University of Montreal Medical School: How to Get in

Mission Statement

“The Faculty of Medicine is a pioneering institution dedicated to education and research based on ACTIVE participation in the advancement of knowledge and the development of skills to improve health care.”

Want to know how each medical school in Canada conducts their interviews? Watch this video:

Value Statement

The Faculty of Medicine’s “guiding values and principles include innovation, respect, social commitment, responsibility, thoroughness, patient partnership and improving health and well-being.”

It is imperative that you understand the mission and values of any institution you are attending. These statements will affect how you present yourself in medical school secondary essays, or in medical school interviews. However, we should note that the Université de Montréal is one of the medical schools without secondary essays.

So, how do you use their mission statement and values to your advantage?

Note the mission statement’s emphases:

• Research-based
• ACTIVE participation – especially note this since the statement places “ACTIVE” in all-caps.

While there is a lot more to the mission statement, most of it supports these two main, emphasized points.

With the school’s emphasis on research and participation, you need to find room in your application to highlight anything related to lab work, research, and initiatives you have worked on. Do you have lab work as a volunteer or professional? Put that on your medical school resume. Are you responsible for starting any interesting research or development, even on a smaller scale or personal level? That should be noted on your resume as well.

You might also want to make sure that your medical school recommendation letter comes from a lab teacher or research supervisor or advisor.

Let’s move on to the values held by the Université de Montréal.

Any chance you get in your application, demonstrate these qualities.

Innovation can be shown in your resume as well, as can social commitment. The former will again be about lab work, projects, or other interesting jobs you have participated in. The latter can be shown with volunteer work and contributions you have made to your local community or undergraduate institution. If you don’t have much to show on your resume, get volunteering and get working on innovative projects, if possible.

The last items, patient partnership and improving health and well-being, are both demonstrated if you have a great track record volunteering or working with a medical facility or institution. If you can find such work – paid or volunteer – get some and make sure that any references or supervisors you have can attest to your partnership with patients and commitment to fine health care. You can note these attributes of your care in any resume sections where you talk about roles and responsibilities on the job.

The other values are more abstract. How do you demonstrate respect or thoroughness?

Respect will be evident throughout your application process. How you contact and speak to the admissions committee – including any faculty you might come into contact with or alumni or current students you meet – must show the utmost courtesy and respect.

Thoroughness – or a lack thereof – will also show through in your application. However, you could also note “attention to detail” on your resume under the sub-headings for certain jobs or other positions you’ve held.

Admissions Statistics*

Overall acceptance rate: 10.3%

MCAT is not required

Average accepted GPA: not announced

*All statistics are from a recent year

Eligibility

The Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal has several categories that most students will fall into. For most additional categories, the selection criteria are the same as for a Québec student (see Selection Factors), and we have noted additional requirements where applicable.

Québec Students

The first category comprises students from Québec. We can see from the admissions statistics that the bulk of students accepted are local. Your chances of admission greatly improve by being from the province. However, there are spaces set aside for other categories and while your chances might be lower, they are not zero. The Université de Montréal does accept students from across Canada and international students.

Maritimers

An additional, limited number of candidates – outside of the standard quotas – can be admitted from three East Coast provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. In a recent year, this number was three, although it may vary.

For admission into this group, you will have to sign a contract to practice for four consecutive years in an establishment to which you are assigned by the Ministry of Health.

International Students

With two slots set aside in a recent year, international students have a small chance of being accepted at the Université de Montréal. You must possess a post-secondary degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. You will need demonstrable written and spoken skills in French. International students are contractually obligated to work for four consecutive years in an establishment to which they are assigned by the Ministry of Health.

Black Canadians

Canadian students who identify as being Black have access to additional interview slots. They must first complete a form, the deadline of which was, in a recent year, March 1^st for college students and November 1^st for university students.

Canadian Armed Forces

The CAF (Canadian Armed Forces) have, in a recent year, four slots set aside for them. With Québec status and a CAF eligibility, you would be entered into both categories, increasing your chances of acceptance. You must identify your CAF eligibility prior to the application deadline.

First Nations and Inuit

Persons who are First Nations of Québec have a possible eight slots outside of the typical cohort. First Nations status must be presented at the time of application. The eight slots are applicable across Québec’s medical schools, so you should apply to each institution you wish to be considered for: Laval, Montréal, Sherbrooke, and McGill. You must have an R score of 28 or higher and be available for mentoring or tutoring, which will be provided by First Nations mentors and faculty members throughout your studies.

Eligibility Analysis

What advice do we have for you if you are applying to this school? You must have the Québec connection for the best odds of acceptance, but it can be defeatist and foolish to think of acceptance in terms of odds. This is not a throw of the dice.

