I want to go to medical school. Which program and courses do I need to take?

The department cannot provide in depth advising for medical school as things vary greatly from program to program. Therefore, it is best to review admission requirements and speak directly to program advisors for programs of interest.

It’s worth noting that our Neuroscience & Biology Combined Honours is the only program that will grant you direct access to Cell Biochemistry with a lab, Organic Chemistry with a lab, and the upper-year anatomy and physiology courses. There are some medical schools that require these as prerequisites for admission, so keep that in mind. Depending on the year, it may be possible to take these courses as part of the Neuroscience & Mental Health program, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to register in them.

Carleton’s Science Student Success Centre offers support for students wishing to pursue medical school:

• Online resources
• Team of health care mentors
• Related events

Career Services also provides an overview of further education. See Professional Programs in Ontario and Canada here.

Application Basics:

• A/A+ GPA (11/12). Some programs look at all your grades, some look at specific ones.
• Some require MCAT, others do not.
• Some require full course load and no gaps in study, others do not.
• Research experience not necessary, but depends on institution/program.
• Letters of reference – typically three academic (professor) and something that speaks to clinical experience.
• Referee must be able to comment on multiple aspects of your character/abilities; you need a good story to tell.

Who gets in to medical school?

• High achieving, high energy students.
• Typically nothing below an A on academic record, but again it depends on the program.
• Repeating courses does not seem to bode well in general.
• Often requires balancing full course load plus many volunteer positions; often also varsity athletes or have demonstrated proficiency in another realm (e.g., music, dance, activism).
• Resiliency is necessary. They want students who can handle a great deal of stress and still maintain their activity and academic performance level.