The latest updates from the MD Admissions team.
Waitlist Questions 2025
By Admissions on May 08, 2025
Many applicants have questions about the waitlist and how it works. UBC’s waitlist is a bit complicated, so we hope these FAQs will help. Most of the questions are the same as in an earlier post – there have not been any changes to how we handle the waitlist this year.
Waitlist questions: applicants who have an application status of Waitlisted
- Can you tell me where I am on the waitlist? How long is the waitlist? How quickly is the waitlist moving?
Because there are multiple sites/learning communities in the program, our waitlist can be complicated. Unfortunately, we are not able to reveal where applicants are on the waitlist, how long it is, or how quickly it’s moving.
- When will you send the next round of offers?
The deadline for first round offers is Wednesday, May 21 and we will send the second round of offers in the following days. We will update the blog when the next round has gone out.
- I am on the waitlist but received an offer from another Canadian medical school. Can I accept the offer at the other institution but still remain on the waitlist for UBC?
Yes, that’s fine. If you get an offer from UBC and want to accept it, you will need to withdraw your acceptance from the other school.
- How long will I be on the waitlist?
It depends on how many people decline their offers. We can’t provide an estimated wait time because we have no way of knowing how many people will decline their offer. We usually try to shorten the waitlist at some point during the summer, but unfortunately it is possible to stay on the waitlist until late August.
- Can I change my site/learning community preferences? My circumstances have changed and a different first choice would work better for me.
Sorry, site/learning community preference selections are final and cannot be changed. However, if you receive an offer to the site/learning community you ultimately want to go to, you can accept the offer and stay at that site/learning community (see question 3 below).
Waitlist questions: applicants who have received an offer
- I received an offer, but it wasn’t to my first choice site/learning community. What are my options?
- You can accept the offer and most likely stay on the waitlist for your first choice site/learning community (and second, third, fourth, and fifth choice sites/learning communities, if applicable). There are a couple of rare exceptions, which is why we say you will “most likely” stay on the waitlist – applicants who selected the NMP but did not complete the Rural Training section of the application will not be waitlisted for the NMP, for example. However, the majority of applicants will be on the waitlist for their preferred site(s)/learning community(s). This happens automatically, so you do not need to contact the Admissions Office about it. Please note that if you accept the offer, you are agreeing to go to the site/learning community listed on your Response to Offer form. You will not be able to change sites/learning communities unless you get another offer.
- You can decline the offer to that site/learning community and most likely stay on the waitlist for your more preferred site(s)/learning community(s). Same as above – the vast majority of applicants will be waitlisted for their preferred site(s)/learning community(s), and this will happen automatically. The difference is that you are declining the offer and the site/learning community. This is taking a risk since you may not get an offer to a more preferred site/learning community, but sometimes you know a particular location won’t work for you, and in this case it’s better to free up the spot for someone else. Please note that accepting or declining the offer will not make a difference in terms of your position on the waitlist for your preferred site(s)/learning community(s) – your waitlist position will be the same either way.
- You could decline UBC completely. This would remove you from the waitlist and you would not get any further offers from us.
- You could not submit the Response to Offer form at all (although we would prefer you do!). Not submitting the form removes you from the waitlist for your preferred site(s)/learning community(s) and prevents you from receiving any other offers from UBC.
- Is my position on the waitlist of my preferred site(s)/learning community(s) affected by accepting or declining an offer to a less-preferred site/learning community?
No, your position is the same whether you accept or decline the offer.
- What if I have accepted an offer to my second (or third, fourth, fifth or sixth) choice and have decided I want to stay there? Do I have to accept an offer to my first choice site/learning community if I receive one?
No, you do not have to accept an offer to your first choice site/learning community if you are happy with the other site/learning community you were offered. Please message us to let us know so that we can take you off the waitlist for your preferred site(s)/learning community(s). Please be aware that this decision is final. You will not be put back on the waitlist for your first (or second, etc) choice site/learning community.
- What if I have received an offer to my first choice site/learning community but I want to go to my second (or third, fourth, fifth, or sixth) choice?
If your first offer is for your first choice site/learning community, you must remain at that site/learning community. You will not be given any other offers. This assumes you have not already accepted an offer to your second (or third, fourth, fifth, or sixth) choice site/learning community – if you have, please see #3 above.
