Toronto Metropolitan University announced it will be walking back plans to allocate 75% of available spots at its new medical school for “equity-deserving admissions pathways.”
TMU President Mohamed Lachemi said that “aspirational language on the website was causing confusion on this point, and that language has been removed” in a press release on Thursday.
“While we have established equity pathways, similar to other schools in the province, we have no quotas and there have never been quotas around who we will accept. We understand that aspirational language on the website was causing confusion on this point, and that language has been removed,” it continued.
TMU’s medical school’s admissions website no longer advertised equity-based percentage breakdowns of the 94 available spots for next year, which would have barred people from non “equity-deserving” groups from accessing a majority of the admission offers.
The announcement comes on the heels of Premier Doug Ford’s office demanding that the province’s newest medical school educate qualified individuals “regardless of their race or background.”
Before the changes, 75% of available spots were only to be given to students applying through one of three admission streams: the Indigenous Admissions Pathway, the Black Admissions Pathway or the Equity-Deserving Admissions Pathway.
While these application streams remain avenues for certain students, TMU has abandoned their previously accompanied quotas, following a discussion with the premier’s office and public outcry.
The School of Medicine’s admissions requires a minimum grade point average of 3.3, however, it does not require applicants to have any science-specific undergraduate prerequisites.
Additionally, admission won’t require prospective students to complete the Medical College Admission Test, despite this being obligatory at many other medical schools across North America.
TMU expressed its admissions process as being competitive while promoting inclusivity and diversity in the industry.
The school opened in Brampton last month, located at the former site of the Bramalea Civic Centre and plans to welcome its first cohort of students into the program beginning in September next year.
