Admissions blog: All about prerequisite courses!
Are you wondering how we assess prerequisite courses? We are hoping this post will act as a one-stop shop for all your prerequisite inquiry needs!
The simple breakdown is that we require two full course equivalents in the Life Sciences, and one full course equivalent in the Social Sciences, or Humanities, or Languages. A full course equivalent (FCE) is typically one full year course (September – April) or two-semester courses. You are able to “mix and match” these courses in different subjects, throughout the numerous years of your degree - as long as the end result meets our minimum FCE requirements.
A general guideline of courses that will satisfy these prerequisites can be found here. However, if you are unsure what category your course falls under, you are able to send us an email with the course description attached, and we will review it for you.
Here are some answers to our most frequently asked questions about prerequisite courses:
- If you are on a 30 credit system, one FCE is equal to 6 credits.
- Summer courses count towards prerequisites but do not count towards GPA.
- IB/AP/CEGEP transfer credits are fine to satisfy prerequisites, as long as they appear on your university transcript as transfer credits.
- You can satisfy prerequisites on summer/semester/year abroad trips - these courses will not count towards your GPA.
- You do not need higher marks in prerequisite courses – they are not weighted any differently than the rest of your courses.
- We accept pass/fail and credit/no credit courses towards prerequisites.
- You can complete prerequisites in the year you apply to the MD program, as long as you provide proof of enrollment in the course to OMSAS by the application deadline.
We hope this helped clarify our prerequisite guidelines up for you! Feel free to get in touch if you have any specific questions.
