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Admission categories

Applicants may apply to only one admissions stream or pathway. Please refer to the relevant sections below for more information and specific requirements for each stream or pathway.

We are committed to ensuring that our admissions processes are equitable and free from bias, whether applicants apply through the general stream or one of the three admissions pathways.

All individuals involved in the review and assessment of applicants—including, but not limited to, the UGME Admissions Council, Pathway Committees, file reviewers, and interviewers—are carefully selected for their alignment with the School's mission and values.

All those involved in the admissions selection process are required to complete comprehensive unconscious bias training to help ensure fairness and equity throughout. As a best practice, we also incorporate multiple assessors at each stage to support fair evaluations and reduce bias and rater-related variability.

Important Notice:
If determined that an applicant does not meet the eligibility criteria for the stream or pathway to which they have applied, their application WILL NOT be transferred to another. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review all pathway-specific eligibility details and supporting documentation requirements carefully before submitting their application.

Any applications that are missing required documentation will be considered incomplete and will not be considered further in the admissions selection process.

We are committed to protecting applicants’ privacy. Any information or documentation submitted for the purpose of verifying pathway eligibility will be kept confidential and used solely for the evaluation and confirmation of eligibility. This information will not be shared with any unauthorized parties without applicants’ explicit consent.

Before you apply 

General admissions stream

All applicants to the TMU School of Medicine MD program are considered for admission through the General Admissions Stream unless they have applied through one of the three admissions pathways outlined below.

In addition to meeting the academic and non-academic admission requirements, those applying through the General Admissions Stream will be required to submit the following:

Supplementary questions

How have your lived experiences and/or identity contributed to your personal growth, educational path, and desire to pursue a career in medicine? (250 words maximum)

What leadership roles and/or community engagement experiences have you undertaken within your community, particularly in efforts aimed at supporting and advocating for marginalized groups? (250 words maximum)

Please describe how you would contribute to engaging and uplifting underserved communities as a future physician, drawing upon your experiences outlined above. (250 words maximum)

Admissions pathways

The TMU School of Medicine recognizes that many groups face barriers in both applying and being admitted to medical school. With this in mind, we have created three purposeful admissions pathways for applicants representing equity-deserving groups in order to account for systemic bias in applicant review processes and eliminate barriers to success for these groups in relation to medical school admissions processes.

The School of Medicine is dedicated to welcoming a diverse pool of applicants; these pathways provide an important mechanism to provide access to medical education. 

Prospective students may apply through these admissions pathways to address the under-representation of identified equity-deserving groups in medical education and the population representative of Brampton/Peel and surrounding communities.

The pathways are designed to provide an inclusive and supportive process for applicants from these groups. Applicant files will be reviewed by members of the respective communities, who will conduct a holistic and equitable evaluation.

Prospective students applying through these pathways are required to verify their eligibility by providing supporting documentation and/or self attestation.

TMU’s Partnership with The Community of Support

TMU School of Medicine is a partner of the University of Toronto’s Community of Support (COS). The COS program is a collaborative initiative supported by several faculties of medicine across Canada. COS offers a range of resources—including mentorship, application support, and interview preparation—for applicants from Indigenous, Black, Filipino, economically disadvantaged, non-traditional (e.g. mature students), and disability-identified backgrounds. This partnership aligns with TMU’s commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in medical education.

Please refer to the COS webpage (external link)  for more information and to join the Community of Support.

At TMU School of Medicine, our commitment to student success extends beyond the admissions process. To help reduce barriers to medical education and foster a strong sense of belonging, we provide comprehensive, wraparound support to all students throughout their medical education journey.

 

Indigenous admissions pathway 

Eligible applicants in this pathway identify as Indigenous: First Nations, Métis, or Inuit.

Applicants to the MD Program who identify as Indigenous may elect to apply through the Indigenous Admissions Pathway. We recognize that Indigeneity extends beyond ancestry—it is deeply rooted in community, kinship ties, and lived experience. The goal of the Indigenous Admissions Pathway (IAP) is to select future Indigenous healthcare leaders through a culturally safe and respectful process.

