The mission of Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine is to drive excellence in health and health care through world-class medical education and research, and our commitment to social accountability. The Faculty of Medicine is responsible for providing a program of undergraduate medical study such that graduates have the knowledge, skills, professional behaviours and attitudes necessary to enter the supervised practice of medicine in Canada.  

Successful candidates for entry to the undergraduate medical education program are determined by the Admissions Committee, whose decision is final. Academic and non-academic factors are considered by the Admissions Committee through its admissions processes and procedures. The Admissions Committee, which is a standing committee of Faculty Council, is a large Committee which includes representation from clinical faculty and basic science research faculty in the Faculty of Medicine, other Dalhousie Faculties, medical students and community members. 

Admissions requirements and processes are reviewed by the Admissions Committee annually.

Campuses

Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine undergraduate medical education campuses include: 

Applicant Categories - Place of Residence 

Applicants must voluntarily self-identify in Section 1 (checklist item 4 of 10)and Section 2 of the application form. In Section 2 of the application form, applicants must indicate and complete the required sections to be considered as an applicant under the Indigenous Applicants Pathway and/or Black Learners Admissions Pathway.  

False claims of Indigeneity are harmful regardless of intent. Such claims produce an erosion of trust, and they can result in the misappropriation of resources that are intended to support Indigenous Peoples. Where an individual asserts a claim to Indigenous identity, citizenship, or membership, Dalhousie University has an obligation to verify that such claims are consistent with the customs and traditions of the Indigenous Peoples to which the individual claims belonging.  

Fraudulent behaviour will be investigated and treated in accordance with university policy.

Many Indigenous nations are embarking on the complex task of restoring ties with individuals who have been disconnected due to colonialism (e.g., Sixties Scoop, Millennial Scoop, Indian Residential School, enfranchisement, etc.). If you have been impacted in this way, we encourage you to connect with the Program Manager of  Keknu’tmasiek Ta’n Tel Welo’ltimk at kw@dal.ca  to explore ways others have re-established ties with their nation. 

Indigenous Admissions Pathway   

Dalhousie Medical School recognizes that Mi’kmaw, Wolastoqey, Peskotomuhkati, and other Indigenous people face unique and unjust barriers in their journey to medical school. The Indigenous Admissions Pathway seeks to identify and mitigate these barriers. This pathway is overseen by an Indigenous Admissions Subcommittee. This subcommittee is comprised of Indigenous Elders, physicians, students, residents, faculty, and community members.  

In acknowledgement of Indigenous rights-holders in the territories that we serve, Mi’kmaw, Wolastoqey, Peskotomuhkati, and other Indigenous applicants who can demonstrate a substantial connection to an Indigenous community in the Maritimes will take priority under the Indigenous Admissions Pathway. Indigenous applicants who can demonstrate a substantial connection to other Indigenous communities across Canada will also be considered. 

Keknu’tmasiek Ta’n Tel Welo’ltimk is an Indigenous-led program at Dalhousie Medical School that focuses on the recruitment and retention of Indigenous medical learners. It aims to address the recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This program is available to all Indigenous applicants and learners at Dalhousie Medical School. The program provides access to pre-admissions advising, cultural supports, mentorship opportunities, advocacy, scholarships, bursaries, travel grants, and more.  

By applying to and being admitted under the Indigenous Admissions Pathway, applicants agree to meet with the Program Manager of Keknu’tmasiek Ta’n Tel Welo’ltimk on at least two occasions per academic year. The purpose of these meetings will be to understand the strengths and needs of each student. Keknu’tmasiek Ta’n Tel Welo’ltimk staff will work to provide individualized support and guidance to all Indigenous students throughout their medical training. Students who fail to meet this requirement may be referred to the Progress Committee for review under Faculty of Medicine Promotion, Assessment, and Appeal Regulations.

The Black Learners Admissions Pathway has been established to help facilitate entrance into the undergraduate medical education program for Black students by assessing applications using holistic file review by the Black Learners Admissions Subcommittee. The Black Learners Admissions Pathway will diversify the healthcare workforce by applying equitable admissions processes for Black learners. 

Financial Support for Indigenous and Black applicants writing the MCAT, DAT, or CASPer

Bursaries are available to support Indigenous students (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis) and African Nova Scotians applying to programs requiring entrance exams (e.g. medical school, dental school, nursing). The goal is to reduce or eliminate the financial burden associated with application requirements. Bursaries will be awarded as a reimbursement of cost. Funding will be subject to availability and application review.  

For more information and application information please contact plans@dal.ca or kw@dal.ca 

Apply Here: Entrance Requirements Diversity Bursary Form - Global Health Office - Dalhousie University 

Located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Dalhousie Medicine Cape Breton Medical Campus, with a focus on training physicians for rural practice and primary care, will welcome its first cohort of 30 medical students in August 2025. 

