Frequently Asked Questions

We are unable to take personal advising appointments. Our preference is to receive admission inquiries via email. Phone inquiries may be made between the hours of 7:30AM-12:00PM MT on Monday and Tuesday during the week if we are available. Please note that we no longer take in person inquiries.

Note: For unsuccessful applicants, 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. We therefore cannot discuss your application directly; you may ask any questions you have and we can answer generally.

For the 2023/2024 application cycle the application is anticipated to open July 1, 2023.

There are several major deadlines, the most important one being October 4, 2023. By October 4 at 1:00:00PM MT you must have submitted your application as well as all required checklist items and forms via your UAlberta Launchpad. You also must have your MCAT scores released and verified in your UAlberta Launchpad and be prepared to register for the CASPer test, if you haven't done so already.

Please refer to the University of Alberta Calendar for the residency definition. If you feel that this definition reflects your current and expected residence, you may claim Alberta residency on your application. We reserve the right to correct your residency claim should we feel that the information in your application does not support your claim and would refer the applicant to the Code of Applicant Behaviour. Any inquiries related to residency will be directed to the above statement.

No. Please refer to our application requirements requirements.

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry welcomes applications from qualified individuals who:

1. Are residents of Canada, either as a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
2. Meet the eligibility criteria
3. Believe they would be competitive in the selection criteria

We regret that we are unable to admit international students. Should you wish to attend another program at our institution please contact International Student Services.

No, we do not have any pre-requisite courses for application to the MD Program. You should be taking courses which meet the requirements for your degree program and interest you. You may wish to take some coursework to help prepare yourself for the MCAT. Please refer to the AAMC website for MCAT topics.

No, we do not have a preferred degree program; you should choose a degree program which interests you.

No, we only take into account the grades as they show on your transcript and how they convert to the U of A grading scale.

No, all students who gain admittance to our program must complete all four years.

Transcripts are reviewed on a case by case basis, but generally a Withdrawal will only affect your application if it occurs during the current year in which you are applying. For example, if it affects your a) full-time status, b) your ability to graduate, or c) your ability to meet our requirements for application.

We do not acknowledge repeated courses; we only use the first instance in which you successfully completed a course.

Unofficial interim transcripts can be uploaded via your UAlberta Launchpad.

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the Office of the Registrar.

Official electronic transcripts can be sent to transcripts@ualberta.ca

Transcript Mailing Address:

“Final, Official Transcripts” are required from all post-secondary institutions you have attended in the past. All “Final, Official Transcripts” must be sent to the Office of the Registrar by your issuing institution. There may be a delay in updating checklist items at peak processing times. Please be patient and continue to monitor your UAlberta Launchpad.

Please note that official transcripts submitted with any “In Progress” grades are not considered “Final.” So, if you have a Transcript with 1st and 2nd Term Registration, your final, official transcript, associated with that institution, will not be checked off until you complete the academic year and send updated transcripts. However, applicants are encouraged to have their issuing institution send these transcripts as soon as they are available. 

For applicants currently enrolled at a post-secondary institution, June 19, 2024 is the deadline for ‘Final, Official Transcripts’ (i.e. showing 1st and 2nd term grades as well as proof of degree conferment from the institution you are currently enrolled in) to be received by the Office of the Registrar.

Unofficial interim transcripts can be uploaded via your UAlberta Launchpad.

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the Office of the Registrar.

Official electronic transcripts can be sent to transcripts@ualberta.ca

Transcript Mailing Address:

Electronic transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution are accepted and encouraged. Please have your institution send them to transcripts@ualberta.ca.

We do not accept WES evaluations. Please have an official transcript sent from your institution directly to our Office of the Registrar.

Albertans

The minimum MCAT score to be eligible to apply for Albertan applicants is 124 in all categories (CPBS, CARS, BBFL, PSBB)

Non-Albertans

The minimum MCAT score to be eligible to apply for Non-Albertans is 128 in CARS and 124 in CPBS, BBFL, and PSBB

For the 2023/2024 application cycle the last MCAT testing date we will accept is September 2, 2023. MCAT test scores must be released and verified in your UAlberta Launchpad by the application deadline, October 4, 2023 at 1:00:00PM MT.

AAMC will limit the number of times you write the MCAT; at this point we have no preference for how many times you write it.