Applications are considered by a diverse Committee of Indigenous People, and applicants are guided through a process developed entirely by Indigenous People to reflect culturally appropriate, holistic evaluation for entrance to the MD program. Academic excellence, along with evidence of contributions to Indigenous communities through employment, volunteering, extracurricular involvement, or research, as well as demonstrated leadership and advocacy, will be considered in the selection process for this pathway.

The TMU School of Medicine recognizes that, as a result of colonization, Indigenous Peoples have historically faced systemic barriers that have excluded them from medical education. If an applicant has faced barriers that impacted their academic achievement, they may outline these experiences in the TMU School of Medicine’s Exceptional Circumstances section of the application for consideration. More information on Exceptional Circumstances Consideration can be found here.

Applicants who have Indigenous ancestry but are early in their journey of connecting with their culture are encouraged to reflect on whether this is the most appropriate path for them to take for medical school admission. If uncertain, the TMU School of Medicine’s Office of Indigenous Resurgence (OIR) is available as a resource and can be contacted by email at: oir@torontomu.ca

Additionally, the TMU School of Medicine has formal partnerships with the Community of Support (external link) , and Mushkiki Miikaan (external link) , both of which offer free support and resources to prospective medical school applicants.

In addition to meeting the academic and non-academic admission requirements, those applying through the Indigenous Admissions Pathway will be required to submit the following:

Supplementary questions

Please provide a short statement reflecting on your identity as an Indigenous person. This should include your ancestral community. (200 words maximum)

Please reflect on your connection and contributions to your Indigenous community, with examples wherever possible. How have these experiences shaped your identity and goals? (500 words maximum)

Please share with us examples of experiences that demonstrate suitability for a career in medicine, and how you envision contributing as a future leader in Indigenous health and wellness throughout Canada. (500 words maximum)

Verification of eligibility

To uphold the integrity of this pathway and ensure applicants are values-aligned and committed to becoming Indigenous healthcare leaders who will improve the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples, pathway eligibility will be assessed based on both verification of Indigenous ancestry and evidence of community connection and kinship ties.

Applicants to this pathway may verify their eligibility by providing proof of Indigenous ancestry in the form of one of the following:

  1. A verifier who identifies as Indigenous, such as a First Nations Chief or Band Council member, President of a local Indigenous Friendship Centre, or Director of a University Indigenous Student Centre, who will be contacted to provide a written or oral attestation to the applicant’s Indigenous ancestry and connection to community;
    or
  2. Formal recognized identification/documentation, such as a membership card in a Métis registry recognized by the Métis National Council, Secure Certificate of Indian Status, or Nunavut Trust Certificate Card.

Supporting documentation (formal identification) can be submitted via Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) in OMSAS. Please select “Indigenous” as the document type.

If choosing the verifier option, contact information can be provided in the Indigenous Applicant Verifier section of the application (it will only appear on the submission type menu if this option has been selected).

Applicants who select this option for the School to contact their verifier to confirm their identity are responsible for ensuring that accurate contact information is provided and that the verifier has been informed of our intent to reach out. Applications for which eligibility cannot be verified will not be considered further.

 

Curriculum vitae (optional)

Applicants to this pathway may submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV) to supplement their autobiographical sketch, should they wish; however, this is not a mandatory component of the application.

The CV can be submitted via Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) in OMSAS using the “TMU Indigenous CV” document type.

 

Black admissions pathway

Applicants to the MD Program who identify as Black may elect to apply through the Black Admissions Pathway. Applicant files will be evaluated by members of Black communities. 

Eligible applicants in this pathway identify as Black (such as but not limited to Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, Black South American and/or multi-racial Black, or part of the global Black diaspora).

