Eligibility

Applications will be accepted from students in good standing who will have successfully completed, in a recognized university, three years of full-time studies (five courses per semester each per year) in any undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree, including specific prerequisite courses completed with a minimum Grade of B:

Course requirements:

Note: Units are equivalent to credits.

• 6 units in humanities /Social Sciences (see examples)
• 6 units in Biology (we also accept Anatomy and Physiology courses)
• 3 units in Organic Chemistry
• 3 units in Chemistry
• 3 units in Biochemistry
• 3 units in Statistics

Note: 3 units (credits) are equivalent to a one(1) semester course, and 6 units (credits) are equivalent to either one full-year course or two semester-long courses.

Humanities/Social Sciences - Examples: You may fulfil the Humanities/Social Sciences requirements with any courses that are not science based. These include, but are not limited to: Sociology, Psychology, Math, Religion, Administration, English Literature, English Writing, etc.

Lab requirement:

• The laboratory requirements can be met by either having 6-units-worth of courses (indicated above in course requirements) that include a laboratory component and/or by having completed additional course(s) up to 6 units that are exclusively laboratory-based.

Note: The three years of full-time undergraduate study and prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the begining of June preceding admission into the MD Program.

An academic year where the equivalent of four (4) courses per semester is taken will be recognized as a full-time year of study and will be included in the cGPA calculation provided that the missing courses to fulfil the full-time (5 courses per semester) requirements, are completed either as additional courses within another academic year or as summer courses. Individual courses taken during a summer session are accepted and the mark obtained is counted in the calculation of the cGPA if completed during the last 3 years of full-time undergraduate studies leading to a bachelor’s degree. Any year with less than four courses per semester will not count as a full-time year of study. A full-time summer semester does not replace a semester of studies within an academic year (except for Co-op programs). AP, IB and transfer units are not recognized as fulfilment of full-time studies requirement.

Candidates are allowed to complete missing prerequisite courses during the academic year preceding admission but, as with all courses, not during the summer before their registration in the MD program of studies.

The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ottawa determines equivalencies.

Second language courses are not recognized toward the Humanities / Social Sciences prerequisites.

N.B. Meeting the above requirements does not guarantee admission.

Furthermore, in selecting students, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to assess, in the applicant's program, the level of difficulty of completed courses and their relevance to future medical studies at the University of Ottawa; the Committee also considers the candidate’s results in these courses. Please note that professional degrees earned at Canadian Institutions are generally considered undergraduate degrees. Applications will be individually assessed during the evaluation process once the application is submitted at OMSAS.   Full-time studies completed by distance education will not be recognized since the spirit of the full-time studies requirements is to be able to assess and compare how candidates succeed in a full-time course load and to predict how the candidates will perform and cope with the rigorous demand of the medical program.

The Faculty of Medicine may, at its discretion, refuse to accept future applications to the MD program from a candidate who has submitted a false, misleading or fraudulent application in the past to any medical school.

The OMSAS instruction booklet makes reference to the importance of the application materials and required documentation being received at OMSAS by the published deadlines. Applicants must ensure that OMSAS receives their transcripts by the stated deadline, so that the file can be reviewed and a verification report can be sent to the applicant in sufficient time to allow any errors or omissions to be addressed. If an applicant's transcript issues are not resolved before our selection process begins, it will not be possible to insert the file into our process, and a disqualification status could be assigned to the application.

The CASPer® Test - Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics

All applicants to the MD and MD/PhD Program, at the University of Ottawa are required to complete an online assessment (CASPer), to assist with our selection process. Successful completion of CASPer is mandatory in order to maintain admission eligibility.

CASPer assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program, and will complement the other tools that we use for applicant screening. In implementing CASPer, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.

In order to take CASPer, you will be responsible for securing access to a computer with audio capabilities, equipped with a webcam and a reliable internet connection on your selected test date. CASPer can be taken practically anywhere that you can satisfy the aforementioned requirements. No exceptions will be provided for applicants unable to take CASPer online due to being located at sites where internet is not dependable due to technical or political factors.

The CASPer test is comprised of 10-12 sections of video and written scenarios. Following each scenario, you will be required to answer a set of probing questions under a time contract. Each response is graded by a different rater, giving a very robust and reliable view of personal and professional characteristics important to our program. No studying is required for CASPer, although you may want to familiarize yourself with the test structure, and ensure you have a quiet environment to take the test.

The CASPer test must be completed in the language of instruction selected when submitting your application to the MD Program, University of Ottawa. Your application will not be considered if the online CASPer test is not completed. 

Applicants are required to take the CASPer test in the fall of the application year. CASPer registration is now open, however the October test dates can only be reserved after an application has been submitted through OMSAS and an OMSAS ID is added to the CASPer profile.

Applications will not be accepted from applicants who are not Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents (landed immigrant). Proof of permanent resident status must accompany the application at the time it is submitted. However, there is one exception to the rule: eligible children of alumni of the University of Ottawa who have completed studies at the Faculty of Medicine.

Candidates with a permanent residence in Canada who do not meet our eligibility requirements relative to completion of Canadian studies and require inclusion of their international studies must have their foreign transcript assessed by World Education Services (WES). The application will only be considered if the WES assessment is provided.

However, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to apply its own conversion. This evaluation must include a program equivalency conversion, an overall grade point average conversion, as well as a course by course grade conversion. To obtain this assessment and grade conversion, please consult the World Education Website or call the World Education Services at the following numbers: (416) 972-0070 or 1-866-343-0070. To submit this evaluation with your application, you are required to follow the instructions provided within the Web site of the OMSAS on-line application.

Since we require at least three years of undergraduate full-time studies in any program leading to the obtention of a bachelor degree in a recognized university within our eligibility requirements, we will only convert the most recent three years of studies pertinent to the bachelor program of studies of the candidates and not convert any undergraduate degree and/or certificate of one-year duration. The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa also does not convert studies leading to a Diploma, Certificate or MD Degrees.

Students enrolled in a (Co-op) cooperative education program are eligible to apply for admission, provided they have completed the prerequisite courses as well as the full-time studies as indicated in the eligibility requirements. For a year to be recognized as equivalent to full-time study and count toward the cumulative grade point average (cGPA), it must contain two academic terms within each trimester year (fall, winter, summer). An academic year where the student has completed two work terms will not count as part of the three prerequisite years of full-time studies and therefore, the grades obtained for one semester of academic work completed within this year will not be used in calculating the cGPA.

Course sequence

Example 1:

Candidates who are completing the above co-op sequence can be eligible to apply to our MD program after completing their second year of study while registered in their third year, and provided that their third year is completed by the end of the winter term and all three years are full-time course load.

Example 2:

Candidates who are completing the above co-op sequence can be eligible to apply to our MD program after completing their fourth year, while registered in their fifth year, and provided that all three years of study (1, 2 and 5) are completed with a full-time course load. 

Students from a CEGEP of the province of Quebec are not eligible to submit an application to the first medical year of the University of Ottawa. An applicant who has obtained the “Diplôme d’études collégiales” from Quebec (CEGEP) must complete in addition two years of full-time studies (minimum of five courses per semester each year) in an undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree in a recognized university, including the necessary prerequisite courses.

The same policy applies to applicants who have completed studies at a community college. The College (or CEGEP) studies will be recognized as being equivalent to one year of postsecondary university studies, provided that the candidate has obtained his/her diploma.

Prerequisite courses equivalencies:

Note

Only the above science courses completed at the Cegep/College level of study will be recognized toward our prerequisites and provided that they were completed with a minimum Grade of 70%.

Students who have completed these science courses at the Cegep/College level must also take, at any recognized University, the following additional prerequisite courses: (6 units/credits) in Humanities/Social Sciences; (3 units/credits) in Biochemistry; and (3 units/credits) in Statistics.

Students from Ontario secondary schools who intend to pursue medical studies must ensure they have completed the advanced math and science courses that qualify them for the university science courses required.

An applicant will not be eligible if he/she was previously registered in a medical program leading to an MD degree and withdrew or was excluded from the program. Exceptions may be considered for exceptional or medical circumstances.

The selection criteria to advance to interview is based on eligibility requirements, all of the academic parameters as well as performance on CASPer®, review of the autobiographical sketch, and confidential assessment forms. Final admission ranking is then based on interview performance combined with the academic parameters.

As long as the prerequisites for eligibility are met, no preference is given to the discipline of the academic program taken at a recognized university.

Age, gender, race, religion and socio-economic status play no part in the selection process, unless it is specified in the criteria for designated seats.

Any candidate who submits a fraudulent application for admission is subject to prosecution.

All things being equal, preference will be given to those who have proficiency in both official languages at the University.

Policy on Interference

1. Individual applicants, or their family members, delegates, and friends, are not to contact the Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Vice-Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education or Vice-Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, directly or indirectly via telephone, letter, e-mail, any other electronic social medium or in person, regarding the application process or her/his application. To do so will be considered a breach of professionalism and any such contact or overtures will be noted and may jeopardize the individual's application.
2. "The MD Program of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa is fully accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) - the bodies that accredit MD programs in Canada and the United States. As such, the Admissions Office adheres strictly with the following CACMS standard:
   
   10.2 The final responsibility for accepting students to a medical school rests with a formally constituted admission committee. The authority and composition of the committee and the rules for its operation, including voting privileges and the definition of a quorum, are specified in bylaws or other medical school policies. Faculty members constitute the majority of voting members at all meetings. The selection of individual students must not be influenced by any political or financial factors."

Note
The Admissions Office will not make any exceptions to declared policies.

Admission for special students or mature applicants, as described in the University of Ottawa “General Admission Requirements,” does not apply to the Faculty of Medicine.

Graduate candidates who are registered in (or have recently completed) a master’s or doctoral degree are allowed to apply to either the MD or combined MD/PhD program provided they meet the eligibility requirements, including the completion of the specific prerequisites (sciences/humanities/social sciences) completed with a minimum Grade of B.  These applications will be assessed like all other applications based on the candidate’s cGPA, CASPer®, Confidential Assessment Forms, Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) and Interview performance. Although cGPA is calculated based on the last three years of full-time undergraduate studies, ongoing studies (in a professional or graduate program) will be considered as part of the final comprehensive file review to ensure academic excellence is maintained.