Before You Apply
At the 大象传媒 School of Medicine, we believe training excellent, socially accountable, community-focused physicians begins with admissions. Our process is intentionally designed to reflect the school鈥檚 mandate, which is to prepare physicians with the skills and commitment they need to provide high-quality health care to British Columbia communities.
Our approach is merit-based yet inclusive. We holistically examine applicant portfolios and select those who demonstrate strong academic abilities, interpersonal skills, lived experiences and motivation to contribute meaningfully to providing community-based care to high-need groups in British Columbia.
Aligned with our commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and reconciliation, our admissions process looks for those who are prepared to serve in diverse communities and who are dedicated to delivering high-quality care that is culturally safe to all patients. We welcome applicants who have experience working in or with communities that face barriers to care and who share our vision of a stronger, more integrated primary care system.
Resources
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Academic requirements
We recognize there is more than one way to prepare for a career in medicine. Our admissions framework reflects this understanding by allowing applicants to demonstrate their academic readiness for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program through multiple options.
We value a range of experiences and educational journeys that show the skills, knowledge and commitment needed to succeed in medical school and serve our communities. You can demonstrate your academic readiness for the MD program through one of three options:
- Grade point average (GPA)
- Medical college admission test (MCAT)
- GPA and MCAT
All of these options are considered equal. There鈥檚 no advantage to choosing one over the other, and scores are treated as a threshold, meaning there is no additional advantage to submitting higher scores.
大象传媒 to the MD program is competitive. Meeting the minimum academic requirements means you are eligible for consideration, but it doesn鈥檛 guarantee admission. All eligible applicants will be assessed holistically in the next stages of the process, which focus on your broader strengths, experiences, and alignment with our school鈥檚 mission. This holistic review will include elements of your academic record outside of grades.
GPA option
Applicants seeking admission via the GPA option must present evidence of the following:
- A completed 4-year undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognized post-secondary institution
- The last 90 units (3 years of study) completed within 4 calendar years
- Fulfillment of the English language requirement
- GPA composed from a single undergraduate degree:
- Adjusted GPA of 3.83 (on a 4.33 grading scale)
- Completion of pre-requisite courses (minimum grade of B-):
- Six (6) units of Life Science courses (with at least 1 course (minimum 3 units) at the 200 level or higher)
- Six (6) units of Humanities or Social Science courses (courses must be a minimum of 3 units)
- One (1) Indigenous Studies course (minimum 3 units, any level)*
*Indigenous Studies pre-requisite (2025-26 cycle exception):
- Graduated students who have not fulfilled the Indigenous Course pre-requisite will receive further instructions from the MD 大象传媒s Office regarding an 大象传媒 approved alternative course that meets this course requirement. This information will be shared at a later stage in the admission process.
- Current undergraduate students are encouraged to complete the Indigenous Studies course in their final semester of study but may choose to fulfill this requirement by completing an 大象传媒 approved alternative course. Applicants who were unable to fulfill this requirement will be provided with instructions from the MD 大象传媒s Office at a later stage in the admissions process.
For more information see the applicant manual.
MCAT option
Applicants seeking admission via the MCAT option must present evidence of following:
- A completed 4-year undergraduate in any discipline from a recognized post-secondary institution
- Fulfillment of the English language requirement
- MCAT with a minimum score of 510, with a minimum of 123 in each section of the test.
- Completion of pre-requisite courses (minimum grade of B-):
- Six (6) units of Humanities or Social Science courses (courses must be a minimum of 3 units)
- One (1) Indigenous Studies course (minimum 3 units, any level)*
* Indigenous Studies pre-requisite (2025-26 cycle exception):
- Students can have this course completed, in-progress, or complete an 大象传媒 approved alternative course. Applicants who are unable to fulfill this requirement will be provided with instructions from the MD 大象传媒s Office at a later stage in the admissions process.
For more information see the applicant manual.
GPA & MCAT option
Applicants seeking admission via the GPA & MCAT option must present evidence of following:
- A completed 4-year undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognized post-secondary institution
- The last 90 units (i.e. 3 years of study) completed within 4 calendar years
- Fulfillment of the English language requirement
- GPA composed from a single undergraduate degree:
- Adjusted GPA of 3.67 (on a 4.33 grading scale)
- Completion of pre-requisite courses (minimum grade of B-):
- Six (6) units of Humanities or Social Science courses (courses must be a minimum of 3 units)
- One (1) Indigenous Studies course (minimum 3 units, any level)*
- The MCAT with a minimum score of 505, with a minimum of 123 in each section of the test.
