Welcome to
UofT Medicine.

First, congratulations on making it this far. I know this may not be the email you were hoping for, and it can be hard to know what to do with that. Before anything else, I hope you can pause and give yourself credit. This process asks a lot of people. It asks for time, energy, hope, and honestly, a lot of courage. Whatever this email says, it does not define your worth. It does not define your potential. It does not define the kind of physician, friend, classmate, or person you will become. The path to medicine is rarely as clean or straightforward as it looks from the outside. People arrive here through many different roads. Be kind to yourself today. You deserve that much.

If you're on the waitlist: UofT does see some movement, though historically less than some other Ontario schools. For the Class of 3T0, the offer deadline is May 26, 2026, so the first wave of waitlist movement will come after that. Last cycle, movement was seen around May 28th and again around June 9th. Keep your contact information current with OMSAS and respond quickly if an offer does come.

In the meantime: keep yourself busy, and hold onto hope without putting your life on hold. It can help to do both things at once. Browse this guide and start preparing as if you'll be joining us, while also making concrete plans for alternative paths. The uncertainty is the hardest part; give yourself permission to feel it.

• Don't email asking for your position or odds. The admissions team genuinely can't tell you, and they'll reach out the moment something changes.
• Explore your alternatives in parallel. Confirm your specific situation with the admissions office before making any decisions about other offers.

If you received a refusal: There's no paragraph that makes this not hurt. A refusal after everything you put in, especially when it arrives as classmates are celebrating, is a real loss. Whatever you're feeling about it is valid.

When you're ready (not before): most successful Canadian medical students applied more than once. Two cycles is common; three is not unusual. The Faculty holds annual feedback sessions where you can request specific feedback on your application, worth attending when you're in that headspace. A reapplicant year is not a failed year. Some of the people you'd be classmates with went through exactly this two years ago.

• UofT MD admissions site. Feedback sessions and reapplication guidance, posted each cycle.
• Canada-wide mental health resources
• 9-8-8. Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline, free and confidential, call or text 24/7.

Deferrals are rare and considered only in exceptional circumstances: usually medical, family caregiving, or a significant opportunity that genuinely cannot be deferred or repeated. They require documentation and are decided case by case. If you believe your situation qualifies, reach out directly to the MD Program Office. They're the right first call, and they'll walk you through the process and criteria for your cycle.

UofT MD reserves at least 95% of seats for Ontario residents, so OOP spots are genuinely limited. If you received an offer, that's worth acknowledging. The transition involves a few extras Ontario applicants don't deal with: registering for OHIP after your three-month wait period (or maintaining your home province's coverage in the meantime), opening an Ontario bank account if you don't have one, and understanding that OSAP is calculated based on Ontario residency rules. None of it is insurmountable, but it adds up. Give yourself time to sort through it.

Honestly, very little. The Foundations curriculum is built for students with a wide range of backgrounds: engineering, humanities, science, music. Don't pre-study anatomy or pharmacology. Don't watch lecture recordings before lectures start. The program will give you everything you need.

The one thing worth doing in the summer: rest. The pace once classes start is more sustained than what you've experienced before, and starting tired makes it worse. The students who do best in M1 are the ones who arrive at orientation rested, not the ones who tried to "get ahead."

It is expensive, but not impossible. The biggest cost is rent, and that will depend a lot on what you are willing to compromise on. This past year, the average rent was around $2,300/month, but there is still a wide range. Studios can sometimes be found around $1,800–2,100. A one-bedroom is often closer to $2,000–2,500. A lot of students also choose to split a two-bedroom/two-bathroom apartment, which can bring rent down to roughly $1,400–1,800 per person depending on the building, location, and timing.

Most med students use a Line of Credit to cover the gap between OSAP, savings, family support if available, and the actual cost of living. The rest comes down to lifestyle. Groceries can be manageable, transit is relatively reasonable, and campus is walkable if you live nearby. Eating out, coffee runs, and social plans are usually what make Toronto feel expensive fast.