Understanding how to study medicine in Canada requires navigating a highly competitive, multi-step pathway. Unlike direct-entry medical programs in many parts of the world, Canadian medical schools use a second-entry model—meaning students must complete post-secondary coursework (or CÉGEP in Quebec) before entering an MD program. From pre-med course selection and entrance exams like the MCAT and CASPer to CaRMS residency matching and provincial licensing, this guide breaks down every step to becoming a doctor in Canada. If you are an international applicant, you will also learn key school-specific eligibility policies and visa constraints to plan your journey effectively.
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Find undergraduate degree programs in Canada that include the prerequisite science courses needed for medical school applications.
Disclaimer: Admission requirements, international eligibility policies, residency rules, and licensing criteria update regularly across application cycles. Always confirm current information directly with official portals, including the AFMC, CaRMS, the Medical Council of Canada, and individual medical school admissions offices.
The Canadian medicine pathway at a glance
For family medicine, that's a minimum of roughly 10 years after high school (4 + 4 + 2).
Note: In this article, "international student" means a person who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and is seeking admission to a Canadian undergraduate medical program. This is different from an "international medical graduate" (IMG), which generally refers to someone whose medical degree was obtained outside Canada (and, for many Canadian pathways, outside the U.S.).
Step 1: Complete your undergraduate degree
The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) says most provinces require at least two years of postsecondary study, and many schools set specific course prerequisites.
There is no single undergraduate major required across Canada. However, each medical school sets its own education and prerequisite requirements, so students should check individual schools before choosing a degree program.
Admission is highly competitive, and successful applicants often have very strong academic records. GPA requirements and calculation methods vary by school.
Step 2: Know the entry requirements
According to the AFMC, Canadian medical schools generally assess four things:
- Eligibility: years of study completed and prerequisite courses.
- Academic performance: GPA, and at some schools MCAT scores.
- Autobiographical sketch or essay: your experience, volunteering, research, work and awards.
- Reference letters.
Depending on the school, shortlisted applicants may complete a panel interview, Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), CASPer assessment, or another school-specific assessment.
The MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test is a computer-based exam of about seven hours. It has four sections, each scored 118–132, for a total of 472–528. It is required at some schools and not at others. The standard registration fee is USD $345. Fees are set by the AAMC and can change; check the current AAMC fee schedule before registering.
Step 3: Apply to medical school
Ontario medical schools use the centralized OMSAS application system. For the 2026 admission cycle, the base OMSAS fee was CAD $220, plus an institutional fee for each school selected. Fees and deadlines change by cycle.
Applying to several schools improves your odds, and deadlines are rarely flexible. Dates shift each cycle, so always confirm them with the school.
Step 4: What international students need to know
This is the most important section for many readers.
Residency is a separate eligibility hurdle. For the CaRMS R-1 Main Residency Match, the general rule is that applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, although provincial and program-specific exceptions can apply. Quebec has its own residency and eligibility rules. International students should check the CaRMS criteria for the specific match cycle and province rather than assuming that a Canadian MD automatically makes them eligible for residency.
Step 5: Match to a residency program
After your MD, you apply to residency through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). Residency is paid, supervised clinical training in a specialty:
- Family medicine: 24 months (2 years), leading to certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).
- Other specialties: typically four to seven years, leading to certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), or the Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) in Quebec.
Step 6: Get licensed to practise
Licensing has a national exam layer and a provincial registration layer:
- Pass the MCCQE. The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) runs this one-day, computer-based exam, offered four times a year in Canada and more than 70 countries.
- Receive the LMCC. As of January 26, 2026, the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada requires a graduate of an accepted medical school, a pass on the MCCQE, and source-verified credentials. LMCC eligibility requirements should be checked with MCC. It is issued automatically at no extra cost if you applied for the MCCQE after that date. Older guides describing a second exam part and 12 months of training no longer reflect the current criteria.
- Register with the provincial or territorial regulator. Requirements differ by jurisdiction, so confirm them with your intended province's regulator (for example, the CPSO in Ontario).
- Earn specialty certification from the CFPC, RCPSC or CMQ.
Your next steps
- Choose an undergraduate program that fits medical school prerequisites: browse Canadian programs on ApplyBoard.
- Review each target school's entry, MCAT, CASPer and language requirements in the AFMC admission guide.
- Confirm current international-applicant eligibility directly with each school.
- Map out a permanent residence strategy alongside your academic plan.
Frequently asked questions
- Generally no. The MD is a second-entry program that follows undergraduate study.
- Quebec's CÉGEP system offers a separate preparatory route (such as McGill's Med-P), but that is open to Quebec residents.
- Most schools accept any field as long as you meet prerequisite courses, though a health or life sciences degree often makes those easier to complete.
- It depends on the school. Several require it (such as Queen's, Toronto, McMaster and Western), while Ottawa and the French-language Quebec schools do not.
- McGill does not accept MCAT scores for applicants who completed their degree in Canada.
- A small number can. A few schools reserve one or two seats for visa students, and others offer contract seats only.
- Always confirm current eligibility directly with each school before applying.
- Tuition for international or contract students varies substantially by medical school. Some schools do not accept international applicants at all, while others may charge substantially higher above-quota or contract tuition.
- Check the current AFMC guide and the university's official fee schedule for the specific program and intake year.
- The timeline varies by undergraduate pathway, medical school and residency.
- A traditional pathway takes roughly 10 years after high school for family medicine (3–4 years undergraduate + 3–4 years MD + 2 years residency). Other medical and surgical specialties take 12 to 15+ years.
- Generally yes. CaRMS requires citizenship or permanent residence at the time of application, with narrow exceptions in Quebec.
- You must pass the MCCQE, which leads to the LMCC.
- You then register with the provincial or territorial regulator and earn specialty certification. The MCC runs the exam nationally, while regulators handle provincial registration.
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