GENERAL INFORMATION
- Campus
- University of Calgary’s Foothills Campus in Calgary – Approximately 210 students for 2025-2026 cycle
- [Coming soon in 2026] University of Lethbridge (Southern Alberta Medical Program) – Up to 30 students
- Numbers (2023-2024 Cycle):
- Total number of Applicants: 2000+ Applicants (1927 Applicants reviwed)
- Total number of Interview Invites: 605 Applicants
- Total number of Admissions: 175 Applicants
- Program length: 3 years
Application Overview
| In Province (IP) Status | Preferences given to Alberta residents |
| Minimum GPA Required | 3.2/4.0 (IP) & 3.8/4.0 (OOP) |
| GPA Calculation Options | Adjusted GPA (AGPA) – Lowest year dropped Cumulative GPA (cGPA) |
| Required Course Load | 2 Full-time years (24 credits per year) |
| Minimum Credits Required | Minimum 39 credits with grades required (3 units = 1 semester course) |
| Pre-requisite Courses | Indigenous Foundational Knowledge by the time of application |
| CASPer | Not required |
| MCAT | Required (Competitive) – CARS only No minimum (IP) & Minimum 128 CARS (OOP) |
| Interview Format | MMI (Multi-format) – In person |
| References | 3 References |
| Pathways | Indigenous Applicant Black Applicant Rural and Remote Applicant Combined Degree Program/Leaders in Medicine (LIM) Pathways to Medicine (High school) |
| International Students | Not considered |
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
- GPA: University of Calgary uses 4.0 scale. To convert your GPA, use the chart on page 50 of this document. For detailed how-to for calculating your GPA, please see this post.
- University of Calgary has a 10-year exclusion rule. Applicants with recent post-secondary studies may request to exclude GPA from any academic work completed more than 10 years previously.
- Applicants who have completed or will have completed their undergraduate degree prior to admissions will have their lowest GPA year removed from the calculation. The lowest GPA year must have a minimum of 18 units.
- Only full-time years (24 credits per year) will be included in the GPA calculation. This also means that any spring/summer courses will not be included.
- Minimum GPA
- Minimum GPA required to apply is 3.2/4.0 for IP applicants and 3.8/4.0 for OOP applicants. However, the average GPA of admitted candidates for 2023-2024 was 3.89 for IP applicants and 3.94 for OOP applicants.
- Required Course Load:
- University of Calgary requires applicants to have taken minimum two years with full course load. For a term to be considered a full course load, at least 24 credits to be completed between September through April.
- Minimum Credits Required
- University of Calgary require a minimum of 39 credits with letter or numeric grades to have their GPA calculated.
- Pre-requisite Courses
- University of Calgary requires all applicants to fulfill the Indigenous education requirement by the time of application. You may fulfill the requirement by any one of:
- Indigenous Canada MOOC (online)
- University of Calgary Indigenous Relations Training Program
- University of Calgary Continuing Education Indigenous Peoples and Reconciliation Certificate
- Completion of minimum 3-unit course in Indigenous studies from post secondary institution
- A degree, diploma, or certificate in Indigenous studies
- University of Calgary requires all applicants to fulfill the Indigenous education requirement by the time of application. You may fulfill the requirement by any one of:
ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENTS
- MCAT
- University of Calgary only uses CARS section competitively. There is no minimum requirement for IP applicants, whereas minimum 128 CARS are required for OOP applicants. However, the average CARS score of admitted candidates for 2023-2024 was 126.24 for IP applicant and 129.48 for OOP applicant.
- CASPer
- University of Calgary does not require applicants to take CASPer.
RESIDENCE
- University of Calgary gives preference for Alberta residents, where 85% of the seats are allocated to IP applicants each year. To be considered as an Albertan resident, you must:
- Have been physically present in Alberta for 24 consecutive months between their 15th birthday and the first day of classes
- Have been on active duty for the 24 months prior to starting classes with Canadian Armed Forces or RCMP
- Current student of the Selkrik College Rural Pre-medical program in Castlegar, BC will have IP requirements applied regardless of Albertan status.
