10 Best medical Schools in Canada For International Students
Choosing the best medical school in Canada can be a daunting task as the country is home to many prestigious institutions that offer top-notch education and training for aspiring doctors. The best medical schools in Canada are known for their quality of education, distinguished faculty, robust curriculum, and the latest educational methods and equipment.
When deciding which medical program to pursue, it is essential to consider the specialty you are interested in, ranging from family medicine to surgery. You should also consider the location of the school. The duration of studying medicine in Canada usually ranges from five to six years, and at the end of 2020, the MCCQE exam was taken at the Canadian Medical Council.
Medical schools can be located in major cities or smaller towns/rural areas. One crucial factor to consider is the tuition costs, as some schools may charge more than others. Additionally, it is essential to assess the quality of the program and the reputation of the school.
Canada boasts one of the best medical education systems globally, with universities that rank among the top 20 best medical schools in the world according to Times Higher Education and QS World University Ranking for Medicine. However, Canada still faces a shortage of medical professionals due to limited capacity in its medical schools to accommodate students.
Are you considering a career in medicine? It is widely regarded as one of the noblest professions, with abundant job opportunities in healthcare, particularly in a post-pandemic world. Additionally, medicine is among the highest-paying professions. This article, compiled by Lofty Scholars, will guide you through the best medical schools in Canada, whether you are a Canadian or an international student.
Here are the Best Medical Schools In Canada
Cumming School of Medicine U C
The Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary was established in 1967 as the Faculty of Medicine and later renamed in 2014. It is one of two medical schools in Alberta and one of 17 in Canada. The school is affiliated with hospitals in Alberta Health Services, including Foothills Medical Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Rockyview General Hospital, and Chinook Regional Hospital.
The Faculty of Medicine provides four main educational programs: undergraduate, which includes medical and health sciences; postgraduate medical; graduate science; and continuing medical education. These programs represent the continuum of learning from the moment a prospective physician enters medical school through their professional practice and beyond.
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is a joint medical and dental school at the University of Western Ontario, making it one of the 17 medical schools in Canada and one of the six in Ontario. The school offers a four-year program leading to a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree.
The curriculum is constantly evolving and equips graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills to enter into general practice, pursue specialty training, or start an academic career.
Northern Ontario School of Med
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a public medical university located in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its mandate is to educate doctors and contribute to healthcare in Northern Ontario’s urban, rural, and remote communities. The university has campuses in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
Initially, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine was established as a partnership between Laurentian University in Sudbury and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. However, in April 2022, it became a standalone university.
UdeM – Faculty of Medicine
The UdeM Faculty of Medicine, formerly known as the School of Medicine and Surgery of Montreal, was established in 1843.
It is one of four medical schools in Quebec and is located in Montreal and Trois-Rivières, affiliated with the Université de Montréal.
The school has recently received notable recognition, including a $1.8 million endowment from Pfizer for a chair in atherosclerosis and a million-dollar grant for leukemia research.
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has a long-standing history that dates back to 1913. Initially, the Faculty offered a three-year undergraduate medical program in basic medical sciences until 1922. The program of clinical instruction was initiated in 1923, leading to the award of the first Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees in 1925.
In 1917, the School of Dentistry was established under the Faculty of Medicine, offering dental education. The first complete degree program was introduced in 1923, and the inaugural class graduated in 1927. The School was renamed the Faculty of Dentistry in 1944, and dental auxiliary training was launched in 1961. In 1962, the School of Dental Hygiene was established, and the program of graduate studies was formally approved.
In 1996, the Faculty of Dentistry merged with the Faculty of Medicine to form the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.
Manitoba University; Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba has a rich history dating back to 1883 when it was established as the Manitoba Medical College. Initially operating independently, it later merged with the University of Manitoba in 1919 to become the Faculty of Medicine.
As the first medical school in the Prairie provinces, the Manitoba Medical College played a significant role in shaping the region’s healthcare landscape. Today, the Faculty of Medicine comprises 27 academic departments, institutes, and administrative units, which are spread across the Bannatyne campus, the Health Sciences Centre, and other health sciences facilities in Winnipeg.
Moreover, the college is home to various research groups, centres, and institutes that often collaborate with other healthcare organizations.
Memorial University; Faculty of medicine
The Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland is situated on the eastern coast of North America and is one of the two medical schools in Atlantic Canada. It was established in 1967 and serves as the academic hub for health research in the province.
The Faculty of Medicine comprises the medical school, postgraduate residency training programs, and graduate programs that offer Masters, Doctoral, or MD-PhD degrees, as well as diplomas in Community Health, Clinical Epidemiology, and Post-Secondary Studies (Health Professional Education).
It is located adjacent to the Health Sciences Centre on the northwest corner of Memorial University of Newfoundland’s St. John’s campus, along with several smaller sites in urban and rural areas across Newfoundland, Labrador, and Atlantic Canada.
UBC Faculty of Medicine
The UBC Faculty of Medicine is the medical school affiliated with the University of British Columbia, and it is the only medical school in the province of British Columbia. It is among the 17 medical schools in Canada, offering Canada’s largest undergraduate medical education program and the fifth-largest in the United States and Canada. Maclean’s ranks it as the second-best medical program in Canada, and the 2017 QS World University Rankings position it as the 27th best medical program globally.
The UBC Faculty of Medicine conducts most of its research through six institutes and fifteen centers that are either affiliated with UBC or part of it. While some researchers work at UBC’s Vancouver campus, many are based in the Faculty of Medicine’s associated hospitals, mainly in Vancouver. These hospitals include Vancouver General Hospital, the BC Cancer Agency, St. Paul’s Hospital, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, and BC Children’s Hospital.
University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine
The College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan is one of the best medical schools in Canada. The university, founded on March 19, 1907, is a Canadian public research institution situated on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
In 1907, the provincial legislature passed an “Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan,” which established the provincial university on March 19, 1907, to provide facilities for higher education in all its branches and enable all persons, without regard to race, creed or religion, to take full advantage of it.
The University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine is situated in Saskatoon, and it is the only medical school in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
Faculty of medicine – University Laval
The Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval is located in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. This public research university was founded in 1852 by a royal charter issued by Queen Victoria. Its roots date back to the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Montmorency-Laval, making it the oldest center of higher education in Canada and the first North American institution to offer higher education in French.
The university was originally established in Old Québec but moved to a new campus in the suburban borough of Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge in the 1950s. It ranks among the top 10 Canadian universities in terms of research funding and holds four Canada Excellence Research Chairs. Similar to most institutions in Québec, the name “Université Laval” is not translated into English.
The Faculty of Medicine is one of four medical schools in Quebec and is a part of Université Laval. It is also located in Quebec City.