Welcome, SDNers to a resource on US medical school applications for Canadians. For future pre-med Canadian (and other international) applicants, I hope this guide can provide you with more insight to the differences between US and Canadian applications and help you to navigate through this torrential storm. For the rest of the applicants (and PDs), many of you have asked us about the shenanigans that occur north of the border and we hope this post can give you perspective through another set of eyes.
The impetus for this post was really a lack of up-to-date resources surrounding this whole process and the multiple WAMC threads posted by Canadian applicants. Many of us did not apply to US medical programs due to not knowing the timeline of the application cycle, how to apply broadly, and most importantly, our chances of success. Pre-med advisors - which are rare to begin with at Canadian schools - do not have thorough understanding of the AMCAS/TMDSAS application cycle and requirements at each US institution (understandable but not helpful). Similarly, even at US institutions, sometimes advisors do not understand the hurdles that international applicants face. As such, we are left on our own with the MSAR in one hand and blind optimism in the other. This leads to poor school lists, avoidable stress, and wasted resources, and looking back, I am shocked to see how many of my applications were “donations”.
Lastly, although this post is mostly delivered in singular first person, it is a collection of experiences and anecdotes of multiple Canadian applicants (additional thanks to @quirkdirk, @ExcitatorySynapse, and @Dick_Grayson) throughout the MD and MSTP cycles.
Why apply to US schools?
Most Canadian applicants looking to apply to the US usually fall into two categories:
For the second case (but still encompassing the first), getting into medical school is hard. Particularly in Canada, where there is a grand total of 14 English programs, which on average each school receives ~2,500 applications for ~150 seats, and where the average GPA of accepted applicants is ~3.9. In Canada, your numerical stats play a huge portion (~25%-70%) in earning an interview and if your GPA is below 3.8 or your MCAT CARS score is below 127, you are likely out of the running for an interview at all programs (with the exception of UofT, where your CARS score is not as essential, but remains very, very competitive nonetheless). Due to this fierce competition, it is logical that many Canadian applicants also choose to apply down south for their training. In addition, no matter how strong of an applicant you are, luck plays a very large role in this “Olympic-sized event” where inches separate an acceptance from a rejection and therefore, it makes sense to hedge your bets and reduce variance through applying to more schools should resources be permitting.
3. Nice weather. Nothing else needs to be said about enjoying the California sun and escaping minus 40-degree (which I learned to be the same temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit) winters.
That’s nice, but should I apply to US schools?
Did I mention that getting into medical school is hard? Well, it is undoubtedly much more difficult for a Canadian applicant of the same calibre to be accepted compared to their US contemporary. Obviously this is the case, because other than filling diversity, why would a domestic program take a foreigner over his or her own student? Every year there are already so many qualified domestic applicants that do not get admitted. Therefore, Canadian applicants must go beyond the standard at a particular institution to have a chance to matriculate.
At the T20 level and especially at T10, nobody can predict if you can get an interview at a particular institution. On top of strong stats (>3.9 GPA, 95-100 percentile MCAT), most of the successful applicants are truly well rounded and have an “it factor” that differentiated themselves from others. These include: Rhodes Scholarship, Harvard undergrad, C/N/S first-author publication, national and international level athletics, medalling at World Championships in an extracurricular, creating and leading multiple scientific outreach programs, and other accomplishments. For almost all of us, earning an interview invite at ANY US program is a pleasant surprise and humbling experience. It is important to apply broadly, but smartly and you should have some sense of how strong of an applicant you are based off of your stats and extracurricular activities.
