Toronto Metropolitan University Medical School

Opening its doors to its first class in September 2025, the TMU School of Medicine offers a four-year program for those seeking to work with underserved communities, particularly around the Brampton, PEEL, and surrounding areas of Ontario.

TMU’s School of Medicine aims to be among the best medical schools for Canadian applicants, emphasizing inclusivity and community engagement. Furthermore, the school is highly dedicated to social equity, which is reflected in its unique admissions process.

While navigating the application process may be challenging, MedApplications’ expert guidance can help you craft a standout TMU application. From refining your supplementary essays to mastering the asynchronous assessment and MMI, our Medical School Application Consulting, Essay Coaching, and Interview Prep services ensure you highlight your commitment to the values TMU is looking for. Book a strategy session today to gain a competitive edge!

In this blog, we will discuss everything you need to know about TMU’s School of Medicine, including the program information, crucial academic and non-academic application components, and every other step associated with navigating the med school application journey.

About the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine

The TMU School of Medicine will be located in the heart of Brampton, with the Bramalea Civic Centre will serve as the official home of the School of Medicine. In preparation for the medical school, this four-story building has been completely transformed with new classrooms, lab and study spaces that will support various modes of learning. The main clinical partner for the school of medicine is the William Osler Health System, which consists of Brampton Civic and Etobicoke General Hospitals. Both sites have a long history of training future healthcare providers, providing placement to over 900 health care students from all disciplines annually.

The curriculum itself is divided into three phases, each designed to create future physicians rooted in community-driven care. The Foundations Phase of the program focuses on providing students with the fundamental knowledge and skills to enter the health system, including training of clinical and social aspects of health. The course list for the program includes: Principles of Medicine, Person-Centred Care, Health Systems Sciences, Community & Global Health, Indigenous Communities & Health, Personal & Professional Development. While some courses wrap-up within the first two pre-clerkship years of the program, some also run throughout all four years. The remaining two phases of the curriculum occur during years 3 and 4 of the program.

The second phase of the program focuses on clinical and community immersion. During this phase, students gain hands-on clinical Clerkship experience, and are exposed to a variety of medical contexts and specialties. The Clerkship rotation is primarily built around Family Medicine, which students will engage with 3 days a week, in addition to other required rotations in specialties including Psychiatry, Surgery, Paediatrics, and many more. The last phase of the curriculum focuses on student personalization as they transition into residency. This consists of electives, in which students explore clinical rotations in a self-directed manner, helping prepare them for their life beyond medical school.

The TMU School of Medicine is the first medical school in Canada intentionally founded on the principles of social accountability, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and Reconciliation. With a focus on primary care for diverse and medically underserved populations, TMU trains doctors from communities, for communities. Its bold, community-first model emphasizes holistic care, team-based collaboration, and a deep understanding of the social determinants of health. It is therefore vital for applicants to have an interest in tackling systemic barriers, adopt anti-oppressive and anti-racist practices, and use innovation and technology to transform healthcare.

Academic Admission Requirements

Admission to TMU Medical School includes a few mandatory academic requirements. Applicants must complete a minimum four-year undergraduate degree by the time of admission; however, this degree can be in any field, and there are no required prerequisite courses. As a result, students from all academic backgrounds, including non-traditional applicants, are encouraged to apply. The minimum GPA requirement is relatively low at 3.3, making the program more academically accessible. While graduate and professional program students are also welcome to apply, GPAs from those programs will not be considered. Despite these inclusive academic criteria, the academic statistics of accepted students remain unknown. However, due to a high number of applicants and limited seats, TMU Medical School is still expected to be academically competitive.

A GPA of 3.3 is accessible, but standing out requires strategic storytelling. MedApplications’ Academic Consulting helps non-traditional applicants frame diverse backgrounds as strengths, while our ABS Coaching Sessions ensure your experiences align with TMU’s social accountability values.

Non-academic Admission Requirements

Beyond academic achievement, TMUs medical school application admission requires an extensive evaluation of applicants non-academic achievements and qualities. All applicants must be Canadian Citizens or permanent residents. The program does not accept international students, and heavily prioritizes students with strong connections to the Brampton/PEEL region and those aiming to deliver culturally responsible care for historically underserved communities. Below are the non-academic application components:

1. Four Supplementary Essays
2. Autobiographical Sketch
3. Three Reference Letters

Notably, the TMU School of Medicine has no MCAT or Casper requirement. We now dive into each of these application components in further detail below.

