Doctor of Medicine (MD)

The Island Medical Program delivers UBC’s MD Undergraduate Program (MDUP).

The UBC MDUP equips you with the knowledge, training, and experience you need to successfully meet the healthcare challenges of today and tomorrow. It prepares you for a career based on evidence-based practice, critical reflection, lifelong learning, and the highest standards of professionalism.


Program Overview

UBC’s MDUP is designed to educate and train students in communities across British Columbia – especially in small, rural, and remote communities, where healthcare needs are most acute.

Starting in the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, the Faculty of Medicine will accept a total of 328 students. The students will be regionally distributed across the province as follows:

  • 40 students in the Island Medical Program (University of Victoria, Victoria)
  • 40 students in the Southern Medical Program (UBC Okanagan, Kelowna)
  • 40 students in the Northern Medical Program (University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George)
  • 208 students in the Vancouver Fraser Medical Program (UBC’s Point Grey campus, Vancouver)
    • 48 of these seats will be designated for the Vancouver Fraser Medical Program – Fraser Medical Cohort Year 3 Clinical Clerkship

All students follow the exact same curriculum, receive the same education, and graduate with a UBC MD degree.

Learn more about UBC’s distributed MD Undergraduate Program

Admission Requirements

Admission to the UBC MD Program is highly competitive, with roughly 3000 people applying each year.
We give preference to BC residents, though we reserve up to 33 positions for out-of-province applicants.

To be eligible to apply to the program, regardless of pathway, all applicants must have the following:

  • Canadian citizenship or permanent residency — we do not accept international students
  • A minimum 90 university-transferable credits with grades taken at a post-secondary institution (must be completed by April 30 of the year of admission)
  • A minimum 75% grade average (BC applicants) or 85% grade average (out-of-province applicants)
  • A minimum score of 124 in each section of a single Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
  • A minimum of six credits of English coursework — restrictions apply; click here for more info

You do not need a science degree to be eligible to apply. The UBC Faculty of Medicine considers applicants from a variety of backgrounds and gives no preference to any particular degree program or institution.

Learn more about admissions requirements

Admission Pathways

After submitting a general application, applicants may choose to apply through one or more of the following additional admission pathways: Northern and Rural pathway, Indigenous pathway, Black student pathway and MD / Ph.D pathway. These admission pathways have extra requirements.


If you come from a rural, remote, northern, or small coastal community — or if you have a genuine interest in practicing medicine in these communities — then consider the Northern and Rural pathway.

All 40 seats in the Northern Medical Program, up to 14 seats in the Southern Medical Program, up to 4 seats in the Island Medical Program, and up to 4 seats in the Vancouver Fraser Medical Program – Fraser Medical Cohort Year 3 Clinical Clerkship are reserved for qualified Northern & Rural applicants.

(Did you know? The BC government offers a student loan forgiveness program to residents and doctors who commit to an underserved BC community after their training.)

To learn more, please contact:

Jessica Skelton
IMP Admissions Coordinator
impadmcom@uvic.ca


Consider the Indigenous pathway if you identify as a Canadian Indigenous person. We aim to fill 5% of our seats with qualified Indigenous applicants.

In 2002, we set a goal of graduating 50 Indigenous doctors by 2020. We reached that milestone in 2015.

See the impact that Indigenous MDs are having in communities around BC.

To learn more, contact:

Cici Arsenault
Indigenous Initiatives Coordinator, Vancouver Island
ciceliaa@uvic.ca


If you self-identify as Black, or Black multiracial and identify with your Black ancestry, then consider the Black Student pathway.

All applicants supported through the pathway will be considered for the B.C. positions in the program (~259+ positions). Additionally, members of the Black community will be involved in the assessment of applicants in this stream.

To learn more, contact:

Johnesha Johnson
Black Initiatives Coordinator, Vancouver Island
johneshajohnson@uvic.ca


If you have a passion for medicine and research, the MD/PhD Program is for you.

This seven-year program is offered jointly by the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. It allows highly-qualified students to combine their medical school experience with intensive scientific training.

To learn more, contact:

Naureen Khan
MD / Ph.D. Coordinator
md.phd@ubc.ca

Deadlines and Fees

Know the timelines and meet the deadlines – if you miss one, you’ll have to wait for the next application cycle.

Medical school isn’t cheap, so take into account the expenses you’ll incur.

Learn about admissions timelines
Learn about the program costs

MD Curriculum

The 4-year UBC MD Program prepares students for postgraduate residency training. It does this by providing a foundation for socially responsible practice, lifelong learning, and excellent medical care.

Videoconferencing technology is vital to the delivery of the MD Program. From lectures to clinical skills training, V/C allows faculty, staff, and students to connect with their peers across the sites. It also ensures students receive the same curriculum and depth of learning experiences regardless of their location.


Years 1 and 2 combine lectures, small-group case-based learning, scholarly and community activities, and early clinical exposure. IMP students divide their time between the Medical Sciences Building at the University of Victoria, the Clinical Academic Campuses at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospitals, and family physician offices in Greater Victoria.


The overall goal is to provide students with core experiences across the breadth of medicine through both clinical and academic learning opportunities. Students will interact with patients under the supervision of faculty members in order to develop a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, and abilities described by the UBC exit competencies. Clinical activities will occur in ambulatory, hospital-based, rural and remote settings, and specialist clinics.

IMP students participate in either a Traditional Clerkship rotation at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospitals, or an Integrated Community Clerkship (ICC) rotation at one of six ICC sites across the province.


