Admissions Blog


The latest updates from the MD Admissions team.

Online Application System Outage – AWS Outage

By Admissions on May 09, 2026

If you are receiving a 403 Forbidden error when trying to access the Online Application System (oas.med.ubc.ca) this is due to an ongoing AWS outage which began last night May 8 and is currently ongoing today May 9. The site will not be back online until the issues with AWS resolve. While there is no estimated time for the site to be backup, we hope it may be resolved soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Update 10:39 AM PDT – oas.med.ubc.ca is now reachable once again and you should be able to login. We understand there are still ongoing issues with AWS so there is a chance of intermittent access throughout the day.

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Waitlist Questions 2026

By Admissions on May 08, 2026

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.

Waitlist questions: applicants who have an application status of Waitlist

  1. 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.

  1. When will you send the next round of offers?

The deadline for first round offers is Friday, May 22 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. Can I change my site/learning community preferences? My circumstances have changed and a different first choice would work better for me.

Site/learning community preference selections are final and cannot be changed. However, if you receive an offer to the site/learning community you wish to go to but was not originally your top choice, you can accept the offer and stay at that site/learning community (see question 3 below).

Waitlist questions: applicants who have received an offer

  1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

 

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Prerequisite Requirement Changes

By Admissions on Mar 27, 2026

Changes to Prerequisite Courses for the UBC Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program

The UBC Faculty of Medicine is updating the prerequisite course requirements for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Undergraduate Program. As part of our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the UBC Indigenous Strategic Plan, we are introducing a new Indigenous Studies course requirement.

This change will be introduced gradually over the next few application cycles.

2026–2027 Application Cycle

Applicants must complete either:

  • Two English courses, or
  • One English course and one Indigenous Studies course

Applicants will indicate which courses they plan to use to meet this requirement when they submit their application.

  • All prerequisite courses must be graded.
  • Courses must be completed by April 30, 2027.
  • Courses may still be in progress at the time of application, but must be finished by the deadline.

2027–2028 Application Cycle

Applicants must complete either:

  • Two English courses, or
  • One English course and one Indigenous Studies course

Important changes for this cycle:

  • All prerequisite courses must be graded.
  • Courses must be completed by April 30, 2027. Starting in 2027/2028, prerequisite courses must be completed by April 30 of the year of application.
  • All prerequisite courses must be completed before applying. Applications from individuals who are still finishing prerequisite courses will not be considered.

2028–2029 Application Cycle and Future Years

Applicants must complete:

  • One English course, and
  • One Indigenous Studies course

Additional requirements:

  • All prerequisite courses must be graded.
  • Courses must be completed by April 30 of the year you apply.
  • All prerequisites must be completed before applying. Applications from individuals who are still finishing prerequisite courses will not be considered.

Please note that in all years, all students must also meet the English language competency requirement for learning at the University of British Columbia. This is a separate requirement from the MD Admissions English prerequisite requirement. Please see the “UBC’s English Language Competency Requirement” section on the Admission Requirements page for more information. Note: the February 15 deadline listed on the UBC English language competency requirement page does not apply to MD Admissions.

For more information on these changes, and to see lists of English and Indigenous Studies courses that meet these requirements, please visit the Prerequisites section of the Admission Requirements page.

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MCAT Student Support Program (MSSP) – Applications Now Open for 2026

By Susan Chen on Mar 17, 2026

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.

 

We are pleased to share that the UBC MD Admissions Office is now accepting application for the 2026 MCAT Student Support Program (MSSP).

