Admissions Pathways & Programs

Pathways

Indigenous Student Admissions Pathway

Military Medical Training Program Pathway

Socioeconomic Accountability Admissions Pathway

Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program Applicants

MD/PhD & MD/Master's Combined Program Applicants

All Applicants

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.

Students are selected based on a strong academic record, MCAT, Casper and the assessment of personal characteristics considered to be the most appropriate for studying medicine at Queen’s University and the subsequent practice of medicine.

Essential Skills and Abilities Required

The Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine (COFM) approved guidelines about the skills and abilities required:

to study medicine in Ontario;
to successfully complete the medical programs;
to enter professional practice.

These guidelines apply to students registered in, or applying to, these respective programs in any of the Ontario medical schools.

Please refer to the COFM guidelines here: Essential Skills and Abilities Required for Entry to a Medical Degree Program.

Advanced Standing/Transfer

Due to the unique structure of the medical curriculum, applicants will not be considered for admission with advanced standing/transfer.

All candidates must complete the application process and all components of the program curriculum.

Applicants will be deemed ineligible for admission into the MD program if they:

are a current student, past student or graduate of an Undergraduate Medical Education program at a Canadian medical school and/or
have been required to withdraw from an MD program (to be assessed on a case‐by‐case basis).

Graduate Applicants

Applicants currently in a graduate program will be required to meet the same minimum thresholds as undergraduate applicants.

Graduate students as deemed by our Graduate Applicant Policy, who receive a conditional offer of admissions must complete all graduate requirements by August 1st of the year of admission. Please review our Graduate Applicant Policy on our Committees & Policies page to determine if you are considered a graduate applicant for your application.

To learn more about eligibility and application requirements please check our How to Apply page.

Applicants must apply through OMSAS.

The Admissions Committee recognizes the critical shortage of Indigenous physicians in Canada and the need for more Indigenous physicians to address the healthcare needs of Indigenous people and serve as role models for medical learners.

The MD Admissions Committee has developed the Indigenous Student Admissions Pathway (ISAP) for assessing Indigenous candidates. A minimum of 4 seats are available for qualified Indigenous applicants per year using this pathway. Indigenous applicants may also choose to apply through the mainstream admission pathway.

If an applicant wishes to be considered through the Indigenous Student Admissions Pathway (ISAP), they must apply through OMSAS, indicate that they are applying as an Indigenous applicant under ISAP for Queen’s University, and submit the following documentation along with all other application requirements using the appropriate method to OMSAS by the application deadline:

1. A separate letter addressed to the MD Admissions Committee, in which you (in the following order):

State your name and request consideration under the Indigenous Student Admissions Pathway.
Declare your Indigenous ancestry and give specific information about your First Nation, Treaty, Indigenous community, or Indigenous organizational affiliation.
Expand on your academic and personal background.
Provide your motivation for wishing to become a physician.
Discuss how you are culturally connected to your Indigenous community.
Provide a verifier who would be able to confirm how you are connected to your Indigenous community. The verifier must be from the community in which you claim membership.
- Please identify the verifier in your letter, their connection to you, and their role in the Indigenous community. Include the following information for your verifier at the end of your letter:
  - Name
  - Email
  - Phone
  - Address
  - Community/Organization/Position

When selecting your verifier consider the following:

The verifier must be from the community in which you claim membership.
This individual should be able to speak to your Indigenous community involvement and how you stay connected to your culture.
Applicants should choose an individual who has more than a casual relationship with them and can provide an unbiased evaluation.
Avoid verifiers who are family members, family friends, or personal friends as we require objective referees and we do not consider these individuals objective. Do not select immediate family members such as parents or siblings, including but not limited to adoptive family members. This will deem your ISAP application incomplete. If the verifier is someone who may be called into question, ensure any kinship is clearly defined in the letter and your reason for using them versus someone else. For example, stating they are a family member or distant family member and you had no one else does not suffice. Exact relationship descriptors and a thorough explanation for using them are required.
It is your responsibility to notify their verifier that the Admissions Office may contact them at any time to request verification, including asking them for evaluations or letters of support. Non-verifiable activities could adversely impact your file assessment.

Letter Format:
- The letter must be in 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and have a minimum 1-inch page margin.
- Maximum 2 pages.

2. Proof of Indigenous Ancestry

You must submit 1 of the following proof of ancestry options:

Indian status cards from First Nations that are federally recognized and those listed on the Indigenous & Northern Affairs Canada You must also provide an official letter (on the community’s letterhead) signed by the applicable Indigenous community with their seal indicating their current citizenship. The letter must be from the community in which you claim membership and must be dated within one year of the application deadline. .

