After You Apply
Your application to our MD program has many stages, which are outlined on the How to Apply page. This page provides more detailed information about the steps after you鈥檝e submitted your initial application.
Resources
Want all the details about the program or applying? Look at our:
Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMI)
Five Character References
Applicants invited to interview or waitlisted to interview will be asked to provide five (5) character references. Your references should be individuals who know you well through educational, professional, or extra-curricular settings. They cannot be family members or friends. If appropriate, community or employment verifiers previously submitted in your application can also be listed again as character references. If so, they will be required to complete the character reference questionnaire.
For each reference, you鈥檒l be asked to include:
- Full name of your character reference
- Contact information (email and/or phone)
- Your relationship to them
In selecting your references, choose people who can meaningfully comment on your character, values, and readiness to pursue a career in medicine.
When requested, you will be responsible for securing character references from five individuals using the same system you used to secure activity verification for community involvement and employment roles. You may notify your references to look for an emailed request from med_mdadmissions@sfu.ca, which will be initiated when you click the 鈥淪end Request鈥� button. Your references may wish to add this address to their e-mail safe-lists.
If you have listed the same individual previously as a verifier for employment and/or community involvement experiences, they will receive a new email request for the character reference. References will be asked to answer a series of short questions; they will NOT be asked to upload a reference letter.
Your referees must complete their reference questionnaire by 3PM PT on February 15, 2027. Applicants are encouraged to inform their references of this in advance to ensure they understand the process. Failure to receive all five (5) character reference responses before the deadline will result in the removal of your MMI invitation.
What is the Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI)
The Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) is a structured interview process used to assess your non-academic qualities. It involves a series of timed, scenario-based stations where you respond to questions or challenges designed to evaluate if you have the competencies essential for success in medical education, such as ethical decision-making, communication, or critical thinking.
You should come prepared to discuss any autobiographical or experiential details included in your application during the MMI. For example, if you鈥檝e said you have conversational fluency in a language other than English you may be asked to complete at least one portion of the interview process in that language.
What to expect
During the MMI, you鈥檒l move among eight (8) timed interview stations in a circuit. There will also be two rest stations in each circuit. In Cycle 1, each station lasted eight minutes, with a two-minute transition and reading time. We expect similar timing will be used this year. The stations cover a variety of topics, which may include but are not limited to:
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Critical thinking
- Ethical decision making
- Awareness of social health issues in Canada
- Personal qualities
Please note: Applicants are not assessed for their scientific or medical knowledge.
In-person Interview Dates: The MMIs will be March 13 & 14, 2027 at the SFU Burnaby campus and must be attended in person.
MMI Accommodations Information
Applicants seeking disability-related accommodation for the MMI must contact SFU鈥檚 Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible after receiving an interview invitation and no later than the deadline outlined in the interview invitation. To be considered for MMI accommodations, applicants must complete CAL鈥檚 MMI accommodation registration/intake process, as described on the CAL website, and provide supporting documentation. Applicants may contact CAL at caladmin@sfu.ca any time with questions about the MMI accommodation process.
info