Eligibility for admission to the DMNS-Cape Breton Medical Campus is limited to Nova Scotia applicants. Admissions offers to the DMNS-Cape Breton Medical Campus will be prioritized for qualified Nova Scotia applicants with lived rural experience who have completed an application, including supplemental information for the Rural Admissions Pathway and/or have expressed DMNS-Cape Breton Medical Campus as their preferred campus site. Applications in the Rural Admissions Pathway will be reviewed initially by the Rural Admissions Subcommittee.   

By accepting an offer to the DMNS-Cape Breton Medical Campus, the matriculant agrees to a 5 year return of service agreement to practice in a rural Nova Scotia community and a commitment to Family Medicine, or other area of generalist medicine need in rural Nova Scotia as determined by the provincial government. 

Detailed information about the Dalhousie University Cape Breton Medical Campus can be found here https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/cbmc.html and https://cbumedcampus.ca/  

For information about the conditions of an offer to Cape Breton Medical Campus (eg return of service agreement, commitment to Family Medicine), please contact he Cape Breton Medical Campus Associate Dean’s office at cbmc@cbu.ca

Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine is committed to widening accessibility to medical education and training to broad and diverse populations, including underrepresented populations and individuals who encounter significant barriers in their pursuit of medical education. 

To be considered in the Widening Accessibility stream, applicants must be Nova Scotia or New Brunswick applicants who meet all academic and non-academic requirements and have completed the Personal Context questionnaire within Section 2 of the online application.  

This questionnaire is intended to help further inform the Admissions Committee about the applicant's personal context. Nova Scotia or New Brunswick applications with completed personal context questionnaires will be assessed in both the Widening Accessibility stream and General Designated Provincial (NS or NB) streams. Applications that do not have a completed questionnaire are assessed in the General Nova Scotia or New Brunswick stream only.  

Information from this questionnaire may also be used to determine eligibility for additional Dalhousie Medical School positions that may be created from time to time.  

Criteria to be considered under Widening Accessibility is determined by the Admissions Committee and may be subject to change at the Committee's discretion annually. Meeting criteria for the Widening Accessibility Stream does not guarantee an offer of admission. Applications that do not meet the criteria under the Widening Accessibility Stream are assessed as an application in the General Stream only.  

All information is treated confidentially and will be considered only for purposes of the Widening Accessibility Stream, to determine eligibility for additional positions that may be created, and for quality assurance purposes in support of Dalhousie Medicine's commitment to Social Accountability. With respect to quality assurance, data will only be reported in aggregate form to preserve confidentiality. Information in this section is not a component of the applicant's total file score.

Completing an Application to Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine Undergraduate Medical Education Program 

1. Completion and Submission of SECTION 1 due by 11:59pm Atlantic Time, July 31st, 2024:

SECTION 1 of the Online Application is available on June 15th each year at https://dalonline.dal.ca and includes general demographic information, contact information, education history and additional information. 

2. Payment of non-refundable Application Processing Fee due by 11:59pm Atlantic Time, Sep 3, 2024. 

Application Processing Fee Payment: www.dal.ca/applicationfees   

3. Completion and Submission of SECTION 2 due by 11:59pm Atlantic Time, September 3, 2024: 

All unofficial transcripts (i.e. electronic copies) pertaining to your post-secondary studies are required to be uploaded in Section 2 of the online application on or before September 3, 2024. Unofficial transcripts will be used for GPA calculation. 

Applicants who are selected for an interview will be required to submit official copies of all transcripts pertaining to post-secondary studies by mail or secure web/email portal. The deadline to submit official transcripts will be communicated to those who are selected for interview.  Discrepancies between unofficial and official transcripts will result in cancellation of the application.

Please note if you participated in an exchange program during part of your degree OR your degree was completed outside of Canada, a World Education Services assessment showing alpha-numerical grade equivalents is required (www.wes.org). It is recommended that applicants begin the process for WES assessment as early as possible to avoid unnecessary delays or the potential for missed deadlines. This WES transcript assessment must be submitted as part of Section 2 no later than Sept 3, 2024. If a WES assessment is not provided, international courses will not be included in the GPA and transcript assessment. 

5. Completion of MCAT and Authorized Release of MCAT results (Medical College Admissions Test) to Dalhousie Medicine Admissions (Sep 10 2024):  

Applicants and re-applicants are responsible for authorizing AAMC-MCAT to release MCAT scores to Dalhousie Medicine Admissions each year. Dalhousie Medicine cannot access  official MCAT scores without the applicant’s notification of release to the AAMC. MCAT scores from previous application cycles will not be automatically applied in future application cycles. Failure to authorize AAMC to release official MCAT scores to Dalhousie by Sept 10, 2024 will result in application cancellation.  

With the exception of applicants in the Indigenous Admissions Pathway, all other applicants are required to complete the MCAT and authorize release of scores to Dalhousie to be considered eligible for admission.  

6. Completion of CASPer and Authorized Release of CASPer results (Computer Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics): 

All applicants are required to complete CASPer and release test results annually.  CASPer test scores must be completed during the same application cycle in which an application is submitted. That is, CASPer test scores are valid for one application cycle only. CASPer results from previous application cycles are not eligible for future application cycles. 

