How to Get Into Medical School in Ontario and Succeed on the OMSAS
Ontario Medical Schools Admissions Stats, Application Tips, Timelines and More
Table of Contents
Ontario is home to some of the best medical schools in Canada and the world. The OMSAS (Ontario Medical School Application Service) is a primary application required by these schools. It’s like the Ontario version of AMCAS.
Of the 18 total medical schools in Canada, seven are located in Ontario (plus 1 more on the way). Most Ontario medical schools have strict requirements about residence status.
Recent legislation changes: Recent legislation will require Ontario medical schools to reserve 95% of seats for Ontario residents and 5% of seats for other Canadians. Starting in 2026, non-Canadian candidates have virtually a 0% chance of acceptance in Ontario med schools.
Recent accreditation changes: U.S. applicants are now considered international medical students in Canada. Before July 2025, the U.S. and Canada used the same accreditation process through the LCME, allowing for easier med school application across the border.
If you’re applying via OMSAS, keep reading for an in-depth look at which Ontario schools are the best, when you need to apply, and how you can better prepare yourself for success on the OMSAS.
Download Our Ontario Medical School Guidebook
- OMSAS Application System
- Autobiographical Sketch
The 8 Medical Schools in Ontario
Check out the 8 Ontario medical schools, which require applicants to fill out the OMSAS. Use the table before for a quick overview, or scroll down to learn even more about each institution.
| School Name | Average GPA | Average MCAT | Interview Format | Casper Required? | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McMaster University | 3.9 | 129.2 CARS, other sections not provided | vMMI | Yes | 3.7% |
| North Ontario University | 3.76 | Not provided | MMI and traditional panel | Yes | 5.3% |
| University of Ottawa | 3.93 | MCAT score not required for admission | Traditional panel | Yes | 3.5% |
| Queen's University | 3.78 | 514 | MMI and traditional panel | Yes | 2.8% |
| University of Toronto | 3.95 | Not provided | vMPI | Yes | 6.4% |
| Toronto Metropolitan University (first class FA2025) | N/A | MCAT score not required for admission | N/A | No | N/A |
| Western University | 3.89 | 28-129 per section (Psych/Soc scores not provided) | Virtual panel | No | No 7.1% |
| York University (first class FA2026) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Data from AAMC’s MSAR database, the NOSM website, the McMaster University website, the Western University website,
1. McMaster University
The Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University runs a 3-year MD program with training 11 months out of the year. 217 students are admitted each year, and the average undergrad GPA of incoming students is 3.95.
McMaster is home to a world-renowned research institute, which conducts cutting-edge research into new treatments and cures for diseases.
Admission criteria:
- Undergraduate coursework (15 full courses or 30 half courses)
- GPA (minimum 3.0 out of 4.0)
- MCAT (the only requirement is a minimum CARS score of 123)
- Casper (it was developed at McMaster after all)
- 3 confidential assessment forms (CAFs), also called references
- Autobiographical sketch (ABS)
- A virtual MMI-type interview
Special applicant streams include:
- Indigenous students
- Black students
- Canadian military
- MD/PhD
2. North Ontario University
North Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) at North Ontario University is Canada’s first independent medical university. They run a 4-year MD program with 88 spots. The MCAT and Casper exams are not required for admissions.
NOSM prefers applicants already working or seeking to work with disadvantaged populations in Northern Ontario, including indigenous and francophone communities.
Admission criteria:
- 4-year degree
- English proficiency
- GPA (minimum is 3.0 out of 4.0)
- 3 CAFs
- ABS
- NOSM-specific supplementary questions
- Context score, referring to geographic and cultural aspects of your background
- MMI-type interviews
Special application streams include:
- Indigenous applicants
- Francophones
- Canadian military
- Those with exceptional circumstances
3. University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine runs a 4-year MD program with 184 seats each year, roughly 128 English-speaking slots and 56 French-speaking slots. Located in Canada’s capital city, this was the first North American medical school to educate in both official languages.
University of Ottawa does not require completion of the MCAT to apply or to be admitted.
Admission criteria:
- At least 3 years of full-time undergraduate study, including lab coursework
- Proficiency in either English or French
- GPA (minimum is 3.5 out of 4.0)
- Casper
- ABS
- 3 CAFs
- Traditional panel interview
Special application streams include:
- Black students
- Canadian military
- MD/PhD
- Indigenous students
- Non-Ontario/Quebec francophones
- Nunavut-specific applicants
- Low Socioeconomic Status (LSES) Initiative
4. Queen’s University
Queen’s University was founded in 1841 by royal charter from Queen Victoria, and the Queen’s School of Medicine was established only 13 years later. Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, this beautiful campus boasts a 4-year MD program with up to 140 spots each year.