*Indigenous Studies pre-requisite (2025-26 cycle exception):
- Graduated students who have not fulfilled the Indigenous Course pre-requisite will receive further instructions from the MD 大象传媒s Office regarding an 大象传媒 approved alternative course that meets this course requirement. This information will be shared at a later stage in the admission process.
- Current undergraduate students are encouraged to complete the Indigenous Studies course in their final semester of study but may choose to fulfill this requirement by completing an 大象传媒 approved alternative course. Applicants who were unable to fulfill this requirement will be provided with instructions from the MD 大象传媒s Office at a later stage in the admissions process.
For more information see the applicant manual.
Comparison of options
The following comparison only illustrates the academic requirements that differ among the three options. General eligibility criteria, including the residency, citizenship, degree and English language requirements apply to all applicants.
| GPA option | MCAT option | GPA & MCAT option | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted GPA (on 4.33 scale)* | Minimum of 3.83 | n/a, but proof of completion of a 4-year degree is required | Minimum of 3.67 |
| MCAT** | n/a | Minimum 510 overall, minimum 123 in each section | Minimum 505 overall, minimum 123 in each section |
| Pre-requisite courses |
|
|
|
* The GPA is an adjusted GPA calculated on your best 60 graded units of the last 90 units of your degree. This must include at least 30 units of upper division course work with the last 90 units completed in no more than 4 calendar years. For further considerations, please see the "How to Calculate your Adjusted GPA" section.
** Applicants who have completed the MCAT (Medial College 大象传媒s Test) must have a minimum of 123 in each section of the test. For those who have written the test more than once, the second attempt will be used.
*** For the Fall 2025 admission cycle (August 2026 program start), if the Indigenous Studies course pre-requisite has not yet been completed at the time of application, applicants must complete this requirement prior to the start of classes. For future admissions cycles, the Indigenous Studies course must be completed at the time of application.
How to calculate your adjusted GPA
The adjusted GPA is calculated on your best 60 graded units of the last 90 units of your undergraduate degree. You can choose which courses you want to be used in your adjusted GPA calculation when applying. Composed from one undergraduate degree, the adjusted GPA calculation must include:
- All pre-requisite courses
- At least 30 units of upper-division course work (level 300 or 400 courses)
IN-PROGRESS COURSES
Only final grades can be used towards the adjusted GPA calculation or pre-requisite fulfillment.
2025-26 Cycle Exception: the Indigenous Studies pre-requisite may be in-progress at time of application
FULL-TIME COURSE LOAD
We do not require applicants to take a full course load, but if you choose the GPA or GPA & MCAT options, you must complete your last 90 units (i.e. 3 years of study) in 4 calendar years.
POST-GRADUATE WORK
GPA and GPA & MCAT options: Only grades achieved in one undergraduate degree will be considered. Any post-graduate work will not be included in the admission evaluation.
MCAT option: Graded post-graduate work can be used to fulfill course pre-requisites. Pass/fail courses can only be used towards pre-requisites if taken in calendar year 2020.
GRADING SCALE
Courses that do not receive a numeric or letter grade convertible to a 4.33 grade scale cannot be used in GPA calculation. This includes courses graded as pass/fail* or complete/incomplete.
We calculate GPA based on a 4.33 scale. Please see the following GPA conversion tables to determine how your percentage or letter grades convert to a 4.33 grading scale.
| Letter | Percentage | GPA (4.33 Scale) |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 90-100 | 4.33 |
| A | 85-89 | 4.00 |
| A- | 80-84 | 3.67 |
| B+ | 75-79 | 3.33 |
| B | 72-74 | 3.00 |
| B- | 68-71 | 2.67 |
| C+ | 64-67 | 2.33 |
| C | 60-63 | 2.00 |
| C- | 54-59 | 1.67 |
| D | 50-53 | 1.00 |
| F | < 50 | 0.00 |
*2020 Pass/Fail courses: As an exception to pass/fail grading during the COVID-19 pandemic, pass (P) grades from 2020 may be used to satisfy pre-requisites but will not be used in the GPA calculation.
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