There are many other questions to consider:
What am I good at? This is mostly a question of fit for the respective program. When writing the primary and secondary applications, you have to sell yourself to the schools. Is my narrative about research or service or overcoming hardship or community outreach? What can I bring to the program? One Canadian applicant who received interviews at Harvard, Hopkins, NYU, Penn, and other T10-T20 but was rejected pre-interview at the University of Toronto. Another applicant had similar successes in the US (interviewed at T20s including Harvard and Hopkins) but was rejected pre-interview at the University of British Columbia. Does that mean UofT and UBC are more difficult to get into than US giants? Not necessarily. I received invites from both UofT and UBC but was rejected from many T20s including Harvard and JHU. It also speaks to lengths about the importance of meeting the identity of the school.
Second to GPA, Canadian schools necessitate leadership, serving the underprivileged, and rural outreach from their applicants; this is equally valued in the US. However, shadowing and sufficient clinical volunteering is not absolutely required in Canada (as long as you have some clinical experience) but is almost a must for US schools. Furthermore, research is also nice to have but not a necessity at all in Canada. Contrastingly, at T20 US schools -albeit all are heavy research schools- this is almost crucial (a friend interviewing at Harvard straight up got asked “how come you don’t have research?”). Once again, look at the school’s website and their curriculum, and see what they value in their candidates. In addition to medicine if you are interested in population health and have strong epidemiology experiences, apply to schools with strong public health programs (Harvard, Hopkins, Emory to name a few). If you want to study cancer, apply to a program with an affiliate comprehensive cancer center.
What specialty/field am I likely going into? The Canadian medical system training mainly focuses on primary care. Most, if not all, Canadian schools are required to teach a block on public health/global health and have an away rotation with an underserved population. There is a great emphasis on social accountability and aiding the rural communities. Contrast this with the mission at many top US schools, where instead there is greater incentive to further cutting-edge research to the extent that longitudinal research is a requirement in the curriculum. Other US schools during clerkship years do not have mandatory rotations in primary care blocks such as family medicine, where it is an optional selective rather than a hard-coded rotation such as in Canada. At NYU pre-Long Island, I was told that there was only one medical student that did a family rotation and had to take a ferry from main campus to get there. I think it is fair to say that compared to Canadian schools, the mission statement at many US schools is not only to produce proper physicians but also to instil the next generation of diverse, multifaceted world leaders in research, tech, industry, and healthcare.
Do I want to practice in Canada or the United States? This should actually be the first factor to consider. The respective healthcare systems are vastly different, each with their own merits and flaws, cultures and populations. Due to different curriculums, exams, lack of familiarly/support networks, it is difficult to match for US residency from Canada and vice versa. Here is a thought experiments: you are a Canadian medical student that wants to match to the US. When during your three or four years would you have time to take STEP 1 with no protected study time and then STEP 2 exams? How about the fact that both CaRMS and ERAS residency matches are on different schedules, the match that runs first takes precedence, and matching to one will withdraw you from the other? Success at cross-country matching is not impossible, but is difficult to say the least. It might be best to go Canada -> Canada and US -> US.
Once again, consider your career goals and the specialty you are interested in and think thoroughly to reduce headache later on. If you do decide to stay in Canada for residency, you can always pursue a fellowship in the US afterwards (only need to PASS the USMLE).
Lastly, can I afford to study in the US? Tuition at US schools is relatively expensive at around 40K~70K+ per year (FYI as an international you are probably not going to be admitted to the cheaper state schools without ties). This is in USD, aka 1.35x Canadian dollars. Staying in Canada will “only” cost you ~10-25K CAD per year so you are paying upwards of 6-10 folds more to study south depending on the school. Maybe having the Harvard pedigree is worth 400K in debt if you get accepted but a MD from the University of Toronto/McGill/University of British Columbia is on par with most T20 US schools. Adding to previous points, it also does not make sense to go to Harvard if you want to pursue family med (also no department of family medicine there!) rather in this specialty, you will undoubtedly get more comprehensive and cheaper training in Canada. Lastly, Canadian students also cannot receive US-based financial aid and often have to put up multiple years of tuition in escrow (ex. 250k USD at WashU) if you do not receive merit scholarships. This is a difficult and costly endeavour indeed.