Typically, a statement or essay would be the best place to address this eligibility requirement, but unfortunately, the University of Montreal does not require a medical school personal statement. If you aren’t from Québec, then you won’t get a chance to address any intentions to move to Québec and practice health care in that province until your interview. However, if you are planning to move to Québec, or would be willing to work in the province, mentioning your intentions to participate in the Québec health care system and support your school might help move your application to the top of the pile. So, in your interview, you should find a way to bring this up, or prompt a follow-up question that allows you to bring this up.

Want to know the common application requirements for med schools? Check out this infographic:

Selection Factors

Required MCAT Score: N/A

The University of Montreal is one of the medical schools that don’t require the MCAT. If you struggle with the MCAT, this might be a good option for you; however, there are other tests that will be factored into your selection or rejection.

Required GPA: N/A

Note that Québec schools use a different scoring system. The CRC (Cote de Rendement au Collégial), known as the R score, is similar to a GPA but factors in a student’s performance relative to their group of peers.

The University of Montreal requires an R score of 33 (on a scale of 15 to 35) for consideration, but 33.561 was the average R score for an incoming cohort in a recent year.

Coursework and Undergrad

The University of Montreal Faculty of Medicine requires that students have a DEC (diplôme d’études collégiales / diploma of collegial studies), obtained by students in Québec’s educational system. Depending on the type of DEC obtained, candidates must also show proof of successful completion of certain required courses. International students and Canadians outside the province must present an equivalent degree; a bachelor’s degree or higher is usually required for admission.

Prerequisites and Recommended Courses

The following are prerequisite courses for the University of Montreal Faculty of Medicine:

• Biology 301 and 401 or two human biology courses
• Chemistry 101, 201, and 202
• Mathematics 103 and 203
• Physics 101, 201 and 301

Work and Activities, Experiences, and Other Activities

All students need to have CPR training.

Personal Statements, Letters of Recommendation, and Application Essays

The University of Montreal does not require a personal statement, secondary essays, recommendation letters, or any other application essays.

CASPer

The University of Montreal is one of the medical schools that require CASPer for incoming students.

Advice for International Students

What do you do if you are an international or out-of-province student and don’t have an R score? You will submit your transcript from the institution you graduated from. You will, however, need to complete the CASPer test and have a student visa.

Interview Format

The University of Montreal uses a multiple mini interview (MMI) format for its interviews, so MMI prep is essential. It is a virtual, online interview. These interviews are referred to as MEMFI (mini-entrevues multiples francophones intégrées) in French. 

Being invited for an interview depends on the fulfillment of all other admission criteria, including a successful performance on the CASPer test.

The MMI comprises nine stations, seven minutes each, and each one is built around a scenario or discussion topic. The interviews are conducted with an interlocutor or actor in the station while an evaluator observes and marks you, the candidate.

There are different types of stations you might encounter. These might be stations where you need to address something technical, or a station with an ethical dilemma. Be prepared for anything, and keep in mind that the University of Montreal is looking for specific traits and qualities in the MEMFI. These are based on the CANMeds framework and include motivation, empathy, social awareness, life balance, authenticity, open-mindedness, leadership, judgement, the ability to work in a team, the ability to communicate, the ability to self-critique, adaptability, and relational capacity.

Sample Station

In this sample, we present a scenario station that you might encounter, in this case, an MMI ethical question.

Station: You are starting your shift working at a hospital and you notice a co-worker putting a bottle of pills into their pocket. You are suspicious that they might be stealing medication. What do you do?

Possible answer: A scenario of this type is testing your empathy, social awareness, open-mindedness, judgement, and ability to communicate – from the list of qualities given above. Additionally, there is an ethical component.

You need to demonstrate empathy and care while questioning the actor in this scenario. In other words, you cannot just accuse them of taking medications. You can start casually with a greeting, and then listen to what they say. They might respond with something like, “Oh, hey, I didn’t see you there. How long were you standing over there?”

If they speak in a suspicious manner, this is an opening to broach the subject of the pills.

I was coming in when you were putting those pills in your pocket.

This phrase is non-judgemental – it does not accuse the co-worker of anything – while simultaneously allowing the actor playing your co-worker to give you more information about the pills. It’s a good start to setting up all the steps you must take to deal with this scenario appropriately. You would then go on to explain what you would say and do, depending on how your co-worker responds next.

Keep an open mind in all scenarios and listen closely to the prompts given by the actor. No station is set up for you to fail, but you can do yourself a tremendous disservice by ignoring prompts and cues. Listening is one of the most important skills you can utilize during any simulation.

In any station, you also need to keep in mind the primary concern that has been presented. In this case, you have a clear ethical problem. The interlocutor will be evaluating your performance based on whether you act empathetically, ethically, and in a way that keeps yourself, your employer, and your co-worker out of legal trouble.

