Overview 

The Admissions Committee reviews applications from the pool of Applicants and selects the most suitable candidates to fill the stipulated number of places available in any year for the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program at Memorial University (Memorial). This selection is made in accordance with the Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine: Admission to the Faculty of Medicine. Meeting the admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program or allow students to register in courses. An unsuccessful Applicant may initiate an appeal of the decision of the Admissions Committee only on the grounds that the decision was based on criteria other than those specified in the Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine: Admission to the Faculty of Medicine.

Purpose 

To provide unsuccessful Applicants with a fair and timely procedure to request an appeal of the decision of the Admissions Committee. 

Scope 

Applicants of the M.D. program within a given admissions cycle. 

Procedure 

A.0. Initiating the Appeal Procedure 

A.1. As per the Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine: Admission to the Faculty of Medicine, within fourteen (14) days of receiving notification of the Admission Committee’s decision, an unsuccessful Applicant can request an appeal of the decision. The request for appeal should be made in writing and should be directed to the Dean of Medicine. 

A.1.1. The request should clearly state the grounds for the requested appeal. The only admissible ground for an appeal is an assertion that the decision not to admit was based on criteria other than those specified in the Regulations for Admission to the Faculty of Medicine. 

A.2. The Dean of Medicine, in consultation with the Registrar, neither of whom shall sit on the Admissions Committee, will conduct an initial review of the appeal request. If the Dean of Medicine, in consultation with the Registrar, finds the grounds for an appeal to be insufficient, the Dean of Medicine shall provide a written decision to that effect to the Applicant within ten (10) working days. The decision of the Dean of Medicine is final. 

A.3. If the Dean of Medicine, in consultation with the Registrar, finds the grounds for appeal to be sufficient, the formal appeal mechanism will be initiated. 

B.0. Formal Appeal Procedure 

B.1. The Dean of Medicine shall appoint the Vice Dean of Medicine (or delegate) to lead the appeal procedure. The Vice Dean of Medicine (or delegate) shall not sit on the Admissions Committee. 

B.2. The Vice Dean of Medicine (or delegate) will review the application of the Applicant as well as the procedures undertaken by the Admissions Committee in their review of the application. The Vice Dean of Medicine (or delegate) may consult with any other persons or bodies they consider appropriate to the task of the appeal, including the Assistant Dean of Admissions and the members of the Admissions Committee. 

B.3. The Vice Dean of Medicine (or delegate) will provide the Dean of Medicine with a written report within fifteen (15) working days of receiving the appeal request. The report shall contain a summary of the documentation reviewed and any consultations conducted, any conclusions reached by the Vice Dean of Medicine, and decision recommendations. 

B.4. The Dean of Medicine shall provide a written decision to the Applicant within five (5) working days of receiving the report from the Vice Dean of Medicine (or delegate). The Dean of Medicine, after considering all information, may either uphold the decision of the Admissions Committee or overturn the decision of the Admissions Committee. 

B.5. In the event that the Dean of Medicine’s decision overturns the decision of the Admissions Committee, the Assistant Dean of Admissions will notify the candidate of their acceptance to the program. If there are no spaces available for entry into the academic year to which the applicant applied, the applicant will be guaranteed a spot for the following academic year. 

B6. The decision of the Dean of Medicine is final and within the University there is no further appeal.