Tell me which US schools I should/can apply for already!
First buy the MSAR and consult it to see the number of interviewed international applicants. Look at the GPA and MCAT range at these schools and then see the mission or fit at these programs. Use the WARS for guidance as well. DON’T FORGET TO APPLY TO YOUR CANADIAN SCHOOLS.
Here are some verified schools that interview Canadian applicants but the list is non-exhaustive.
Baylor
Boston University
Case Western
Columbia
Cornell
Emory
Harvard
Hawaii
Johns Hopkins
Mayo Clinic
Mount Sinai
NYU
Saint Louis University
SUNY Upstate
Thomas Jefferson
UCLA
University of Maryland
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Virginia
UT San Antonio
UT Southwestern
Vanderbilt
Washington University in St. Louis
Wayne State
Yale
*Please note some schools that accept Canadians require you to complete undergraduate studies in the United States (i.e. Baylor and UC Davis).
Schools that say they interview Canadians but may be low yield
Just because the school page CLAIMS they accept international students, doesn’t actually mean they will; it just means institutionally they can. A lot of us found this out the hard way (100 USD donation at each school). Apply cautiously.
Albert Einstein
Duke
University of Chicago
Canadian acceptances/matriculants
These are schools where Canadian applicants have gotten accepted and/or matriculated (n = unique acceptances). Again, the list is non-exhaustive. Most of these numbers were generated from a small population size (~20 Canadian applicants) mostly in the recent three cycles and may not reflect all acceptances by applicants.
Baylor (1)
Boston University (2)
Columbia (1)
Cornell (1)
Emory (2)
Harvard (1)
Johns Hopkins (1)
Stanford University (6)
Thomas Jefferson (1)
UCLA (1)
University of Pennsylvania (2)
Vanderbilt (1)
Washington University in St. Louis (5)
Yale University (4)
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (1)
FAQ
Are there differences between Canadian and other international applicants?
The biggest difference is that some schools treat Canadians as “out of state” applicants and some schools do not accept non-Canadian international students (ex. Wayne State). In addition, almost all schools require at least a year or two of course work at an US or Canadian college/university. At top institutions, there is likely no difference in terms of residency between a Canadian and a non-Canadian international provided they have received the same academic training.
What are some differences between the US and Canadian application cycle?
The majority of the US application is conducted through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Most schools in Texas will utilize the TMDSAS. Transcripts, MCAT scores, and letters of recommendations are submitted to AMCAS, who will distribute them to the schools that the applicant has applied to. On top of these items, applicants are also required to complete a primary application consisting of filling out the their profile and extracurricular activities, and submitting an essay, which are also sent to all schools. These files comprise of a “completed primary application”, which needs to be verified by AMCAS before being sent out to each school, and may take between days to a month. From there, applicants receive and fill out an additional secondary application from each school that is interested in them. Applicants are then awarded interview invites on a rolling-basis (ie. first come first serve, more interview dates are available for early submissions) and then will attend the interview session at each school. Acceptances are then sent out on a rolling or non-rolling basis.
Here is a sample timeline for the US cycle:
May – AMCAS opens, applicant fills out primary application
June – Applicant submits primary application to be verified by AMCAS
July – Primary application is verified and applicants receive secondary applications from schools
August – March – Applicants receive interview invites or rejections, and the interview cycle begins
October – March – Applicants receive decisions
In Canada, you apply to each medical school separately (except Ontario schools have a mini-AMCAS called OMSAS which functions the same way). Applications are due in ~September-October and interview invites are non-rolling and are mostly awarded at the same time sometime in January-February for interviews in February-March. Post-interview decisions also come out together in April-May. This rolling/non-rolling differential is key because the US interviews ARE rolling and applying late reduces your slim chances at those schools even more. Therefore, Canadian applicants must apply EARLY to US schools, as soon as AMCAS opens. Because you should also be applying to Canadian schools, you will have all of these resources ready to go when the Canadian application cycle begins.
