The Waiting Room.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that targets primarily the digestive and pulmonary systems. The disease causes mutations in a gene that produces the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR). In healthy individuals, CTFR promotes fluid balance in various tissues. Alternatively,  individuals with CF lose that balance, resulting in excess mucus buildup and subsequently to difficulties with breathing and digestion, among others. Cystic Fibrosis Canada estimates that one in 25 Canadians is a carrier of the CF mutation, equating to approximately 1.6 million Canadians.

While there is currently no cure for CF, healthcare professionals are working tirelessly to develop cutting-edge treatment plans and novel pharmaceuticals. On July 22, 2025, Health Canada approved Alyftrek, a novel CF drug targeted towards the most common disease variant F508del. The drug is also effective in individuals with at least one responsive mutation in the CFTR gene. A responsive mutation implies that a treatment can partially/fully restore the affected gene’s function and/or mitigate its harmful effects. 

Alyftrek was approved by the United States Food and Drug Agency (FDA) in December of 2024, so Cystic Fibrosis Canada is now urging Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA) and Quebec’s Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) to recommend public funding for this treatment. These recommendations are expected later in the fall of 2025; until then, Canadians with CF must continue to pay up to $300,000 per year for this novel therapy. 

➡️Read more here:

https://cysticfibrosis.ca/about-cystic-fibrosis

https://cysticfibrosis.ca/news/health-canada-approves-cf-drug-alyftrek-for-canadians-with-cystic-fibrosis

University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine

The University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) has made some notable changes to admissions for the 2026 application cycle, the major one being the opening of a new program called SAMP. They have also decreased the percentage of their matriculated class who will be from out of province (%OOP). 

SAMP:

The Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP) has been created to address an urgent need for more rural physicians in Alberta. Created in partnership with the University of Lethbridge, it aims to provide applicants with “strong roots in rural and regional communities” an exceptional opportunity. The idea is that students with a strong rural connection are more likely to return to those communities and serve the population there after completing their medical training, supporting the program’s goal of attracting and retaining physicians who will improve rural healthcare. The program will be delivered at the University of Lethbridge and includes 8-16 weeks of clinical experience in rural communities in Southern Alberta. 

It was revealed in an information session (transcript available below) that the SAMP will have 20. Any CSM applicant can indicate their interest in applying to SAMP within UCAN. An additional reference letter and essay are required describing the applicant’s rural connection. These will be used along with a Rural Regional Connection Score (holistic review) and a Rural Regional Index (the amount of time spent in rural communities) to assign each applicant a SAMP Suitability Score (SSS).

%OOP:

In response to Ontario lowering their %OOP to 5%, CSM has lowered theirs from 15% to 10%. During an information session, the Dean of Admissions said he believes this will not put OOP applicants at a bigger disadvantage because in previous years they were not over 10% and they went through their entire offer list with no non-Albertans remaining on the waitlist.

➡️Read more here:

https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/4/Admissions/Applicant%20Manual%202025-2026_final_July4_25.pdf

Link to the zoom meeting with passcode to access video and transcript: https://ucalgary.zoom.us/rec/share/0UalLnoGwxbMxHeGWgrVwMzxhksYtbo29Sz6pBEztNRmUQ5LXFY2oJZsFnEclBvT.kD5HJbSYvLwrkL2o

Passcode: ^0pz!BR7 

In the last 200 years, disease has run rampant in communities all over the world; smallpox, the plague, and measles, to name a few. Since the development of vaccines, many of these diseases no longer pose a threat to society; however, with the uprising of anti-vaccination movements, these diseases have started to re-emerge. One devastating illness that is materializing in North America is measles. The Mayo Clinic describes measles as a common childhood virus, spread through the air potentially causing fever, conjunctivitis, dry coughs, Koplik spots, and a rash. Measles is described as a preventable disease, with 90% of cases occurring among the unvaccinated population. Luckily, measles is rarely life-threatening but the risk of becoming seriously ill with long-term impacts to the immune system is unpredictable and highly dependent on the patient. Evidently, prevention is the best medicine. 

