FAQ

Pending successful preliminary accreditation by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools, applications for our MD program will open in October 2024 for a start date of September 2025. While we recognize that this is later than the admissions deadline for other Canadian medical schools, our admissions process will align with these schools as of January 2025.

Detailed admissions criteria will become available in October 2024 should preliminary accreditation be granted.

Sign up for our mailing list (external link)  to stay up to date.

We are currently seeking preliminary accreditation from the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS). CACMS dictates that until we successfully receive preliminary accreditation, we are not permitted to share details of our admissions criteria and process. 

At this time, we can share the following information regarding admissions:

• The School of Medicine will use a holistic admissions process embedding the principles of anti-racism, accessibility, EDI, decolonization and Reconciliation.
• Admission will be based on academic performance, progress towards an undergraduate degree in any discipline and academic, extracurricular and professional experience.
• The process will be designed to purposefully admit equity-deserving students and to identify and select applicants interested in primary care practice, particularly in medically underserved areas.
• The MCAT will not be required.

The Ontario Government announced on March 15, 2022 that TMU will receive the following ministry-funded spaces as of 2025: 

• 94 Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) seats for medical students
• 105 Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) seats for residents

Applications to TMU School of Medicine residency programs will only be accepted through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) (external link) . Applications open on the following dates:

• General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (subspecialty programs): July 11
• Family Medicine-Enhanced Skills: July 30
  • Addictions Medicine
  • Care of the Elderly
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Practice Anesthesia
  • Palliative Care
  • Sport and Exercise Medicine
• Main Match programs: September 11
  • Anesthesia
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • General Surgery
  • Internal Medicine
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics

TMU selected Brampton as the location for the School of Medicine because the community is diverse, resilient, innovative and a microcosm of what communities will look like across Canada in the future. 

We are building this medical school with the communities it will serve. Brampton residents, community agencies and health partners have all provided unwavering support in project approvals, planning, and development so we will be ready to welcome our first cohort of medical students and residents in 2025. 

Brampton’s population has increased rapidly and the region’s growth has been shaped by immigration. It is also a region of the province that has been chronically underfunded and has been hit by a higher rate of occurrence of COVID-19.

In addition, Brampton and Toronto Metropolitan University have existing partnerships through several initiatives, including the Cybersecure Catalyst, and Brampton Ventures Zone.

The Bramalea Civic Centre in Brampton-Peel has been selected as the future site of TMU's School of Medicine.

The Bramalea Civic Centre was chosen for its proximity to both the Brampton Civic and Peel Memorial Hospitals as well as its accessibility to municipal transportation, GO transit and highway systems The site is also close to a variety of services and amenities to support the needs and well-being of our students, faculty and staff; it provides ready access to green space and active transportation infrastructure, such as walking and biking trails.

The site also meets the space requirements to build a school of medicine that will require 250,000 square feet for classrooms, offices, research facilities and an integrated health clinic.

Toronto Metropolitan University believes it can offer a new approach to medical education in Ontario — one that draws on the university’s commitment to community, diversity and inclusion, and innovation to address the changing needs for health care delivery and practice.

Building on the strength and foundation of deep and broad community and industry partnerships, TMU is ideally situated to shape the future of health care. The university’s new approach to medical education will meet the current pain points in the healthcare system, which have been exacerbated by the global pandemic.

Toronto Metropolitan University is known for its focus on excellence in health across various faculties and departments. For example, the academic programs in areas such as Psychology, Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Health and Safety, Midwifery, Biomedical Engineering, Physics (Medical Physics) and Biology and Chemistry are all major contributors to the university’s regional and national presence in the health field based on their magnitude of research and their undergraduate and graduate enrolments. A new School of Medicine will build on this foundation of excellence and leadership in health education.

TMU is distinctly solutions-oriented, demonstrated through its teaching, research and community partnerships. The university is deeply engaged with Unity Health and with St Michael's Hospital, where its labs in the hospital’s research wing support on-site collaboration between clinical needs and bio-engineering know-how. The Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (external link)  (iBEST), the Biomedical Zone (BMZ), and the MedTech Talent Accelerator, (external link)  are examples of successful innovative collaborations. TMU is also home to the National Institute of Ageing and the Healthcare User Experience Lab.

William Osler Health System (external link, opens in new window)  is TMU’s primary hospital partner in providing the clinical learning environment for undergraduate medical education, other health professionals’ education, residency training and professional development.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Reconciliation will be intentionally infused throughout all facets of the TMU School of Medicine, including:

• admissions; 
• faculty and staff recruitment; 
• educational programming; 
• the learning environment; 
• curriculum; 
• Scholarly, Research and Creative (SRC) activities; 
• enterprise; and 
• patient, family, and community engagement. 

We will continually foster a culture of inclusion and engagement and advance social justice. The TMU School of Medicine will be the first medical school in Canada founded and intentionally built upon the foundations of social accountability, EDI and Reconciliation. 

To facilitate the integration of EDI into all aspects of the planning and program development process, a School of Medicine EDI Advisory Committee was established to create an EDI Strategy and Action Plan. The resulting plan has also been endorsed by the Academic Program Development Committee 

This work is also guided by the School of Medicine’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Values Statement.

