An applicant can have no more than one credit/no credit course in a semester (i.e. a course that has an OMSAS half-year/semester weighting of 1) to be eligible for a GPA calculation. Please refer to OMSAS Weighting.

If the structure of your program does not allow for this, then you must submit official documentation from the institution as to why the student does not have a choice to select a numerical or alpha grade. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

This will take effect for any courses taken in Fall 2022 and onward.

Prerequisite Courses
We do not require prerequisite courses. With the elimination of prerequisite courses, applicants are able to select a program of study and courses, which best meet the goals of their undergraduate degree program.  
We do not recommend any particular course or degree program since no preference is given to applicants who have studied in any particular university program. 
Applicants are encouraged to consider all of the undergraduate programs available to them and to embark on the course of study in which they have the greatest interest and that would prepare them for an alternate career should they not gain a place in medicine.

The Admissions Committee will use ONLY your cumulative GPA in assessment of your application.

The cumulative GPA calculation includes ALL full-time, part-time, summer, or supplemental courses taken at undergraduate university level except those taken on foreign exchange and graduate studies, with all years treated equally. Courses and grades must appear on your university undergraduate transcript(s) to be included in the GPA calculation. This calculation includes all courses, regardless of first or second degree or year of study in an unclassified program.

The cumulative GPA calculation does not include the current academic year (Sept–June), as grades for your current academic year of study are not available at the time of the application deadline.

Minimum GPA

The minimum cumulative GPA to apply is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale according to OMSAS’ scale. 

GPAs are calculated using converted grade points based on the OMSAS Conversion Scale

Please note that admission to the MD Program is competitive. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

You can find our Admissions Statistics for last year’s incoming class here.

General Information:

The following will not be included in the GPA calculation:

• Naturopathic and chiropractic medicine
• Consecutive Bachelor of Education programs
• College courses (even if transfer credit is granted)
• Challenge for credit courses
• Continuing Education programs
• Graduate courses
• Undergraduate courses taken while part of a graduate program
• Doctor of Medicine programs
• Only the cumulative GPA will be calculated.
• For repeated courses, all grades obtained are calculated towards the GPA.
• Degree programs or individual courses are not considered a factor in the calculation of GPAs.
• Calculations include grades from all courses included on the University transcript for Canadian and United States Universities, including repeated courses.
• Courses that a “pass” or “credit” grade is assigned for are counted for credit, but we do not include them in the GPA calculation.
• If you have withdrawn from a course and there is a grade reflected on your transcript for that course, it will be included in GPA calculations. If there is no grade associated with a withdrawn course, it has no effect on your application.

No adjustments are made based on course load or course levels.

You must submit all transcripts through OMSAS, including education taken outside of Canada. 

Your transcripts must demonstrate you have:

• obtained 15 full or 30 half courses (or in combination) at the undergraduate university level by June 30 prior to possible entry into the program of September of the same year;
• maintained a satisfactory GPA, as determined by the Admissions Committee; and
• will have completed post-graduate studies by August 1 prior to entry into the program, if applicable.

Note: It is not possible for OMSAS to notify you of any outstanding transcripts before the application deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that OMSAS receives all transcripts and registrar statements by the application deadline.

Other transcript requirements:

• You must provide transcripts for all postsecondary courses and programs you attended. This includes, but is not limited to, community colleges, CEGEPs, junior colleges and  pre‑university programs.
• OMSAS must receive transcripts and grades for courses taken on a Letter of Permission at another institution or proof that transfer credit or advanced standing was granted for by the application deadline. This applies to courses, terms and semesters of study taken abroad as part of a regular program.
• We do not require evaluations of work terms completed as part of a co‑operative program.
• We will accept only transcripts sent directly to OMSAS by the postsecondary institution(s). We will not accept transcripts sent by you.

Note: OMSAS will ask you to verify your application data in Document Tracking in the OMSAS Application.

Your application will be disqualified if you fail to meet all transcript requirements and deadlines.

Applicants attending university outside Canada, or the United States must have their academic credentials/foreign transcripts assessed for Canadian equivalency by World Education Services (WES). Information pertaining to the assessment of international grades can be found on the OMSAS website.

A course-by-course WES evaluation with an overall GPA is required.

Credentialing assessment means converting international academic credentials into their Canadian educational equivalents. If a World Education Services (WES) assessment includes a copy of your official transcript, you are not required to request a transcript from your registrar.

The standard cumulative GPA will not be calculated for candidates submitting foreign transcripts.  WES assessments will be reviewed and applications for these candidates will be reviewed on an individual basis.

MCAT

All applicants must write the MCAT prior to the OMSAS application deadline. You must release all MCAT scores to OMSAS each application year and ensure that they are received by the stipulated deadline. OMSAS will report your scores to Queen’s University.

Each year, the Admissions Committee considers scores from the:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems,
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems,
• Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behaviour,
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills and
• the sum of these parts.

You must meet the minimum score set by the Admissions Committee. These thresholds are determined annually for each application cycle, for each category, and for the total score. These thresholds are not disclosed however you can find our Admissions Statistics for last year’s incoming class here.

Notes:

• The Queen’s School of Medicine imposes no restrictions on the number of times that you may take the test.
• If you have written the test multiple times, you must ensure that all test results are released to OMSAS by the specified date.
• All MCAT scores will then be reported by OMSAS to Queen’s University.
• Test results are valid from any test written within 5 years of the application deadline.
• Applications will be assessed based on the scores from your best test results.

Applicants who have submitted their MCAT score(s) with a previous application will need to re-submit their scores for the current application cycle to be eligible. It is your responsibility to ensure that these scores are received by OMSAS for the current application by the deadline.

While we use the MCAT in our evaluation process, we do not administer the test. Therefore, we are unable to offer any information or advice on preparation for the MCAT.

For further details about the test, applicants should visit www.aamc.org/mcat/.  

Accommodations: Information on how and when to request MCAT accommodations can be found here.

If paying for MCAT expenses out of pocket would be challenging for you, please consider applying for MCAT Fee Assistance Program by AFMC! To check your eligibility and apply, refer to AFMC's website here. More information can be found under "Things to Consider" section of this website.

Learn about the free AAMC MCAT Official Prep resources that the AAMC offers to help you study here.

Non-academic Requirements

Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (landed immigrant) of Canada at the application deadline to be eligible to apply to our program.  Permanent residents (landed immigrants) must submit a copy of the front and back of their current permanent resident card to OMSAS by the application deadline.

To be granted admission, you must be proficient in spoken and written English. We expect you to write clearly and correctly in English.

All application materials must be submitted in English, otherwise your application will not proceed further in the admission process.

The Queen’s Medical School Curriculum is conducted in English. Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for admission. Applicants whose native languages do not include English will be required to obtain satisfactory standing in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) proficiency test as part of the application process.

If English is not your native language but you have recently studied for at least 1 complete year at a university where English is the official language of instruction, you may be exempt from the English-language proficiency test. An applicant requesting a waiver of the test for this reason should do so in writing and submit it with their OMSAS Application using Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) in their application. The Medical School Admissions Committee will make determinations in these cases.

The Queen’s School of Medicine requires the following minimum TOEFL scores:

• TOEFL Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT): 100
• TOEFL Paper-based Tests: 100

Applicants may submit unofficial TOEFL results through SAM; however, official TOEFL results must be shared with us directly through TOEFL.

To distribute your results to Queen’s University:

1. Use Institution Code 0949 for Queen’s University and select “Undergraduate Organization” as the department from the list.
2. Once you distribute your Official Score Report through TOEFL, email your full name, date of birth and registration number to queensmd@queensu.ca so that we can retrieve your results.

All applicants to any of the MD Programs offered by Queen’s University are required to complete an online assessment, Casper through the Acuity Insights platform, to be eligible for admission. We do not require applicants to complete Snapshot or Duet, and they will not be included in review of your application.

Casper is a standardized online assessment that measures different competencies and attributes such as personal and professional characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. Casper is a 100-120 minute online, open-response situational judgement test. It is a compliment to 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 laptop or desktop computer with webcam and audio capabilities and a reliable internet connection with a internet speed of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of at least 2 Mbps. You will require the following for both account creation and taking the test:

• Government-issued photo ID
• Valid email address (Please use the email address that you used on your OMSAS application as this is used as one of our identifiers when linking your score to your application)
• Working webcam
• Working microphone
• Reliable high-speed internet connection
• Your OMSAS Reference Number for the current application cycle. (i.e. 8xxxxx) as this is used as one of our identifiers when linking your score to your application (Do not use previous OMSAS reference numbers )
• Please go to Acuity Insights to register your Casper account and sign up for the CSP-10201 – Canadian Professional Health Sciences version of Casper using a piece of government-issued photo ID and your OMSAS ID (8xxxxx) for the current admissions cycle.
• Select a Casper test date. You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times. Please note that these are the only testing dates available for your Casper test. There will be no additional tests scheduled. Please use an email address that you check regularly and that you have used for your OMSAS application; there may be updates to the test schedule.
  • Exceptions will not be provided for applicants who are unable to take Casper during one of the available test dates.
  • To account for identity verification and payment processing timelines, ensure that you register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time. We do not recommend last-minute bookings.
• Ensure you have selected Queen’s University for distribution before the posted Distribution Deadline. Likely, there will be no additional tests scheduled, but the most up to date information can be found by browsing the Test Dates and Times  on Acuity Insights.
• Please direct any inquiries about Casper to: support@altus.as. Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble on the Acuity Insights website.