In addition to meeting the academic and non-academic admission requirements, those applying through the Black Admissions Pathway will be required to submit the following:

Supplementary questions

How have your lived experiences as a member of Black communities influenced your personal growth, educational path, and desire to pursue a career in medicine? (250 words maximum)

What leadership roles and/or community engagement experiences have you undertaken, particularly in efforts aimed at supporting and advocating for Black and/or marginalized groups? (250 words maximum)

Please describe how you would contribute to engaging and uplifting Black and other underserved communities as a future physician, drawing upon your experiences outlined above. (250 words maximum)

 

Verification of eligibility

Applicants will be required to confirm their eligibility for the pathway by completing a self-attestation (Black Applicant Declaration) within their application.

 

Equity-deserving admissions pathway

Applicants to the MD Program who identify with one or more of the groups listed below may elect to apply through the Equity-Deserving Admissions Pathway. Applicant files will be evaluated by members of equity-deserving communities.

This is a pathway for applicants from additional equity-deserving groups that is distinct from our pathways for Black and Indigenous applicants.

The TMU School of Medicine recognizes that applicants may identify and have lived experiences related to more than one of these groups:

  • Individuals who identify as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 2SLGBTQ+ is a term used at TMU to refer to people who identify as Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender independent, non-binary, queer, genderqueer or similarly express gender or sexual diversity.
  • Individuals with disabilities. Persons with disabilities include those who may experience disadvantages or barriers to education as a result of long term, chronic or episodic physical, mental/emotional, psychiatric or learning disabilities. It should also be noted that the social model of disability recognizes that disability is not created by any particular medical or physical condition, but rather by societal barriers.
  • Individuals who have faced familial and/or socio-cultural barriers such as loss of both parents, long term involvement with the child welfare system, and/or precarious housing.
  • Individuals with lived experiences of poverty or low socio-economic status.
  • Racialized people. The term “racialized” refers to the social experience of people who are not considered white and have been categorized and treated differently based on perceived racial differences. Racialized people are often disproportionately impacted by systemic bias.

In addition to meeting the academic and non-academic admission requirements, those applying through the Equity-Deserving Admissions Pathway must submit the following:

Supplementary questions

How have your lived experiences and/or identity contributed to your personal growth, educational path, and desire to pursue a career in medicine? (250 words maximum)

What leadership roles and/or community engagement experiences have you undertaken within your community, particularly in efforts aimed at supporting and advocating for marginalized groups? (250 words maximum)

Please describe how you would contribute to engaging and uplifting underserved communities as a future physician, drawing upon your experiences outlined above. (250 words maximum)

 

Verficiation of eligibility

Applicants will be required to submit supporting documentation to verify pathway eligibility; verification of any one eligibility group will be sufficient for this purpose. This is a requirement for ALL Equity-Deserving Admissions Pathway applicants.

Documentation must be submitted via Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) in OMSAS using the “TMU Equity-Deserving Pathway Documents” option.

Applicants may submit the following types of documentation. Note that this list is provided as a guide and is not exhaustive. The School of Medicine recognizes that in some cases a supporting document to verify eligibility will not be appropriate or available. In such cases, applicants may use our  (PDF file) Self-Attestation Form as their supporting documentation. No other form of self-attestation will be accepted.

  • Letter from a community organization where applicant volunteers or works that serves the equity-deserving community with which they identify
  • Proof of an award an applicant received as a result of  contributions to the equity-deserving community with which they identify
  • Proof of a scholarship or bursary applicant received based on their identification as a member of an equity-deserving group
  • Proof of membership in an advocacy club, group or organization at a university that serves the equity-deserving community with which the applicant identifies
  • Medical note or other official documentation by a licensed professional (should not identify confidential information, such as a medical diagnosis for example, but should confirm applicant is a member of this equity-deserving group)
  • Proof of being in receipt of previous academic accommodation (should not identify confidential information but confirm an accommodation was to be provided)
  • Proof of receipt of Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
  • Proof of a tax credit for people who are members of applicant's equity-deserving community (e.g. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) tax credit for people living with disabilities)
  • Proof of significant financial hardship over a sustained period of time in applicant's life (e.g. CRA notice of assessments, documentation of being in receipt of Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) bursaries, Ontario Works documentation, etc.)
  • Proof of involvement with the child welfare system
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