- Additionally, Indigenous applicants will be considered an IP applicant.
EXTRACURRICULARS
- Applicants are required to provide a complete list of all paid employment experiences to date, whether it be early or short-term jobs.
- Applicants are also required to identify top 10 activities or experiences they feel best represent who they are. It may be related to employment, volunteer experiences, life experiences, awards, or educational experiences.
- University of Calgary’s selection formula for candidates are as followed for interview invites:
- Academic attributes (50% total):
- 20% GPA
- 10% MCAT CARS
- 10% Global assessment of academic merit
- 10% Intellectual curiosity, Scholarship and Research
- Personal attributes (50% total):
- 10% Evidence of communication
- 10% Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills and collaboration
- 10% Evidence of maturity, insight and resilience
- 10% Evidence of commitment to communities and advocacy on behalf of others
- 10% Evidence of organizational, management and leadership skills.
- Academic attributes (50% total):
- Post-interview selection formula is: 50% MMI score + 50% Pre-interview score
INTERVIEW
- According to University of Calgary’s MMI Presentation, the interview is divided into two different circuits. Circuit 1 is considered a traditional MMI-style format, with 7 stations and one assessor. Applicants will have 2 minutes to read the prompt and prepare and 7 minutes to answer.
- After a break, applicants will move to Circuit 2, which is described as a long-format circuit. There will be 2 stations of semi-structured panel-style interview with 2 assessors. Each station will be 20 minutes long. Circuit 2 will also include one group activity station, where 4-5 applicants will be participating at the same time with one assessor.
REFERENCES
- Applicants are required to submit 3 references who can fill out a reference form, focusing on three different attribute categories:
- Organizational, Management and Leadership skills
- Commitment to Communities and Advocacy
- Interpersonal Behaviours and Collaboration
PATHWAYS/SPECIAL STREAMS
- Indigenous Applicant: As an Indigenous applicant, you must provide a proof of Indigenous identity. You will also be invited to include your personal essay regarding your connection to the Indigenous community or a general applicant essay (not scored).
- All Indigenous applicants who meet the application criteria will be invited to interview and will be considered as residents of Alberta regardless of where they are residing.
- Indigenous applicants will have at least one member from the Indigenous community to participate during their file review process.
- Black Applicant Admissions Process (BAAP): Black applicants can self-identify themselves in the admissions process. There is also an optional essay that the applicant may choose to write. The evaluation process will be the same as the general applicant pools. Black applicants will have their file reviewed by the committee with at least 50% of the assessors from BIPOC communities.
- Rural and Remote Applicant: This is a new process implemented in 2024-2025 cycle and is planned to expand in future cycles. Applicants with remote and rural connections will be invited to write a personal essay. This essay is not scored, but rather reviewed for a social context.
- Graduate or current student of the Selkrik College Rural Pre-Medicine Program in Castlegar, BC will be considered as Albertan resident regardless of their residence.
- Combined Degree Program / Leaders in Medicine
- Pathways to Medicine Program: This is a scholarship program aimed towards graduating highschool students from underserved population (i.e. Indigenous, low socioeconomic status, rural).
- Students must secure admission into any program in University of Calgary and are expected to participate in MD preparatory program.
- Upon completion of undergraduate degree, participants will have guaranteed admission to University of Calgary’s MD program as long as they meet the admissions criteria.
HELPFUL LINKS
- University of Calgary Admissions Site: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/mdprogram/future-students/admissions
- University of Calgary Med Applicant Manual: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/mdprogram/future-students/admissions/applicant-manual
- University of Calgary Admissions Statistics: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/mdprogram/future-students/admissions/reference-statistics
- Admissions Statistics 2023-2024: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/4/Reference%20%26%20Stats/Reference%20Statistics%202023-24_08.pdf
- University of Calgary Admissions Blog: https://wpsites.ucalgary.ca/mdadmissions/blog/
- Frequently Asked Questions: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/mdprogram/future-students/admissions/applicant-manual/admissions-faq
- Pathways to Medicine Program: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/future-students/scholarships/pathways-medicine-scholarship