120 of those spots are at their main Kingston campus, but up to 6 of those spots are reserved for Canadian Forces Members through the Military Medical Training Program (MMTP) Pathway. 20 spots are for their Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine program.
Admission criteria:
- At least 3 years of full-time study
- English proficiency
- GPA (minimum is 3.0 out of 4.0)
- MCAT (2024-2025 minimum was 500 total score)
- Casper
- 3 CAFs
- ABS
- Both MMI (primary) and panel (secondary) interviews
Special application streams include:
- Indigenous students
- Canadian military
- Social Accountability Admissions Pathway (SAAP)
- MD/PhD
- MD/MSc
5. University of Toronto
The Temerty Faculty of Medicine at University of Toronto is the oldest medical school in Ontario, founded in 1843. University of Toronto is home to Canada’s largest medical research hospital, the SickKids Centre for Learning Health.
Located in Canada’s largest city and Ontario’s provincial capital, U of T runs a 4-year MD program with 230 yearly spots at the St. George campus in downtown Toronto and 59 at the Mississauga campus.
Admission criteria:
- Relatively few coursework requirements
- GPA (the minimum is 3.6 out of 4.0, competitive GPA is closer to 3.8)
- MCAT (minimum of 125 in each section, allowing one section score of 124)
- ABS (including an additional ABS statement)
- 3 CAFs
- 2 personal essays
- Interview, either virtual or in-person
Special application streams:
- Black students
- Indigenous students
- MD/PhD
- Canadian military
6. Toronto Metropolitan University
This brand new school of medicine at Toronto Metropolitan University will welcome its first cohort of 94 medical students in September 2025. It offers a four-year MD program, and due to its accreditation process, its OMSAS application cycle will be slightly different in 2025.
Students will not require the MCAT to apply. They have intentionally refrained from requiring specific coursework so as to attract a diverse range of applicants from varied backgrounds.
Admission criteria:
- 4-year degree
- English proficiency
- GPA (minimum is 3.3 out of 4.0)
- 4 supplementary questions (short essays)
- ABS
- 3 CAFs
- Brampton/Peel Region Connectedness
- Virtual interview, either MMI or traditional panel format
Special application streams:
- Black students
- Indigenous students
- Equity-deserving students (for individuals who identify as 2SLGBTQ+, who are racialized people, who have a disability, and who have experienced socioeconomic, cultural, poverty-related, or familial barriers)
7. Western University
The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University runs a distributed 4-year program with 187 slots per year, mostly at the main London campus, with a few dozen at the Windsor campus (bordering Detroit).
Admission criteria:
- In at least the third year of a 4-year-degree program
- GPA (Schulich does not publish minimum requirements)
- MCAT (Schulich does not publish minimum requirements)
- 3 CAFs
- Western Abbreviated Autobiographical Sketch (AABS)
- 3-person panel interview
Special application streams:
- Black students
- Southwestern Ontario high school graduates
- Indigenous students
- Access Pathway (for those that have dealt with challenges of medical, socio-cultural, financial or underrepresented ethnicity)
- Military Medical Training Program (MMTP)
- MD/PhD
- MD + other postgraduate training options. Additionally, Schulich has a maximum of three (3) positions for International applicants.
8. York University
In light of recent legislation promoting homegrown medical education, York University announced plans to open a new school of medicine in Toronto.
They are on track for accreditation in early 2026, probably welcoming their first cohort of MD students in the fall of 2026 or 2027.
Timeline and Key Dates
As a pre-medical student, showing that you have the organization skills to get your application ready on time is a must. The exact dates for OMSAS submission can be found on the OUAC website.
Check out this helpful OMSAS timeline:
- May: Start preparing your application. Write drafts of your Autobiographical Sketch and personal essays. Ask potential referees to write reference letters, even though the deadline is months away. Take the MCAT in May so you’re not wondering about your score or pushing up against the deadline in October. You can’t be too prepared.
- Mid-August: Apply for fee reduction to the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada for the Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver Program. They allow students with financial need to reduce or eliminate application costs.
- Mid-September: OMSAS suggests sending reference letters by the middle of September, but we recommend sending them earlier. The OMSAS includes a Document Tracking page to ensure that all documents are received by their respective deadlines.
- Early October: Submit applications by the OMSAS application deadline (academic document, references, payments). There are no exceptions to this rule. The exact submission deadline is different each year but almost always in early October.
