Admission, Equity and Diversity under exceptional circumstances and at its discretion.
Consideration of MCAT Results
MCAT results dating more than five (5) years from the relevant application deadline will not be considered. MCAT results received after the relevant application deadline will not be considered.
The Admissions Office will consider the highest overall result set of available valid sets (sittings) and will not consider the individual subset scores from separate sets. All three numerical sections—the Biological Sciences (BS), Physical Sciences (PS), and Verbal Reasoning (VR)—are considered for 2014 tests and earlier. All sections of the 2015 MCAT test will be considered.
Where valid MCAT results are submitted, results will be considered in conjunction with the SciGPA when determining the Basic Science Performance (50/50 weighting).
If you have the option to submit your MCAT results, it is recommended to do so only if you are confident that your MCAT results provide better evidence of performance in basic sciences (as compared with your GPA in basic science prerequisite courses). For details, consult the Assessing Academic Strength section of the following website: .
Requirements for Med-P
Requirements for Med-P
Applicants must be recognized residents of Quebec and meet the following conditions:
- must not have been enrolled in a university program;
- must, from the onset of collegial studies (*1), be enrolled in only one of these following programs:
- must be in the final year and obtain (by July 31 of the entering year) a Diploma of Collegial Studies (DEC) in one of the stated programs;
- must not have extended the length of their program for reasons of personal choice (*2);
- must have a minimum of six courses (13.33 credits) in each regular semester (*2);
- must not have taken any of the prerequisite courses listed below in a context outside of a regular semester (*2);
- must have completed the following courses and successfully achieved the competency codes:
For the Science (200.xx) program:
- Biology: NYA (00UK), General Biology II (00XU);
- Chemistry: NYA (00UL), NYB (00UM), Organic Chemistry I (00XV);
- Mathematics: NYA (00UN), NYB (00UP);
- Physics: NYA (00UR), NYB (00US), NYC (00UT).
Students in the Sciences, Lettres et Arts (700.A0) program must obtain the Biology objectives of 01Y5 and 01YJ (along with all other program requirements) and should complement their program with Chemistry 01YH and at least one of Physics 01YF or 01YG in order for their application to be considered. Students who are missing any prerequisites based on the list above may be asked to complete them during the preparatory year.
Students in the IB-DEC (200.10) program must complete (along with all other program requirements) a minimum of two courses (5.33 credits) in Biology, three courses (8.00 credits) in Chemistry, including Organic Chemistry, two courses (5.33 credits) in Mathematics and one course (2.67 credits) in Physics in order for their application to be considered. Preference is given to those who most closely adhere to the list of prerequisites above. Those admitted into the program who are missing any prerequisites will be asked to complete them during the preparatory year.
For more information on these codes and their requirements, please contact your CEGEP academic advising office.
Students of the French Baccalaureate system:
The Faculty accepts applicants from Collège international Marie de France and Collège Stanislas as part of this category under the following conditions:
- must be a recognized resident of Quebec;
- must be in the final year (Բé terminale) of the Séries S;
- must have attended the institution, at minimum, for 1ere Բé and Բé terminale in full;
- must not have extended the length of their program for reasons of personal choice (*1);
- must have an R-score along with course attestation (provided by school).
(*1) Exception made for students entering a remedial program before their first DEC program.
(*2) Students enrolled in a ǰ-éٳܻ program may be exempted from these conditions. Such applicants must submit a special form (available from the website www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions) which describes in detail all relevant sport activities.
For First Nations or Inuit Applicants
For First Nations or Inuit Applicants to Undergraduate Medicine
First Nations and Inuit of Quebec Faculties of Medicine Program (FNIFMPQ)
The First Nations and Inuit Faculties of Medicine Program of Quebec (FNIFMPQ; Programme de formation de médecins des Premières Nations et Inuits de Québec (PFMPNIQ)) was established in 2008 and is administered by the Province of Quebec. Under this program, four positions for medical training in any of the four Quebec faculties of medicine are available for eligible applicants. Eligibility requirements:
- The applicant must be a member of the First Nations or Inuit, under the Indian Act (RSC, C1-5) or in the Inuit registry.
- The applicant must be a resident of Quebec.
- The applicant must have a minimum R-score of 28 or equivalent university CGPA.
