How OMSAS Converts a Foreign Undergraduate Transcript to an Ontario Medical School GPA
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026 • Admissions & Applications, Canadian Universities & Colleges
OMSAS builds your GPA itself from every transcript you submit, using its published conversion table for grading scales it already recognizes and a manual review for scales it does not. Foreign-degree applicants lose the most ground when their institution is not on that table, when their country uses broad degree classifications instead of fine grades, or when one transcript on an unfamiliar scale drags down an otherwise strong average.
🎓 OMSAS calculates GPA itself. A WES or CICIC report does not replace this.
Every postsecondary transcript counts, including short exchanges and summer terms.
Institutions missing from the conversion table need a grading scale document from the registrar.
Broad classification systems, like First, Upper Second and Third, convert less precisely than numeric grades.
⏱ Request your grading scale documentation early, before you submit.
OMSAS calculates its own GPA, not a third party
The Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) is the single application portal for Ontario's MD programs. When you apply, OMSAS does not ask you to bring in an outside evaluation from a body like WES. It builds your GPA in house, from the official transcripts you send it, using its own conversion logic.
This matters for a foreign-degree applicant because the conversion process stays out of your hands. You cannot submit a favorable third-party assessment instead. OMSAS controls the calculation, and every full-time undergraduate-level course you took, from every institution you attended, feeds into it.
How the conversion works
OMSAS keeps a conversion table that maps grading scales from a large number of institutions, mostly Canadian and American, to its own GPA scale. If your undergraduate institution already appears on that table, your transcript converts automatically using the scale OMSAS has on file for it.
If your institution does not appear, common for universities outside North America, OMSAS asks for a document explaining the institution's grading scale, usually issued by the registrar's office. Admissions staff then convert your grades manually against that explanation. This step adds time to your file, so request the documentation from your registrar well before you plan to submit.
Non-adjusted GPA versus a school's own weighting
Most Ontario medical schools work from OMSAS's non-adjusted, cumulative GPA, calculated across every full-time undergraduate year you completed. Some Ontario medical schools may apply school-specific adjustments on top of the OMSAS conversion. Check each school's current published admission requirements, such as the University of Toronto MD program's admissions page, for its exact formula, since this can change and was not independently confirmed as of this writing.
Where a foreign transcript loses the most ground
The institution is not pre-listed. Manual conversion takes longer and gives admissions staff less precedent than a scale they convert every year.
Broad degree classifications. Systems like the UK's First, Upper Second, Lower Second and Third do not map onto a four-point GPA with much precision. A student near the top of a 2:1 band and one near the bottom can convert to a similar number.
Percentage-based systems with different norms. The same percentage mark does not carry the same meaning in every country, and a manual conversion has to account for that gap rather than treating the number at face value.
One weak transcript. An exchange term, a first year abroad, or a transfer year graded on an unfamiliar scale still counts toward your cumulative GPA, even when your degree-granting institution's own record looks strong.
Ungraded or pass or fail terms. Courses without a numeric or letter grade do not convert to a GPA the same way and get handled under separate OMSAS policy instead of folding into your average.
What to do before you apply
Contact your undergraduate institution's registrar early and ask for an official statement of its grading scale, not only a transcript. Send it to OMSAS ahead of your application rather than waiting for a request. If your institution used more than one grading system across your degree, for example after a transfer, get documentation for each one.
If you are unsure whether your institution already appears on OMSAS's conversion table, contact OMSAS directly rather than assuming either way. A credential evaluation from CICIC or a similar body helps you understand how your degree compares to a Canadian one in general terms, but it does not replace OMSAS's own conversion, and Ontario medical schools do not ask for one instead.
Applying with a mixed Canadian and foreign transcript
Some applicants complete part of their undergraduate degree in Canada and part abroad, through a transfer, an exchange year, or a second degree. OMSAS still requires an official transcript from every institution in that path, and every one of those transcripts feeds into your cumulative GPA. A strong result at your Canadian institution does not offset a weaker converted result from a foreign term, since OMSAS combines every eligible course rather than favoring one transcript over another.
If your path includes a foreign institution partway through a degree finished in Canada, request the grading scale documentation for that foreign portion as early as you request your Canadian transcripts. Treating it as an afterthought is the most common reason foreign-degree applicants miss a document OMSAS needed to complete their file on time.
If OMSAS asks for more information
OMSAS sometimes contacts applicants after submission to request a grading scale document that was missing, or to clarify an ambiguous transcript. Respond quickly. A slow reply during a busy verification period pushes your file's completion date back, and review cycles run on fixed schedules that do not wait for a single outstanding document.
Keep a personal record of every institution you attended, the grading scale each one used, and the dates you sent documentation to OMSAS. If you studied in more than one country, this record helps you track what you already sent and what a school might still be missing during a tight application window.