ITR for Year 3 BMSc

Note: Honours Specializations and Double Majors both lead to graduation with BMSc (Honours) degrees.

• Review information on the BMSc website and in the Academic Calendar about the modules offered in the BMSc Program to determine which modules interest you;
  • Note that proposals to revise the BMSc Program, and the Honours Specialization and Major modules, are moving through the approval process. The Academic Calendar will not be updated until final approval has been given. In the meantime, see the webpage for Course and Module Updates for proposed revisions.
• Ask departmental advisors about their modules;
• Speak with students at ITR events about their experience in their modules.

• Connect with the BMSUE Coordinators with your questions
• Attend Q&A sessions, hosted by the BMSUE Coordinators, during the ITR period

We recommend you select a BMSc degree for both your First and Second Choice for the following reasons:

• if your First Choice is BMSc with an Honours Specialization but the average on your 2000-level Admission Requirements is not high enough to secure a spot in this particular Honours Specialization module AND your Second Choice is BSc with a module(s) for which you are eligible, then we cannot admit you to Year 3 BMSc! We have to send your adjudication form to the department offering your Second Choice.
  
  
• if your First Choice is BMSc but are not eligible for it, AND your Second Choice is also BMSc, then we will admit you to your Second Choice if you are eligible. If your First and Second Choices are BMSc Honours degrees with Honours Specializations and you are not eligible for either HSP, then we will consider you for Double Majors within the BMSc program, depending on marks, etc., in the same subject areas as the Honours Specializations that you indicated.
  • Example: if your First Choice is Honours Specialization in Physiology and your Second Choice is Honours Specialization in Pathology but you are not eligible for either of these Honours Specializations, then you will be considered for BMSc (Honours) degree with Major in Physiology + Major in Pathology.
  • If you are not eligible for the Double Majors in the same subject areas as the two Honours Specialization modules that you selected as your First and Second Choices, e.g., you are not eligible for the BMSc (Honours) degree with Major in Physiology + Major in Pathology, then you will be considered for other Double Major combinations within BMSc.
  • If you are not eligible for any Double Majors in the BMSc Program, then you will be assigned to a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree with Double Majors (one of which is from the basic medical sciences and the other being the Major in Biology).

Notes: 

• Do not select one of the following Honours Specializations as either your First or Second Choice as it has been proposed that admission to Year 3 for these HSPs be discontinued and the modules be withdrawn:
  • Biochemistry and Cell Biology*
  • Biochemistry and Pathology of Human Disease*
  • Biochemistry of Infection and Immunity*
  • Chemical Biology
  • Computational Biochemistry
  • Microbiology and Immunology with Pathology*
  • Pharmacology

       * Double Majors will replace, essentially, these Honours Specialization modules, see the Course and Module Updates page for details.

Knowing how your ITR choices will be adjudicated by the BMSUE Coordinators may help you with making your ITR choices.

When final marks are available in May, we (the BMSUE Coordinators) look at the modules you requested during ITR.

• We look at your First Choice and, if you are eligible, we assign you to it.
• If you are NOT eligible for your First Choice, then we look at your Second Choice. If you are eligible for your Second Choice, then we assign you to it.
• If you are NOT eligible for either your First and Second choices, then we assign you to the degree/modules that make the most sense to us, based on your ITR choices and your marks. See below under What Happens Next - "What if you're not eligible for your First and Second Choices"

Admission to Double Majors is not limited to a certain number of students. Students must meet the minimum requirements for admission to BMSc from the competitive pool to be admited to the BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors.

