Frequently Asked Questions

How is GPA Calculated?

The Admissions Committee will use your cumulative GPA.

The cumulative GPA includes undergraduate university degree credit courses taken, except those taken on foreign exchange and graduate studies, with all years treated equally. Courses and grades must appear on your university undergraduate transcript(s) to be included in the GPA calculation.

The application GPA calculations do not include the current academic year (Sept – June) of study as grades for your current academic year of study are not available at the time of the application deadline (Oct 1)

Minimum GPA

The minimum cumulative GPA to apply is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale according to OMSAS’ scale.

GPAs are calculated using converted grade points based on the OMSAS Conversion Scale

Please note that admission to the MD Program is competitive. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

You can find our Admissions Statistics for last year’s incoming class here.

General Information:

The following will not be included in the GPA calculation:

Naturopathic and chiropractic medicine
Consecutive Bachelor of Education programs
College courses (even if transfer credit is granted)
Challenge for credit courses
Continuing Education programs
Graduate courses
Undergraduate courses taken as part of a graduate program
Doctor of Medicine programs

Only the cumulative GPA will be calculated.
For repeated courses, all grades obtained are calculated towards the GPA.
Degree programs or individual courses are not considered a factor in the calculation of GPAs.
Calculations include grades from all courses included on the University transcript for Canadian and United States Universities, including repeated courses.
Courses that a “pass” or “credit” grade is assigned for are counted for credit, but we do not include them in the GPA calculation.
If you have withdrawn from a course and there is a grade reflected on your transcript for that course, it will be included in GPA calculations. If there is no grade associated with a withdrawn course, it has no effect on your application.

No adjustments are made based on course load or course levels.

International grades:

Applicants attending university outside Canada, or the United States must have their academic credentials/foreign transcripts assessed for Canadian equivalency by World Education Services (WES). Information pertaining to the assessment of international grades can be found on the OMSAS website.

A course-by-course WES evaluation with an overall GPA is required.

Credentialing assessment means converting international academic credentials into their Canadian educational equivalents. If a World Education Services (WES) assessment includes a copy of your official transcript, you are not required to request a transcript from your registrar.

The standard cumulative GPA will not be calculated for candidates submitting foreign transcripts. WES assessments will be reviewed and applications for these candidates will be reviewed on an individual basis.

What is the GPA threshold to apply?

Currently the GPA threshold is 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale according to the OMSAS table.

Is the winter 2020 semester included in GPA?

Yes. Winter 2020 will be considered in the cumulative GPA calculation just as all other academic semesters/years.

How are Repeated Courses viewed?

Queen’s Undergraduate Medical Education program will include repeated course in total credit count as listed on your official transcript. Cumulative GPA calculation includes all grades listed on the transcript, including repeated courses. Therefore, if you choose to repeat a course, both grades will be included in your GPA calculation.

What if I have been awarded transfer credits?

Transfer credits (i.e., International Baccalaureate, Advance Placement and CEGEP programs, exchange credits) appearing on your university transcript are not included in your GPA calculation but are considered in the credit requirement totals provided all other requirements are met.

Are practicum courses included in GPA calculations?

If a practicum course is graded and given a weight on a transcript it will be included in GPA calculation.

What if I choose to study an extra year after my undergrad?

If you have completed an extra year, or a non-degree year, we will treat that year the same as other years.

Can I apply to Queen’s Medicine with a previous or partial Medical Degree?

The School of Medicine policy states:

Applicants will be deemed ineligible for admissions into the Queen’s School of Medicine program if they:

1. are a current student, past student, or graduate of an Undergraduate Medical Education program at a Canadian Medical School;

and/or

2. have been required to withdraw from an MD program (to be assessed on a case‐by‐case basis).

https://meds.queensu.ca/source/AD-01v2%20-%20Application%20to%20the%20School%20of%20Medicine%20Policy%2011-03-2021.pdf

What is the required course load?

Queen's School of Medicine does not have any requirements related to carrying a full course load. You are free to select courses and course loads that are best for you.

To qualify for entry into the School of Medicine, candidates are required to have a minimum of 30 half courses or 15 full courses (or in combination) at the undergraduate university level. This would typically equate to a total OMSAS course load weighting of 30 (see OMSAS Weighting in the table below). This requirement must be fulfilled by the June 30th prior to possible entry into the program.

At the time of application:

Applicants must have completed a minimum 20 half or 10 full courses (or in combination) of the 30 half courses or 15 full courses at the Undergraduate level in a University program as described by the OMSAS Weighting at the time that their application is submitted.

What if I have varying course levels taken throughout my Undergraduate degree?

Queen's does not assess its applicants based on what course levels they have taken in each year.

Can I transfer into Queen’s MD Program from another Medical school?

For a variety of reasons, we are unable to accept applications for transfer into our curriculum.

All candidates must complete the application process and if you are a successful candidate, you must complete all components of the program curriculum. You are not able to transfer any course credits.

What if I take Part Time Studies/Summer courses?

Summer or part time courses are included in cumulative GPA calculation. All summer and supplemental course credits will be included in 15 full or 30 half-credit requirements.

If I withdraw from a course, will this negatively affect my application?

If you withdraw from the course prior to being assigned a numerical grade, it will have no affect on your application. If a grade has been provided on the transcript for this course, it will be included in GPA calculations.

How do you view Credit /No Credit courses?

An applicant can have no more than one credit/no credit course in a semester to be eligible for a GPA calculation.

If the structure of your program does not allow for this, then you must submit official documentation from the institution as to why the student does not have a choice to select a numerical or alpha grade. This reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

This will take effect for any courses taken in Fall 2022 and onward.

What if I have an international degree?

A course-by-course WES evaluation with an overall GPA is required.

Is the MCAT required?

All Queen's applicants are required to complete the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Information regarding the test can be found on the MCAT site.

Is a Casper test required?

Applicants to all of the programs (Kingston MD Campus, Lakeridge Campus, MD/PhD, MMTP) offered at Queen’s University are required to complete Casper to be eligible for admission, with the exception of applicants to the Indigenous Student Admissions Pathway.

Applicants to the Indigenous Student Admissions Pathway must meet the identity requirements, otherwise Casper is required.

The Admissions Office will not pre-verify or pre-screen your identity documents. You must review the proof of ancestry listed on our website and determine if you meet the requirements. If you are unsure, we recommend you take Casper.

Casper scores

If you take Casper during this cycle but before you have your OMSAS Reference Number (2025-80xxxx), as this application cycle’s OMSAS Reference Number is a requirement, for your current application, you will still be able to distribute your score to us.

You will enter a placeholder OMSAS Reference Number of 000000 until you have received your OMSAS Reference Number (2025-80xxxx) for this year’s application. Then you must go back into Casper, update your OMSAS Reference Number and request that your score be distributed to Queen’s.
Do not use an OMSAS Reference Number from previous years or make one up, as we use this number as one of our identifiers when linking it to your application.

Casper scores are only available for one application cycle and the test is only offered on a select number of days. Applicants who have already taken the test in previous years are expected to re-take it.

It is your responsibility to provide the correct information to Casper that correlates with your current OMSAS application. If you do not follow these instructions, then your Casper score may not get linked to your application and will be considered incomplete.

We are not responsible for Casper scores that are not linked to an application due to incorrect or mismatched information.

If you are applying to another university or program that requires you to write the Casper assessment in French, you will need to write it again in English for this application.
If you are writing a different version of the Casper assessment (other than CSP-10211 – Canada Casper 2 for your OMSAS application), you will also need to complete the CSP-10211 – Canada Casper 2 version for this application.

There is a separate fee for Casper that you must pay directly to Acuity Insights. This fee is not included in the OMSAS or Queen’s application fees.

How many years of undergraduate studies are required for admission?

At the time of application:

Can I apply as an international applicant?

To be eligible to apply to our MD Program, you must be a Canadian citizen or Canadian permanent resident at the time of submission of your application.

The MD program will not be accepting applications from international applicants for the upcoming cycle.

As part of the application, you would be required to have any foreign transcripts assessed by WES (World Education Service) at the time of application. https://www.wes.org/ca/

Does Queen’s Medicine have place of residence/provincial quotas?

Queen’s does not have any restrictions based on place of residence in the admissions process. There are no provincial or regional quotas in the admissions process.

What factors are not considered in the applicant selection process?

