Dear Medicine in Canada:
To become a physician in Canada one must do an MD and fulfill the residency requirements.
We suspect that your real question is: What one must do, beyond high school, to enter the MD program in Canada?
We just wish to note that the meaning of high school is not consistent throughout Canada. While high school graduation means completion of Grade 12 in most of Canada, it means the completion of Grade 11 in the Province of Quebec. This gives rise to some complexity, as it relates to college education. Nonetheless, we can proceed.
The requirements for entering a medical school in Canada vary somewhat across colleges, but you basically need a Bachelor's degree in any discipline provided you meet certain requirements for science courses in physics, chemistry, and biology. You would also be required to take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), a standardized entrance exam. A candidate's involvement in volunteer services and other extra-curricular activities is considered a valuable asset in the selection process.
You may wish to visit the
University of Toronto Admissions Requirements for Medicine and the
McGill University Admissions Requirements for Medicine to see a sampling of requirements and associated subtle variations.
As you can see from the McGill requirements, it offers admission into Med P (Pre Medical) program directly after the CEGEP (diploma of collegial studies in the Province of Quebec). As you may know, CEGEP is unique to the students in Quebec. Very few students are admitted after the CEGEP, nonetheless the provision does exist.
Dear Mentor:
