The process of getting a medical degree requires not only time and effort but also substantial funds since the course requires specialized instructors who themselves are doctors.
Because of this, there are only a select few students who can afford to take up a medical course. However, there are several medical schools in Canada that offer educational opportunities at affordable prices.
Some schools offer scholarships and employment opportunities to students who are working while earning their medical degrees, despite the lower education costs for local students compared to international students.
This article lists the cheapest medical schools in Canada, with Tuition Fees.
RELATED: 20 Best Medical Schools in Canada
Medical Schools in Canada Requirements
In general, medical students begin their studies after receiving a bachelor’s degree in another field, often one of the biological sciences. However, not all medical schools in Canada require a bachelor’s degree to enter.
For example, Quebec medical schools accept applicants after a two-year CEGEP diploma, which is the equivalent of 12th grade from other provinces plus the first year of college.
Most medical faculties in western Canada require at least 2 years, and most faculties in Ontario require at least 3 years of university study before the application can be submitted to medical school.
The University of Manitoba requires applicants to complete a prior degree before admission. The Association of Medical Faculties of Canada (AFMC) annually publishes a detailed guide on the admission requirements of Canadian medical faculties.
Admission offers are made by individual medical schools, usually based on a personal statement, autobiographical outline, undergraduate registration (GPA), scores on the admission exam of the Faculty of Medicine (MCAT) and interviews.
Medical schools in Quebec (Francophones and Anglophones alike), the University of Ottawa (a bilingual school) and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (a school that promotes Francophone culture) do not require the MCAT, since the MCAT has no French equivalent.
Some schools, such as the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, use the MCAT score as a cut-off point, where scores below the standard compromise eligibility. Other schools, such as the University of Western Ontario, grant a growing preference for higher performance.
McMaster University strictly uses the Critical Analysis and Reasoning section of the MCAT to determine eligibility for the interview and the range of admission.
The annual success rate for Canadian citizens applying for admission to Canadian medical schools is normally less than 10%. There were only more than 2,500 seats available in freshman classes in 2006-2007 in the seventeen Canadian medical schools.
The average cost of tuition in 2006-2007 was $ 12,728 for medical schools outside Quebec; in Quebec (only for Quebecers), the average tuition was $ 2,943. The level of debt among Canadian medical students upon graduation has received medical attention.
20 Cheapest Medical Schools in Canada
1. Memorial University of Newfoundland
Tuition fee (Canadian students): $2,550 (Newfoundland and Labrador Students residents); $3,330 (Other Canadian residents)
Tuition fee (International students): $11,460
The Memorial University of Newfoundland is a university located in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. It was established in 1925 to honor the people who died in the First World War.
It was originally called the Memorial University College and aimed to educate school teachers as well as provide higher education opportunities to locals. Aside from St. John’s campus, the university also has a campus in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and Harlow, United Kingdom.
This cheap medical school in Canada offers over 100 degree and non-degree programs. These programs include Medicine, Maritime Studies, Music, Economics, Technology, and Computer Studies, among others.
2. University of Calgary – School of Medicine
Tuition fee (Canadian students): $5,593.50
Tuition fee (International students): $12,695.88
The University of Calgary – School of Medicine was initially called the University of Calgary – Faculty of Medicine before it was renamed in 2014.
Established in 1967, it is one of the two schools of medicine in Alberta. The school is associated with hospitals under the Alberta Health Services. These hospitals include the Alberta Children’s Hospital, Chinook Regional Hospital, and Foothills Medical Centre, among others.
Aside from the Doctor of Medicine program, the school also offers degrees in Pathology, Gastrointestinal Sciences, Immunology, Health Sciences, Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases.
3. University of Alberta – Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
Tuition fee (Canadian students): $6,022.08 (per term)
Tuition fee (International students): $7,621.38 (One 6-credit or two 3-credit courses)
The University of Alberta – Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry was established in 1913 and is among the oldest medical schools located in Western Canada. The school has 21 departments and 10 research groups.