CASPer test dates are usually selected for mid-late August, preceding the application submission deadline. Please see https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/admissions/admissions/casper-requirement.html  for final CASPer test dates selected for your application cycle. 

Applicants sign up and reserve a CASPer test date using their Dalhousie Banner ID and government-issued ID at Acuity Insights https://acuityinsights.app/ The applicant’s Banner ID is provided to them upon completion and submission of Section 1.  

The Faculty of Medicine is seeking applicants who have demonstrated a record of achievement in both academic and non-academic domains. Applicants with a broad academic background have an enhanced chance of admission as humanities and social sciences cultivate desirable personal qualities for students and physicians. This also includes sound basic training in the sciences so that the complexities of modern scientific medicine can be understood and applied to practice. The greatest possible proficiency in communication and self-expression through various means (e,g, oral, written, etc) is a necessity for the future medical practitioner. In addition, in order to have acquired the required degree of intellectual maturity, the prospective medical student should have more than basic training in at least one field of learning, whether it be in the humanities, social sciences, life sciences or physical sciences. The Admissions Committee believes that attracting students with a broad variety of educational backgrounds is in the interest of all students and Faculty. 

Sources of information and factors considered by the Admissions Committee include: 

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient academic capacity to meet the rigor of the undergraduate medical education program. Academic capacity is evidenced by completion of a 90-120 credit hour Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, GPA, and MCAT.  

GPA and MCAT thresholds are required for general applicant pools. The Maritime applicant pool and the Other Canadian applicant pool have distinct thresholds for each.  

For the Indigenous Applicant Pathway, applicants have the option of submitting an MCAT score. If an MCAT score is not submitted, the applicant must demonstrate satisfactory completion of course prerequisites. If their major program of study was in a science discipline, their academic record must include 2 full year course equivalents of arts, humanities or social science courses. If their major program of study was not in a science discipline, their academic record must include 2 full year course equivalents of science courses. 

For the Black Learners Admissions Pathway, an MCAT score is required but there is no threshold. Applications in the Black Learners Admissions Pathway are reviewed by the Black Learners Admissions Subcommittee.  

For the Rural Applicant pathway, an MCAT score is required but there is no threshold. Applications in the Rural Applicants Pathway are reviewed by the Rural Applicant Admissions Subcommittee.  

The number of applicants greatly exceeds the number of available positions. Consequently, meeting or exceeding admissions thresholds does not guarantee an offer of interview or admission. 

The Admissions Committee recognizes that appropriate preparation for the study of medicine can be acquired through many varied educational backgrounds. The main objective is that premedical education encompass broad study in the physical, life and social sciences and the humanities. In general, specific course prerequisites are not required. Only IAP applicants who do not submit an MCAT score are required to provide course prerequisites. A Masters or PhD degree is not required. 

To apply to the undergraduate MD program, a baccalaureate degree (equivalent to 90-120 credit hours) from an accredited University, which has been completed or is in-progress to be completed by July 31, 2025, prior to the start of the undergraduate medical program, is required.

Successful applicants who are enrolled in an undergraduate program in progress at the time of application, and have submitted this degree for eligibility and GPA calculation, will receive an admission offer which is CONDITIONAL upon the successful completion of their undergraduate program by Jul 1st of the year of entry into the medical program (ie prior to the start of the medical program). 

Successful applicants who are enrolled in a graduate studies (thesis or course-based) at the time of application receive an admissions offer which is CONDITIONAL upon the successful completion of their graduate program by July 31 of the year of entry into the medical program (i.e. prior to the start of the medical program). It is expected that such students will apply during their last year of study since deferrals are not routinely granted.

b) GPA is calculated by: 

• the 60 most recent credit hours of graded (alpha/numerical) courses from a completed or in-progress to be completed 90-120 credit baccalaureate degree. 

• OR using up to 15 credit hours of graded (alpha/numerical) courses from a completed or in-progress to be completed graduate degree (Masters or PhD PLUS the 45 most recent credit hours of graded (alpha/numerical) courses from a completed 90-120 credit baccalaureate degree 

For Nova Scotia and New Brunswick applicants,aminimum GPA of 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale) is required.  For Other Canadian Applicants, aminimum GPA of 3.7 (on a 4.0 scale) is required. 

(c) Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT):  Total MCAT score requirement is determined in relation to GPA. To view this sliding scale, please visit our website https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/admissions/admissions/mcat-requirement.html  Minimum MCAT category scores required is 123. That is, general pool applicants with any category score less than 123 are not considered, regardless of total MCAT score.

Non-Academic Requirements 

To be eligible for admission, all applicants must submit and complete each of the following: 

(a) Narrative Statement(s) and Supplementary Activity Information (Section 2-Online Application) 

(b) CASPer 

(c) Interviews 

Due to the volume of applications, a completed application meeting admissions requirements does not guarantee an interview. Available interview positions are proportionate to the number of medical school positions in each applicant pool category.