Queen's University
OwlMD Guide
Overview
Campus Info:
Queen's School of Medicine is located on a single campus in Kingston which sees about 140 new students/year.
Application Requirements
Academic Requirements
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 on the OMSAS Scale.
- MCAT Requirements: A score of at least 125 in each section is required for consideration. Queens is the only school in Ontario that takes your best MCAT score. There are no allowances such as that of UofT.
- Prerequisite Courses: Queen's does not have strict prerequisite courses. You are allowed to apply in third year, meaning you need to have 90 credit-hours or 15 Full Course Equivalents by the end of your application cycle.
- Casper: Queens does not disclose a Casper cutoff, however most consider that anyone with a 3Q or above will be considered.
The New Lottery System
For the 2024-2025 cycle, Queen's Medicine has introduced a lottery system referred to as the Qualified Applicant Randomization Selection (QARS) as part of its admissions process. This system was designed to increase fairness and equity among applicants.
- How It Works: After meeting the academic and Casper requirements, applicants are entered into a lottery system to randomly select candidates for interviews, reducing subjective evaluations and promoting equal opportunity.
- Final Admission Decision: Following the Panel interviews, Queen's performs a full file review of the ABS entries and the CAF (references). The exact factors and weights used remain unclear.
Prerequisites
Queen's does not have strict prerequisite courses. You are allowed to apply in third year, meaning you need to have 90 credit-hours or 15 Full Course Equivalents by the end of your application cycle.
Essays
Queen's requires the completion of an Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) as part of the OMSAS application. This includes:
- Employment history
- Volunteer activities
- Extracurricular activities
- Awards and accomplishments
- Research experience
For each entry, you can provide a brief description (150 words max) explaining your role and the impact of your involvement.
ABS Statement
Queen's places significant emphasis on the Autobiographical Sketch. When completing your ABS:
- Focus on quality over quantity of experiences
- Highlight leadership roles and long-term commitments
- Demonstrate a diverse range of interests and activities
- Be specific about your contributions and what you learned
Each entry must include contact information for a verifier who can confirm your participation.
What They're Looking For
Queen's School of Medicine seeks candidates who demonstrate:
- Strong academic ability and critical thinking skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
- Leadership experience and potential
- Commitment to service and community involvement
- Self-awareness and personal growth
- Understanding of the medical profession and healthcare challenges
Interview Process
After Submitting OMSAS
Application Process
- OMSAS Submission Deadline: October 1st, 2024.
- Interview Invitations: 2024 Lottery Invites were sent on December 9, 2024.
Interview Dates
Interview Dates 2024-2025:
- MMI: January 26, 2025
- Invite to Panel: February 27, 2025
- Panel: March 22-23, 2025
- Admission Offers: OMSAS Offers are sent out on May 13, 2025.
The Interview
Interview 1 Format: Queen's uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, conducted virtually for the 2024-2025 cycle. Typically over the span of 6-8 stations, it assesses critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and communication skills through mainly scenario-based prompts.
Interview 2 Format: Approximately 50% of MMI interviewees receive an invitation to a Panel Interview, a more personal assessment conducted with two interviewers.
Queen's MMI is asynchronous. You have 2 minutes to read the initial prompt and 5 minutes to answer. You are allowed to take notes and consult them if you wish, though doing so may impact your delivery to the camera. There are usually follow up questions as well, with a shorter amount of time for thinking and a shorter response.
For more detailed interview advice, visit our Interview Guide.