By May of the year of entry, applicants must have completed a minimum of three years of undergraduate degree-level work (30 half-year credits or 15 full-year credits or a combination).

Applicants may apply in the third year of their degree program; however, if granted an offer, it will be conditional upon completion of the minimum number of credits and they will be required to submit final undergraduate transcripts with course codes and a final year GPA of 3.00 on the 4.00 scale to the MD Admissions Office by June 30^th of the entry year.

McMaster University encourages diversity within its applicants. Therefore, there are no prerequisites or preferred degree programs to apply.

Criteria of Evaluation

Only degree courses taken at an accredited university will be considered. To satisfy the minimum requirements, academic credentials obtained from a Canadian University must be from an institution with academic standards and performance consistent with those members of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU).

Applicants who have completed a diploma at a CEGEP (Province of Quebec) receive one-year of credit towards the minimum requirement for application. Those applicants must have completed at least two years (20 half-year credits) of undergraduate university degree-level work by May of the year of entry.

Applicants who have satisfactorily completed the requirements of a baccalaureate degree in less than three-years by the application deadline, and who meet the minimum GPA requirement, are also eligible.

Advance Standing or Transfer

There is no provision for advance standing and due to the curriculum structure of the Undergraduate Medical Education Program, we cannot accept transfer students.

By the October deadline, applicants must have achieved a minimum overall GPA of 3.00 on the 4.00 scale according to the OMSAS Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table. Achieving the minimum GPA requirement does not guarantee acceptance.

The Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Undergraduate Medical Education Program calculates the GPA using a cumulative average of the grades from all courses taken at the undergraduate level. We treat all years equally. There is no weighting applied and you cannot eliminate any grades from the calculation.

The following are included in the GPA calculation:

• Undergraduate grades for fall, winter, spring, summer, part-time studies and distance education courses as long as they are completed at an accredited university in Canada or the US
• If you repeat a course, and both grades appear on your transcript, both the past grade and repeated grade will be included in the GPA calculation

The following are not included in the GPA calculation:

• Grades from:
  • College diploma programs;
  • Naturopathic and chiropractic medicine;
  • Associate degree programs;
  • Undergraduate courses taken as part of a graduate program;
  • Graduate degree programs;
  • Continuing education credits;
  • Challenge for credit courses;
• Course credits for which a “Pass” or “Credit” grade is assigned.
  • For applicants attending a program where the majority of grades are “Pass” or “Credit”, you must have at least five courses bearing a letter or numerical grade in order to calculate a GPA. 

All applicants to the UGME program are required to write the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) prior to, and within five years of the year of application and applicants must release their scores to OMSAS by the MCAT score release deadline. The most recent test results will be used for those applicants who attempt the MCAT® more than once. For more information, visit AAMC’s Prepare for the MCAT® Exam.

The score from the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) section of the MCAT® will be used in both formulae (Offer of Interview and Advancement to Collation). A minimum score of 123 is required. The scores on the other section of the MCAT will not be considered in the selection process.

Releasing Your Scores to OMSAS

Each year that you apply, but no earlier than July 1 of application year, contact the AAMC and request that they release your MCAT® scores to OMSAS.

• To release your MCAT® scores to OMSAS, log in to your AAMC account.
• Under the My Reports tab, select “Send Scores Electronically”.
• You can then select the institutions to release the scores to; OMSAS is spelled out as: “Ontario Medical School Application Service”.

MCAT® Fee Assistance Program for Canadians

In the continuing efforts to support an increasingly diverse physician workforce, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) offer a fee assistance program for Canadian examinees in financial need who register for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®).

To learn more about the eligibility criteria, application process, and deadlines, visit the AFMC MCAT® Fee Assistance Program.

To learn more about taking the exam with accommodations, visit MCAT® Exam with Accommodations.

All applicants to the UGME program are required to complete the Casper to be eligible for admission.

Casper is an online, open-response situational judgment test (SJT). It asks what you would do in a tough situation, and more importantly, why. This helps determine behavioural tendencies of applicants pursuing people-centered professions.