Admission to each Honours Specialization module in Year 3 BMSc is limited to a certain number of students and each of these modules has a maximum capacity. The following are notes for admission to Honours Specialization modules:

• all courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the Honours Specialization module must be completed by the end of second year
  • special permission is NOT given for students to register in any Honours Specialization module in Year 3 BMSc without having completed all the Admission Requirements.
    • students in Med Sci 2 must complete all of these courses by the end of the fall/winter of Med Sci 2 to satisfy their conditions for assured admission
    • students who are applicants from the competitive pool have until the end of the summer between second and third year to complete the Admission Requirements (to be considered for admission to less-competitive Honours Specialization modules)
      
      
• the average achieved on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the Honours Specialization module is the average used to determine eligibility for the BMSc Program and the Honours Specialization modules
  • if 3.5 or more courses are listed in the 2000-level Admission Requirements, then the average is calculated on the best 3.0 of these courses.
    
    
• students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy the conditions for assured admission receive priority placement in the Honours Specialization modules in Year 3 BMSc
  • they are admitted to Honours Specialization modules before students from the competitive pool are considered, and
  • some Honours Specialization modules will reach their maximum capacity with students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy their conditions for assured admission before students from the competitive pool are considered for admission.
    
    
• admission to a particular Honours Specialization module is not assured for any student who is admitted to Year 3 BMSc
  • some Honours Specialization modules will reach their maximum capacity before all students are considered.
  • students in this situation will be considered for their Second Choices (and Double Majors in BMSc if not eligible for Second Choices)
    
    
• if you choose Honours Specialization modules as both your ITR Choices and you are not eligible for the Honours Specialization of your First Choice, then you do NOT miss out on being considered for the Honours Specialization of your Second Choice
  • if you do not earn a spot in the Honours Specialization of your First Choice, then we will take your Second Choice and put it in the mix with everyone who selected this Honours Specialization as their First Choice
    • Example: First Choice is Honours Specialization in Physiology and Second Choice is Honours Specialization in Pathology, and the Honours Specialization in Physiology turns out to be the most competitive Honours Specialization for admission.
      You do not earn a spot in the Honours Specialization in Physiology since the average (on the 2000-level Admission Requirements) of the last Med Sci 2 student (who satisfied their conditions for assured admission) admitted to the HSP is higher than your average. Your Second Choice of Honours Specialization in Pathology will be mixed in with all students who have Honours Specialization in Pathology as their First Choice so that you do not miss out on being considered for the less competitive Honours Specialization that was your Second Choice.

If your First Choice is the Honours Specialization in Physiology or the Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology, then do NOT select the other of these Honours Specialization modules as your Second Choice. Since the spaces in Year 3 for these two Honours Specializations are pooled together (80 spaces in total) and your admission average is calculated on the same set of courses, if you are not eligible for one of them in Year 3, then you will not be eligible for the other.

If you are not admitted to one of these HSP modules and would like to have good access to Physiology 3120 and 3140A, Pharmacology 3620, and Phys Pharm 3000E in Year 3, then you MUST be registered in the BMSc (Honours degree) with Double Majors in Year 3, with one of the Majors being either the Major in Pharmacology or the Major in Physiology. The prerequisite for Physiology and Pharmacology 3000E is changing to include "and registration in either a Major or Honours Specialization module offered by the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology or in the Honours Specialization in Biochemistry and Cancer Biology"

If you are admitted to the Honours Specialization in Physiology in Year 3 (and the revisions to the BMSc program are approved), then you are guaranteed progression to Year 4 of either the Honours Specialization in Physiology or the Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology if the Progression Requirements of that module are satisfied. The same holds true if you admitted to the Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology for Year 3 - your spot is guaranteed for Year 4 of either Honours Specialization module for Year 4. Students in Year 3 of either of these two Honours Specialization modules will have the same access to Pharmacology 3620, Physiology 3120 and 3140A, and Phys Pharm 3000E.

• Connect with the BMSUE Coordinators with your questions
• Attend Q&A sessions, hosted by the BMSUE Coordinators, during the ITR period

The conditions for admission to Year 3 BMSc, including the average required on the 2000-level Admission Requirements, are used to determine eligibility for admission to Year 3 BMSc and to the Honours Specialization modules.