We do not

- give preference to applicants who have studied in any university program. No prerequisites are required.
- assess applicants based on what course levels they have taken in each year. There is no requirement based on course levels for admission.
- have any requirements related to carrying a full course load. You are free to select courses and course loads that are best for you.
- show preference to applicants at any level of training.
- consider place of residence and location of the university where studies have been undertaken.
- consider race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability in the selection process except under special programs designed to relieve hardship or economic disadvantage or to assist disadvantaged persons or groups.

What are the prerequisites courses for Queen’s Medicine?

Queen’s University MD Program does not require prerequisite courses.

With the elimination all prerequisite courses, applicants can select a program of study and courses, which best meet the goals of their undergraduate degree program. We do not recommend any course or degree program since as there is no preference to applicants who have studied in any university program. Applicants are encouraged to consider all the undergraduate programs available to them and to embark on the course of study in which they have the greatest interest and that would prepare them for an alternate career should they not gain a place in medicine.

I’ve written the MCAT multiple times, what scores will be considered?

Valid MCAT scores are ones that have been completed within 5 years of the year of application submission deadline (October 1^st).

The Queen’s School of Medicine imposes NO restrictions on the number of times that the candidate may take the test. In the event an applicant has written the test multiple times, the applicant must ensure that all test results are released to OMSAS

Applications will be assessed based on the scores from your test results that meet our minimum thresholds. This means that all thresholds must be achieved in one test. We will not combine scores from different tests.

What if my total MCAT score meets the total score threshold but one or more of my section scores is lower than those set thresholds or vice versa, will I still be considered?

No. You must meet all the minimum MCAT thresholds (the total and each section) set by the Admissions Committee to be eligible. These thresholds are determined annually for each application cycle, for each category, and for the total score.

Applications will be assessed based on the scores from your test result that meet our minimum thresholds. This means that all thresholds must be achieved in one test. We will not combine scores from different tests.

What do you recommend for MCAT Prep?

While we utilize the MCAT in our evaluation process, we do not administer the test. Therefore, we are unable to offer any information or advice on preparation of the MCAT. We suggest you refer to the MCAT website for further information on preparation. https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/

Can I get financial assistance to help with the cost of writing MCAT?

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) are offering a fee assistance program for Canadian examinees in financial need who register for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The AAMC and the AFMC are committed to providing support to Canadian students who would be unable to take the MCAT without financial assistance. This will contribute to a diversity of students enrolled in Canadian medical schools.

If paying for MCAT expenses out of pocket would be challenging for you, please consider applying! To check your eligibility and apply, refer to AFMC's website here.

What is the deadline to apply?

Application deadlines are posted on the OMSAS website.

Who should I pick as a referee?

Applicants are expected to choose appropriate referees to complete the Confidential Assessment Forms. Referees should have extensive personal knowledge of the applicant and be able to reasonably make statements concerning the applicant's character, personal qualities, and academic capabilities.

You should choose referees who can evaluate you in a non-biased fashion, avoiding family members, family friends, neighbours, acquaintances, friends or spiritual advisors. We do not consider them to be objective. Ideally, applicants should choose referees from different areas who can collectively address qualities and attributes in both academic and various non-academic domains.

Forms from non-objective references will not be considered and may jeopardize your application. We do not provide specific feedback on who you should choose as a referee, or the type of referee.

The Admissions Committee recommends choosing referees that have known you for a minimum of 6 months. You should ask your referee to provide examples of the characteristics they are being asked to comment on.

Please note: The Admissions Committee is unable to review and evaluate letters of reference that are not written in English.

How do I update/add/change items in my application?

All application components are to be within the OMSAS application and are to be transmitted to Queen’s School of Medicine through OMSAS.

To update and/or change your address, or other demographics on your application, please contact Ontario Medical Schools Application Service (OMSAS). https://www.ouac.on.ca/guide/omsas-app-guide/

Foreign exchange semesters

A course-by-course WES evaluation with an overall GPA is required.

If you have international university education and meet the minimum course number requirement with Canadian or US undergraduate university degree‑level work, the international grades will not be used to calculate the GPA. In this case, a WES evaluation is not required; however, the transcript must be sent directly from the international university to OMSAS by the deadline.