Another benefit of applying in both cycles is that you can become accepted at a US program before you are even offered an interview in Canada. This can make Canadian interviews less stressful should you also choose to go to them, since you may already have an acceptance in hand.
Please refer to the bountiful guides on the SDN Pre-Med forum for more information about the US application cycle.
How about other requirements (CASPer) and interviews styles?
The CASPer is an online behavioural test christened by our colleagues at McMaster University. It is a series of 12 scenarios in which you watch a video or read a prompt, and answer follow-up questions that test pertinent, physician-like qualities such as communication, teamwork, professionalism, and ethics. CASPer is required by a small handful of US schools and by half of Canadian schools.
If you’re fortunate to receive an interview at a US program, congratulations! This is an honor. Your interview style is likely to be traditional (1 on 1) or multiple mini-interview (MMI, which also stems from McMaster University). The interview is an important step to assess interpersonal skills and determine fit at a particular program. The MMI style interview is the cornerstone of Canadian medical schools and it or its variant is adopted by all Canadian programs and by some US schools (Duke, most California schools). Please refer to the SDN specific school discussions forum to determine interview style at a particular program.
Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendations are also important tools in the evaluation of an applicant. LORs mostly comes in the form of a “letter packet” at US undergraduate institutions. Canadian schools do not offer this, and as such, applicants will be required to send multiple, individual letters to AMCAS (3-7 letters). Most US programs will require 3 LORs (2 science faculty members who have taught you + 1 non-science faculty member who has taught you). These may be hard requirements and vary, but some programs will waive certain LOR requirements- contact the school directly should a requirement not be met. There are no hard faculty-restrictive LORs for Canadian schools.
MD-PhD and MSTP Programs
There are two types of MD-PhD programs in the United States: the Medical-Scientist Training Programs (MSTPs), which are NIH funded *please see the following link for a comprehensive list: Maps and the regular non-NIH funded MD-PhD programs. Many MSTPs do not accept applications from non-US citizens or permanent residents, with the exception of the following programs (non-exhaustive):
Albert Einstein (low yield)
Baylor (if you completed your undergraduate studies in the United States
Boston University
Columbia
Emory
Harvard (1-2 spots for internationals every 2 years)
Mayo Clinic (if you are a Canadian citizen)
Northwestern
Stanford (requires KH application, likely low yield)
SUNY Upstate
University of Chicago (low yield)
University of Maryland
University of Pennsylvania
University of Virginia
UT San Antonio
Vanderbilt
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale
Also see: https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...cf9f-21a3-4d77-9423-a2fce84408f1/faqtable.pdf
Programs vary by size (3-20+) and will determine competitiveness of being accepted. University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St. Louis MSTP programs are not only top MSTP programs but also accept and matriculate the most international students. This is because they are the largest MSTP programs in the nation (~20+ total matriculants per year) and also because they have deep private-funded pockets that can support international students. These two institutes in particular evaluate international students with the same standards as US citizens/permanent residents.
*Each year the funding situation changes for many MSTPs, so make sure you contact program directors before applying. For instance, in previous years Johns Hopkins and Mount Sinai accepted applications to their MD-PhD programs from international students, but this year that was not the case.
If you are interested in the MD/PhD or MSTP dual degree, please check out the SDN Physician Scientist forum for more information and insight from current students and program directors.
Final thoughts
For aspiring physicians, the medical school application is a brutal rite of passage that separates those who are serious about a career in medicine from those who are not. Whether we are chasing greater opportunities or escaping low acceptance rates in our own country, many of us consider applying to the US. The average number of attempts for an applicant to get admitted in Canada is approaching 3 and year-by-year, the process becomes more competitive. Lastly, even with this guide, there are still many black boxes in this process. I would recommend reaching out to each individual program that you are interested in and ask them about how many Canadian students they matriculate at their school.
Best of luck to all future applicants!