The Facts

• As of August 26 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States reported 1408 confirmed cases of measles by 43 jurisdictions. In 2024, there were 16 outbreaks reported. 

• However, as of August 2025, the number of outbreaks had already doubled to 32. In Canada, the outlook is no better

  • The World Health Organization states that Canada has 1069 confirmed cases of measles spanning 5 provinces between January 1st and April 12th 2025. 

• This number has increased drastically from the 177 cases confirmed during the same time frame in 2024.

Parents have stopped vaccinating their children due to fearmongering which is the main reason easily-curable diseases like measles are re-emerging in society. There is no scientific proof that vaccines are harmful, so please help keep your community safe: get vaccinated!

➡️Read more here:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/measles/symptoms-causes/syc-20374857

https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html

https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON565

Ottawa, like many cities across Canada, is grappling with the effects of a doctor shortage. A lack of access to doctors and increased wait times has led to a growing push in the nation’s capital to help its people receive timely access to crucial healthcare.

According to the Ontario College of Family Physicians, unless urgent action is taken, up to 318,000 Ottawa residents might not have a family doctor by 2026. This represents approximately 29% of Ottawa’s population. Moreover, a study published in Canadian Family Physician found that increasingly more family doctors are nearing retirement, with 1.74 million patients in Ontario currently assigned to a physician aged 65 and older.

 In April, the Ottawa city council voted to direct city staff to develop a strategy aimed at attracting and retaining more physicians. Just a few months later, premed students began noticing an update on UOttawa’s website, finding that their medical school would be increasing their regional preference from 50% to 70% for the upcoming application cycle. This preference was first introduced two years ago and it is for applicants who are Ottawa residents or have a strong community connection. Clearly, the increase reflects a strategy to improve the likelihood of UOttawa medical graduates staying in Ottawa and to train a group of new physicians who are more representative of and connected to the population they will be serving.

While many find the move understandable, others can’t help but feel this adds to the growing list of restrictions placed on their applications that are outside of their control. Some believe this reflects a trend of perpetuating “protectionism” among Canadian medical schools and worry this could extend to future restrictions.

➡️Read more here:

https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-medicine/undergraduate/application-process

https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/news-all/more-family-doctors-near-retirement-raising-concern-about-future-primary-care

https://www.cfp.ca/content/71/6/406

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/ottawa-city-council-approves-plan-to-develop-doctor-recruitment-strategy/

In a bold and surprising move, the University of Waterloo and St. George’s University (SGU) have teamed up to launch a new direct-entry MD pathway, calling it the first program of its kind in Canada.

Overview

First earn a Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMSci) from Waterloo.
Secure guaranteed entry into SGU’s MD program (Grenada).
Canadian students can skip the MCAT and apply through SGU’s simple admissions process.
6-year track: Students may enter the program directly from high school after completion of basic sciences.
5-year track: Students may enter the program after completing first-year university, including basic sciences.

Why?

To address the shortage of physicians in Canada.
To fast-track medical training.

When?

Accepting applications for 2026.
Note: Applications will be stored but not processed until the program is approved by the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance (Quality Council).

Where?

Preclinical studies at the University of Waterloo.
MD Year 1 at SGU’s Grenada campus or in the UK through SGU’s partnership with Northumbria University.
Note: The program is still pending final approval by Ontario’s Universities Council on Quality Assurance, so applications will be stored but not processed until greenlit.

The pathway sounds promising, however, it is not a perfect golden ticket.

Things to Consider:

Cost: SGU is expensive. The full MD program tuition can exceed $400,000 CAD by graduation.
Residency match risk: Historically, SGU graduates have found it difficult to match in Canada and often complete residency in the US.
Some worry that high school students may not fully understand what they are signing up for— a costly path that doesn’t guarantee a career in Canada.

As always, potential applicants should be thorough in their research to understand the different perspectives around this development.

