The latest updates from the MD Admissions team.
Offers 2025 – Round 2 Offers Sent
By Admissions on May 23, 2025
We sent the second round of offers today; congratulations to everyone who received an offer! The deadline for this round is Friday, May 30 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) PDT, and we will send the next round sometime after this deadline.
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.
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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
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