- Late October: Send your MCAT scores into OMSAS. Remember, it can take a few days for OMSAS to receive your scores after the AAMC releases them, so make sure to plan ahead and request MCAT scores to be sent 4-5 days before the deadline.
- January: After applications are reviewed by medical schools, interview invites start to go out around this time.
- May: Ontario medical schools start to send out offers of admissions to accepted candidates.
OMSAS Application Guide
Below is our guide on filling out the OMSAS, along with handy tips.
Autobiographical Sketch
The Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) allows applicants to share activities and experiences that contributed to their professional and personal growth, in the following areas:
- Employment activities
- Volunteer experiences
- Extracurricular experiences
- Research experiences
- Awards and accomplishments
FREE Guide: Mastering Your Autobiographical Sketch
OMSAS ABS provides AdComs with a more holistic applicant picture than what is possible through transcripts alone. We recommend you take advantage of the allowed extracurricular activities and character count. Familiarize yourself with the CanMEDs framework when filling out ABS entries, as this is the standard by which doctors in Canada are determined to be proficient in patient care.
The major difference between the AMCAS Work and Activities section and the OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch is the amount of space given to describe each activity. While AMCAS allows 700 characters per activity, OMSAS permits just 150 characters.
Overall, you are allowed to include up to 32 items (more than double what the AMCAS allows) in the Autobiographical Sketch section of the application. You’ll also need to include a “verifier” of each of these items. (Note, these are people who can verify you’ve participated, not referees.)
References (Letters of Recommendation)
Medical school letters of recommendation are a vital part of the admissions process, both for med schools in the US and in Canada. OMSAS calls these reference letters Confidential Assessment Forms (CAFs), and your letter writers are called referees.
For OMSAS, you need to obtain and submit 3 letters of recommendation, specifically:
- 1 academic- or employment-related reference
- 1 non-academic reference
- 1 reference of your choosing
OMSAS recommends sending reference requests to your referees no later than September 15th in order to get your required documents in by the deadline in October. We recommend reaching out months in advance and getting the letters turned in by August.
Personal Essays
University of Toronto (Temerty Faculty of medicine) requires two personal essays (separate from the Autobiographical Sketch), each limited to 250 words or fewer. Here are the prompts:
- First, answer this: In what way(s) are you a product of the world around you? How has it, or how will it, impact your journey in medicine?
- Secondly, explore how the following Charlie Munger quote may affect your career in medicine: “We all are learning, modifying, or destroying ideas all the time. Rapid destruction of your ideas when the time is right is one of the most valuable qualities you can acquire. You must force yourself to consider arguments on the other side.”
Check out these successful personal statement examples.
Also, Toronto Metropolitan University requests four “supplementary essays” which are similar to personal essays but should be submitted through TMU’s applicant portal, not through OMSAS.
Excelling on Casper
Most OMSAS applicants must complete the Casper test, but Toronto Metropolitan University and Western University do not require the Casper.
Casper is a holistic virtual exam designed to test a medical school applicant’s communication and interpersonal skills. There is no scientific knowledge on the Casper test; it’s designed to instead test your “soft skills,” such as empathy, teamwork, etc.
While there’s no specific study guide for Casper, you can take practice tests and review the format and example questions to understand what to expect in advance.
Read More In-Depth: Complete Guide to the Casper Exam
Don’t Forget to Prepare for Interviews
After you apply to Ontario medical schools, admissions committees will start sending out interview invitations. If you’re fortunate enough to receive one or more, you will need to do plenty of interview prep to put your best foot forward.
Wear professional clothing, answer confidently but not arrogantly, come with questions for the interviewers, and be the best version of your honest self.
Learn More: Complete Guide to Med School Interviews
OMSAS Application Fee
Each applicant must pay an OMSAS application service fee of $220. Then, you’ll pay specific fees by institution:
- McMaster: $130
- NOSM: $125
- Ottawa: $130
- Queen’s: $130
- Toronto: $130
- TMU: $130
- Western: $125
OMSAS online transcript requests also require fees that must be paid at the time of the request.
If you need help with these costs, you can apply for the Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver Program to save an estimated $610.
Considerations for 2026 and Beyond
One piece of legislation and another move from a US accrediting body are majorly changing the application process for Ontario medical schools.
The LCME used to accredit both US and Canada medical schools. As of July 2025, the LCME only accredits U.S. med schools, and CACMS will accredit Canadian med schools. Unlike before this split, U.S. applicants will be considered “international” by Canada schools and vice-versa.