Permalink | No CommentsChange to Table 2 Grade Conversion Table
By Admissions on Apr 23, 2025
In response to the current grading environment, schools that have grades converted from letter grades to percentages using Table 2 (see below) will be aligned with Table 1 starting in the 2025-2026 admissions cycle. More specifically, an A grade from a Table 2 institution will be converted to 95% rather than 92%, and an A- grade will be converted to an 82% rather than 84%. This way, the highest possible grade at both Table 1 and Table 2 institutions will be converted to the same value (95%), as will A- grades (82%). The conversion for A grades at Table 1 institutions is not changing and will remain 87%.
Please note that if you are an applicant currently being considered for admission in the 2024-25 (waiting to be informed of an admission decision in May), your grades will still be converted using the previous table.
Permalink | No Comments
New MCAT Minimum Score Criteria
By Admissions on
Starting in the upcoming 2025/2026 application cycle, MCAT eligibility will be based on the total exam score rather than subsection scores. Applicants must achieve a total score of 496 or higher on at least one exam to apply to the MD program, and are no longer required to attain a score of at least 124 in each section of the exam. The highest total MCAT score of 496 or above will be considered by the program.
All applicants who receive a 496 total MCAT score will have their grades assessed. Provided applicants meet the minimum grade requirements, they will have their non-academic experiences assessed. Applicants receiving a full file evaluation will be invited for interview based 50% on how their academic assessment (GPA) compares to the applicant pool and 50% based on how their non-academic assessment compares to the applicant pool.
As a reminder, MCAT scores are looked at competitively post-interview (as opposed to a threshold system), so it is in each applicant’s best interest to do as well as possible on all sections of the exam.
We hope this increased flexibility will allow otherwise strong applicants, who were held back by one or two subsection scores, to apply to the UBC MD Undergraduate Program.
MCAT Student Support Program
By Admissions on Mar 10, 2025
At the UBC Faculty of Medicine we recognize that the path to medical school can be challenging, and we are committed to providing the necessary resources to help our students succeed.
In collaboration with the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, the UBC MD Admissions Office is launching an 11-week MCAT Student Support Program to support students with high financial need in preparing for the MCAT.
This structured prep program provides participants with access to expert-led instructional sessions, MCAT resources, and test-taking strategies to help them feel confident and prepared for the MCAT exam.
Who Can Apply?
This program is open to students and applicants who:
- Are planning to write the MCAT
- Demonstrate high financial need
- Are committed to participating in the full 11-week program
- Must be a BC resident
How to Apply
Please apply using the link below:
https://commsupport.wufoo.com/forms/zyy6a0x0y3ui6j/
More Information
For more details, please contact the Outreach Coordinator at outreach.md@ubc.ca
Permalink | No CommentsPre-Interview Evaluation Information & FAQs 2024/2025
By Admissions on Dec 11, 2024
For those of you who received letters of regret this year, or those of you wondering what information you may receive if you do not receive an invitation to interview, we hope the following information helps to clarify some of the information we release to applicants about how their application was evaluated in the pre-interview assessment. Please note that on occasion we do make changes to how we share information and what information is shared, but we hope it provides some useful insight into the types of information provided this year (2024-2025).
OGPA = Overall GPA in UBC percentage
AGPA = Adjusted GPA in UBC percentage
NAQ Score Range = In order to make sure applicants receive a fair score for this section, all file reviewers are carefully trained, there are various checks throughout the process to ensure consistency in scoring, and results are standardized to make up for any scoring variations between reviewers. Due to these safeguards we do not accept requests for re-evaluation of the non-academic section.
My Result = The combination of your academic and non-academic evaluations, in comparison to the BC resident and out of province cutoffs. It may look like your result is very close to the cutoff. We have double-checked these files for accuracy, so unfortunately, your result may be close, but not quite at the level to be invited to interview this year.
FAQs
Feedback
I was not invited for an interview; can I talk/meet with someone to discuss my application? I would like some more feedback
Due to limited resources, we regret that we are not able to offer any feedback advising to applicants who were not granted an interview; nor can we provide any further information about the evaluation of your file. More information about how we assess academics and non-academics can be found on our Evaluation Criteria page. The Interim Statistics on our Statistics page contain the average GPAs of the applicant pool and the group invited to interview.
I can tell why I didn’t get an interview, but how can I improve that area of my application
Unfortunately, we cannot give you individual feedback about improving specific sections of your application – each person’s situation and application is unique and we do not have the resources to offer this type of advising to all applicants who would like it.
In general terms, improving one’s GPA seems fairly straightforward, in that the only way to improve a GPA is by taking more classes and achieving higher grades in those classes. It’s the related if/how/when/why/is it worth it type of questions that are much more complicated. You know your situation, capacities, future plans, and personal resources the best, and you are the best person to make this kind of decision. We cannot tell you what impact improving your GPA would have on your ultimate chances of acceptance.