Late transcripts

Late submissions will NOT be accepted.

What are the tuition fees for medical school?

Tuition information can be found on the website for the Office of the University Registrar.

Can I get financial assistance to help with the cost of writing MCAT?

If paying for MCAT expenses out of pocket would be challenging for you, please consider applying! To check your eligibility and apply, refer to AFMC's website here.

Can I get financial assistance to help with the cost of applying to medical school?

Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver Program

If applying to medical school is a significant financial burden to you, consider applying to the Ontario Medical School Application Fee Waiver Program and save approximately $600. Awarded students will have their $220 OMSAS processing fee waived and receive free applications to up to three Ontario medical schools of their choice (ranging from $100 – $380 total)

You can check your eligibility to apply here

How does the waitlist work?

We will continue to make offers from our waitlist until the class is full. This can sometimes continue through August. There is no way to predict how long the process will take. Movement of the waitlist will not commence until after the first round offered candidates have had a chance to respond.

When the class is full, an email will be sent to remaining waitlisted candidates.

Can I find out my position on the waitlist?

It is our policy not to disclose an applicant's position on the waitlist.

What if I have conflict with the interview date offered?

Attendance at an interview is mandatory.

I missed the deadline to accept my interview, as the email was lost in my inbox. Can I still accept?

No. Invitations are sent to e-mail to the address you provide in your OMSAS application. All applicants who are offered an interview must reply by a given date. It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor their email and all associated email folders (inbox, spam, junk, etc.) during the application process as invitations are sent via email. Any invitations that are not answered by our stipulated deadline in the invitation will be automatically set to declined.

When are offers made?

Please check OMSAS’ Important Dates.

When are interviews?

Interviews are typically conducted in January, February and March. Applicants will be notified by email.

The website says I need to have submitted a complete application to the MD program, does this mean my Casper score as well?

Yes. You must have submitted all of the required information for your MD application by the specified deadlines in order to be considered for the Queen's-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program.

What are the GPA, MCAT and Casper cut offs?

Applicants who meet the following criteria will be considered for random selection to the MMI:
• Minimum GPA threshold: 3.0
• Minimum MCAT Threshold:

Total Score: 500
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems: 125
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: 125
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behaviour: 125
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills: 125

• Casper threshold is determined annually and is not disclosed.
• Applications must be complete and submitted by specified OMSAS deadlines.

If the applicant meets the minimum GPA, MCAT and Casper thresholds and all application documents are submitted by the required deadlines, they will be entered into the Qualified Applicant Randomization Selection (QARS) process for the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) stage.

Can I use the same referees for both programs?

You may use the same referee for both the Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program component of the application and the MD references; however, there are different questions in each form that will need to be completed as an MD referee and as a Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine referee.

The MD component will require the completion of the Confidential Assessment Forms while the Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine referee will be required to upload a separate form. You will see the referee selection choices in the OMSAS Application.

This supplemental application will also review the first referee’s Confidential Assessment Form from the main MD application.

What are the methods of selection?

We will be identifying the following:

Academic eligibility as defined on our website. We will be regarding this as a threshold that we feel defines a capable learner, not as a competitive metric to stratify candidates.
Commitment to a career in community-based family medicine.
Suitability to a career as a community-based family physician.

What if I change my mind after I submit my application? Will you accept update/changes after the application deadline?

No. Your application will be consider as it is submitted by the application deadline.

Are international students eligible to apply to this program?

No. You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada at the time you submit your application.

When will I find out about the status of my application for the Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program?

It will be carried out in parallel with the process for the MD program, first round offers will be sent out in May.

Could I be offered a spot in both Queen's-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine and MD Kingston Campus programs?

No. By selecting the Queen's-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine option on your application, 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 offer for this program, your application will only then be moved to the MD Kingston Campus Program for consideration.

If you are offered a spot in the Queen's-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine program and choose to decline it, your application will be closed and hence you will not then be considered for the MD Kingston Campus program.

Can I apply to both the Queen's-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program and the MD Kingston Campus Program at the same time?

No. By selecting Queen's Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine program option on your OMSAS application, 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 invited to interview and are unsuccessful in receiving an offer for this program, your application will only then be moved to the MD Kingston Campus Program for consideration.

Am I applying to both Lakeridge and Queen’s Campus?

No. By selecting Queen's Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine program option on your OMSAS application, you are indicating that this is your first choice at Queen’s and, as such, you will be considered for this program first. This program is located at Lakeridge Health in the Durham Region. If you are invited to interview and are unsuccessful in receiving an offer for this program, your application will only then be moved to the MD Kingston Campus Program for consideration. The MD Kingston Campu program is located in Kingston.

Am I able to transfer to the Queen's Kingston Campus and still be part of this program?

No. Transfers between campuses will not be permitted.

Can I transfer to the Queen’s Kingston Campus or the MD Program at the Kingston Campus?

No.

Can I start in the Queen's-Lakeridge MD Family Medicine program and then transfer to the MD Kingston Campus program or apply to the MD Kingston Campus program?

No.

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 admissions into the MD Program if they:

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

Will I have access to the same resources at Lakeridge Health as I would at the Kingston main campus (i.e., clinical teaching center, simulation lab, anatomy lab, etc.)?

The program will be housed primarily at the LHEARN Centre, located at the Oshawa Site of Lakeridge Health, and include learning opportunities at clinical sites and practices in the Durham Region. The LHEARN Centre has excellent teaching and learning facilities similar to those at the Kingston campus, scaled for the smaller class size, including a simulation lab. Students will be occasionally taken to Queen's campus for unique learning experiences, including visits to the Anatomy Lab.

How will I be able to feel connected to Queen’s University and the community if I am not going to school on the main campus in Kingston?

The Lakeridge Health campus will be an extension of Queen’s University School of Medicine. Additionally, the curriculum will be able to take advantage of smaller class size and utilize classroom-based instruction, small group learning and access to educational sessions from the Kingston campus. There will be opportunities to engage with the main campus through shared educational sessions and on-site visits for targeted basic science and clinical teaching sessions. A key feature differentiating the Lakeridge Health cohort with be the more extensive and earlier community-based placements. These will begin in year 1, expanding each year and fully into the clinical years.

What format should my CV be?

We do not have a set format for your CV. Also, the Graduate Studies Committee will not have access to the Autobiographical Sketch that is submitted through OMSAS therefore you may include extracurricular information in your CV.

What type of abstracts are you referring to and what format should they be in ?

We are referring to research abstracts. We do not have a preference for how you submit your abstracts. If you would like you can copy-paste the title, author list, and abstract text from each publication into a separate Word document to be uploaded on OMSAS when prompted in the "Abstract Upload" section.

Can I use the same referees for my MD Confidential Assessment Forms and for my MD/PhD-MD/Master's Letter of Recommendation?

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) are required for an MD/PhD or Md/Master's program application. (Total of 5 Confidential Assessment Forms.)

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 mainstream CAF, while the PhD/MSc referee will be required to complete a separate CAF specific to this program. You will see the referee selection choices in the OMSAS application.

Is there a general guideline to the length of my MD/PhD-MD/Master's letter of intent?

Generally speaking, two pages are considered optimal.

Can I be consider for both this combined program as well as just the MD Program or the Queen's-Lakeridge Health Family Medicine MD Program at the same time?

No. If you select this option on your application, 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/Master's combined programs and the MD Kingston Campus Program or the Queen's-Lakeridge Health Family Medicine MD Program. If you are offered a position in the MD/PhD-MD/Master's program at the time of admission and choose to decline it, your application will be closed and hence you will not then be considered for the MD Kingston Campus program.

Can I be consider for both this combined program after I am accepted into the MD Program?

No. Consideration for the MD/PhD-MD/Master's stream is done directly from one’s OMSAS application as the structure and schedule for these students are different than our MD stream students. These spots are limited and are filled during that specific application cycle.

Students may however apply for leaves to do research or programs, so an equivalent experience could be worked out. These requests are submitted to our Associate Dean for consideration and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Can I do this combined program in Lakeridge or in combination with the Queen's-Lakeridge Health Family Medicine MD Program?

No. These seat are reserved with the MD Program at the Kingston Campus and cannot be moved. No exceptions.

Academics (GPA, courses)

Eligibility

MCAT

OMSAS Application

Financial

Interviews & Offers

Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program

MD/PhD & MD/Master's Program