*If there are errors or you would like to update/contribute to the post, please let us know*
Atezo and ClinicianScientist
The impetus for this post was really a lack of up-to-date resources surrounding this whole process and the multiple WAMC threads posted by Canadian applicants. Many of us did not apply to US medical programs due to not knowing the timeline of the application cycle, how to apply broadly, and most importantly, our chances of success. Pre-med advisors - which are rare to begin with at Canadian schools - do not have thorough understanding of the AMCAS/TMDSAS application cycle and requirements at each US institution (understandable but not helpful). Similarly, even at US institutions, sometimes advisors do not understand the hurdles that international applicants face. As such, we are left on our own with the MSAR in one hand and blind optimism in the other. This leads to poor school lists, avoidable stress, and wasted resources, and looking back, I am shocked to see how many of my applications were “donations”.
Lastly, although this post is mostly delivered in singular first person, it is a collection of experiences and anecdotes of multiple Canadian applicants (additional thanks to @quirkdirk, @ExcitatorySynapse, and @Dick_Grayson) throughout the MD and MSTP cycles.
Why apply to US schools?
Most Canadian applicants looking to apply to the US usually fall into two categories:
- Exceptional applicants who have additional passions in research, innovation, and global health aiming at T20 schools
- Applicants who want to maximize their chances of getting into A medical school in North America
For the second case (but still encompassing the first), getting into medical school is hard. Particularly in Canada, where there is a grand total of 14 English programs, which on average each school receives ~2,500 applications for ~150 seats, and where the average GPA of accepted applicants is ~3.9. In Canada, your numerical stats play a huge portion (~25%-70%) in earning an interview and if your GPA is below 3.8 or your MCAT CARS score is below 127, you are likely out of the running for an interview at all programs (with the exception of UofT, where your CARS score is not as essential, but remains very, very competitive nonetheless). Due to this fierce competition, it is logical that many Canadian applicants also choose to apply down south for their training. In addition, no matter how strong of an applicant you are, luck plays a very large role in this “Olympic-sized event” where inches separate an acceptance from a rejection and therefore, it makes sense to hedge your bets and reduce variance through applying to more schools should resources be permitting.
3. Nice weather. Nothing else needs to be said about enjoying the California sun and escaping minus 40-degree (which I learned to be the same temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit) winters.
That’s nice, but should I apply to US schools?
Did I mention that getting into medical school is hard? Well, it is undoubtedly much more difficult for a Canadian applicant of the same calibre to be accepted compared to their US contemporary. Obviously this is the case, because other than filling diversity, why would a domestic program take a foreigner over his or her own student? Every year there are already so many qualified domestic applicants that do not get admitted. Therefore, Canadian applicants must go beyond the standard at a particular institution to have a chance to matriculate.
At the T20 level and especially at T10, nobody can predict if you can get an interview at a particular institution. On top of strong stats (>3.9 GPA, 95-100 percentile MCAT), most of the successful applicants are truly well rounded and have an “it factor” that differentiated themselves from others. These include: Rhodes Scholarship, Harvard undergrad, C/N/S first-author publication, national and international level athletics, medalling at World Championships in an extracurricular, creating and leading multiple scientific outreach programs, and other accomplishments. For almost all of us, earning an interview invite at ANY US program is a pleasant surprise and humbling experience. It is important to apply broadly, but smartly and you should have some sense of how strong of an applicant you are based off of your stats and extracurricular activities.
There are many other questions to consider:
What am I good at? This is mostly a question of fit for the respective program. When writing the primary and secondary applications, you have to sell yourself to the schools. Is my narrative about research or service or overcoming hardship or community outreach? What can I bring to the program? One Canadian applicant who received interviews at Harvard, Hopkins, NYU, Penn, and other T10-T20 but was rejected pre-interview at the University of Toronto. Another applicant had similar successes in the US (interviewed at T20s including Harvard and Hopkins) but was rejected pre-interview at the University of British Columbia. Does that mean UofT and UBC are more difficult to get into than US giants? Not necessarily. I received invites from both UofT and UBC but was rejected from many T20s including Harvard and JHU. It also speaks to lengths about the importance of meeting the identity of the school.