If you do decide to take more classes, please keep a few things in mind: 1) all classes you take must be university transferable and have grades associated with them in order to count towards your GPA; 2) only classes completed before the summer term of the year you apply (for next application cycle this is prior to Summer 2025) will be counted towards your GPA.
For the non-academic portion, we look for several things: longstanding, meaningful commitments; leadership; work experience; service ethic and altruism; ability to work with others, especially people outside of your peer group; and diverse interests and experiences. We also recognize exceptional achievements in some areas. When looking at your non-academic range it is important to remember that the applicant pool isn’t made up of the same people you might normally compare yourself against, like your classmates or coworkers – it is made up of highly accomplished individuals just like you. Unfortunately, we cannot offer specific ways to improve your non-academic score. You may find it helpful to reflect on areas of the non-academic section you felt confident completing, along with the areas of your application you felt were more difficult to fill out. Additionally, we strongly encourage you to re-read the non-academic information posted on the Evaluation Criteria page and use this self-reflection to guide potential future action.
GPA
I think that there has been a mistake in the academic evaluation of my file.
The academic evaluation was based on the credits and grades entered by applicants. If you believe that there has been a specific error in the calculation of your GPA, please send an email via the application system detailing what you believe the mistake to be. Please note that some applicants entered wrong information – e.g. did not include all courses, excluded failed courses or used letter grades instead of percentages. In these instances, the Admissions Office had to correct these mistakes by verifying courses and grades on official transcripts. Therefore, there may be a discrepancy between averages calculated by an applicant and the grades as they appear on the Application Status page of their application. Additionally, please remember that any courses taken in the Winter Term 2 of the 2019-2020 academic year (or equivalent semester) were not counted as part of your GPA assessment. This policy is listed in the Academic Criteria section of the Evaluation Criteria page on our website. We also wrote a blog entry about it in the summer of 2020. If you are wondering how it was implemented in your specific case, please review this website for more information.
I thought I should have been eligible for the AGPA to determine my academic score, but it does not seem to have been used.
The AGPA was calculated based on the courses and grades entered by applicants. The application system automatically determined whether the applicant was eligible for the AGPA, as outlined on the Evaluation Criteria page. Please note that the AGPA is based on completed courses with grades only, and does not include courses completed after June 1, 2024. The Admissions Office verified that grades had been entered accurately by comparison with the official transcripts.
My overall GPA (or adjusted GPA if applicable) is slightly below the 75%/85% cut-off but I still feel my non-academic experiences are very strong and should have been reviewed.
Although we look for excellent non-academic qualities, these must also be accompanied by very good academic qualities to demonstrate an applicant’s ability to successfully handle the rigorous MD Undergraduate curriculum. It was determined that GPAs below 75% for BC residents and below 85% for out of province applicants cannot be offset by a strong NAQ score. Hence, the non-academic portion of these files were not reviewed.
I attended a university that did not use percentages for its grading scheme. How did UBC calculate averages from universities with different grading schemes?
Information on grade conversions, including our grade conversion tables, can be found on the Evaluation Criteria page of our website.
Non-Academics
I am not happy with the non-academic range I received. Can I request another review?
We understand that you may be dissatisfied with the range you received, but we would like to assure you that the non-academic portion of your application was reviewed and evaluated fairly and consistently. We will not re-evaluate the non-academic section of your file. At the beginning of each cycle, with guidelines provided by the MD Admissions Subcommittee, we establish a profile of an average applicant as a benchmark and points are allotted accordingly. Reviewers are trained and files are cross-checked. Although there cannot help but be a degree of subjectivity involved, we feel the standardized process keeps this to a minimum.
General
I was not invited for an interview and would like to appeal the decision.
We realize the importance of your application and appreciate that the results may be disappointing. Please be aware that we do our best to ensure that our evaluation practices are fair and consistent. Files are often double and sometimes triple checked to ensure accuracy. While we are unable to discuss your application over the phone, you may message Admissions through the application system if you have any specific concerns regarding your file evaluation. Please note that we will not re-evaluate the non-academic section of your file. We will not make appointments with the Dean, Assistant Dean, or Admissions staff to discuss your application.
I’m not sure if I am seeing the right thing under the scores line on my Application Status page
This is what you should see, depending on your application status:
Ineligible: no results
Regrets, Partial File Review: OGPA, AGPA (if applicable)
Regrets, No Interview: OGPA, AGPA (if applicable), NAQ Score Range, and My Result indicator
Invited to Interview: no results