As stated in the requirements for admission to Year 3 BMSc from the competitive pool, a minimum average of 75% on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements is required for admission to Year 3 BMSc and, by extension, this is the lowest average that can be achieved by students to be admitted to Honours Specializations and Double Majors in Year 3 BMSc. Since enrollment is not limited in any Major, students who satisfy the requirements for admission from the competitive pool are eligible to register in the BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors.

Admission to an Honours Specialization module becomes competitive and requires an average greater than 75% on the 2000-level Admission Requirements when more qualified students apply for the module than there are spaces in the module (the maximum capacity). The average of the last student admitted to the module is considered the minimum average required for admission to that module for that year.

Students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy their conditions for assured admission to Year 3 BMSc are considered for admission to Honours Specialization modules before students who are applicants from the competitive pool are considered. Being in Med Sci 2 and satisfying the conditions for assured admission means that you will be given the "first look" for admission to Honours Specialization modules.

Familiarize yourself with the maximum capacity and the minimum averages that students have required for the past few years to secure a spot in each Honours Specialization module.

The 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the Honours Specialization or Double Major modules that you request during ITR must be completed by the end of Year the fall/winter of Med Sci 2 to satisfy the conditions for assured admission. Students applying from the competitive pool have until the end of the summer after Year 2 to complete the Admission Requirements.

The Admission Requirements are listed under each module heading on the Course and Module Updates Page and have been compiled into charts below so that you can see all of the modules at once (this makes it easier to compare the Admission Requirements for the modules):

• Honours Specialization modules
• Double Majors
• Specialization in IMS - see Admission Requirements in the Academic Calendar

The average that you achieve on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the module(s) that you request during Intent to Register is the average that is used to determine your eligibility for Year 3 BMSc and the module(s) you requested during ITR. A minimum mark of 80% is not required in each of these 2000-level courses and the marks that you achieve in optional courses are not included in this average.

If you are in Medical Sciences 2 and you satisfy the conditions for assured admission (which includes a minimum average of 80% on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements of the module(s) you requested), then you are guaranteed a spot in Year 3 BMSc (but not the module that you request) AND will be considered for the limited number of spots in the Honours Specialization modules before students from the competitive pool.

If you are in Medical Sciences 2 and do not satisfy the conditions for assured admission, then you will be considered for admission to Year 3 BMSc as an applicant from the competitive pool and will need to satisfy the conditions for admission from the competitive pool (which includes a miniumum average of 75% on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements requirements of the module(s) you requested). Do not panic - see below.

If you are not registered in Medical Sciences 2, then you are considered an applicant from the competitive pool and are not guaranteed a spot in Year 3 BMSc even if you satisfy the conditions for admission from the competitive pool (which includes a miniumum average of 75% on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements requirements of the module(s) you requested). Do not panic - see below.

Do not panic because, to date, every student who has satisfied the requirements for admission to Year 3 BMSc from the competitive pool has been admitted to Year 3 BMSc and we expect this trend to continue.

No, not if the failed course is in second year or the summer after second year. You cannot repeat second year and re-apply to the BMSc Program since students have to be admitted to the BMSc Program directly after second year. 

• Connect with the BMSUE Coordinators with your questions
• Attend Q&A sessions, hosted by the BMSUE Coordinators, during the ITR period

*Watch Kathy Boon's video* from a few years ago about how to submit an ITR and then look at the information below.

Login to Student Center. Select the Academics tile and then the Program Status tile. Select the Intent to Register Form. Login to Western One Experience.

Go to Student Center

If the online ITR process does not work for you, then go to the BMSUE Question Portal, choose your student group from the list on the left-hand side, select Intent to Register and let us know the issue in the section to submit your questions. Paste a screenshot of the error that you received when trying to submit your ITR.