Accommodations: If you require testing accommodations for Casper you will need to submit the Accommodations Request Form signed by you and your qualified professional 3 weeks in advance of your desired test date. More information regarding accommodations can be found here.

If you take Casper during this cycle but before you have your OMSAS Reference Number (8xxxxx) for your current application that is okay! You will still be able to distribute your score to us. You simply will need to wait until you have received your OMSAS ID (8xxxxx) for this year's application and then request that your score is distributed to Queen's as the OMSAS ID is a requirement. Please do not use an OMSAS ID from previous years or make one up as we use this number as one of our identifiers when linking it to your application. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure this is complete by the deadline.

• Casper scores are only available for one application cycle and the test is only offered on a select number of days. Applicants who have already taken the test in previous years are expected to re-take it.
• If you do not follow these instructions then your Casper score may not get linked to your application and will be considered incomplete. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the correct information to Casper that correlates with your current OMSAS application. We are not responsible for Casper scores that are not linked to an application due to incorrect or mismatched information being supplied.
• If you are applying to another university or program that requires you to write the Casper assessment in French, you will need to write it again in English for this application.
• If you are writing a different version of the Casper assessment (other than CSP-10201 – Canadian Professional Health Sciences for you MD application) you will need to complete the CSP-10201 – Canadian Professional Health Sciences version as well for this application. 
• There is a separate fee for that Casper test which is paid by the applicant directly to Altus Assessments. This fee is not included in the OMSAS/Queen’s application fee.

This video, highlights how an applicant can register.

• Employment
• Volunteer Activities
• Extra-Curricular Activities
• Awards & Accomplishments
• Publications & Research

Ensure that items selected are those most relevant to a medical school application. Items listed in the Other category will not be considered.

General Information:

• The Admissions Committee will not review activities from high school. If you started an activity in high school and continued in postsecondary education, only the time starting at postsecondary is reviewed.
• The autobiographical sketch is completed through the OMSAS application and then disseminated to the Admissions Committee for review.
• Please ensure that items selected to include are those most relevant to a medical school application.
• There is room in the form to provide information relating to 32 items. You are not required to fill all available spots.
• Submissions are assessed based on the quality of the listed items and the characteristics they represent (not the number of items listed). 
• The candidate must list:
  • What year in your education the activity occurred (i.e. 1st year undergraduate, summer between 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate, graduate, post graduate etc.)
  • A brief description, which can be in point form
  • The location of the activity 
  • The length of time each activity has taken. When you indicate the number of hours, specify if it is per week or per month, etc.

Note: The Admission Committee is unable to review and evaluate Autobiographical Sketches that are not written in English.

Please visit the OMSAS website for further details about the ABS requirements and submission details here.

Each activity must have a verifier. You must provide current contact information for the verifier, including their title, physical address, email address, telephone number and relation to you.

It is your responsibility to notify verifiers that the Admissions Office may contact them any time to request verification, including possibly asking them for evaluations or letters of support. Non-verifiable activities could adversely impact your file assessment.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to alter the elements of the interview process.

We email an interview invitation to selected applicants. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor their email and all associated email folders (inbox, spam, junk) during the application process, as invitations are sent via email. This includes ensuring the email inboxes and associated folders are not full and are able to recieve incoming mail. We are not responsible for any correspondence that is not answered by stipulated deadlines. Any invitations that are not answered by our stipulated deadline will be considered declined. (no exceptions)

If an applicant that has been invited for an interview requires an accommodation for the interview, they must register by email with Queen’s Accessibility Services at the time they receive the interview invitation and provide documentation supporting the request.

Note: All candidates attending interviews will be required to sign a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure statement, to ensure the integrity and security of the interview process.  Any violation of the signed statement or failure to sign the statement will result in removal of the admissions process.

Candidates offered interviews should be aware that interviews are only scheduled once per year. Rescheduling, regardless of the reason, will not be accommodated.

Please note: All interview will be conducted virtually until further notice. 

Additional Eligibility Requirements