The four FNIFMPQ spots are available for all of Quebec's faculties of medicine (Université Laval, Université de Montréal, SM and Université de Sherbrooke). The choice of university is based on the candidate's preference and the available spots in the faculties.
When applying to SM, applicants with First Nations or Inuit status may choose whether or not to declare their status. By declaring and confirming their status as a member of the First Nations or Inuit of Quebec, applicants will be eligible and considered for admission via the FNIFMPQ program, which is administered externally to SM. They will also be considered by SM as a candidate in the Quebec resident cohort, per the admissions procedures. It is thus possible for a candidate's application to be processed for both contingents in parallel. Please note that the criteria for the two admissions processes are distinct.
Applicants who elect not to declare their First Nations or Inuit status will be considered by SM as a candidate in the Quebec resident cohort, per the admissions procedures.
For more information on the Quebec First Nations and Inuit Faculties of Medicine Program (FNIFMPQ), please contact:
- Mr. Yves Sioui
- Coordinator for the Quebec FNIFMP
- FNI Faculties of Medicine Coordinator FNQLHSSC
- Université Laval FNQLHSSC
- Office: 418-842-1540 (ext. 235)
- Fax: 418-842-7045
- Université Laval Office: 418-656-2131, ext. 3641
- Email: yves.sioui [at] cssspnql.com
- Website:
Candidates in this category with a university degree or partial completion of a university program can apply for the M.D.,C.M. program. The Admissions Committee may require a preparatory year as a condition of admission. Candidates who have not started university-level studies must apply for the Med-P program. A Bachelor's degree is required for application to the joint programs. Assessment of academic strength is based on the academic record in conjunction with the curriculum vitae.
For Non-Traditional University-Level Applicants
For Non-Traditional University-Level Applicants to Undergraduate Medicine
A select number of positions are available to residents of Quebec who have pursued a "non-traditional" pathway in their journey to the career choice of medicine. Applicants to these positions are generally mature students who have spent a period of time in the workforce. Eligibility requirements:
- Québec residency status must be fully established by the application deadline (November 1);
- Applicant must hold a complete undergraduate (bachelor's) degree by July 31 of the entering year of medicine per the aforementioned academic criteria requirements WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION:
- Applicant is not eligible to apply in any other applicant category;
- Applicant meets all other admission requirements and conditions for medical programs WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS:
Successful NTP applicants will be admitted to a Qualifying year to be undertaken chiefly in the Faculty of Science. NTP students in the Qualifying year must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, with no grades lower than a B in order to continue on into the 4-year M.D.,C.M. program.
For more details, please consult the Admissions, Equity and Diversity Office website.
Advanced Standing for International Medical Graduates
Advanced Standing for International Medical Graduates
The Faculty of Medicine accepts applications for Advanced Standing placement from international medical graduates (IMG): Quebec residents who have obtained a recognised medical degree outside Canada or the United States.
Applicants admitted via this category will have the requirements for the Fundamentals of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD) of the M.D.,C.M. program waived and will enter the program at the Transition to Clinical Practice (TCP) component (which is part way through the second year of the standard program). Thus, successful applicants will begin their studies the May following their application (i.e., candidates who submitted applications in November 2015 will be considered for May 2016 entry). Successful students will continue into the clerkships, and graduate with an M.D.,C.M. degree from SM.
The number of positions available for Advanced Standing placement is contingent on the number of attritions from previous years and will vary; there may be years when no positions are available.
To be eligible, applicants must hold a medical degree from an accredited medical school recognized by the World Health Organization, must successfully complete the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam Part 1 (MCCEE1), must provide a Medical Student Performance Record together with an academic transcript, and must provide proof of English or French proficiency (see Proof of Proficiency in English and/or Language Requirements for Professions). Applicants must meet the basic science requirements and meet all other essential requirements listed. Competitive applicants will have MCCEE 1 scores that are at least 50 points higher than the passing grade.
Applicants who do not meet these conditions of eligibility or are seeking alternative options should contact the Collège des médecins.
Interviews are by invitation only and are conducted in a multiple mini-interview (MMI) format.
For more details, please consult the Admissions, Equity and Diversity Office website. Also refer to Special Admissions Pathways – International Medical Graduates.