Acceptance and Waitlist Information

In a recent year, the AAMC released a table indicating that while the University of Montreal has a waitlist of 150 persons, they did not admit any on the list. Waitlists move when an offered position is rejected. This lack of waitlist shifting is perhaps due to the strong local applicant pool, a limited number of spaces for other applicants, and a small group of francophone institutions in the otherwise very English North America.

Application Timeline

Mid-November: Applicants currently in university can apply up until mid-November. In a recent year, this was November 15.

Early March: Applicants from CEGEP (colleges in Québec) have an early March deadline. In a recent year, the specific date was March 1.

Tuition and Debt

Tuition in-province: $12,007 CAD

Tuition out-of-province: $29,425

Don’t just base your funding on tuition alone: the University of Montreal Medical School estimates that students will need $1,650 for arrival and installation fees and approximately $1,300 for a monthly living budget.

Funding Opportunities

The Financial Aid Office helps students manage their funds and debt to try and ensure the most debt-free student body possible.

Additionally, the University of Montreal offers over 5,000 scholarships.

Residency Match Rates

According to CFMS (Canadian Federation of Medical Students) data, the University of Montreal Faculty of Medicine has a match rate of close to 95%. This placed it 12^th out of 17 schools on the list.

Where Can Graduates Practice?

Graduates of the medical program at the University of Montreal can practice in Canada. There is also an easy in with other Commonwealth countries, such as the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. An international doctor is required to do a 3-year residency before they can practice in the US; this applies to University of Montreal graduates.

Academic Curriculum

The University of Montreal has offered a four- or five-year curriculum for their MD program since it was put into effect thirty years ago. We will talk about the four-year program first, and then the five-year program.

The program’s coursework has an emphasis on interdisciplinary studies to make students aware of how different courses, disciplines, and aspects of medicine intersect.

The coursework is also system-based. The University of Montreal creates a foundation of basic knowledge about the body’s systems. It is on this foundation that they build the skills for a top-quality physician.

Four-year Program

The curriculum is problem-based and highly focused on small group discussion. These two elements produce students who understand health care teamwork and who thrive in environments where there is a kind of puzzle to be solved.

Always be on the lookout to showcase the abilities and characteristics that you have which are important to the school.

Five-Year Program

The five-year program starts with a premedical, preparatory year and is for students who are admitted but who have a college or university education that is deemed to have insufficient studies in basic biological sciences. During this first year, students will be given training in biological and behavioral science.

After the initial preparatory year, the four-year program’s structure is followed.

Campus and Faculty

Address: Pavillon Roger-Gaudry, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal, Québec H3T 1J4

The campus is located near the centre of Montreal, toward the south-east.

Affiliated Teaching Hospitals

The University of Montreal operates two university hospital centres, facilities defined according to the Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services.

The relevant excerpt, article 88, is included here: “a hospital centre operated by an institution which, in addition to carrying on the activities inherent in its mission, offers specialized or highly specialized services in several medical disciplines, evaluates health technologies, participates in medical education in several specialties (...) and manages a research centre or research institute recognized by the Québec Research Fund–Health.”

• Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM)
• Centre hospitalier universitaire mère-enfant (CHU Sainte-Justine)

In addition to these hospital centres, there are six affiliated hospital centres. While these have an affiliation contract with the University of Montreal, they are not operated by that institution.

• Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (HMR)
• Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (HSCM)
• Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal (IPP)
• Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Centre hospitalier de soins psychiatriques (HRDP)
• Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal
• Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal

Research Projects

The University of Montreal is the third most-active university in Canada in terms of research, dedicating $500 million dollars to research funding.

The IRIC is a research centre located on the University of Montreal campus, dedicated to cancer research.

There are literally hundreds of medical research units in the University of Montreal research directory.

Faculty

With hundreds of research initiatives being engaged with on campus, there are dozens of faculty members involved in said research. In the medical department, two are featured by the University of Montreal on their research page.

Yves Brun is a professor of medicine specializing in immunology, microbiology, and infectious diseases.

Caroline Quach-Thanh is a professor of medicine. She also specializes in immunology, microbiology, and infectious diseases.

Contact Information

Mailing Address:

University of Montreal

Faculty of Medicine

CP 6128, Downtown branch

Montreal (Québec) H3C 3J7

Email Address:

[email protected]

Admissions Site: University of Montreal Faculty of Medicine

Conclusion

Knowledge is power, and you are now empowered to submit your best application for the University of Montreal’s medical programs. Or, you might be just starting your journey, getting yourself ready by accumulating the right medical school prerequisites, courses, and experiences. Either way, this article will start you off on the right foot if you’re considering applying to this school.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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