A vital component of the Truth and Reconciliation process is public recognition of the tragic and painful history and the ongoing impacts of residential schools.

Our university has been on its own path of Truth and Reconciliation with the work of the  (PDF file) Standing Strong Task Force. As a starting point, we draw inspiration from the  (PDF file) Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report (external link)  and in particular Calls to Action 18 through 24, which specifically address the need for action for Indigenous health. Of these, Calls to Action 22 through 24 are the most relevant to medical school contexts. In particular, they address the need for Indigenous understandings of health and well-being, a holistic admissions process and the creation of pathway programs for Indigenous learners.

In addition, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada’s Indigenous Working Group has provided a crucial roadmap for the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action in their  (PDF file) Joint Commitment to Action on Indigenous Health (external link) . Their report highlights the importance of accountability and of thoughtful, reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities to advance Reconciliation and Indigenous health.

Both documents serve as an important reminder of the need to form respectful, reciprocal, long-term relationships with Indigenous-led organizations early in the planning process to set the foundation for a meaningful commitment to Action. The university is committed to developing meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities through a co-creation approach to define the terms of the relationship and ensuring accountability mechanisms are in place. We recognize that co-creation is a long-term process of relationship- and trust-building.

TMU is looking forward to welcoming its first cohort of future medical doctors in September 2025.

TMU is committed to developing a shared culture between both campuses, building on TMU’s strengths in EDI, social justice and research and innovation.

Students and faculty at the medical school will be able to access relevant resources and supports at our downtown campus. The School of Medicine will also ensure that local supports are available, specific to the needs of medical students at the Brampton campus location. 

Building on the School of Medicine's pillar of innovation, the site in Brampton will leverage technology to support students with virtual access in a hybrid environment.

Students in the undergraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) program will be based in Brampton and their classroom, clinical and experiential learning will be primarily focused on affiliated partners in Brampton, Peel, Etobicoke and affiliated community sites.

Building on the School of Medicine's pillar of innovation, the site in Brampton will leverage technology to support students with virtual access in a hybrid environment.

The foundational curriculum and research at the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine will be community-engaged, and driven by a social determinants of health framework as central to health care delivery. Decisions such as programming will be overseen by the Academic Program Development Committee.

The School of Medicine will offer an undergraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) program and a postgraduate residency program.

The proposed undergraduate medical education program is four years in length and is arranged in three phases. Phase 1 (Foundations) provides the foundations and grounding for clinical learning. Phase 2 (Clinical and Community Immersion Phase) provides full immersion in clinical experiential learning, and Phase 3 (Professionalization Phase) is an opportunity for career focused experiential learning.

A new School of Medicine will build on our existing expertise in health and healthcare across various faculties and departments to explore possibilities for interprofessional education and combined degrees (e.g. Masters or PhD/MD). For example, the academic programs in areas such as Psychology, Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Health and Safety, Midwifery, Biomedical Engineering, Physics (Medical Physics), Health Administration and Biology and Chemistry are all major contributors to the university’s regional and national presence in the health field based on their magnitude of research and their undergraduate and graduate enrolments. A new School of Medicine will build on this foundation of excellence and leadership in health education.

An accelerated pathway for internationally trained medical doctors is a priority for the School of Medicine. Details around admissions and program features will be determined through review and consultation.

At this time, we do not have immediate plans to offer a bridging program for IEHPs in time for our opening in 2025. However, the School of Medicine intends to consider such a program in the years following our opening. 

IEHPs coming to Canada may also consider other pathways through TMU such as the Internationally Trained Health Professionals (ITHP) bridging program through the Chang School.

We are currently recruiting both part-time and adjunct clinical faculty members! Clinical faculty will drive the School of Medicine’s work through Clinical Teaching and Educational Activities, Scholarly, Research, Creative, and Innovation (SRCI) activities, and/or Service and Leadership activities. We will also support the professional growth of clinical faculty members through targeted clinical faculty development opportunities in the lead up to our 2025 opening.

Planning for the School of Medicine is ongoing, TMU faculty positions or cross-appointments are not yet available. Other open positions and opportunities are available on the School of Medicine careers page and TMU’s faculty career page and will be updated as new opportunities become available.

We are currently seeking TMU faculty members to join two key undergraduate medical education (UGME) governance committees to support the School of Medicine's work towards national accreditation under the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS). For more information about these committees and to express interest, visit the Get Involved section of our website.

The School of Medicine team is continuing to grow, please check the School of Medicine careers page or TMU’s career page for open positions. Positions will continue to be added as we lead up to opening our doors in 2025. Sign-up for our mailing list (external link)  to stay up to date.

The School of Medicine team is continuing to grow, please check the School of Medicine careers page or TMU’s career page for open positions. Positions will continue to be added as we lead up to opening our doors in 2025. Sign-up for our mailing list (external link)  to stay up to date.

Open positions are posted on the School of Medicine careers page. To stay up to date with recruiting efforts, sign-up for our mailing list (external link) .

Planning for the School of Medicine will be a multi-year journey with many opportunities to listen, learn and co-create. We thank our community for your participation in our community consultations to date. Your perspectives, comments and questions will help shape the School of Medicine proposal development.

Visit the Get Involved section of our website for more information. We value input and welcome comments and feedback, which can be directed to medicine@torontomu.ca.