Our mission is to select a culturally and socioeconomically diverse group of medical students who are ready to pursue academic and personal excellence and who possess multifaceted interests and personal qualities.

These students will be able to, in an ethical and professional manner, contribute and be responsive to, the changing needs of society by:

  • providing exemplary and compassionate patient care;
  • advancing the public’s health;
  • conducting ethical medical research; and
  • maintaining their personal wellness.

Mandate of the Admissions Committee

The Admissions Committee of the Faculty of Medicine has the following responsibilities:

  • Examination and evaluation of the applications;
  • Selection, on a competitive basis, of the eligible candidates who are best suited for training in medicine in accordance with the criteria approved by Faculty Council;
  • Ensure admission of a diverse cohort from different backgrounds and fields of study.

Our program

5,244

Number of applicants for the 2024 application cycle

576

Number of students who were interviewed

184

Number of students admitted

The University of Ottawa was the first medical school in North America to offer its MD Program in both official languages, English and French.

Candidates select their language of study during the application process.

On average, 178 students are enrolled each new academic year, roughly 122 in the Anglophone stream and 56 in the Francophone stream.

The application and admissions processes are the same for all categories of applicants.

Overview of our program

The University of Ottawa’s MD Program is offered in both official languages in a medical school where both the Francophone and Anglophone teaching activities correlate, thus enhancing the development of linguistic skills in both French and English.

During your undergraduate training, you will acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes you need to recognize, understand and apply effective, efficient strategies for the prevention and management of the most common and most severe health problems. Our program integrates the basic and clinical sciences throughout the 4 years of study. It also emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention; it is responsive to individual needs and abilities and to the changes occurring in society and the health care system.

Emphasis is placed on self-learning; principles and facts are learned in a multidisciplinary fashion, in the context of clinical problems. Whole-class lectures and seminars are used to discuss basic concepts, explore new developments and provide overviews of the biomedical sciences fundamental to the practice of medicine. Training occurs in ambulatory, primary, secondary and tertiary settings, and you function as a member of the medical team in collaboration with other health professionals.

Our training program fosters trust and compassion, communication skills, ethical professional conduct and patient advocacy.

Our 4-year program is divided into two sections. Pre-clerkship includes 64 weeks of study of essential biomedical principles and consists of six multidisciplinary units. Clerkship, the second part, spans over two calendar years and includes core rotations in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, psychiatry, family medicine and acute care as well as mandatory selective rotations. A period of 18 weeks is available for elective rotations in fourth year. Clerkship also includes a mandatory one-month rotation in a rural setting.

Contact Information

The admissions office is closed to the public. Please send your question by email.