Offered in collaboration with the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, the MSSP is an 11-week program running from early May to late July, designed to support prospective medical students with high financial need and who come from underrepresented communities as they prepare 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
  • Can commit to the full 11-week program
  • Are residents of British Columbia (applicants from Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut will be considered BC residents for this program)

 

How to Apply

Please apply using the link below:

https://commsupport.wufoo.com/forms/m183mc8f0hi2yc6

More Information

For questions or additional details, please contact the Outreach Coordinator at outreach.md@ubc.ca

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Pre-Interview Evaluation Information & FAQs 2025/2026

By Admissions on Dec 11, 2025

If you received a letter of regret this year, or if you’re wondering what information is shared with applicants who are not invited to interview, the details below explain how applications are evaluated during the pre-interview stage. Please note that on occasion we do make changes to how we share information and what information is shared, but we hope this post provides some useful insight into the types of information provided this year (2025–2026).

OGPA: Overall GPA converted to UBC percentage

AGPA: Adjusted GPA converted to UBC percentage

NAQ Score Range: Your standardized score for the non-academic section. Reviewers are thoroughly trained, files go through consistency checks, and results are standardized to ensure fairness. Because of these safeguards, we do not re-evaluate non-academic files.

My Result: Your combined academic and non-academic standing compared to BC resident and out-of-province cutoffs. Some applicants may see a result that is very close to the cutoff. We review all files carefully and have cross checked all of these files to ensure their accuracy. While your score may be close, they are not be high enough for an interview invitation 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

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide individual advising or additional feedback to applicants who did not receive an interview invitation. Information about how we evaluate academic and non-academic components is available on our Evaluation Criteria page. Our Statistics page provides interim data such as average GPAs for the applicant pool and those invited to interview.

I can tell why I didn’t get an interview, but how can I improve that area of my application?

We cannot give personalized feedback or guidance on how to improve specific sections of your application.

Generally:

  • Improving your GPA requires taking more courses and earning higher grades. Deciding whether this is worthwhile depends on your circumstances, goals, and resources — only you can make that decision.
  • If you take additional courses, remember:
    • They must be university-transferable and have letter or percentage grades.
    • Only courses completed before Summer 2026 will count toward your GPA for the next application cycle.

For the non-academic section, reviewers look for:

  • Longstanding and meaningful commitments
  • Leadership
  • Work experience
  • Service ethic and altruism
  • Experience working with diverse groups
  • Broad interests and exceptional achievements

It can be helpful to reflect on which sections felt easy to complete and which felt difficult to complete. We also encourage you to focus on your paid experiences. If you did not document the majority of your work history in your non-academic activities section, this could have influenced the result of your evaluation. Re-reading the non-academic guidance on the Evaluation Criteria page may also help guide your future planning.

GPA

I think there is an error in my academic evaluation.

Academic evaluations are based on the grades and credits entered by applicants, then verified with official transcripts. If you believe there is a specific error, please message Admissions through the application system with the details.

Please note: many applicants mistakenly entered incomplete or incorrect course information (e.g., missing courses, excluded failed courses, or used letter grades instead of percentages). The Admissions Office must correct these errors.

I thought I qualified for the AGPA, but it does not seem to have been used.

AGPA eligibility is determined automatically by the application system, based on the course and grade information you entered. The AGPA includes only completed, graded courses, and does not include courses completed in Summer 2025 or later. All grades were verified with official transcripts.

My GPA is slightly below the 75% (BC) or 85% (Out-of-Province) cutoff, but my non-academic experiences are very strong. Why wasn’t I reviewed?

Although we look for excellent non-academic qualities, these must also be accompanied by strong academic performance in order to demonstrate an individual’s ability to succeed in 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 non-academic score. For this reason, non-academic sections for applicants below the academic cutoff were not reviewed.

My university does not use percentages. How does UBC calculate my average?

Our grade conversion tables and instructions are available on the Evaluation Criteria page.

Non-Academics

I am not happy with my non-academic score range. Can I request another review?

We understand you may wish for a higher score, but we do not re-evaluate non-academic files. Reviewers are trained extensively, files are cross-checked, and scores are standardized to ensure fairness. Although some subjectivity is inevitable, standardization and training minimize its impact.

General

I was not invited for an interview and want 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 Status Checklist 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 graphic

Invited to Interview: no results

 

 

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