Casper is:

• Made up of two sections, video and typed responses;
• Made up of 14 scenarios;
• 90-110 minutes in length, with breaks;
• Scored by a group of human raters;
• Scores are sent to selected programs automatically;

Register for Casper for McMaster University:

• Sign up or log into Acuity Insights
• Select the Admissions Cycle period and Select “Distribute English test to bilingual programs”
• Select Program Type: Casper 2 > Medicine – Undergraduate (CSP-10211)
• Select School(s)
• Select Casper test date
• Reserve and provide payment

The Canada Professional Health Sciences (CSP-10201) test is now named Casper 2 (CSP-10211).

Find test date and fees for the schools you are applying to:

• Visit the Acuity Insights Date and Times

If you are taking the Professional Health Sciences Casper test in July, August, or September, (before you have your OMSAS ID) use this temporary ID placeholder – 800000. You must update this number later when you receive your OMSAS ID.

• Please make sure you use the same information (name, email address, etc.) as on your OMSAS application.
• Please note that it is acceptable to write the Casper test after the OMSAS application deadline has passed.
• Applicants must complete the English test of the Casper.
• Applicants are not required to complete Duet. Only the Casper test, including the video component.

Additional Information:

For additional information regarding Casper or if you require technical support, please email: support@acuityinsights.app or use the chat bubble in the bottom right hand corner of your screen on the Acuity Insights website.

To learn more about Casper and Acuity Insights Assessment.

To learn or request for Accommodations, visit Acuity Insights Accommodations.

Applicants should request all transcript materials prior to September 15^th of the year of application, to allow adequate time for processing requests and for receipt at OMSAS by the prescribed deadline.

Transcripts from Ontario universities must be ordered through OMSAS via the Transcript Request Form (TRF) at the time of application. All other required transcripts and Registrar Statements must be submitted directly to OMSAS by the post-secondary institutions attended.

Applicants should retain all dated receipts and correspondence related to their transcript request. In the event of a late or missing transcript, evidence to show that applicants have requested their transcript in a timely fashion will be requested by McMaster University. Failure by the applicant to meet this requirement, comply with the instructions, or to meet all the deadlines will result in disqualification of the application.

Please note:

• McMaster University requires that applicants provide transcripts from all post-secondary courses/programs attended at any post-secondary institutions. These include community colleges, CEGEPs, junior college, pre-university programs, etc.
• For courses taken on a “Letter of Permission” at another institution, or for which transfer credit/advance standing was granted, applicants must ensure that a transcript from the other institution with the actual grade(s) achieved is received at OMSAS by the application deadline. This provision also applies to courses as well as terms/semesters of study abroad taken as part of a regular program
• Only transcripts sent directly to OMSAS by the post-secondary institution(s) will be accepted. Transcripts sent by the applicant will not be accepted.
• OMSAS will provide a Verification Report which includes information about the receipt of transcripts, only with regards to university credits. Other post-secondary transcripts which McMaster University requires may not be reflected in the verification report.

Failure to meet all transcript requirements will result in the disqualification of the application.

Applicants are required to ask 3 different individuals to provide a reference on your behalf:

• 1 academic- or employment-related referee
• 1 non-academic referee and
• 1 referee of your choosing

Select referees who have extensive personal knowledge of you, and as a result, are in a position to answer the Confidential Assessment Form (CAF) questions. You are not permitted to use family members as references, and we strongly advise against using close friends or other applicants as references.

CAF Questions

References will be asked to respond to the following questions:

1. Would this applicant make a good physician?
2. Rate the applicant on each of the following attributes:
   • Communication skills
   • Problem-solving skills
   • Professionalism
   • Empathy
3. Identify and comment on 1 area of improvement for the applicant
4. Share any other information you feel may be relevant to a medical school’s admission committee

Please note: Confidential Assessment Forms (CAF) are due on the application deadline date!