Supplementary Essays

Every applicant to the TMU medical school must write four short personal essays. These essays aim to learn more about the applicant’s journey to medicine, as well as the contextual cultural, social, economic, and other factors that have shaped their life. These personal essays serve as an opportunity to not only highlight important achievements and activities, but also for the admissions committee to get a deeper sense of the applicant’s values, commitments, and ideals.

Additionally, these questions aim to check the applicant’s connections to the Brampton/Peel Region and surrounding communities, as well as their interest in practicing in the surrounding communities. Each short essay should be 250 words or less. While the supplementary essay questions may change in future years, the questions for the 2025 admissions cycle are listed below:

1. How have your lived experiences contributed to your personal growth and desire to pursue a career in medicine?
2. What leadership roles and/or community engagement experiences have you undertaken within your community, particularly in efforts aimed at supporting and advocating for marginalized groups?  How have these experiences prepared you to address the needs of underserved communities as a future healthcare professional?
3. How have your personal, professional, or extracurricular experiences with diversity, inequity, and/or marginalization influenced your efforts to create a more inclusive environment in your school, community, or workplace?
4. Describe your connection(s) to the Brampton/Peel Region and surrounding communities and/or your interest in practicing in culturally diverse communities such as these, that represent the future of Canada. For the purpose of this question and your response, we define Brampton/Peel Region and surrounding communities as follows:

• Peel: Brampton, Mississauga, Caledon
• Bolton
• Dufferin
• Halton: Milton, Burlington, Oakville, Halton Hills
• North Etobicoke
• West Woodbridge

Applicants indicating to have a connection to the Brampton/Peel Region and surrounding communities will be required to submit supporting documentation to verify their connection to the area.
 Through these questions, the admissions committee assesses applicants’ commitment to their communities, leadership, professionalism, empathy, and ability to work independently and within teams. The values and attributes that the medical school is looking for in future students is further outlined on their website. The CanMEDS framework is also a fantastic resource to learn more about the traits important for medical students.

As mentioned, effectively reflecting and communicating one’s connection to the Brampton/Peel Region and the surrounding communities is vital. This often requires strong reflection and communication skills, as well as continually incorporating feedback from qualified professionals on each component of the application.

TMU’s essays demand authenticity and community connection. MedApplications’ Essay Coaching refines your responses to reflect lived experiences, anti-oppressive values, and ties to the Brampton/Peel regions!

Autobiographical Sketch

The Autobiographical (ABS) sketch is an overview of all the applicant’s extracurricular activities and achievements since the age of 16. This sketch is required by all Ontario medical schools, including TMU School of Medicine. In total, there are 32 items on the ABS sketch and they are split among the following categories:

• Employment
• Volunteer activities
• Extracurricular activities
• Awards and accomplishments
• Research and publications
• Other meaningful experiences

We strongly recommended creating a well-rounded application with multiple items across diverse range of categories. If you are an aspiring medical school student and wondering how to best prepare your autobiographical sketch for your application, feel free to gain expert advice from our pre-med consultants. Each item in the autobiographical sketch must have a verifier that can confirm the applicants involvement in the activity or achievement indicated. It is crucial to reach out to verifiers early to obtain their approval before listing them.

In addition to the sketch, the 2025 application cycle for the TMU School of Medicine were also allowed to submit an optional ABS Sketch Addendum. This Addendum allowed students to submit an additional five entries to supplement their original sketch. However, it is unclear if this optional addendum will be available in future TMU Medical School Application Cycles.

Reference Letters

Applicants must submit three letters of reference: one academic or employment-related referee, one non-academic referee, and one referee of choice. While family members, family friends, colleagues, or peers are not permitted, it is essential to choose referees who can speak to the applicant’s personal and professional attributes.

Referees should address why the applicant would make a good physician, and assess qualities such as communication, problem-solving, professionalism, and identity. They are also required to note an area for improvement and may provide additional comments they feel are relevant to the applicant’s potential in medical school.

Admission Statistics

There are currently no official admissions statistics for the TMU School of Medicine.

Alternative Application Pathways

The TMU School of Medicine’s commitment to equity and inclusion is reflected in its alternative application pathways, positioning it as one of the medical schools for non traditional applicants, or to applicants from historically marginalized and equity-deserving backgrounds.

