Canada is home to several highly ranked medical and health programs. In the 2026 Times Higher Education medicine ranking, the University of Toronto is listed as Canada’s top university for medicine and ninth globally, while QS ranks the University of Toronto 12th and McGill 23rd in Medicine for 2026. Admission to Canadian MD programs is highly competitive, and seats for non-Canadian applicants are very limited.
Medical school in Canada can be more affordable for domestic students because seats are publicly funded, but international tuition, awards, and eligibility vary by school. International applicants should check each university’s current fees and awards pages before applying. Due to its strong medical education system, many students aspire to pursue medical studies in Canada.
Getting into medical school in Canada is difficult and highly competitive. In this article, we will examine some of the best medical schools in Canada.
Top Medical Schools in Canada
1. University of Toronto
With its extensive medical education and research activity, the University of Toronto is ranked first in Canada for medicine in the 2026 Times Higher Education medicine table and is among the top medical universities globally. Its four-year MD Program is comprehensive and student-centered, preparing students for a wide range of careers in medicine.
Students complete training through foundations learning, clinical education, and community-based experiences. For Fall 2026 entry, international applicants should note that Ontario’s new seat-allocation rules reserve undergraduate medical school seats for Ontario and other Canadian applicants; AFMC’s 2026 admissions guide lists no international admissions for the University of Toronto MD Program.
2. McGill University
McGill University has Canada’s first medical faculty, which was established in 1829. As one of Canada’s leading medical research universities, the school values innovation, practice, patient-centered care, and science-based medicine. This approach helps transform students into highly skilled, empathetic physicians.
The MDCM program is offered in English at the Montreal campus and in French at the Outaouais campus. Clinical placements begin in the first year and may take place in bilingual or francophone teaching settings. McGill still permits international applicants in the MDCM category, but seats are extremely limited; for Fall 2026, the university lists one anticipated seat for international residents with an undergraduate degree.
3. McMaster University
Unlike many four-year Canadian medical programs, medical education at McMaster University lasts three years and runs for 11 months per year. Applicants must complete at least three years of undergraduate study before admission.
McMaster’s MD Program is known for its problem-based learning model, sequential medical foundation blocks, and early exposure to patients and case management. As an Ontario medical school, McMaster is affected by Ontario’s Fall 2026 medical-seat allocation rules, so non-Canadian and visa applicants should verify eligibility directly before applying.
4. University of Montréal
The University of Montréal, one of the best medical schools in Canada, is a French-language institution in Quebec. Its Faculty of Medicine has a long history, with the university marking 180 years of medical education in 2023. It is recognized for medical education, research, and contributions to health care.
The school’s medical program is four years long. A compulsory preparatory year is required for some applicants, including international students and students whose prior university studies are not considered equivalent to the required preparation. If you want to study at the University of Montréal, you must meet the French-language requirements, as the language of instruction is French.
5. University of Calgary
Like many medical schools in Canada, the University of Calgary gives priority to Canadian citizens or permanent residents, with Alberta residency playing an important role in admissions. The institution generally does not accept individual applications from international students.
The only international students it may admit are those covered by formal agreements with the Cumming School of Medicine. The medical program takes three years and is one of the few three-year MD degrees in North America. It is patient-centered and presentation-based, and students begin working with patients within the first few weeks of the program.
6. Queen’s University
Although Queen’s University has international students in its wider undergraduate and graduate populations, its School of Medicine states that MD applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents by the application deadline. It offers a four-year medical program with opportunities for clinical engagement and training through its Kingston and Queen’s-Lakeridge Health sites.
This top medical school in Canada also provides postgraduate medical education and residency training. Moreover, it offers combined degree options for students interested in physician-scientist training, such as combined MD/PhD and MD/Master’s programs.
7. Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University offers a four-year medical program accredited through the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS), the Canadian accrediting body for MD programs. The program has Med 1 and Med 2 pre-clerkship years, followed by Med 3 and Med 4 clerkship years.
Med 1 and Med 2 focus on basic medical sciences such as anatomy and physiology, while also introducing the philosophical, ethical, and practical aspects of health care. Students learn through lectures, laboratories, tutorials, electives, self-directed study, and clinical skills sessions.
The Research in Medicine program is a three-year longitudinal curriculum component that begins in the first year and is completed in the fourth year. After graduation, students must complete postgraduate medical training before independent practice, and residency eligibility rules vary by province, program, and applicant status.
8. Laval University
The French-language medical universities in Quebec include the University of Montréal, the University of Sherbrooke, and Laval University. Laval’s Doctorat en médecine is a 200-credit program usually completed over four to five years, depending on the student’s pathway and teaching site. It is offered in Québec City, Lévis, and Rimouski.
The program has two major stages: the pre-externship stage, which usually lasts two to three years and focuses on foundational medical learning, and the externship stage, which lasts two years and focuses on practical clinical training.
9. University of Sherbrooke
Next on our list of the best medical schools in Canada is the University of Sherbrooke, whose Doctorat en médecine is a four-year, full-time French-language program. The program is offered at Sherbrooke and several partner campuses and training sites.
The program emphasizes a global, practical, and collaborative approach that reflects medical practice. Applicants must satisfy the university’s French-language proficiency requirements unless they qualify for an exemption.
10. Memorial University of Newfoundland
The Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty of Medicine offers a four-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Admission is very competitive, and applicants are reviewed through a holistic process that considers academic performance, MCAT scores, references, interviews, and other experiences.
For current admission, all applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and international students are ineligible to apply. Once students complete medical school and meet eligibility requirements, they may use the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) to apply to residency programs in Canada.
FAQs: Studying Medicine in Canada
Can International Students Enroll in Medical Schools in Canada?
The answer is: in some cases, but opportunities are very limited. Canada’s MD seats are heavily allocated to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and several schools do not accept international or visa applicants.
For Fall 2026, Ontario medical schools are subject to new provincial seat-allocation rules that reserve at least 95% of undergraduate medical school seats for Ontario residents, with the remaining seats reserved for students from other Canadian provinces and territories. This affects Ontario medical schools such as the University of Toronto, McMaster University, and Queen’s University.
Outside Ontario, policies vary by school. McGill lists one anticipated international seat for Fall 2026, while Calgary generally does not accept individual international applications and Memorial University states that international students are ineligible to apply. French-language programs such as Laval University, the University of Montréal, and the University of Sherbrooke require strong French proficiency and have distinct applicant categories.
Because policies and quotas change frequently, international applicants should confirm eligibility directly with each medical school and the latest AFMC admissions guide before applying.
What is the Medical Curriculum Like in Medical Schools in Canada?
Most Canadian MD programs are entered after postsecondary study, but requirements vary by school and province. In many provinces, applicants complete at least two or three years of university before applying; some schools require a completed bachelor’s degree, and Quebec pathways may include CEGEP or a preparatory year.
Most MD programs are four years long and include pre-clerkship or foundations learning followed by clerkship. However, program length varies: McMaster University and the University of Calgary offer three-year MD programs, while Laval University and the University of Montréal may include four- to five-year pathways depending on the applicant’s background.
During the pre-clerkship or foundation years, students learn biomedical and clinical sciences, communication, professional skills, health systems, and research methods through classroom, laboratory, clinical, and community settings. During clerkship, students rotate through core clinical specialties and apply their learning in clinical settings.
After the MD, graduates generally complete residency training before independent practice. Residency matching and licensing eligibility depend on citizenship or permanent-resident status, medical school, province, specialty, and program-specific requirements.
Do not let the competitiveness of Canadian medical schools discourage you from preparing a strong application. After the rigorous process from application to admission, what awaits successful students is a strong medical education and a pathway toward residency training and medical practice. Consider these institutions above if you want to pursue medicine in Canada.
We hope this article on the best medical schools in Canada was helpful. Make sure also to check out our Study in Canada page and the Available Programs for International Students to learn more!
