Applicants applying through the Indigenous Admission Stream must meet all admission and application requirements outlined on the Application Information & Admission Requirements page and submit all required application documentation for their application to be considered.
The Indigenous Admission Stream is for persons of Indigenous ancestry (First Nations, Inuit or Métis)
As a key to increasing the Indigenous physician workforce, NOSM University designates a minimum of six (6) seats each year to Indigenous students who have significant living experience and/or a cultural connection to Northern Ontario. This reflects our commitment to supporting Indigenous applicants; however, this number is only a minimum and not the total number of Indigenous applicants we may admit.
Indigenous applicants may either:
1. Self-identify and apply through the General Admission Stream, or
2. Apply to the Indigenous Admission Stream (IAS) and submit all required documentation
Applicants reviewed by the Indigenous Admissions Subcommittee may receive a higher context score.
Required Documents
Personal Letter (max 1,000 words)
Describe your Indigenous background and community involvement, including:
- Why you are applying to this stream.
- Your cultural/personal background and community ties (First Nation, Métis, Inuit, Treaty, or organizational such as a Student Centre, Friendship Centre, or a Volunteer Organization).
- Examples of cultural connection (activities, ceremonies, celebrations, traditions, language, etc.).
Indigenous Recommendation Form (IRF)
Applicants must have one referee complete the Indigenous Recommendation Form (IRF), available in the Referees section of the OMSAS application. Choose someone with extensive personal knowledge of your connection to the Indigenous community. A close family members should not be chosen to complete this form.
The referee must provide the following information in the IRF:
- Their relationship to you, in what capacity they know you, and how long
- The activities that support your connection and involvement with the Indigenous community (nature of the activity, the frequency or the duration of said activity/activities).
Declaration of Ancestry Documentation
Applicants must submit:
An official letter from their indigenous community (on letterhead, signed/sealed), confirming current membership, dated within one year of the application deadline).
AND one of the following:
- Indian Status Card (federally recognized First Nation listed by Indigenous & Northern Affairs Canada.)
- Métis Nation Citizenship Card (from a Métis National Council affiliate or recognized Métis organization)
- Inuit Identification (Nunavut Trust Certificate or Inuit Enrollment Card tied to a land claim)
- Modern Treaty or Self-Government First Nation ID
- Non-Status First Nation Membership (card or documentation showing Non-Status First Nation affiliated with an Indigenous organization)
If you do not have a declaration of ancestry documentation listed above, you are required to submit the following additional documents:
- Declaration of Ancestry Statement describing your relationship with a legally recognized and rights-bearing Indigenous community. Including community specifics such as treaty, scrip, land claim and territory.
- Parent’s or grandparent’s ancestry card/certificate plus community confirmation letter.
- Your long-form birth or baptismal certificate linking you to that relative.
- Community Confirmation Letter that verifies your recognized membership (dated within one year of the application deadline)
Note: “Rights-bearing” refers to Indigenous collectives that hold constitutionally protected Aboriginal or Treaty rights under Section 35 of the Constitution Act.
Submission
All required documentation must be submitted to OMSAS via Secure Application Messaging (SAM) by the application deadline. Incomplete submissions will not be considered through the Indigenous Admission Stream.
Submit clear copies of both front and back of your declaration of ancestry document(s), if applicable.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that OMSAS receives their IRF by the application deadline; applicants are advised to confirm submission with their referee before the application deadline.
Applicants who do not meet the requirements or submit incomplete IAS documentation will default to the General Admission Stream.