Métis Nation Citizenship card from one of the four provincial affiliates (Métis Nation of Ontario including "complete citizenship" confirmation letter from the MNO Registrar, Métis Nation Saskatchewan, Métis Nation of Alberta, Métis Nation British Columbia) of the Métis National Council; or a valid membership card from one of the Metis Settlements of Alberta, the Northwest Territories Métis Nation, or the Manitoba Métis Federation. You must also provide an official letter (on the community’s letterhead) signed by the applicable and an accepted Métis provincial affiliate/settlement with their seal indicating their current citizenship status. The letter must be from the community in which you claim membership and must be dated within one year of the application deadline.

Nunavut Trust Certificate card or Inuit Enrollment card associated with one of the Land Claim Agreements in the claim regions of Nunavut, Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, and Inuvialuit You must also provide an official letter (on the community’s letterhead) signed by the applicable Indigenous community with their seal indicating their current citizenship. The letter must be from the community in which you claim membership and must be dated within one year of the application deadline.

Citizenship identification issued by a First Nation that has a modern Treaty and/or self-government agreement. You must also provide an official letter (on the community’s letterhead) signed by the applicable Indigenous community with their seal indicating their current citizenship. The letter must be from the community in which you claim membership and must be dated within one year of the application deadline.

Membership card or other documentation indicating that the person is a Non-Status First Nation person who is a member of an Indigenous organization negotiating a treaty or other agreement with the federal and/or provincial governments. You must also provide an official letter (on the community’s letterhead) signed by the applicable Indigenous community with their seal indicating their current citizenship. The letter must be from the community in which you claim membership and must be dated within one year of the application deadline.

If an applicant does not possess proof of the documentation listed above, he/she/they must submit all of the following to be reviewed for consideration:

A statement about their existing lived experiences and ongoing relationship to a legally recognized and rights bearing¹Indigenous community, Nation, or People. This includes specific information about the First Nation, Inuit, or Métis community such as their treaty, scrip, land claim, and territory or region.Letter Format:
- The letter must be in 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and have a minimum 1-inch page margin.
- Maximum 1 page.

Provide their parents’ and/or grandparents’ status card (First Nations status, Métis, Nunavut Trust Certificate, or Inuit Enrollment Inuit card as indicated in the above points along with an official letter (on the community’s letterhead) signed by the applicable Indigenous community with their seal indicating their current citizenship. The letter must be from the community in which you claim membership and must be dated within one year of the application deadline.

The applicant’s long-form birth certificate or baptismal certificate. (Submitted documents must show the connection to the person with the status card.)

Provide a letter issued by a recognized First Nation, Inuit, or Métis community claimed by the applicant confirming that the applicant is recognized as part of their community. This letter must be dated within one year of the application deadline. The letter must be from the community in which you claim membership.

¹"Rights bearing" means that the Indigenous nation/collective has section 35 rights, which means Aboriginal or Treaty rights in their territory.

You must submit copies of both the front and back of your proof of ancestry document(s) if there is information on both sides of the document(s). Failure to do so will deem your ISAP request incomplete.

For applicants who meet the identity requirements, the Casper test is not required as part of the application process. The Admissions office will not pre-verify or vet identity documents as the requirements are clearly laid out. If an applicant is unsure if they qualify for the ISAP, we would recommend pursuing the CASPER test, as applications are not eligible for the general stream without the Casper results.

Applicants applying to the Indigenous Student Application Pathway are required to take the MCAT. While there is no minimum MCAT score required, it would be unusual for the committee to consider scores < 123 in each section, and the Admissions Committee may use general MCAT requirements as a point of reference during the holistic review process.

Applicants qualifying under ISAP will be reviewed by Admissions members and a priority will be made to have Indigenous community members assist with the review and interview.

Applications will not be considered under the Indigenous Student Admissions Pathway unless all the instructions are followed, and the appropriate documents have been submitted by the application deadline. The application will instead be considered under the mainstream admissions pathway, provided all application pieces required for the mainstream application have been completed and submitted by the deadline. (please note that Casper is required for the admissions process outside of the ISAP).

For recruitment events or Indigenous involvement on campus, please contact fd.recruiter@queensu.ca.

Additional Resources:

Applicants must apply through OMSAS.

To address social accountability, we have reserved a select number of Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) seats for eligible applicants applying to the Social Accountability Admissions Pathway (SAAP). The goal of this initiative is to reduce barriers for applicants from a low socioeconomic status (LSES) and provide equal access and opportunity recognizing the cost of medical school applications and the pursuit of higher education.