The MCAT must have been written within the last five years prior to application deadline. As such, we will not be accepting scores from test dates prior to October 1, 2018.

For the 2024/2025 application cycle, test dates prior to October 4, 2019 will not be accepted.

Applicants who will be taking the CASPer on a different testing date than those mentioned on our website will not need to retake the test. The last accepted test date is October 19, 2023 @ 8:00PM ET. 

The testing dates noted are specifically for students who will not have written it for any other institution. Please note that CASPer tests are only valid for one year and must be completed each year you apply. You may only write the CASPer once per year. 

We do not require that you do the CASPer Snapshot for the 2023/2024 application cycle.

All Indigenous applicants who meet the Application Requirements and who are successful in the Indigenous admissions process will be recommended by the Indigenous Admissions Subcommittee to the MD Admissions Committee for admission.

Applicants who wish to be considered for an Indigenous position should submit the following supporting documentation by the application deadline:

1. A personal statement that describes your involvement in or connection to Indigenous communities or organizations, submitted through your UAlberta Launchpad.
2. If you feel it would strengthen your application, you are welcome to provide us with a reference letter from someone who could also attest to your involvement or connection to Indigenous communities or organizations. This should be submitted through your UAlberta Launchpad.
3. Notarized proof of Indigenous ancestry as outlined in the University of Alberta Calendar, submitted through your UAlberta Launchpad.

We reserve up to 10 positions each year for qualified Albertan rural applicants. Applicants are determined to be rural based on geographic information submitted in the Application for Admission. For Fall 2024 intake, there will be an additional 20 positions for a total of 30 protected rural positions.

To be considered for one of our rural positions, you must be considered a resident of Alberta and have lived for 3+ nonconsecutive years between the ages of 12 and 18 in a community within Canada which meets rural criteria. If you feel that you should be considered for one of these positions please indicate so on your application and your geographic details will be reviewed.

At the request of the Department of National Defence (DND), the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry has completed arrangements with DND to create up to six seats in the MD Program above the quota class size. These seats are available only to currently serving Regular Force members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who are eligible to apply for the MMTP. To determine eligibility, Reg F members are directed to the MILITARY MEDICAL, DENTAL, LEGAL, AND PHARMACY TRAINING PLANS (M PLANS) COMPETITION CANFORGEN.

MMTP applicants will identify themselves as applying as part of the MMTP on the Application for Admission and in doing so consent to the sharing of their name and contact information with DND. Applicants must meet all minimum requirements and be competitive within the entire pool of applicants to be considered for selection for admission.

All MMTP applicants must contact the Staff Officer Attraction at Canadian Forces Health Services Group, Maj Tina Lipcsey. The CAF will confirm with the U of A MD Program the names of all MMTP applicants who have applied to our program and are eligible for the MMTP.

For the purpose of admissions, applicants who are confirmed to be participating in the MMTP process will be considered residents of Alberta.

cGPA Calculation for 2023/2024 Application Cycle

Age and educational background have no bearing on your application. We welcome all applicants who meet our minimum requirements for application.

Under the authority of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, reporting to the Dean through Faculty Council, the MD Admissions Committee establishes the admissions policy for the next year of the MD Program and selects the successful candidates for admission into the MD Program.

Deferral of admission may be requested. Requests for deferral of admission must be made at the time the offer of admission is accepted.

A very limited number of deferrals may be granted each year. Applicants are encouraged to apply to the University of Alberta MD Program when they are ready to begin their medical studies.

Individuals who are at an advanced stage of a Master’s degree, PhD, or professional degree may request to defer admission, and this will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Outside of such academic reasons, deferrals are typically considered only in unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, such as family medical emergencies or personal medical illness.

Requests will be reviewed by the Associate Dean, MD Program and the Assistant Dean, Admissions, MD Program.

Deferrals, when granted, are for a set length of one year’s time.

Please refer to the Medical Student Transfer Policy.

We do not have a Special Consideration process for the current application cycle.

We welcome all qualified applicants who meet the requirements for application. Please be aware that there is a Technical Standards Policy with respect to skills and abilities required to complete the MD Program. Should you gain entrance and require special accommodations we are able to support them as outlined by Academic Success Centre.

All students admitted to the MD Program are required to produce a negative Police Information Check (PIC) with Vulnerable Sector Check. If you are not able to do so you will not be able to complete the requirements for admission to the MD Program.