Second to GPA, Canadian schools necessitate leadership, serving the underprivileged, and rural outreach from their applicants; this is equally valued in the US. However, shadowing and sufficient clinical volunteering is not absolutely required in Canada (as long as you have some clinical experience) but is almost a must for US schools. Furthermore, research is also nice to have but not a necessity at all in Canada. Contrastingly, at T20 US schools -albeit all are heavy research schools- this is almost crucial (a friend interviewing at Harvard straight up got asked “how come you don’t have research?”). Once again, look at the school’s website and their curriculum, and see what they value in their candidates. In addition to medicine if you are interested in population health and have strong epidemiology experiences, apply to schools with strong public health programs (Harvard, Hopkins, Emory to name a few). If you want to study cancer, apply to a program with an affiliate comprehensive cancer center.
What specialty/field am I likely going into? The Canadian medical system training mainly focuses on primary care. Most, if not all, Canadian schools are required to teach a block on public health/global health and have an away rotation with an underserved population. There is a great emphasis on social accountability and aiding the rural communities. Contrast this with the mission at many top US schools, where instead there is greater incentive to further cutting-edge research to the extent that longitudinal research is a requirement in the curriculum. Other US schools during clerkship years do not have mandatory rotations in primary care blocks such as family medicine, where it is an optional selective rather than a hard-coded rotation such as in Canada. At NYU pre-Long Island, I was told that there was only one medical student that did a family rotation and had to take a ferry from main campus to get there. I think it is fair to say that compared to Canadian schools, the mission statement at many US schools is not only to produce proper physicians but also to instil the next generation of diverse, multifaceted world leaders in research, tech, industry, and healthcare.
Do I want to practice in Canada or the United States? This should actually be the first factor to consider. The respective healthcare systems are vastly different, each with their own merits and flaws, cultures and populations. Due to different curriculums, exams, lack of familiarly/support networks, it is difficult to match for US residency from Canada and vice versa. Here is a thought experiments: you are a Canadian medical student that wants to match to the US. When during your three or four years would you have time to take STEP 1 with no protected study time and then STEP 2 exams? How about the fact that both CaRMS and ERAS residency matches are on different schedules, the match that runs first takes precedence, and matching to one will withdraw you from the other? Success at cross-country matching is not impossible, but is difficult to say the least. It might be best to go Canada -> Canada and US -> US.
Once again, consider your career goals and the specialty you are interested in and think thoroughly to reduce headache later on. If you do decide to stay in Canada for residency, you can always pursue a fellowship in the US afterwards (only need to PASS the USMLE).
Lastly, can I afford to study in the US? Tuition at US schools is relatively expensive at around 40K~70K+ per year (FYI as an international you are probably not going to be admitted to the cheaper state schools without ties). This is in USD, aka 1.35x Canadian dollars. Staying in Canada will “only” cost you ~10-25K CAD per year so you are paying upwards of 6-10 folds more to study south depending on the school. Maybe having the Harvard pedigree is worth 400K in debt if you get accepted but a MD from the University of Toronto/McGill/University of British Columbia is on par with most T20 US schools. Adding to previous points, it also does not make sense to go to Harvard if you want to pursue family med (also no department of family medicine there!) rather in this specialty, you will undoubtedly get more comprehensive and cheaper training in Canada. Lastly, Canadian students also cannot receive US-based financial aid and often have to put up multiple years of tuition in escrow (ex. 250k USD at WashU) if you do not receive merit scholarships. This is a difficult and costly endeavour indeed.
Tell me which US schools I should/can apply for already!