There are three alternative admissions pathways:

• Indigenous Admissions Pathway
• Black Admissions Pathway
• Equity-Deserving Admissions Pathway

Students applying through these pathways must submit a personal statement describing how their background and experiences have shaped their journey into medicine and will influence their future as physicians. For these applicants, writing a compelling essay is crucial to standing out and receiving an interview invite. If you’re a non-traditional applicant seeking medical school admission, speaking to a specialized application coach can help greatly improve your chance of admission! Applicants must also submit verification through self-attestation or documentation confirming their inclusion in the stated equity-deserving groups. Aside from this, the rest of the application process is the same as for the General Admissions Stream.

Black Students Admissions Pathway

The Black Student Admissions Pathway is designed for students who self-identify as Black, including but not limited to those who identify as Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, or multi-racial. Applicants who apply through this program are evaluated independently by Black community members, offering a more holistic and equitable review of each application.

Students in this stream must complete a 500–1000 word personal statement discussing how their life experiences, Black ancestry, and community have influenced their educational path and goals. This includes the chance to reflect on barriers faced and their impact on academic achievement. A mandatory self-attestation is also required to confirm eligibility for this pathway.

Indigenous Students Admissions Pathway

The Indigenous Student Pathway is designed for students of Indigenous ancestry, including First Nations, Métis, or Inuit heritage. Applicants are assessed by a diverse group of Indigenous community members through a completely alternative process developed by Indigenous people to ensure a culturally appropriate and holistic evaluation.

In addition to meeting General Admissions Stream requirements, applicants must submit a personal statement and verification of eligibility. The personal statement is a 500–1000 word essay where applicants reflect on their Indigenous identity, community connection, and lived experiences, and explain how these make them well-suited for medicine and future leadership in Indigenous health.

The Verification of Eligibility may include formal documentation such as a Métis registry membership card, Secure Certificate of Indian Status, or Nunavut Trust Certificate Card. Alternatively, a community verifier, like a Chief, may confirm the applicant’s Indigenous background. Lastly, students from this pathway may submit an optional CV to supplement their autobiographical sketch. This option is not available for other admissions pathways.

Equity-Deserving Admissions Pathway

The Equity-Deserving Admissions Pathway aims to create equitable opportunities for those from equity-deserving groups beyond Black or Indigenous applicants. Applicants must identify as part of one or more of the following: the 2SLGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, those who have faced familial or socio-cultural barriers, have experienced poverty or low socio-economic status, are racialized, or identify with another equity-deserving category (to be specified in the personal statement). Applicants must submit a personal statement and verification of eligibility.

The Personal Statement (500–1000 words) should explain how the applicant’s lived experiences have shaped their educational path and aspiration to become a physician. It should also reflect on how their background will shape the impact they hope to make in medicine and in underserved communities. The Verification of Eligibility includes supporting documentation confirming membership in an equity-deserving group. The required type of proof varies by group and is outlined on the TMU Medical School Admissions website.

Writing a compelling equity-pathway essay requires cultural humility and narrative precision. MedApplications’ Equity Pathway Mentoring and Alternative Pathway Application Coaches provides tailored feedback to ensure your statement resonates with TMU’s reviewers.

Asynchronous Assessment and Interview format

After the initial application, the TMU School of Medicine has two additional assessments. The first assessment is the Asynchronous vendor assessment. This is 30-minute assessment taken in early January, and consists of a verbal and written portion. In the verbal portion, students receive a question, provided 30 seconds to prepare and 2 minutes to answer the question. This is repeated multiple times. During the written component, the applicant is provided a prompt and given a total of 10 minutes to write a short essay. There are 2 total written stations.

After all the asynchronous assessments are reviewed, successful applicants are given MMI interview invites. The only exception to this are students applying through the Indigenous Admissions Pathway, who will instead participate in an alternate interview format, such as a talking-circle. The MMI itself consists of eight (8) short stations, each consisting of a short question in front of a live interviewer. Stations are designed to test applicants’ non-academic attributes. These are highlighted in the TMU School of Medicine Website as well as the CanMEDS Framework by the Royal College of Physicians. After the MMI is complete, each interviewee is given an aggregate score and ranked by their admission stream/pathway. Navigating the asynchronous assessment and MMI requires strong written, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills.

