July 15, 2024

Queen’s University School of Medicine recently announced that it will implement a lottery system into its student admissions selection process. This is a major development and a positive step towards a more equitable admissions process. A lottery system can support an institution’s mission to reduce barriers to access for students, and while it’s a type of system that is under-utilized in Canada, it should be explored as an innovative admissions approach more widely.

This approach will allow all eligible applicants automatic entrance into a lottery early in the selection process. From there, successful applicants will be invited to take the online multiple mini-interview (MMI). This type of early-phase lottery approach can reduce bias and widen pathways into higher education, particularly in highly competitive programs like medical school.

Read the full piece by Dr. Kelly Dore in Academica Forum