First buy the MSAR and consult it to see the number of interviewed international applicants. Look at the GPA and MCAT range at these schools and then see the mission or fit at these programs. Use the WARS for guidance as well. DON’T FORGET TO APPLY TO YOUR CANADIAN SCHOOLS.
Here are some verified schools that interview Canadian applicants but the list is non-exhaustive.
Baylor
Boston University
Case Western
Columbia
Cornell
Emory
Harvard
Hawaii
Johns Hopkins
Mayo Clinic
Mount Sinai
NYU
Saint Louis University
SUNY Upstate
Thomas Jefferson
UCLA
University of Maryland
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Virginia
UT San Antonio
UT Southwestern
Vanderbilt
Washington University in St. Louis
Wayne State
Yale
*Please note some schools that accept Canadians require you to complete undergraduate studies in the United States (i.e. Baylor and UC Davis).
Schools that say they interview Canadians but may be low yield
Just because the school page CLAIMS they accept international students, doesn’t actually mean they will; it just means institutionally they can. A lot of us found this out the hard way (100 USD donation at each school). Apply cautiously.
Albert Einstein
Duke
University of Chicago
Canadian acceptances/matriculants
These are schools where Canadian applicants have gotten accepted and/or matriculated (n = unique acceptances). Again, the list is non-exhaustive. Most of these numbers were generated from a small population size (~20 Canadian applicants) mostly in the recent three cycles and may not reflect all acceptances by applicants.
Baylor (1)
Boston University (2)
Columbia (1)
Cornell (1)
Emory (2)
Harvard (1)
Johns Hopkins (1)
Stanford University (6)
Thomas Jefferson (1)
UCLA (1)
University of Pennsylvania (2)
Vanderbilt (1)
Washington University in St. Louis (5)
Yale University (4)
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (1)
FAQ
Are there differences between Canadian and other international applicants?
The biggest difference is that some schools treat Canadians as “out of state” applicants and some schools do not accept non-Canadian international students (ex. Wayne State). In addition, almost all schools require at least a year or two of course work at an US or Canadian college/university. At top institutions, there is likely no difference in terms of residency between a Canadian and a non-Canadian international provided they have received the same academic training.
What are some differences between the US and Canadian application cycle?
The majority of the US application is conducted through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Most schools in Texas will utilize the TMDSAS. Transcripts, MCAT scores, and letters of recommendations are submitted to AMCAS, who will distribute them to the schools that the applicant has applied to. On top of these items, applicants are also required to complete a primary application consisting of filling out the their profile and extracurricular activities, and submitting an essay, which are also sent to all schools. These files comprise of a “completed primary application”, which needs to be verified by AMCAS before being sent out to each school, and may take between days to a month. From there, applicants receive and fill out an additional secondary application from each school that is interested in them. Applicants are then awarded interview invites on a rolling-basis (ie. first come first serve, more interview dates are available for early submissions) and then will attend the interview session at each school. Acceptances are then sent out on a rolling or non-rolling basis.
Here is a sample timeline for the US cycle:
May – AMCAS opens, applicant fills out primary application
June – Applicant submits primary application to be verified by AMCAS
July – Primary application is verified and applicants receive secondary applications from schools
August – March – Applicants receive interview invites or rejections, and the interview cycle begins
October – March – Applicants receive decisions
In Canada, you apply to each medical school separately (except Ontario schools have a mini-AMCAS called OMSAS which functions the same way). Applications are due in ~September-October and interview invites are non-rolling and are mostly awarded at the same time sometime in January-February for interviews in February-March. Post-interview decisions also come out together in April-May. This rolling/non-rolling differential is key because the US interviews ARE rolling and applying late reduces your slim chances at those schools even more. Therefore, Canadian applicants must apply EARLY to US schools, as soon as AMCAS opens. Because you should also be applying to Canadian schools, you will have all of these resources ready to go when the Canadian application cycle begins.