It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform referees about the completion of the CAF, we recommend sending request for reference by September 15^th of the application year to allow enough time for completion as they are due by the application deadline. Late references (CAF) will not be accepted after the OMSAS application deadline has passed.

Graduate students may apply if they have completed or are enrolled in a graduate program at the time of application. At the time of application, applicants who are enrolled in a graduate program must arrange for their Supervisor, a member of their Supervisory Committee, or the Chair of the Department to provide a letter indicating they are aware of your intentions to apply to McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. If your graduate supervisor is one of three referees, this additional letter is not required.

Applicants must arrange for this letter to be received at OMSAS by the application deadline.

We do not require graduate applicants to complete their graduate degree as a condition of accepting an offer to the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

The Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine may require a World Education Services (WES) evaluation for your international transcripts. The credentialing assessment provided by WES converts international academic credentials into their Canadian educational equivalents.

The following applies to Canadian or non-Canadian applicants who attended post-secondary institutions outside of Canada or United States:

• If you do not meet the minimum course number requirement (30 courses complete by May of year of entry) with Canadian or United States education, you must have your international transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (WES). We require a “course-by-course” evaluation that includes an overall GPA calculation to be sent to OMSAS by the application deadline.
• If you do meet the minimum course number requirements with Canadian or US education, you must submit international transcripts but do not require a WES Assessment.
• If you travelled overseas for an exchange program, you do not require a WES evaluation, however, you must arrange for the institution you attended on exchange to send a transcript to OMSAS.

The Ontario Faculties of Medicine are responsible to society to provide a program of study that graduates Doctors of Medicine with the knowledge, skills, professional behaviours and attitudes necessary for postgraduate medical training and independent medical practice in Canada. Graduates must be able to diagnose and manage health problems and provide comprehensive, compassionate care to their patients which ensures patient safety. For this reason, students admitted into the MD Program must demonstrate – with or without the use of reasonable accommodation and/or assistive technology – functional abilities in the domains of: learning and assessment of learning; communication; knowledge integration; patient safety and quality; and professionalism.

All applicants are encouraged to review the document “Functional Abilities for Students Entering Medical School”

McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine is an inclusive, diverse community and we encourage applicants with disabilities to apply to the UGME program if they have the skills and abilities to meet the requirements of the medical degree. Applicants must confirm they can meet the Functional Abilities for Students Entering Medical School.

Unknown, undiagnosed, and/or unaccommodated disabilities may result in grades that disadvantage applicants unfairly. If you have an unaccommodated disability, you may request additional consideration in the undergraduate MD program admission process if you:

• Were not aware that you had a disability, or
• Were not appropriately accommodated for a documented disability during your undergraduate and/or graduate studies.

This request applies only to the initial assessment of your OMSAS application and pertains only to the treatment of the applicant’s undergraduate grades (GPA).

McMaster University will normally require at least 1-semester (5 credits or equivalent) of undergraduate marks with accommodations to demonstrate evidence of the applicant’s academic ability.

Supporting documents must be submitted to OMSAS including:

• Documentation from the Accessibility Services Office
• Letter from a Regulated Health Practitioner
• OMSAS Disability-based Consideration for GPA Changes Form

To learn more about the process and documentation required, visit OMSAS – Disability-based Consideration Requests.

Please note: Requests for accommodations for the AAMC MCAT®  and/or Acuity Insight Casper should be made directly to the respective administering organizations, as McMaster University or OMSAS do not grant these accommodations.

To be granted admission, you must be proficient in spoken and written English. All application materials must be submitted in English, otherwise, the application will not proceed further in the admission process.

If English is not your first language, you must satisfy McMaster University’s English Language Proficiency requirements.

Applicants must understand that where it is discovered that any application information is false or misleading or has been concealed or withheld, the application will be deemed to be invalid. This will result in its immediate rejection. If the applicant has already been admitted and registered, withdrawal from the university may be required. The MD Admissions Committee will not allow the applicant to reapply to the McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine UGME Program for up to 7 years.