Students continue with elective clerkship experiences and preparation for postgraduate residency training. Students complete electives across BC and Canada, returning to Victoria for some coursework and exams. Near the end of Year 4, students participate in the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), where they interview for their postgraduate residency training program.

After earning their medical degree, students will graduate to postgraduate residency training for the next 2 to 5 years, depending on the specialty, to become a fully-licensed physician.

Learn more about the MD curriculum 
Learn more about UBC postgraduate residency training

Information Sessions

The Island Medical Program offers monthly hour-long information sessions throughout the academic year (August to April). These free sessions are held simultaneously on Zoom and in-person at the Medical Sciences Building on UVic Campus.  

Please register by clicking on the date of your preferred session below.

Aug 21, 2024
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom
Sep 18, 2024
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom
Oct 16, 2024
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom
Nov 20, 2024
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom
Dec 18, 2024
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom
Jan 15, 2025
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom
Feb 12, 2025
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom
Mar 12, 2025
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom
Apr 9, 2025
12 – 1 p.m.
MSB 150 & Zoom

Our admissions coordinator is also available year-round to answer your admissions questions at impadmcom@uvic.ca or 250-472-5527.

The UBC MD admissions office in Vancouver also hosts a series of information sessions, usually between May and November. Please visit their website for dates.

How to Apply

Regardless of site or pathway, all applicants apply through the central MD Admissions Office in Vancouver. The entire admissions process, from filling out the online application to receiving an offer, takes about nine months.

Apply to the UBC MD Undergraduate Program

Admissions Contacts

IMP Admissions Coordinator
impadmcom@uvic.ca
1-250-472-5527

Vancouver (Head) Admissions Office
admissions.md@ubc.ca
1-604-822-9911


Your Career Options

With clinical training widely distributed throughout British Columbia, we offer a unique approach to postgraduate medical education and support our learners to pursue lifelong learning opportunities and build lasting community connections.

UBC offers family medicine, along with 70 other specialty and sub-specialty training programs recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Residency varies from two years (for Family Medicine) up to four to seven years for other specialties and sub-specialties. On Vancouver Island, we offer full residency training in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and emergency medicine.

Family Medicine and Specialty Programs

  • Anesthesiology
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Dermatology
  • Diagnostic Radiology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Family Medicine – Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine – Clinician Scholar Prgm
  • General Surgery
  • Internal Medicine
  • Lab Medicine – Anatomical Pathology
  • Lab Medicine – General Pathology
  • Lab Medicine – Hematological Pathology
  • Lab Medicine – Medical Biochemistry
  • Lab Medicine – Medical Microbiology
  • Lab Medicine – Neuropathology
  • Medical Genetics
  • Neurology – Adult
  • Neurology – Pediatrics
  • Neurosurgery
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
  • Pediatrics
  • Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  • Plastic Surgery
  • Psychiatry
  • Public Health & Preventive Medicine
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Urology
  • Vascular Surgery

Subspecialty Programs

  • Adolescent Medicine
  • Cardiology – Adult
  • Cardiology – Pediatric
  • Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Clinical Immunology & Allergy – Adult
  • Clinical Immunology & Allergy – Pediatric
  • Colorectal Surgery
  • Critical Care Medicine – Adult
  • Critical Care Medicine – Pediatric
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Emergency Medicine – Pediatric
  • Endocrinology & Metabolism – Adult
  • Endocrinology & Metabolism – Pediatric
  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Gastroenterology – Adult
  • Gastroenterology – Pediatrics
  • General Internal Medicine
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Geriatric Psychiatry
  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Gynecological Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
  • Hematology – Adult
  • Hematology/Oncology – Pediatric
  • Infectious Diseases – Adult
  • Infectious Diseases – Pediatric
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • Medical Oncology
  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
  • Nephrology – Adult
  • Nephrology – Pediatric
  • Pain Medicine
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Respirology – Adult
  • Respiratory – Pediatric
  • Rheumatology – Adult
  • Rheumatology – Pediatric
  • Thoracic Surgery

Special Programs

  • Clinician Investigator Program
  • Palliative Medicine
  • Surgical Foundations

Welcome to UVic’s Campus

The University of Victoria is the second largest health educator in BC, with a strong focus on health and medical research and health-related programs such as Nursing, Public Health and Social Policy, and Health Information Science. IMP students can pursue research opportunities in UVic’s Division of Medical Sciences, the research arm of the IMP, and through a research mentor program, which links students with UVic and Island Health researchers.

Tour the Campus

The University of Victoria is easy to get to and easy to get around. Connected to downtown Victoria by several major bus and bicycle routes, the campus offers ample parking and an accessible and pedestrian-friendly environment.

Take a virtual tour of UVic
Book an on-campus tour
Learn more about UVic from student bloggers
Discover more about UVic’s campus

Sports and Clubs

Take advantage of the many opportunities and facilities to get involved and stay active—from workout space in the state-of-the-art Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA), to athletic courts, intramurals, fitness classes, and nationally ranked varsity athletics.

Fitness facilities
Intramurals and recreation
Varsity teams

Vancouver Island: What to Expect

Victoria, the provincial capital of BC, offers the attractions of a large city but on a smaller scale. It is home to the Royal BC Museum, opera, symphony, theaters, as well as a lively downtown full of unique restaurants, pubs, breweries, wineries, shops, and art galleries.

Vancouver Island is perfect for outdoor adventures such as biking, hiking, running, even skiing. You’re never far from the ocean, so there is a bounty of water sports and many beaches where you can relax in the sun.

Learn more about Victoria and Vancouver Island.