Selection & Admission

Selection

The MD Program has 182 positions available for exceptional qualified applicants. A quota exists in Medicine. 85% of the positions are reserved for Alberta residents and 15% of the positions are for Non-Alberta residents.

Please note that the following information applies to the 2023-2024 application cycle only. This information is subject to change following the current application cycle. The University of Alberta Calendar is the official and paramount authority with respect to all aspects of the academic programs offered at the University, including the MD program application process and admission criteria. Applicants should, therefore, review the applicable sections of the Calendar and, in the event any information below conflicts with or is inconsistent with the Calendar, the Calendar will prevail as the final authority. Applicants and students are also subject to and bound by the regulations and policies set out in the Calendar and all other applicable official policies of the University.

General Information

All applications that have been submitted and are complete by the application deadline will be assessed. The application deadline is October 4, 2023 at 1:00:00 PM MT.

Assessment will include the review and scoring of each component of the application.

Application components will be assessed using thresholds and relative weights (described below). Applications that meet the thresholds for the application components will proceed for further assessment.

Application Scoring Process

Step 1
Upon completion of the application and closure of the application portal on October 4, 2023 at 1:00:00 PM MT, candidates’ Academic Application Components (cumulative Grade Point Average [cGPA] and Medical College Admissions Test [MCAT]) will be reviewed. Note that candidates must meet the thresholds for both the cGPA and MCAT for their application to proceed.
Step 2
Personal Activities are reviewed and scored. Each application is reviewed and scored by three independent reviewers.
Step 3
Following review and assessment of the cGPA, MCAT, Personal Activities, and CASPer test scores, candidates are selected for interviews.
Step 4
Upon completion of the interviews, reference letters and interview scores are considered by the Admissions Committee. A rank application score is created for each applicant, using the relative weights described below.

Academic Application Components

cGPA

Relative weight: 30%

Threshold: Applicants must meet a threshold for their cumulative GPA (cGPA) in order for their application to proceed. This threshold is 3.3 for Albertan applicants and 3.5 for Non-Albertan applicants.

For details of how cGPA is calculated, please refer to the cGPA section of Application Requirements.

MCAT

Relative weight: 0% (not weighted)

Threshold: Applicants must meet a threshold in order for their application to proceed. The threshold MCAT score for Albertan applicants is 124 in all categories (CPBS, CARS, BBFL, PSBB). The threshold MCAT score for Non-Albertans is 128 in CARS and 124 in CPBS, BBFL, and PSBB. Once these threshold scores are met, the MCAT is not weighted in our application scoring.

Non-Academic Application Components

Personal Activities (Including sections Employment; Volunteer Work; Teamwork, Collaboration and Leadership; Life Experience; Personal Highlights)

Relative weight: 35%

Threshold: Not applicable. There is no threshold for the Personal Activities Section.

Information on what to include in your Personal Activities may be found in the Personal Activities section of Application Requirements.

Interview/MMI

Relative weight: 35%

Threshold: Applicants must meet a threshold of 5 MMI stations passed (score of 3/7 or greater on 5 of 7 stations).

CASPer/Situational Judgement Test

Relative weight: 0% (not weighted)

Threshold: Applicants must meet a threshold within two standard deviations above or below the mean in order for their application to proceed.

The following information can be found on the Acuity Insights FAQ webpage

"Why do I receive a quartile and not a Casper score? 

We do not share Casper scores directly with applicants for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to:

  • Ensuring a level playing field for all applicants
  • Maintaining test integrity in order to get a genuine assessment of all applicants by minimizing chances of “faking good”
  • Respecting all our partner programs’ unique admissions process strategies

Acuity Insights shares quartiles as a way of balancing the needs of the applicants with the needs of the program. This will help applicants understand where they place in terms of their performance on Casper, relative to other applicants. Regardless of what quartile an applicant’s Casper score places in, it should not dissuade them from applying to a program. Many programs consider all quartiles and use Casper as an additional piece of information among many metrics to make admissions decisions.

Quartile scores will be sent to applicants who complete Casper for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle and later. Applicants will not be able to receive their Casper quartile score for tests completed in previous admissions cycles."

 

Reference Letters

Relative weight: 0% (not weighted)

Threshold: Not applicable. There is no threshold for reference letters. Letters are reviewed for content and concerns.

Conduct by individuals seeking admission to the University of Alberta that compromises the integrity and fairness of assessment for admission threatens the proper functioning of the University. Procedures outlined in the Code of Applicant Behaviour should be reviewed and adhered to.


Offers of Admission

Notification of admission decisions are sent to UAlberta.ca email accounts by May 15.

Applicants who are offered admission must submit the following by the deadline indicated in their offer letter:

  1. Completed Confirmation of Admission Form
  2. Non-refundable $1,000 deposit, which is credited toward tuition upon completion of registration
  3. Clear Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Check, not completed prior to the initial date of offers of admission
  4. High-quality digital photo that meets passport photo composition standards
  5. Final transcripts
  6. Proof of degree conferment showing on official transcripts
  7. Any other conditions outlined in the offer letter 

Letters of Enrollment, which are by request only up until you have enrolled in classes, will not be issued until you have met the conditions of your offer of admission. After you have enrolled in classes, Letters of Enrollment are available in Bear Tracks.

Further information on these requirements as well as the required immunizations (ie. hepatitis B, TB, varicella, etc.) are provided with the offer documents.

Applicants who accept their offer of admission will receive a program package in July which details their course registration, BLS and FIT testing requirements, policies, and acknowledgement forms.

It should be noted that students must have access to a computer which is available for use during class.


Unsuccessful Applicants

Feedback letters are viewable in your UAlberta Launchpad, once available. We do not provide any additional feedback on your application beyond the information available in your feedback letter. Personal activities are evaluated by three separate committee members and as such requests for re-evaluation will not be considered. Admission decisions are final. There is no formal appeal to any other body or person within a Faculty or the University.

Applicants who choose to reapply are treated as new applicants. As such, applications must be completed again and test scores submitted and verified. Transcripts already submitted from institutions the applicant no longer attends will be reused. Applicants must review their Launchpad To-Do List to confirm what supporting documents are required.

Apply Now