A recent legislation will go into effect in 2026, effectively banning international students (including U.S. applicants) from getting into Ontario medical schools. Ontario will require 95% of seats to go to Ontario residents, with the remaining 5% going to other Canadians.
Also, U.S. students will be considered international medical graduates (IMGs) when applying to Canadian residencies (and vice versa), making the residency application process across the U.S.-Canada border more difficult.
FAQs
What grading scale is used on the OMSAS?
OMSAS uses a 4.0 grading scale. To convert 3-point or 7-point grading scales for OMSAS, check out the GPA calculations page on the OMSAS website.
What is the hardest medical school to get into in Canada?
Queen’s University has the lowest acceptance rate of any Canadian med school, but the University of Toronto probably has the toughest admissions requirements: a minimum 3.6 GPA and two unique personal essays.
Do I need verifiers for activities listed in my application?
Yes, for all Ontario med school applications, you need to provide verifiers who can attest that you accurately described your participation and contribution to the activities listed in your Autobiographical Sketch.
These verifiers are not writing you a letter of recommendation; they are simply verifying that what you’re saying on your OMSAS is true.
How can I check which documents the OUAC has received for my application?
Log into your OUAC account and click on “Document Tracking” in the Application Links menu. There you can verify that your documents have been received for your med school application.
Are medical schools in Ontario easy to get into?
Like the vast majority of accredited medical programs, Ontario medical schools are not easy to get into. The average acceptance rate of these schools is 7%, making them highly competitive and selective.
Also, recent changes in Ontario law and medical school accreditation make it virtually impossible for international applicants (including US students) to gain admission to Ontario healthcare schools.
Do Ontario medical schools require an MCAT score?
Northern Ontario School of Medicine and the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine do not require MCAT scores from their medical school applicants. All other Ontario medical schools require applicants to submit their MCAT scores.
Can I make changes to my OMSAS application once submitted?
You can only change specific parts of your OMSAS application after submission. After submission, no changes are permitted to the following sections:
- Academic records
- Transcripts
- Prerequisites
- School submissions
- Autobiographical sketch
- Verifiers
- Canadian status
OMSAS Application Consulting & Pricing
Schedule a free consultation with our enrollment team to get help on the OMSAS application! Our physician advisors have admissions experience at Ontario Medical Schools and can help you put together the best possible application.
Dr. Dey has been a medical school consultant since 2014, coaching many applicants to success in both MD and MD+ programs across Canada. He also has experience working with international medical graduates and MD/Ph.D. candidates.
Dr. Dey completed his undergraduate degree in psychology, neuroscience and behaviour at McMaster University in 2011 before joining the University of Toronto’s MD/Ph.D. program. He completed his PhD in cognitive neuroscience via the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto under the supervision of clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Brian Levine, at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest. He was co-supervised by cognitive neurologist, Dr. Sandra Black, at Sunnybrook Hospital. His Ph.D. centered on using functional neuroimaging (functional MRI and EEG) combined with detailed cognitive testing to study individual differences in cognition among older adults with vascular risk factors. In addition to his doctoral research, Dr. Dey was involved in various quality improvement projects while in medical school and co-founded IREACH, a medical student initiative aimed at breaking down barriers to accessing healthcare for newcomers and refugees.
Dr. Hickey has sat on faculty of medicine admissions committees for multiple universities. He knows the importance of refining each application detail for maximum value and avoiding admission committee “red flags.”
Dr. Tyler Hickey grew up in rural Ontario and attended the University of Guelph. After graduating, he made a cross-country move to complete his PhD (studying tuberculosis) and MD at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Always drawn to the underlying science and physiology of medical illnesses, Dr. Hickey pursued a specialist medical career in pathology and laboratory medicine (anatomical pathology) and subsequently completed fellowship training in forensic pathology.
Today, Dr. Hickey currently enjoys a full and rewarding career that includes interesting and challenging work as a forensic pathologist, supervision and guidance of medical trainees from two of Canada’s preeminent universities, and active research in a program that explores causes of preventable accidental deaths.
Dr. Hickey has had the opportunity to sit on medical admission committees for universities in British Columbia and Ontario during both residency training and as a faculty member. His guidance has led to multiple successful medical placements in recent years. As someone who was not accepted to medical school on his first application, Dr. Hickey understands the trials and stresses of working through the challenging medical admission process and how best to enhance your application after an unsuccessful first attempt or, better yet, find success on your first application.
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Review and Editing of Your Autobiographic Sketch
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Download Our Ontario Medical School Guidebook
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