Another benefit of applying in both cycles is that you can become accepted at a US program before you are even offered an interview in Canada. This can make Canadian interviews less stressful should you also choose to go to them, since you may already have an acceptance in hand.
Please refer to the bountiful guides on the SDN Pre-Med forum for more information about the US application cycle.
How about other requirements (CASPer) and interviews styles?
The CASPer is an online behavioural test christened by our colleagues at McMaster University. It is a series of 12 scenarios in which you watch a video or read a prompt, and answer follow-up questions that test pertinent, physician-like qualities such as communication, teamwork, professionalism, and ethics. CASPer is required by a small handful of US schools and by half of Canadian schools.
If you’re fortunate to receive an interview at a US program, congratulations! This is an honor. Your interview style is likely to be traditional (1 on 1) or multiple mini-interview (MMI, which also stems from McMaster University). The interview is an important step to assess interpersonal skills and determine fit at a particular program. The MMI style interview is the cornerstone of Canadian medical schools and it or its variant is adopted by all Canadian programs and by some US schools (Duke, most California schools). Please refer to the SDN specific school discussions forum to determine interview style at a particular program.
Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendations are also important tools in the evaluation of an applicant. LORs mostly comes in the form of a “letter packet” at US undergraduate institutions. Canadian schools do not offer this, and as such, applicants will be required to send multiple, individual letters to AMCAS (3-7 letters). Most US programs will require 3 LORs (2 science faculty members who have taught you + 1 non-science faculty member who has taught you). These may be hard requirements and vary, but some programs will waive certain LOR requirements- contact the school directly should a requirement not be met. There are no hard faculty-restrictive LORs for Canadian schools.
MD-PhD and MSTP Programs
There are two types of MD-PhD programs in the United States: the Medical-Scientist Training Programs (MSTPs), which are NIH funded *please see the following link for a comprehensive list: Maps and the regular non-NIH funded MD-PhD programs. Many MSTPs do not accept applications from non-US citizens or permanent residents, with the exception of the following programs (non-exhaustive):
Albert Einstein (low yield)
Baylor (if you completed your undergraduate studies in the United States
Boston University
Columbia
Emory
Harvard (1-2 spots for internationals every 2 years)
Mayo Clinic (if you are a Canadian citizen)
Northwestern
Stanford (requires KH application, likely low yield)
SUNY Upstate
University of Chicago (low yield)
University of Maryland
University of Pennsylvania
University of Virginia
UT San Antonio
Vanderbilt
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale
Also see: https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...cf9f-21a3-4d77-9423-a2fce84408f1/faqtable.pdf
Programs vary by size (3-20+) and will determine competitiveness of being accepted. University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St. Louis MSTP programs are not only top MSTP programs but also accept and matriculate the most international students. This is because they are the largest MSTP programs in the nation (~20+ total matriculants per year) and also because they have deep private-funded pockets that can support international students. These two institutes in particular evaluate international students with the same standards as US citizens/permanent residents.
*Each year the funding situation changes for many MSTPs, so make sure you contact program directors before applying. For instance, in previous years Johns Hopkins and Mount Sinai accepted applications to their MD-PhD programs from international students, but this year that was not the case.
If you are interested in the MD/PhD or MSTP dual degree, please check out the SDN Physician Scientist forum for more information and insight from current students and program directors.
Final thoughts
For aspiring physicians, the medical school application is a brutal rite of passage that separates those who are serious about a career in medicine from those who are not. Whether we are chasing greater opportunities or escaping low acceptance rates in our own country, many of us consider applying to the US. The average number of attempts for an applicant to get admitted in Canada is approaching 3 and year-by-year, the process becomes more competitive. Lastly, even with this guide, there are still many black boxes in this process. I would recommend reaching out to each individual program that you are interested in and ask them about how many Canadian students they matriculate at their school.
Best of luck to all future applicants!
*If there are errors or you would like to update/contribute to the post, please let us know*
Atezo and ClinicianScientist