Additionally, gaining objective feedback from others, especially those with a successful track record, is important. Many applicants turn to MedApplications’ Medical School Interview Coaching for personalized and thoughtful feedback, which can help students prepare, improve discussion of personal and professional topics, and find an authentic perspective that makes them stand out.

Understanding the med school application timeline is crucial. Please see a list of important dates for the TMU medical school application. Please note that this admissions timeline is taken from the only and first TMU application cycle, and may therefore be subject to change in the upcoming admissions cycle. While we hope to keep all information updated, please refer to the official OMSAS and TMU School of Medicine website for all updated dates.

• When do med school applications open? The OMSAS portal opens in early July each year. This is the centralized website used to apply to all Ontario medical schools.
• October 1, 2024 (4:30 pm ET): This is the finalize and submit all TMU Application Deadlines. Please note that in the 2024-2025 cycle, the application deadline for the TMU School of Medicine was December 2 due to it being the first cycle of accepting students.
  • When do med school start reviewing applications? Medical Schools often begin looking at applications soon after the admissions deadline. The TMU school of medicine is no different and will begin to review verified OMSAS applications throughout October to December.
• 23, 2024: TMU Sends out asynchronous assessment invitations. Applicants who do not receive assessment invitations are provided with regrets.
• 4-8, 2025: Students complete the asynchronous assessments. Soon after, these responses are reviewed and used to determine which applicants are invited for the official MMI interview.
• Week of Feb. 17, 2025: TMU sends interview invitations and regrets.
• Early March: MMI Interviews are held. The interviews begin being assessed soon after.
• May 13, 2025: Successful applicants receive offers of admission. The class size will be a total of 94 students.

Tuition

Medical school at TMU is a financial commitment. For the 2025–2026 academic year, tuition is currently set at approximately $25,487 for Ontario residents and $28,036 for out-of-province students, pending final approval by TMU’s Board of Governors. These figures do not include mandatory ancillary fees, which will also apply. Updated tuition and fee information is released at the start of each admissions cycle and shared with incoming and current students. TMU also offers a growing number of entrance awards and scholarships, supported by donors committed to strengthening the future of health care in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

I haven’t taken the MCAT or Casper. Can I still apply to TMU Med School?

Yes! The TMU School of Medicine does not require applicants to take the MCAT or Casper test. Recognizing the barriers that these additional tests can serve on equity-deserving and marginalized communities, the admissions committees does not consider the result of these tests in the application process. However, if you are applying to other medical schools in Ontario and Canada, it may still be worth exploring taking these tests, as applying to more medical schools can help greatly increase the chance of admission. If you’re planning to take the Casper test, check out our resources and coaching services designed to help you succeed.

Can I add medical schools after submitting my application through OMSAS?

Yes, you can add medical schools to your OMSAS application after submission, provided it’s before the application deadline. To do this, log into your OMSAS account, select the additional schools you wish to apply to, and pay the corresponding fees. Ensure that any additional program-specific requirements are also submitted by their respective deadlines.

How many medical schools does the average applicant apply to?

Given the competitive landscape of Canadian Medical School Admission, the average applicant applies to multiple medical schools. For most people, applying to 3 to 5 schools is recommended and greatly increases the chances of acceptance.

MedApplications: Your TMU Admissions Partner

TMU’s School of Medicine seeks physicians deeply rooted in equity, community care, and social accountability. MedApplications offers:

• Admissions Strategy Sessions: Navigating TMU’s unique timeline and Brampton/Peel-focused criteria.
• Essay & ABS Development: Highlighting lived experiences and community ties through TMU’s 4 supplementary essays.
• Asynchronous Assessment Prep: Mock verbal/written drills for TMU’s 30-minute vendor evaluation.
• MMI Interview Coaching: Practice stations mirroring TMU’s focus on underserved populations and EDI principles.
• Equity Pathway Coaching: Expert support for Black, Indigenous, and equity-deserving applicants’ personal statements.
• Non-Traditional Applicant Support: Framing diverse backgrounds as strengths for TMU’s inclusive mission.

Our team, including advisors familiar with TMU’s pioneering vision, will help you showcase your commitment to transformative healthcare.

Ready to pioneer TMU’s Canada’s latest medical school? Book your comprehensive consultation today and secure your place in this groundbreaking program.

This entire section is something that should be confirmed again and updated if necessary, as the application deadline for TMU in this previous cycle was a bit later (due to it being there first year of accepting students)