Admissions Blog


The latest updates from the MD Admissions team.

Pre-Interview Evaluation Information & FAQs 2023/2024

By Admissions on Dec 12, 2023 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 (2023-2024).

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 marking, 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 2023) 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, 2023. 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

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MCAT Fee Assistance Program Now Open

By Admissions on Oct 27, 2023

Paying the MCAT registration fee can be challenging for some applicants. To help applicants who would be unable to take the MCAT without financial assistance, the AFMC and AAMC offer the MCAT Fee Assistance Program. This program provides fee assistance to legal Canadian residents with demonstrated financial need. The program has two application rounds: the first closes on January 3, 2024 at noon Eastern time, and the second closes on March 2, 2024 at 3:00 pm Eastern time. Please click on the link above to learn more about the program, including eligibility criteria, benefits, application process, and timelines.

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July 14th Information Session Cancelled

By Admissions on Jul 14, 2023

We apologize for the inconvenience. Due to technical difficulties the information session for today, July 14th has been cancelled. Please sign up for a new information session.

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2023/2024 Application Cycle Open

By Admissions on Jun 29, 2023

The 2023/2024 application is open! Please take note of these important changes and announcements:

  • UBC Transcripts: UBC transcripts must be submitted. You can no longer authorize the admissions office to access your transcript electronically. Please check the Transcript Requirements section of the Admission Requirements page to learn more about submitting transcripts.
  • UBC students who are using AP/IB etc. exam results to satisfy the English requirement: UBC students must submit an AP/IB/A Level/Cambridge Pre-U/CAPE transcript in order to use these exam results toward the English requirement. There is no longer an option for the Admissions Office to access these results via your student record. Information about submitting these transcripts can be found under the AP, IB and Other Exam Results section of the Admission Requirements
  • Pass/fail credits taken in Winter 2019/2020 Term 2 (Jan – April 2020 or equivalent term): Pass/fail credits taken in this term will no longer count toward the 90-credit minimum requirement. As before, credits with grades from this term will count toward the 90-credit minimum requirement, and grades from this term will continue to be excluded from the OGPA and AGPA.
  • MCAT validity period: MCAT exams taken from April 2015 – September 9, 2023 will be accepted this application cycle. For more information on the MCAT, please see the MCAT section of the Admission Requirements

The application will close September 15, 2023 at 12:00 PM (noon) Pacific Time.

Best of luck with your new application!

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Offers 2023 – Round 5 Offers sent

By Admissions on Jun 13, 2023

We sent the fifth round of offers today; congratulations to everyone who received an offer! The deadline for this round is Friday, June 16th  at 12:00 p.m. (noon) PDT, and we will send the next round sometime after this deadline.

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