Once into the ITR Form:

• choose your intended course load: select Full-time and then click on Continue
• select your faculty: click on the drop-down arrow and select "Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry" as your faculty, and then click on Continue
• choose your degree: click on the drop-down arrow and choose either "Bachelor of Medical Sciences" or "Bachelor of Medical Sciences - Western Scholars", and then click on Continue
  • if you select Bachelor of Medical Sciences - Western Scholars, then a pop-up box will appear to inform you of the minimum marks that must be achieved each year to earn the Western Scholars designation (click on OK). If you are not eligible for the Western Scholars designation, then you will still be considered for Year 3 BMSc with the module(s) you submitted during ITR
• choose your degree, again, to distinguish between an Honours degree and a 4 Year (non-honours) degree:
  • you should pick Honours Bachelor of Medical Sciences since every student who is eligible for Year 3 BMSc should be eligible for an Honours BMSc degree
• choose the type of Module(s): click on the drop-down arrow to select the type of module or combination of modules that you would like to pick for next year:
  • Honours Specialization (by itself or with either a Major or Minor module), OR
  • Honours Major + Major (Double Majors)
• choose the specific module(s): click on the drop-down arrow to pick the specific module, e.g. Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology, that you want as your First Choice
  • if you select Honours Major + Major, you have to choose both Majors from two drop-down boxes
• after you click on Continue, but before you click on Confirm, you should be able to go back and make changes. After you click on Confirm and then want to change your selection, you have to exit the ITR process and submit a new ITR
• click on Confirm if your selection is correct

To submit a Second Choice, repeat the process above. We recommend selecting BMSc as your Second Choice, too (see strategies for submitting ITR).

You can submit your online ITR as many times as you want and each new submission over-writes the last submission (both choices). The last ITR that you submit on or before April 2nd will be the one that "sticks".

Go to Student Center

Students forget to select Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry as their faculty!

Western Scholars and Scholar's Electives are NOT the same thing.

• The Scholar's Electives program begins in first year and students take Scholar's Electives courses in each of Years 1-4. Students cannot join the SE program after first year.
  
  
• Western Scholars is a designation to recognize academic achievment that is noted on official transcripts and degree diplomas. Students request the Western Scholars designation when submitting their ITR for Year 3 and/or 4 BMSc. Details about the academic requirements are posted in the Academic Calendar and include the following marks/average requirements:
  • students must achieve a sessional average of at least 80%, with no mark less than 65%, on a full course load (i.e., at least 5.0 courses) during each Fall/Winter session and a sessional average of at least 70%, with no mark less than 65%, on any additional courses taken during the summer session 
  • if you select Western Scholars along with the BMSc degree but are not eligible for the Western Scholars designation, then your module choices are NOT impacted.

As soon as you submit your First Choice for ITR, you will be sent an email message from the Office of the Registrar with your First Choice for ITR displayed over a few lines. These lines represent your faculty, degree type and module(s), as in the example below:

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - your faculty
Honours Bachelor of Medical Sciences - your degree
Honours Specialization in Biochemistry - your module

After submitting your Second Choice for ITR, you'll be sent another email message from the Office of the Registrar with your Second Choice for ITR displayed over a few lines, as in the example below:

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - your faculty
Honours Bachelor of Medical Sciences - your degree
Major in Biochemistry - one of your Major modules
Major in Medical Cell Biology - the other Major module

The email messages do NOT indicate which is your First Choice and which is your Second Choice.
You can figure out which email indicates your First Choice since this email will be sent before the email about your Second Choice - check when the email was sent!

DO NOT ask the BMSUE Coordinators or the Academic Advising Office to confirm that you ITR was submitted and what you submitted as your choices.

Once final marks have been processed, we (the BMSUE Coordinators) determine which students are eligible to register in the BMSc Program, we then look at the modules they requested during ITR.

Admission to Double Majors is not limited to a certain number of students. Students must meet the minimum requirements for admission to BMSc from the competitive pool to be admited to the BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors.

Admission to each Honours Specialization module in Year 3 BMSc is limited to a certain number of students and each of these modules has a maximum capacity. The following are notes for admission to Honours Specialization modules:

• all courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the Honours Specialization module must be completed by the end of second year
  • special permission is NOT given for students to register in any Honours Specialization module in Year 3 BMSc without having completed all the Admission Requirements.
    • students in Med Sci 2 must complete all of these courses by the end of the fall/winter of Med Sci 2 to satisfy their conditions for assured admission
    • students who are applicants from the competitive pool have until the end of the summer between second and third year to complete the Admission Requirements (to be considered for admission to less-competitive Honours Specialization modules)
      
      
• the average achieved on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the Honours Specialization module is the average used to determine eligibility for the BMSc Program and the Honours Specialization modules
  • if 3.5 or more courses are listed in the 2000-level Admission Requirements, then the average is calculated on the best 3.0 of these courses.
    
    
• students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy the conditions for assured admission receive priority placement in the Honours Specialization modules in Year 3 BMSc
  • they are admitted to Honours Specialization modules before students from the competitive pool are considered, and
  • some Honours Specialization modules will reach their maximum capacity with students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy their conditions for assured admission before students from the competitive pool are considered for admission.
    
    
• admission to a particular Honours Specialization module is not assured for any student who is admitted to Year 3 BMSc
  • some Honours Specialization modules will reach their maximum capacity before all students are considered.
  • students in this situation will be considered for their Second Choices (and Double Majors in BMSc if not eligible for Second Choices)
    
    
• if you choose Honours Specialization modules as both your ITR Choices and you are not eligible for the Honours Specialization of your First Choice, then you do NOT miss out on being considered for the Honours Specialization of your Second Choice
  • if you do not earn a spot in the Honours Specialization of your First Choice, then we will take your Second Choice and put it in the mix with everyone who selected this Honours Specialization as their First Choice
    • Example: First Choice is Honours Specialization in Physiology and Second Choice is Honours Specialization in Pathology, and the Honours Specialization in Physiology turns out to be the most competitive Honours Specialization for admission.
      You do not earn a spot in the Honours Specialization in Physiology since the average (on the 2000-level Admission Requirements) of the last Med Sci 2 student (who satisfied their conditions for assured admission) admitted to the HSP is higher than your average. Your Second Choice of Honours Specialization in Pathology will be mixed in with all students who have Honours Specialization in Pathology as their First Choice so that you do not miss out on being considered for the less competitive Honours Specialization that was your Second Choice.

When final marks are available in May, students are adjudicated (assessed for eligibility) for the programs/degrees/modules that they requested during the ITR period. Grade reports will be posted in Student Centre by mid-June and will inform students if they are eligible for what was requested on their ITR. See Adjudication for more details.

If both your First and Second Choices are BMSc but you are not eligible for the modules you have selected for these choices, then we will look at every Double Major combination within the BMSc program to see if there is something within BMSc for which you are eligible, starting with Double Majors that are in similar subjects as the modules that you chose during ITR.

Example: if you request the Honours Specialization in Physiology as your First Choice and the Honours Specialization in Microbiology and Immunology as your Second Choice but do not get admitted to either of them for Year 3, then:

• you will be admitted to the BMSc (Honours) degree with the Major in Physiology + the Major in Microbiology and Immunology if you are eligible because these Double Majors give you good access to the 3000-level Physiology (Pharmacology and Phys Pharm) and Microbiology and Immunology courses.
  • The Honours Specialization modules give you the best access to the basic medical science courses that are listed in the HSPs
  • Double Majors in the BMSc (Honours) degree give the next best access to the basic medical science courses that are isted in the Majors.
• if you are not eligible for the BMSc (Honours) degree with the Major in Physiology + the Major in Microbiology and Immunology, then we will look at every Double Major combination to see if there is any pair of Double Majors in BMSc for which you are eligible.

If you are NOT eligible for Year 3 BMSc, then:

• you will be adjudicated into a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree for Year 3, often with the Major in Medical Sciences + a Major in Biology.
  
