Canadian medical schools are internationally-renowned institutions, renowned for their research and development initiatives that led to such breakthroughs as insulin discovery, stem cell research, telemedicine for rural communities and more. Their success in research has made studying medicine in Canada one of the most desirable degrees.
Canadian medical schools typically require students to complete a four-year program before being accepted. This typically includes an intensive preparatory year for those without a bachelor’s degree in an applicable scientific field; two years of pre-clerkship; and the final two years for clinical internships – making getting into one of Canada’s premier medical schools an immense task requiring time, dedication and hard work.
Students should make every effort to meet all admission requirements as well as prepare adequately for the MCAT, particularly its writing section. Allow enough time for this preparation and start compiling school lists and applications early.
As with US medical schools, Canadian med schools do not rely on centralized application services like AMCAS or ERAS for their application process, making the student responsible for knowing all requirements, preferences and application timelines of every individual school they apply to. It’s also essential that applicants distinguish themselves as scholars with academic and extracurricular experiences – this fits into CanMEDS framework as the Scholar role can help applicants be considered more favorably by admissions committees.