Health Sciences Calendar
2005 - 2006

3.3.5 Non-Quebec Students

The government of Quebec provides two quotas under which non-Quebec students may be admitted to study medicine at McGill.

1. A quota for U.S. and International applicants, and

2. a quota for Canadians and Permanent Residents of Canada who do not reside in Quebec.

Should applicants be accepted under either of these quotas, their acceptance and obligations to same will be for the duration of their medical studies, regardless of any change in citizenship or residency status. The candidate, in accepting such an offer of admission, will accept these conditions.

As a measure to control manpower in the province, the Quebec government requires that all students who are not Quebec residents must agree in writing at the time of registration that if, upon completion of the four-year curriculum and residency training, they wish to remain in the province, they will practice for a defined period of time in one of the areas designated as medically underserved. It should be noted that this requirement does not interfere in any way with the right to study medicine in Quebec or, following graduation, to take residency training in Quebec.

3.3.5.1 American Students

The Faculty encourages applications from United States citizens and offers admission to a considerable number of such applicants each year. Students accepted for admission must have a student authorization by the date of registration. Instructions for making application for this authorization are included with the letter of acceptance.

The Faculty of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the AAMC and AMA, and studying at McGill is equivalent to studying medicine in a U.S. medical school. U.S. students studying at McGill write the USMLE exams in the same way and at the same time as U.S. students studying in U.S. medical schools.

While U.S. medical students are eligible to do residency training at McGill, U.S. program directors recognize the high calibre of McGill graduates and those students are very competitive in their U.S. residency applications.

Students should know that acceptance into residency programs of any province are governed by province-specific rules and regulations. Currently, only Quebec accepts McGill Visa students into residency programs.

Tuition for non-Canadian students is appreciably higher than for Canadian students. U.S. citizens benefit, however, with respect to all costs from a favourable exchange rate on the Canadian dollar.

3.3.5.2 International Students

The Faculty also encourages applications from citizens of other foreign countries and offers admission to a number of such students each year. Most applicants have undertaken some or all of their undergraduate studies in Canadian or U.S. colleges. Students accepted for admission must have a student authorization by the date of registration. Instructions for making application for this authorization are included with the letter of acceptance.

It is the personal responsibility of the International students to ensure that they fulfill all the licensing requirements of the country in which they intend to practice medicine. A medical degree does not necessarily confer the right to practice. Therefore, any International student must submit along with his/her application form, a letter issued by the responsible authorities in his/her country indicating that they recognize the medical degree awarded by the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University and that this degree will enable this student to practice medicine in his/her country.

Students should know that acceptance into residency programs of any province are governed by province-specific rules and regulations. Currently, only Quebec accepts McGill Visa students into residency programs.

At the present time, international students wishing to pursue residency training in the USA should be aware that the appropriate route to do so is the J-1 Visa.

3.3.5.3 Out-of-Province Canadian Students

A very limited number of places will be made available by the Quebec government.