  • If you are not eligible for both your First Choice of Honours Specialization in Physiology and  your Second Choice of Honours Specialization in Microbiology and Immunology, and we cannot find any Double Majors in BMSc for which you are eligible, then we will consider you for the BSc degree with Major in Physiology + Major in Biology. If you are not eligible for the Major in Physiology, then we will consider you for the Major in Microbiology and Immunology + Major in Biology. If you are not eligible for those Majors, then we will consider you for Major in Medical Sciences + Major in Biology.
    
    
• you can submit a request to the Academic Advising Office in NCB 280 to tweak your module(s) within the BSc degree, only, later in June/early July. The Academic Advising Office will not revise your modules if you have priority access to the courses in which you wish to register based on the modules assigned during the adjudication period (e.g., Major in Biology provides priority access to the same courses as Honours Specialization in Biology). The Academic Advising Office will not permit you to change a basic medical science Major (e.g., Major in Medical Sciences) to a different basic medical science Major (e.g., Major in Physiology) for Year 3.
  
  
• you will not be permitted, however, to apply to the BMSc program again in the future unless you submit an Appeal for Year 4 BMSc immediately after Year 2 and your appeal is granted.

Students who miss the deadline to submit their ITR will NOT be permitted to submit a late ITR. See "Why ITR matters to your as a second-year student" above.

You will have to submit a Change of Status request in the summer, after the adjudication period, to the Academic Advising Office by the deadline posted on their website to be considered for late admission to Year 3 BMSc. If you are admitted to Year 3 BMSc in late June/early July, then every attempt will be made to register you in a module(s) that gives you as much access as possible to the courses in which you would like to register for Year 3. There are some modules in which you may not be permitted to register via the Change of Status process due to the spaces reserved in laboratory courses (e.g., modules in Biochemistry, IMS, Microbiology and Immunology, Pharmacology, Physiology).

If you are not registered in a module that gives you priority access to courses that you would like to take, then you will have to wait until the priorities lift and the reserved spaces disappear later in July to register in the course (if space remains).

Students admitted to Year 3 BMSc will be assigned to modules during the adjudication period in May, based on their Intent to Register choices. Once assigned to their modules, students in Year 3 BMSc may not change their modules within the BMSc Program for Year 3. During the Intent to Register period in Year 3, students will submit their Intent to Register for the modules in which they wish to register for Year 4.

Immediately following the adjudication period in May-June, the BMSUE Office notifies the Office of the Registrar about the manner in which the spaces are to be reserved in the 2000- and 3000-level laboratory and lecture courses offered by the basic medical science departments. Since moving students to different modules would impact the spaces reserved in courses for students already assigned to these modules, revisions to the basic medical science modules are not permitted for Year 3.

Students admitted to Year 3 BMSc who wish to switch out of the BMSc Program and into a BSc degree may submit a request to the Academic Advising Office via their Help Portal by their deadline (look here for details). Adding a Major offered by the basic medical science departments will not be permitted, however, unless the student was registered in the Major prior to switching to a BSc degree.

Yes, you should submit an ITR for Year 3 BMSc in case you do not get admitted to the HBA program. Make sure that your First Choice is the module(s) in which you would like to be registered and which give you good access to courses you want to take in Year 3. 

If you are admitted to HBA1 and want to complete the combined BMSc/HBA program, you will apply for the combined BMSc/HBA program (a.k.a. dual degrees) during HBA1. You do NOT have to select either an Honours Specialization in IMS or Biochemistry for Year 3.

You will submit an application through Ivey for the combined BMSc/HBA Program (referred to as dual degrees by Ivey). The BMSUE Coordinator will be informed of your application and will contact you sometime between February- April to inform you of your eligibility for the BMSc portion of the combined program. If you are eligible, the BMSUE Coordinator will submit an ITR to the Office of the Registrar on your behalf.