Its lineup of clinical instructors includes several National 3M Teaching Fellows, who are considered among the best post-secondary instructors in Canada. Aside from the Doctor of Medicine degree, this cheap medical school in Canada also offers degrees in Dentistry and Radiation Therapy.
4. McGill University – Faculty of Medicine
Tuition fee (Canadian students): $7,780.38 (Quebec residents); $19,112.19 (Other Canadian residents)
Tuition fee (International students): $45,884.88
The McGill University – Faculty of Medicine was established in 1829 and is the First Faculty of Medicine in Canada. Before the founding of the school, four physicians established the Montreal Medical Institution.
It was later incorporated into the McGill College to ensure the endowment provided by fur trader James McGill remains intact mainly for educational purposes.
It is composed of five schools: the Ingram School of Nursing, Medicine, School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, and the School of Population & Global Health.
The academic health network of McGill is made up of three academic health and social services centers. These centers are the CIUSSS Montreal West Island, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, and the McGill University Health Centre.
Each center is responsible for several health care institutes and organizations where research is conducted annually by students, residents, and fellows of McGill.
5. Dalhousie University – Faculty of Medicine
Tuition fee (Canadian students): $22,177.96
Tuition fee (International students): $32,391.96
The Dalhousie University – Faculty of Medicine is among the oldest medical faculties in Canada. It is the only medical school located in the Maritime Provinces.
This cheap medical school in Canada is associated with several healthcare systems managed by the Government of Prince Edward Island, the Government of Nova Scotia, and the Government of New Brunswick.
Faculty of Medicine has two campuses: the Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, Carleton Campus in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John Regional Hospital in Saint John, New Brunswick.
6. University of Toronto – Faculty of Medicine
Tuition fee (Canadian students): $24,835.40
Tuition fee (International students): $87,341.40
Aside from being one of the oldest medical schools in Canada, the University of Toronto – Faculty of Medicine is known for the discovery of insulin and stem cells. It is also known for the world’s first single-lung and double-lung transplants.
The medical school was established in 1843 and provided medical and medical sciences instruction for the university. It is among the world’s best medical schools based on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities.
The school is home to several departments and institutes, including Anesthesia, Biochemistry, Immunology, Medicine, Physical Therapy, and Surgery.
Moreover, the school also has several research centers, including the Centre for Ambulatory Care Education, Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, McLaughlin Centre, Transplantation Institute, and the Wilson Centre for Research in Education.
7. Queen’s University – School of Medicine
Tuition fee (Canadian students): $ 25,053.75
Tuition fee (International students): $ 86,226.35
The Queen’s University – School of Medicine is responsible for undergraduate and graduate medical education. This cheap medical school in Canada is also tasked with conducting medical research for the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University.
Established in 1854, the School of Medicine originally had six lecturers and 23 students when it first started. Today, it has several departments aimed at providing for the needs of its students.
These departments include Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Critical Care Medicine, and Family Medicine, among others.
The school offers several undergraduate and graduate programs, including Bachelor of Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Experimental Medicine, and Reproduction and Developmental Sciences.
8. University of Northern British Columbia (Faculty of Medicine)
Tuition (Full-time): $23,818.20
The Northern Medical Program (NMP) is a distributed site of UBC’s Faculty of Medicine MD Undergraduate Program, delivered in partnership with UNBC.
The NMP is focused on training physicians from and for northern and rural communities in alignment with the social accountability principle of the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s strategic plan.
Along with the Island Medical Program and the Southern Medical Program, this distributed medical program was the first of its kind in North America and has proven to be a highly successful model of distributed education.
9. University of Saskatchewan (College of Medicine)
Tuition: $18,718
The College of Medicine of the University of Saskatchewan is the university’s medical school. The school is located in Saskatoon. It is the only medical school in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
One of the first faculties that began in the University of Saskatchewan was the faculty of medicine. There were also the law, arts, and divinity faculties. The school is armed with a vision to improve the health and well-being of the people of Saskatchewan and the world.
10. University of Manitoba (College of Medicine)
Tuition: $11,300
Currently, ranks among the top 20 in Canada, tied at number 14 with the University of Saskatchewan. One of the things that characterize this university is how inclusive it is.
They have developed both national and international programs, reaching out to First Nation citizens in Canada.
Established in 1877, this university is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It has become the leading research institution in Western Canada, and it was also home to the first medical school in the area.
11. Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Tuition: $27,358
The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is the combined medical school and dental school of the University of Western Ontario, one of 17 medical schools in Canada and one of six in Ontario. The medical school was founded in 1881 and the dental school was founded in 1964. The two schools merged in 1997.
12. McMaster University Medical School
Tuition: $26,130.40
This school of Medicine, was established in 1966 and renamed the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in 2004, they currently offer major programs in undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate medical education. The Undergraduate Medical Program for the MD degree was initiated in 1969, graduating its first students in May 1972. At present, 203 students are admitted to the program each year.
The three-year program in Medicine uses a problem-based approach to learning that should apply throughout the physician’s career. The academic program operates on an 11 months-a-year basis and students qualify for the MD degree at the end of the third academic year.
13. Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Tuition: $23,247.00
This medical school in Canada is associated with two teaching hospitals and it has other links with different health centers. A joint product of allegiance was created between Lakehead University and Laurentian University.
Therefore, it has campuses both in Thundery Bay and in Sudbury, where these universities are respectively located, in Ontario.
14. University of British Columbia
Tuition: $5,646.4
Established in 1915, the University of British Columbia is one of the best international universities in the world. It is a public research university. The medical faculty of the University of British Columbia is one of the best medical faculties in Canada 2020 and consists of nineteen departments, three schools and twenty-three research centers and institutes.
15. Ottawa University
Tuition: $6,376
The University of Ottawa medical school is the only medical school in Canada that is bilingual. With the commitment to excellence in education and health research, the school aims to meet the medical needs of communities, from their local communities to global communities.
16. Laval University (Faculty of Medicine)
Tuition: $3,929
17. University of Sherbrooke (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Tuition: $3,307
18. University of Regina (School of Medicine)
Tuition: $6,983
19. Athabasca University (School of Medicine)
Tuition: $22,600
20. Royal Road University
Tuition: $8,240
ALSO READ: 25 Top NFT Marketplaces To Buy & Sell NFTs
Frequently Asked Questions On Cheapest Medical Schools In Canada
Is It Easy To Enter A Canadian Medical School?
There is a myth that Canadian medical schools have lower admission standards than other schools because the country has a shortage of doctors. Actually, the rates of admission to medical school in Canada are quite low compared to those in the United States, with an average of around 10-20 percent versus 46 percent. In 2017, 81 percent of Canadian applicants were not admitted to any Canadian medical school.
The shortage of doctors, which is real, does not translate into a significant increase in admission rates, because class sizes remain limited. There are simply not many medical schools and hospitals in the country, nor are there enough staff and resources to accommodate a greater number of students and interns.
Do Canadian medical residency programs favor applicants with a Canadian medical degree?
If you are a non-Canadian citizen interested in establishing your career as a doctor in Canada, you will have a much better chance of obtaining a Canadian medical residence if you obtain a Canadian medical degree. In 2018, 91.6% of graduates of the Canadian medical school (CMG) successfully were favoured with a medical residence in Canada, compared to only 58.5% of graduates of the US medical school.
Some Canadian residency programs do not even consider IMG or USG, while others, such as the University of Toronto and the University of McMaster, have fees for such applicants.
CONCLUSION
Even as it is challenging to finance a medical degree from a reputable medical school, there are several schools in Canada offering affordable education to both Canadians and international students.