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Policy on Applications for Advanced Standing/Transfer to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program

● Owner: School of Medicine

● Approver: UGME Admissions Council

● Approval Date: 2023

1. PURPOSE

This policy communicates the decision making and rationale for applications to advanced standing/transfer into the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at TMU’s School of Medicine.

2. SCOPE

This policy applies to applicants who are considering transfer into the MD program at the TMU School of Medicine from another school or college of medicine program.

3. DEFINITIONS

Program of Study: Doctor of Medicine; Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine; Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery or equivalent in a recognized school or college of medicine.

Transfer: A process whereby an applicant applies to move from one medical school to another medical school.

Transfer Applicant: A person who applies to be accepted for transfer to studies in the TMU MD program and has been enrolled in studies in a recognized Canadian or international Program of Study.

UGME: Undergraduate medical education.

4. POLICY

4.1 The UGME Program Council and UGME Admissions Council will not accept any application for advanced standing/ transfer to the TMU MD program regardless of the applicant’s present or past medical school enrollment, for the following reasons:

  • The four-year curriculum in the TMU MD program is arranged in three phases across four years and integrated throughout. Within each of the three phases, students undertake a series of courses, four of which run longitudinally across the years to support, develop and enhance their understanding and application of content through their learning journey.
  • Further, the UGME curriculum also consists of curriculum threads which are woven through the curriculum and shape the formation of cases, learning experiences and projects. The outcomes-based approaches to assessment using the framework known as competency-based medical education require that for each course in a given year, all learning and assessments must be successfully completed for students to progress to the next year level in that course.

4.2 There is no appeal of this policy.

5. PROCEDURE

5.1 Letters or emails of application for advanced standing/ transfer will be forwarded to the UGME Admissions Office in the MD program.

5.2 A standardized letter, outlining the decision to deny the advanced standing/transfer application and the absence of an appeals process, will be forwarded to the inquiring party.

5.3 An electronic record of the denial of advanced standing/transfer application will be created for future reference by the UGME Admissions Office.