How to become a doctor in BC

The road in one paragraph

Becoming a doctor in British Columbia takes 10 to 14 years from Grade 11. In Grade 11 and 12 you take Chemistry, Biology and Pre-Calculus. After high school you finish a university degree of at least 90 credits, which is three to four years, and you write the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Then comes a four-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the University of British Columbia (UBC), taught in Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George and Kelowna, or at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Surrey, whose first class starts in 2026.

The MD degree does not let you practise on your own. After it you match into a paid residency through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). Family medicine residency takes two years. Specialties take five years or more. Along the way you pass the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination and get certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The last step is a licence from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.

Getting in

UBC's MD program asks for at least 90 university credits, an overall average of at least 75 percent for British Columbia residents, six credits of university English, and the MCAT. Your degree can be in any subject, not only science. Shortlisted applicants do a Multiple Mini Interview, a series of short scenario stations. The rules come from the UBC Faculty of Medicine and change year to year, so read the current admissions page before you plan your courses.

SFU's new medical school sets its own entry rules. Check the SFU Faculty of Medicine page for the current list.

What it costs and what it pays

In our directory, medical school tuition at UBC and SFU is listed as Not published. The MCAT and the Medical Council of Canada exams have their own fees, set by the bodies that run them.

Pay comes from WorkBC data for general practitioners and family physicians. The median is $160,960 per year. WorkBC does not publish entry-level or experienced hourly wages for this job, because most doctors bill the Medical Services Plan or work on contracts rather than an hourly wage.

Common mistakes and shortcuts

• Dropping Chemistry or Pre-Calculus in Grade 11. First-year university science courses expect them, and medical school expects those university courses. (Source: UBC Faculty of Medicine)
• Thinking you need a biology degree. UBC accepts any degree as long as the required courses and credits are there. Pick a subject you can do well in. (Source: UBC Faculty of Medicine)
• Missing the rural route. UBC's Northern Medical Program in Prince George and its Southern and Island programs train doctors who plan to work outside Vancouver. Applicants with rural roots should read those pages. (Source: UBC Faculty of Medicine)
• Forgetting the match. Finishing medical school is not the end. You must match into a residency through CaRMS, and an unmatched year delays your licence by at least a year. (Source: Canadian Resident Matching Service)
• Practising before the licence. Even after residency, you cannot see patients on your own until the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia issues your licence. (Source: College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia)