Program Overview

Program Overview

The Cape Breton Medical Campus (CBMC) is a partnership between Cape Breton University and Dalhousie University, aiming to provide medical education in Cape Breton Island. The program focuses on family medicine and rural medicine, addressing the health needs of Nova Scotian communities, including Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the CBMC program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident at the time of application
• Be a Nova Scotia resident as defined by the Place of Residency Definition
• Have lived rural experience
• Complete a 90-120 credit hour baccalaureate degree granted by an accredited institution prior to the start of the undergraduate medical education program
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.3
• Complete the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) within the past 5 years
• Complete the Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer) on designated dates for Dalhousie Medicine
• Complete 2 short answer questions specific to the Rural Applicant Pathway (250 words)
• Complete and submit all mandatory components of Section 2 of the online application by the stated deadline

Application Deadlines

Application deadline information can be found by reviewing Dalhousie's Medical School Application Deadlines.

Seat Allocation

All eligible Nova Scotia applicants may be considered for first-year positions at both Halifax and Cape Breton campuses. Prioritization of selection to DMNS-CBMC will be for Nova Scotia applicants who:

• Are eligible under the Indigenous Admissions Pathway or Black Learners Admissions Pathway and have indicated a preference for a position at DMNS-CBMC
• Are qualified Nova Scotia applicants with lived rural experience who have completed an application, including supplemental information for the Rural Admissions Pathway and/or have expressed DMNS-Cape Breton Medical Campus as their preferred campus site

Program Details

• The program will admit 30 Nova Scotia students to the Rural Applicant Pathway at the CBMC.
• Students will attend classes in Sydney, Nova Scotia, in years 1 and 2.
• Year 3 and 4 clinical clerkship placements will primarily be located in Cape Breton and rural NS communities, but also occur throughout the Maritime provinces.
• By accepting an offer to the DMNS-Cape Breton Medical Campus, the matriculant agrees to a 5-year return of service agreement to practice in a rural Nova Scotia community and a commitment to Family Medicine. The Return of Service Agreement is currently being finalized by the Provincial Government.