Medical school as an international applicant: costs, proof of funds and key dates in the US and Canada

Start with your status

Where you can apply depends on your citizenship and residency as well as your grades. US and Canadian medical schools sort applicants into groups such as US citizens, US permanent residents, Canadian citizens, Canadian permanent residents, dual citizens, and international applicants who will need a student visa or study permit.

Each school decides which of these groups it accepts, and the rules can differ between a school's MD and combined programs. Check with each school before you pay any application fees.

Being eligible to apply is the first step. Admission is still competitive, and no list or tool can promise an offer, so plan your budget and timeline with a wide, realistic school list.

US MD and DO schools

Some US medical schools accept a small number of international applicants each year. The AAMC reports that in 2025, 43 schools indicated on the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) website that they accept applications from international applicants. Policies change from year to year, so confirm each school's current policy on its admissions website or in the Application Information & Requirements section of MSAR.

Where you studied matters. AMCAS, the application used by US MD schools other than the Texas public schools, verifies coursework only when it was accepted by an accredited US, US territorial or Canadian institution. You can still list other foreign courses, but AMCAS will not calculate a GPA from them, and schools may ask for those transcripts in their secondary applications. Some schools require international applicants to complete coursework at a US or Canadian institution, so read each school's prerequisites closely.

DO schools use a separate application, AACOMAS. AACOM notes that osteopathic colleges have varying admissions policies for applicants who are neither US citizens nor permanent residents, and it keeps an International Students page listing schools that will consider them. Texas public medical schools use TMDSAS, which has its own eligibility rules and deadlines.

Canadian MD schools

Canada offers far fewer places to international students. The AFMC's 2027 admissions guide explains that not all faculties of medicine accept international students, and many faculty entries in the guide state that international students are not eligible. Some faculties admit international students only through formal agreements with foreign governments or institutions, in extra (supernumerary) positions. These agreements can require that the full cost of education be paid, and can stop graduates from applying for residency training in Canada.

McGill University has a separate admissions category for international applicants. For Fall 2027 entry it anticipated 1 seat. Applications opened September 1, 2026 and closed November 1, 2026. To apply in this category you must need a permit to study in Canada and hold a bachelor's degree by July 31 of the year you start. Anyone admitted must show Canadian immigration that they have enough money to complete the entire program.

A few Quebec faculties also list a very small number of places for international applicants who hold a study permit. Read each faculty's entry in the AFMC guide and its own admissions page for the current rules.

Build a full budget, not just tuition

Tuition is only one part of the cost of becoming a doctor. For each school on your list, gather these costs for the same academic year and in the same currency (USD or CAD), so you can compare them fairly:

Annual tuition at the rate for your status
Mandatory university fees, plus any lab and technology fees
Student health insurance
Books, equipment and other learning materials
Housing, food and transportation
Clinical rotation costs such as travel and temporary housing
Visa, study permit and immigration costs
Primary and secondary application fees
MCAT registration and preparation
Interview travel
Any deposit or proof-of-funds amount the school requires

Many US schools charge international students a different tuition rate than domestic students, and Canadian tuition depends on citizenship, permanent residency and province. Ask each school for its full cost of attendance for your status, and write down the date you checked, because figures are updated every year.

Proof of funds and how international students pay

Federal student aid in the US, such as Direct Unsubsidized and Direct PLUS Loans, is available only to students who meet federal eligibility rules. The AAMC explains that in most cases international students need private loans, or institutional loans where a medical school offers them.

Some US medical schools ask applicants to prove they can pay for all four years of medical school, or to hold the full amount in an escrow account. Find out early which schools on your list do this and what documents they accept.

In Canada, the study permit process has its own funding check. McGill, for example, notes that admitted international students must prove to Canadian immigration that they have enough money to complete the whole program.

Contact the financial aid and admissions offices at each school you are considering before you apply. They can tell you what financing exists for your status and exactly what proof they need.

Application costs to plan for

AMCAS (2027 cycle): a $180 processing fee that includes one school, plus $48 for each additional school.
OMSAS for Ontario schools (2027 cycle): a $220 OMSAS fee plus a university fee for each Ontario school, $135 CAD at most schools and $130 CAD at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Secondary applications, MCAT registration and preparation, and interview travel add more. These amounts vary by school and by where you live, so add them to your budget school by school.

Key dates in the 2027 entry cycle

These dates applied to students starting medical school in 2027. They show how a cycle runs, and each new cycle publishes its own dates.

AMCAS opened May 5, submission began May 28, and the first applications went to schools on June 26.
The AMCAS Early Decision Program deadline was August 3.
US MD school application deadlines fell between September and December.
OMSAS opened in July 2026. Applications, transcripts and references were due October 1, 2026 at 4:30 pm ET, with no exceptions.
McGill's international category closed November 1, 2026.

If you are planning for a later year, use this pattern as a guide and confirm the new dates on the AAMC, AACOM, OMSAS and individual school websites. Applying early in the cycle gives you time to handle transcripts, visas and proof of funds.

What schools look for

Medical schools look at the whole applicant. Expect them to consider your bachelor's degree and science prerequisites, your GPA and MCAT score, clinical and healthcare experience, research, service and leadership, letters of recommendation, your personal statement and your interviews. Some schools also ask for proof of English proficiency.

Each school publishes its own expectations. Compare your record with the averages each school reports in MSAR for US schools or in the AFMC guide for Canadian schools, and talk with a prehealth advisor about where you fit.

Your next steps

Write down your exact status: citizenship, permanent residency, dual citizenship, where you studied, and whether you will need a visa or study permit.
Build a shortlist using MSAR, AACOM's International Students page and the AFMC admissions guide.
Read each school's own international policy page and save the link.
Ask each school for its cost of attendance and proof-of-funds rules for your status.
Put every application, document and fee deadline in one calendar.
Keep a note of where each figure came from and the date you checked it, and recheck before you apply.