uOttawa vs McMaster
First
Second
5,920Applied5,793
621Interviewed577
About 184Seats217
4 years, OttawaProgram3 years, Hamilton, Niagara and Waterloo
3.50GPA minimum3.00
3.93Admitted GPA3.94
Not requiredMCATCARSCritical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, one of the four MCAT sections. It tests reading and reasoning on passages from the humanities and social sciences. No science knowledge is needed. McMaster only looks at this section. only, 123 minimum
Early-phase MMI, multiple mini interviewA circuit of short, timed interview stations. Each station has a different scenario or question and a different interviewer, so no single conversation decides your score. Schools use it to judge communication, ethics and judgement, not science knowledge.; no CasperAn online situational judgement test from Acuity Insights. You watch or read everyday scenarios and explain what you would do and why, in typed and video answers. Human raters score it.Situational testCasperAn online situational judgement test from Acuity Insights. You watch or read everyday scenarios and explain what you would do and why, in typed and video answers. Human raters score it. required
6 subjects at B or betterPrerequisitesNone
How GPA is counted
uOttawaYour three most recent full-time undergraduate years only, with at least four graded courses per term. Graduate courses and exchange terms abroad are excluded.
McMasterCumulative. Every undergraduate year counts equally and nothing is dropped. If both attempts of a repeated course are on your transcript, both count.
Who gets an interview
uOttawaA rank list built from GPA, the Early-phase MMIA recorded video interview done online in the fall, soon after you apply. You answer short scenarios on camera on the Acuity Insights platform. Several Ontario schools developed it together. uOttawa and Queen’s require it for entry in 2027. and the Autobiographical sketchYour list of activities, jobs, awards and volunteering since age 16, submitted with your application. Each entry names someone who can confirm it. Schools read it to see how you spend your time.. The weights are kept private.
McMasterFormula: GPA 32%, CARSCritical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, one of the four MCAT sections. It tests reading and reasoning on passages from the humanities and social sciences. No science knowledge is needed. McMaster only looks at this section. 32%, CasperAn online situational judgement test from Acuity Insights. You watch or read everyday scenarios and explain what you would do and why, in typed and video answers. Human raters score it. 32%, plus up to 4% for a completed graduate degree.
The interview
uOttawaAbout 40 minutes with a panel of two committee members and a fourth-year medical student. Virtual for 2027.
McMasterVirtual multiple mini interview (MMI, multiple mini interviewA circuit of short, timed interview stations. Each station has a different scenario or question and a different interviewer, so no single conversation decides your score. Schools use it to judge communication, ethics and judgement, not science knowledge.). No science knowledge is tested.
Who gets an offer
uOttawaRanked mainly on interview performance.
McMasterFormula: MMI, multiple mini interviewA circuit of short, timed interview stations. Each station has a different scenario or question and a different interviewer, so no single conversation decides your score. Schools use it to judge communication, ethics and judgement, not science knowledge. 70%, GPA 15%, CARSCritical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, one of the four MCAT sections. It tests reading and reasoning on passages from the humanities and social sciences. No science knowledge is needed. McMaster only looks at this section. 15%. Top scores go to file review and offers.
What stands out
uOttawaSeparate English and French streams. About 70% of seats go to applicants from the Ottawa region.
McMasterThree-year MD. Only the CARSCritical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, one of the four MCAT sections. It tests reading and reasoning on passages from the humanities and social sciences. No science knowledge is needed. McMaster only looks at this section. section of the MCATThe Medical College Admission Test, run by the AAMC. It has four sections: chemistry and physics, critical analysis and reasoning (CARS), biology and biochemistry, and psychology and sociology. Each section is scored from 118 to 132, for a total from 472 to 528. counts.