Queen’s University is setting aside 8% of the available MMI seats for both the Kingston Campus and the Lakeridge Campus for applicants from a LSES.

If you wish to be considered for the SAAP MMI seats, you must:

apply for the AFMC Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver Program and
indicate your interest in the OMSAS application by selecting the Queen’s Social Accountability Admissions Pathway.

Eligibility for this pathway will be based on your eligibility to the AFMC Ontario Medical School Fee Waiver Program.

If you apply to the Social Accountability Admissions Pathway (SAAP), then Queen’s will share your personal information (i.e., your name) with AFMC. Based on their assessment criteria, AFMC will inform Queen’s of your eligibility status for the Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver program. Only SAAP applicants deemed eligible by AFMC will be considered for a SAAP MMI seat.

Note: eligibility for this pathway is not determined by who was awarded an AFMC Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver; all applicants who participated in the AFMC Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver Program and are determined to be eligible by AFMC will be reviewed by the Queen’s School of Medicine.

The Admissions Committee at the Queen’s School of Medicine will not receive your financial information. We will only receive information about your eligibility for the AFMC Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver Program.

Applicants will be required to meet the same minimum threshold requirements as our general stream. Applicants who meet the minimum thresholds for GPA, MCAT and CASPER and do not get an MMI offer in the Qualified Applicant Randomization Selection (QARS) process but are deemed eligible for the AFMC Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver Program, will be entered into a second randomization selection process for the 8% of MMI seats set aside for SAAP applicants.

At the request of the Department of National Defence, the Queen’s University MD Program program has completed arrangements with the Department of National Defence (DND) to create additional training positions in the Queen’s MD Program that are above and beyond our provincially funded seats at our Kingston Campus. Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) staff who are supported by the DND through the Military Medical Training Program (MMTP) would be eligible to apply for these positions and offers of admission will be made to those who qualify.

If you are currently a civilian, you are not eligible for subsidization under the MMTP, however, if you apply to the CAF, screen successfully, and are selected for enrolment, you may be subsidized under the Medical Officer Training Plan (MOTP). This is a separate process between the individual and the CAF. The MOTP is outside of your MD application and is not carried out through Queen's in any manner, therefore it is not a selection option within OMSAS. For further information on the MOTP, please e-mail CFHSAttractionCell-CelluledattractionSSFC@forces.gc.ca.

To be eligible for subsidization under the MMTP, you must already be a Regular Force (full-time) member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), be fully qualified in your current occupation and have worked for 1 year in that occupation before the MMTP Competition closes.

Regular Force military candidates interested in the Military Medical Training Program (MMTP) can obtain more information by consulting the Officer Specialist Training intranet website.

Military candidates who apply through the MMTP must meet all application eligibility requirements, including the necessary requirements as outlined by the military. These candidates must follow the same application procedures as all other applicants. The application fees will apply, and the candidates must follow the same method of payment as all other applicants.

If you apply to the MMTP stream, then you are not eligible to apply to the:

MD/PhD, MD/Master’s combined program or the
Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine program.

All military candidates wishing to apply to medical schools under MMTP sponsorship must inform the Director General Military Careers DMCPG 5-2 by email at the same time of their application to the medical schools.

For additional information regarding the MMTP application process, contact:

Name: DMCPG 5-2
Title: Commissioning and Education Programs Supervisor, Director General Military Careers
Email: cmp.dmcpg5@forces.gc.ca

For additional information regarding Medical Officer Recruitment, roles, responsibilities and prospective military service in Health Services, it is strongly encouraged that you also contact:

Canadian Forces Health Services Attraction Cell
Email: CFHSAttractionCell-CelluledattractionSSFC@forces.gc.ca

Applicants must apply through OMSAS.

The combined MD/PhD and MD/MSc programs at Queen’s University are offered jointly by the School of Medicine and the School of Graduate Studies at the Kingston Campus.

The combined MD/PhD and MD/Master’s programs provide benefits to both scholarship and the professional development of physician-scientists by allowing better integration of clinical and research training experiences and providing better opportunities for fostering translational research.

Our programs are in keeping with the strategic directions of both the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Strategic Plan and Government of Canada’s Science and Technology Strategy, which emphasize the need for:

providing increased trans-sectorial and multidisciplinary training,
building research excellence,
translating knowledge into practical applications and
deepening the pool of highly skilled individuals.

