Black Applicant Pathway
Our Commitment to Helping Mitigate Historical and Structural Challenges
The Black Applicant Pathway (BAP) was established in recognition of the damage caused by years of racism and systemic bias against Black people that has resulted in significant underrepresentation in institutions of higher learning. It is hoped that the BAP will be one way of reducing challenges faced by Black applicants to medical school.
Once admitted into the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program, the Learner Experience Office (LEO) provides a welcoming and supportive learning environment for all medical students, targeting support to the needs of the learner through provision of resources, mentoring and advice, networking, and referral to specialists to help promote each learner’s success throughout medical school.
Applicants
The BAP is for Black Canadian applicants who self-identify as Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, or multi-racial.
To ensure a holistic assessment valuing the intersectionality that may occur for a single individual, applications and interviews through the BAP are assessed by a diversity and equity panel enriched with physicians, community members, and medical students who self-identify as black and are trained in implicit bias and EDID practices.
How to Apply
All applicants through the BAP must provide a brief personal statement describing statement (less than 500 words) describing their black experience.
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure all documentation is submitted online to OMSAS by the application deadline.
Falsification or misrepresentation of information from any portion of the application will result in removal of the application from consideration.
Consideration & Assessment
Applications are assessed holistically based on GPA and MCAT scores, Confidential Assessment Forms, Abbreviated Autobiographical Sketch, and Personal Statement. All required application materials, including supporting documentation for the BAP, must be submitted by the OMSAS deadline.
Only in exceptional circumstances will BAP applicants with a GPA of less than 3.30 or MCAT scores below 125 in each section be considered. Please visit the Admission Requirements webpage for detailed information.
Applying through the BAP does not guarantee the granting of MCAT or GPA flexibility, nor admission to the Doctor of Medicine Program. There are no fixed seats or quotas for the BAP.
Contact Information
Please direct questions about applying through the BAP to admissions.medicine@schulich.uwo.ca.
Applicants to Schulich Medicine who have disabilities and wish to discuss requests for accommodations should contact Accessible Education at ssd@uwo.ca or 519-661-2147.
Community of Support
Community of Support is an initiative through the University of Toronto with chapters across multiple universities, aimed at supporting students who are Indigenous, Black, Filipino, economically disadvantaged, or who self-identify with having a disability, with admissions information, advising, mentoring, and application support.
You might also consider applying to other medical schools that are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion through their admissions-related diversity and/or social accountability initiatives. Please consult individual Canadian medical schools for details.