➡️Read more here:

https://uwaterloo.ca/news/innovative-new-program-addresses-canadian-doctor-shortage

https://www.sgu.edu/school-of-medicine/waterloo/

EDIT: Similar pathway for Bachelor of Technology (BTech) Biotechnology graduates from McMaster.

With the ever increasing competitiveness of Canadian medical schools, changes to residency requirements can significantly hinder typical applicants' success for matriculating. However, for underrepresented students such as Black and Indigenous students, this success may be even lower.

To combat these intrinsic biases in our society, changes are currently being implemented by Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine for the 2025 application cycle. The six out-of-province positions at the Halifax campus are now reserved exclusively for individuals applying through the Indigenous Admissions Pathway and/or the Black Learners Admissions Pathway. This increases Dalhousie’s seats for equity-deserving individuals to between 6 and 16 (depending on the number of applicants) and is a positive step forward in medical inclusivity.

Now, Dalhousie University along with Queen's University, Mcgill University, and Ottawa University are the only Canadian medical schools that reserve seats for marginalized groups. Though other medical schools have various initiatives to increase representation, they do not reserve seats. 

Unfortunately, this change is not viewed as positive by everyone; many non-maritime pre-medical students have expressed their disappointment online as this reduces their chances of matriculating even further. Implementing changes in medical schools will never be 100% supported; there will always be a group that disagrees. However, this new admissions regulation is a beneficial step aiming to increase equity in the Canadian medical school system.

➡️Read more here:

https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/admissions/about.html

https://meds.queensu.ca/academics/mdprogram/admissions/admissions-pathways-programs

https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-medicine/undergraduate/pathways-md-program\

https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/applying/categories/special-pathways-underrepresented-groups/indigenous

JUNE 5 2025 UPDATE: UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA HAS REMOVED CASPER AS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE 2025-2026 CYCLE 

Pre-med student, Erik Soby, has successfully brought the issue of the CASPER test's relevance and efficacy in screening medical school applicants to mainstream media.

After much concern over the grading of the CASPER, an ethics exam written for 12 Canadian medical schools, the CBC has published a report outlining the issue. 

Major problems?

• Students do not receive their actual score, only a quartile

• The people grading have various academic backgrounds and may not be assessing each test fairly in order to increase their pay 

• People find their score to fluctuate heavily from cycle to cycle

• You must write your CASPER each year that you intend to apply 

• It can be pricey: $50 to write and $18 to release the score to each school

The greatest issue that has come to light is this: the CASPER test, despite having been used for years, does not have compelling evidence to be effective in assessing applicants. Plus, there are issues with conflict of interest as some CASPER-supporting studies have been done by Acuity staff (the host organization). 

What does this mean for CASPER? Could something new will be added, or perhaps other sections will be weighted heavier? 

More developments are yet to come.

➡️Read more here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/gopublic/casper-test-medical-school-1.7507308

What’s New?

• $88 million investment over 3 years starting in 2026.

• Expands the Learn and Stay Grant to now include Family Medicine.

• Covers full tuition + direct education costs (books, supplies, equipment).

• In return? Students must commit to practice in Ontario with a full patient roster.

Why This Matters:

• Roughly 1 in 10 Ontarians still don’t have a family doctor.

• Goal: Connect 1.36 million more people to primary care.

Medical School Changes

• Starting in Fall 2026 (should apply to the 2025-2026 cycle applicants) 

  • 95% of med school seats reserved for Ontario residents.

  • Remaining 5% for out-of-province students.

  • Reviewing visa trainee programs to protect training spots for Ontarians.

• More support for internationally educated doctors to complete their training here.

More Schools, More Spots

• Two new med schools at TMU and York U.

• Largest med school expansion in a decade:

  • • Over 500 new undergrad spots.

    • Over 740 new residency spots by 2028.

Other Key Moves

• Practice Ready Ontario: Up to 100 foreign-trained family docs in rural communities by 2026.

• Extra $546 million to connect 600,000 more Ontarians to interprofessional care teams.

➡️Read more here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005226/ontario-expanding-learn-and-stay-grant-to-train-more-family-doctors-in-ontario