Medical school scraps DEI admissions plan that would have barred white students from applying for 75% of spots
A new medical school has scrapped plans to fill 75 percent of places in its next class for diverse and equity-deserving students.
Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school had previously said it would “purposefully” admit Indigenous, Black and other “equal students” in an effort to address the “persistent underrepresentation of these groups in medical schools and the medical profession.” .
The previous language on the school’s admissions site included share-based percentage breakdowns of enrollees for the class of 2025.
This would have prohibited people from non-“equity-earning” groups from accessing a majority of entry offers, Canada’s True North reported.
Furthermore, TMU announced that it would not rely solely on academic performance when assessing candidates for admission, but would also strongly consider life experience.
Some criticized the school for its policies, claiming it relaxed relevant qualifications and sorted applicants by race, and the head of the Canadian province of Ontario, Doug Ford, demanded that TMU train qualified students “regardless of their race or background.”
Now the management of TMU, which will open its doors to 94 students in September 2025, has announced that it will scale back its plans to allocate three-quarters of the places to these students next year.
And university president Mohamed Lachemi said in a press release last week that the school has never had quotas on the demographics it would accept, and removed “aspirational language” from TMU’s website that was “causing confusion.”
Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school will enroll 94 students in September 2025
The university announced that it would not rely solely on academic performance when assessing candidates for admission (stock photo)
A press release said: “Although we have established equity pathways similar to other schools in the province, we do not have and have never had quotas on who we will accept.
“We understand that the ambitious language on the website caused confusion at this point and that language has been removed.”
The school states it was based ‘on equality, diversity and inclusivity, decolonization and reconciliation.’
It says the admissions process will “identify candidates who have had experience and/or are committed to advancing these principles.”
In a Sept press releasethe university said it had developed “intentional application and admissions processes that center the school’s mission and reflect the needs of the community and society.”
It continued: “The school will use a multi-faceted, holistic approach to identify students who possess the necessary academic capabilities, interpersonal skills and personal attributes necessary to excel in medicine.
“The admissions process will also purposefully admit eligible students and identify candidates interested in the practice of primary care, particularly in medically underserved areas.”
This photo shows a view of a public gathering area at the main entrance of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school
Additionally, the September press release noted that it had created “specific admissions pathways” for Indigenous, Black and equal applicants.
The school states on its website that these pathways are intended “to address the underrepresentation of identified groups that deserve equity in medical education.”
Dr. Dominick Shelton, interim assistant dean of recruitment and admissions, said in the press release: “Our admissions pathways are designed to account for systemic biases in applicant review processes and to remove barriers to success for these groups in the medical school admissions process to take.
‘We also want to ensure that the pathways provide an inclusive and supportive process for applicants from these groups.’
Before the changes, 75 percent of spots in the new class would be allocated to students who registered through these pathways. Now these routes remain open, but TMU will no longer apply quotas to each of them.
Current admission requirements for the new medical school include a 3.3 GPA, but the school does not require students to have a background in science or certain undergraduate prerequisites.
In addition, the school does not require the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) – a standardized exam for prospective medical students that is required in the United States, Australia, other Canadian universities and schools in the Caribbean islands.
Despite the alternative admissions practices, Mr Lachemi said in the press release last week that the school’s admissions process will be “without exception highly competitive”, with the aim of removing barriers for qualified students who have “traditionally faced challenges in access to medical education.’
Leadership at TMU announced it would scale back its plans to allocate three-quarters of its places to these students next year.
TMU leadership has said the goal of the admissions process is to graduate physicians with the same locations, cultures, languages and experiences as their future patients.
A 2021 census in Brampton, where TMU is based, found that more than 33 percent of respondents spoke a language other than English, with a total of 171 languages.
Data also shows Ontario is facing a serious shortage of primary care physicians and there are currently 2.5 million people in the province without a primary care physician, The Star reported.
The school also conducted its own research and found that there was an urgent need for more GPs, ‘and especially doctors who understand the languages, cultures and beliefs of local residents.’
Mr Lachemi continued: “This is why our commitment to recruiting people from the diverse backgrounds that make up the Region of Peel and the surrounding communities is so important.”