Students in combined MD/graduate programs bring a distinctive, clinical and translational perspective into their laboratories and, conversely, these students also bring a basic science perspective to share with their fellow medical students. This is especially relevant in the context of the greater emphasis now being placed on team-based learning approaches as an important component of the Queen’s medical curriculum.

The programs admit a limited number of exceptional students who wish to combine their medical training with advanced training in research. We generally have 3 spots available in this combined program.

Graduates from these programs will be well prepared to pursue postdoctoral or research-intensive residency training and, as fully trained physician scientists, will contribute to increasing Canada’s capacity in basic, clinical, translational and patient-oriented research.

You must indicate your intention to apply to these programs in your OMSAS Application.

You must indicate your intention to apply to this program in your OMSAS Application. By selecting this option, you are indicating that this is your first choice at Queen’s and, as such, you will be considered for this program first. If you are unsuccessful in receiving an interview or offer for this program, your application will only then be moved to the MD Kingston Campus Program for consideration. You will not be considered simultaneously for both MD/PhD or MD/MSc combined programs and the MD Kingston Campus Program.

You must provide the following additional items for the MD/PhD or MD/MSc programs and submit them through your OMSAS Application:

A current Curriculum Vitae.
A letter of intent indicating your research interests and accomplishments, and graduate program(s) of interest.
Abstracts of any publications, if available.
2 additional confidential letters of recommendation focusing on your research accomplishments and potential to become a physician-scientist (in addition to the 3 references that are required for the MD application).
- You may use the same referee for both the PhD/MSc component of this application and the MD references; however, there are different forms that will need to be completed as an MD referee and as a PhD/MSc referee.
- The MD component will require the completion of the CAF, while the PhD/MSc referee will be required to upload a letter of recommendation. You will see the referee selection choices in the OMSAS Application.
If you are currently completing a PhD or have completed a PhD, you must include an additional 1-page statement clearly stating the reasoning for why another PhD degree or Master’s degree is necessary to advance your skill sets and how different this PhD or Master’s will be from the existing degree that you hold. This document must be uploaded using SAM in the OMSAS Application.

You must meet the admission requirements for both programs (both the MD and PhD programs or the MD and MSc programs) and will be assessed for eligibility for admission by each program. All components of the main MD application and the supplemental pieces for the combined MD/PhD and MD/MSc programs must be completed in order to be considered.

MMTP applicants are not eligible for this combined program.

If you apply to the MD/PhD-MD/Master’s combined program, then you are not eligible to apply to the:

MMTP stream or the
Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine program.

Note: There are different eligibility and application requirements for the MD component and the PhD or MSc component of this combined program. Ensure that you review our How to Apply page as well as the MD/PhD and MD/MSc website.

Graduate applicants that have met the MCAT requirements, but not the undergraduate GPA will be reviewed separately, by a subcommittee of the Admissions Committee, from the general pool of applicants.

Applicants must have completed their graduate degree by the August 1 prior to the commencement of medical school;
Applicants must be in their final year of a multi‐year graduate degree program to be eligible to apply as a graduate applicant;
Applicants that are in a 1‐year graduate degree program must complete their graduate degree prior to applying to be eligible as a graduate applicant. Otherwise, they will be considered as an undergraduate applicant;
Marks for undergraduate years must be considered satisfactory or demonstrate a rising trend;
The subcommittee will assess the suitability of the candidate’s performance and if the graduate degree was completed at an accredited university;
If the subcommittee determines that the applicant is suitable, they will progress to the next step in the method of selection.

Up to a maximum of four qualified Indigenous students per year may be admitted to the M.D. program by the alternate process. Indigenous candidates may also choose to apply through the regular admission process.

Applicants must apply through OMSAS and indicate in the OMSAS application that they are applying as an Indigenous applicant.

If an applicant wishes to be considered by Indigenous application category, they should submit the following documentation through OMSAS by the application deadline:

A separate letter to the Chair, Admissions Committee, in which they declare their Indigenous ancestry and give specific information about First Nation, treaty, community, or organizational affiliation. The letter should request consideration by this alternate process and should expand on the candidate's academic and personal background, and reasons and motivation for wishing to become a physician.
A letter of support from an individual representing the First Nation, community or organization to which the applicant belongs.

Proof of Indigenous ancestry. Indigenous applicants must submit one of the following documents:

Indian status cards from First Nations who are federally recognized and those listed on the Indigenous & Northern Affairs Canada website.
For Non-Status First Nations, your parents and/or grandparents Indian status card and your long form birth certificate or baptismal certificate.
A membership card indicating that you are a Non-Status First Nations who is currently in a court case (example: Algonquin).
Métis citizenship from organizations that are members of the Métis National Council.
Nunavut Trust Certificate card or Inuit roll number

A panel consisting of representatives from the Admissions Committee and the Indigenous community will review the files of all candidates who wish to be considered by this alternate process and select candidates for interview. The panel will pay particular attention to academic commitment towards a career in medicine. (Only in exceptional circumstances will candidates with aGPA of less than 3.0 and a MCAT score of less than 120 in each section be selected for interview.)

For recruitment events or Indigenous involvement at Queen's School of Medicine, please contact Cortney Clark
cortney.clark@queensu.ca

Applicants must apply through OMSAS.

Queen’s University School of Medicine admits up to a maximum of five international students (non-Canadian citizens, non-permanent residents) per year. If accepted into the program, international students are responsible for ensuring that all licensing requirements of the country in which they intend to practice medicine are fulfilled.

Proficiency in the English Language

The Queen’s Medical School Curriculum is conducted entirely in English. Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for admission. Those 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. Any applicant who has recently studied for at least one complete year at a university where English is the official language of instruction 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 the 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

Fees

Each international student enrolled in Queen’s School of Medicine is responsible for paying annual fees. These fees include tuition, student activity fees, and a university health insurance premium. Please note: These fees are subject to change each academic year. The fees listed do not include books and equipment, housing and food, or other living expenses. There are no admissions scholarships or bursaries available to international students currently.

Applicants must apply through OMSAS.

At the request of the Department of National Defence, the Queen’s University Undergraduate Medical Education program has completed arrangements with the Department of National Defence (DND) to create up to 9 additional training positions in the Queen’s Medical Doctorate Program are above and beyond our provincially funded 100 seats. Canadian Forces Staff who are supported by the DND would be eligible to apply for these positions and offers of admission will be made to those who qualify.

Regular Force military candidates interested in the Military Medical Training Program (MMTP) can obtain more information by consulting the Officer Specialist Training intranet website.

Military candidates who apply through the MMTP program must meet all application eligibility requirements, including the necessary requirements as outlined by the military. These candidates must follow the same application procedures as all other applicants. The application fees will apply, and the candidates must follow the same method of payment as all other applicants.

For additional information regarding the MMTP application process, contact:

Name: DMCPG 5-2
Title: Commissioning and Education Programs Supervisor, Director General Military Careers
Email: cmp.dmcpg5@forces.gc.ca

For additional information regarding Medical Officer Recruitment, roles, responsibilities and prospective military service in Health Services, it is strongly encouraged that you also contact:

Name: Maj Tina Lipcsey
Title: Staff Officer Attraction and Retention, CF Health Services Group Headquarters
Telephone: 613-901-1558
Email: tina.lipcsey@forces.gc.ca

Applicants must apply through OMSAS.

The combined MD/PhD and MD/ Master’s Programs provide benefits to both scholarship and to the professional development of physician-scientists by allowing better integration of clinical and research training experiences, and also provide better opportunities for fostering translational research.

Our programs are in keeping with the strategic directions of both the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Strategic Plan and Government of Canada's Science and Technology Strategy, which emphasize the need for providing increased trans-sectorial and multidisciplinary training, building research excellence, translating knowledge into practical applications and deepening the pool of highly skilled individuals. Students in combined MD/graduate programs bring a distinctive, clinical/translational perspective into their laboratories, and conversely, these students also bring a basic science perspective to share with their fellow medical students. This is especially relevant in the context of the greater emphasis now being placed on team-based learning approaches as an important component of the Queen’s medical curriculum.

Applicants must apply through OMSAS.

For further information and eligibility requirements please see the MD/PhD & MD/MSc website here:

https://meds.queensu.ca/index.php/academics/md_phd/about

Indigenous Student Admissions Pathway

(ISAP)

Military Medical Training Program Pathway

(MMTP)

Socioeconomic Accountability Admissions Pathway

(SAAP)

All Applicants

Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program Applicants

MD/PhD & MD/Master's Combined Program Applicants

All Applicants

Essential Skills and Abilities Required

Advanced Standing/Transfer

Graduate Applicants

Indigenous Applicants

1. A separate letter addressed to the MD Admissions Committee, in which you (in the following order):

2. Proof of Indigenous Ancestry

Socioeconomic Accountability Admissions Pathway (SAAP)

Military Medical Training Program (MMTP) Applicants

Graduate Applicants

MD/PhD & MD/Masters Applicants

Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program

International Applicants