Your Guide to the University of Sherbrooke Medical School Admissions

The University of Sherbrooke Medical School is a French-only institution that prides itself on serving the needs of Quebec. UdeS Medical School was founded in 1966 and is located in Sherbrooke, Quebec. 

The four-year MD program at the University of Sherbrooke Medical School admits around 199 students yearly. UdeS Medical School reserves the majority of these seats for Quebec residents, as the school’s primary focus is towards serving the province’s medical and educational needs.

The University of Sherbrooke Medical school is divided between three campuses. Of the 199 students admitted, 142 study at the Sherbrooke campus, 33at the Saguenay campus, and 24 at the Moncton campus. 

This distributed education system allows students to gain knowledge in a variety of geographic environments. Each location gives students the opportunity to gain relevant clinical experience in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

Quebec applicants may choose between the Sherbrook and Seguanay sites, while the Moncton campus is reserved solely for New Brunswick Applicants.The University of Sherbrooke Medical School prides itself on being on the cutting edge of medical education. Sherbrooke Medical School students are trained by world-class experts to develop a global vision of medicine through hands-on training in state-of-the-art facilities.

Université de Sherbrooke Admission Requirements

The educational requirements for admission to the University of Sherbrooke Medical School depend on the type of program you completed. Admission requirements vary depending on whether you graduated a three-year CEGEP degree or a four-year undergraduate degree.

The CEGEP is a system unique to the province of Quebec. CEGEP allows students to pursue a technical education after high school to enter the workforce or pursue further education in a university. The system is roughly equivalent to a college diploma in other provinces.

The application also varies depending on which pool the applicant is from. Sherbrooke Medical School divides applicants into three pools: Quebec residents, out-of-province applicants, and international applicants. 

Pool-specific requirements will be discussed later. Below are the requirements every applicant must fulfill:

  • Applicants must possess either a three-year CEGEP degree a recognized equivalent. Universite de Sherbrooke Medecine recognizes degrees awarded from other countries that are equivalent to the Quebec Ministry of Education CEGEP degrees. Students must complete prerequisite courses in physics, biology, and chemistry during their CEGEP studies.
  • Applicants may also apply after completing two years of a four-year bachelor’s degree. Students may apply with 90 credits of a four-year bachelor’s degree completed in lieu of a CEGEP diploma. Students must complete prerequisite courses in biology, chemistry, and physics during their degrees.
  • Proof of French-language proficiency.  Applicants who did not complete high school, CEGEP, or university in Quebec, or another French-speaking country must provide proof of French-language proficiency. One example of French-language proficiency is the TFI French language proficiency exam.
  • Pass the Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI). Applicants who have passed the academic requirements will be invited to an MMI on-campus. This stage of the admission process evaluates students in several small interviews. Each interview evaluates the applicant’s various strengths in professional, clinical, and personal conduct.

Quebec Applicant Pool

Applicants to the Quebec pool must be permanent residents or Canadian citizens and residents of Quebec. Quebec residency is established by the province under the Quebec education act. 

Under this act, you are considered a Quebec resident if you resided in Quebec for 12 months prior to your application. You may also qualify to be a resident of Quebec if you were born in the province, or your parent(s) reside in Quebec.

Quebec applicants make up the majority of students admitted to the University of Sherbrooke Medical School. 166 seats of out 199 are reserved for residents of Quebec.

Tuition for Quebec residents was $4,767 in the 2018/19 academic year.

Canadian Applicant Pool

All applicants who reside outside of Quebec but are Canadian citizens or permanent residents fall into this category. This category is further divided into subcategories, which include New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Western Canada.

Each category has specific admission requirements. The applicant should consult the school regarding details of admission if they fit into one of the said categories.

Generally speaking, educational requirements are the same for out-of-province applicants. 

The University of Sherbrooke Medical School admits only one student from Western Canada (all provinces west of Quebec), and 31 students from PEI, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

The 31 students admitted are part of Quebec’s agreement with other Francophone communities across Atlantic Canada to provide them with medical education.

Tuition for out-of-province applicants was $12,285 in the 2018/19 academic year.

International Applicant Pool

International applicants are foreign nationals who must acquire a student permit to study in Canada. These applicants must fulfill the same educational requirements as the other two, and provide proof of French-language fluency.

Applicants in this pool must complete the CASPer exam in French. If selected, international applicants will be invited for a video interview instead of an MMI.

Only one student is admitted yearly from this pool.

Universite de Sherbrooke Medecine Acceptance Rate and Statistics

The total acceptance rate to Sherbrooke Medical School was 12.8% in the 2017/18 academic year.

Applicants from Quebec had a 12.5% success rate, while applicants from the rest of Canada had a 19.4% success rate. Note, the out-of-province category includes Francophone communities that have agreements with the University.

No international students were admitted in 2017/18, but their success rates were between 2.5 and 5% in previous years.

5 Reasons to Choose the University of Sherbrooke Medical School

Universite de Sherbrooke is located in the heart of Quebec, just east of Montreal and south of Quebec City. Here are five reasons why this medical school should be on your shortlist:

  1. Emphasis on experiential learning. Students at the University of Sherbrooke Medical School are taught hands-on, clinical approaches in combination with theoretical knowledge from year one.
  2. A constantly evolving curriculum. UdeS Medical School prides itself on staying on top of cutting edge developments in the field of medicine. Students learn everything they need to know for success in an ever-changing field.
  3. Sophisticated clerkship model. Third and fourth-year students are immersed in a clinical environment for three month periods during the clerkship stage of their education. Universite de Sherbrooke Medecine uses both real and standardized patients to help guide students into residency positions.
  4. State-of-the-art facilities. The University of Sherbrooke Medical School has one of the best clinical simulation labs in the country. Students are taught hands-on approaches to tackle the many complex tasks they will face in the real world.
  5. Experience the beauty of French or Atlantic Canada. Depending on the campus students choose to study in, they will experience either the beauty of Sherbrooke, Saguenay, or Moncton. Each city is rich with natural beauty to explore and full of activities to indulge in.

Speaking French is always a valuable asset if you plan to practice medicine in Canada. The University of Sherbrooke Medical School is located close to the United States border, both Montreal and Quebec City, and relatively close to Ottawa.

Need Help Understanding Sherbrooke University Medical School Admission Requirements?

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