How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.97 | 31 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 19 |
| Negatively | 3 |
| No change | 9 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.97 | 30 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.11 | 18 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.81 | 16 |
No responses
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 1 |
| 20 minutes | 1 |
| 25 minutes | 0 |
| 30 minutes | 18 |
| 35 minutes | 2 |
| 40 minutes | 2 |
| 45 minutes | 5 |
| 50 minutes | 1 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 31 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 31 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 26 |
| Closed file | 3 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.97 | 31 |
"Where do you see yourself in X years?"
"What did you think of the students who gave the presentation, they were dressed so informally while you weren't? What does empathy mean to you?"
"What kind of specialty would you like to do?"
"direct from sketch (work)"
"Explain [particular activity/event] in your essay. (I got a lot of these questions)"
"Do you speak French?"
"why would you choose mcgill university? (that was a hard question for me because i knew that mcgill wasn't my first choice...!)"
"What are some of the major issues in the world concerning healthcare"
"@ back to back ethics questions....one about lying students the other about lying doctors."
"Where do you see yourself in 15 years?"
"Tell me more about X from autobiography, CV; give further examples. What skills did X give you that apply to medicine. How did you learn compassion/communcation/etc from this experience?"
"Why medicine, why McGill ?"
"What originally began your interest in medicine? How did 'x' (from CV) influence your decision? "
"Do you think your Canadian education will be a disadvantage?"
"Why medicine? What are your motivations, and why haven't you chosen another career of equal difficulty or stature?"
"What I would personally find to be the most rewarding aspect of medicine."
"Why McGill"
"Why do you want to go to McGill?"
"How are you involved with homeless people? (Im not)"
"If you are the Dean of Faculty of medicine, how would you ask the provincial government for more funding considering that fact that many McGill graduates leave Quebec upon graduation?"
"If you weren't accepted this year, what would you do to improve your application?"
"Why McGill?"
"Do you believe that physicians ought to be upstanding citizens in the community?"
"What are some leadership positions you've had?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Why do you want to be a doctor, vs. other health care professions? Would you continue doing research during medical school?"
"Suppose you are against abortion. I am a 15 year old girl and I come to your office asking for an abortion. What do you say to me?"
"direct from sketch (research)"
"Why medicine? Did you have any mentors that influenced your decision to pursue medicine"
"Tell me about _____ activity?"
"what do you think is a good doctor? what qualities or competences are important? in our actual society, what do you think are doctors' new challenges?"
"tell me about your family, culture background, etc..."
"What is your opinion on the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind policy?"
"When did you decide you wanted to be a doctor?"
"Tell me more about your hobbies, what sports/movies/books do you play/watch/read? What concerns are there when a 16y.o. girl asks for birth control? Tell me about something that made you happy/unhappy. How do you feel when you are near a naked patient and how do you deal with it? How do you get a patient to quit smoking?"
"What would you do if medicine (as a career) was a complete impossibility?"
"Can you explain why you chose to do a Masters in Epidemiology? Most people do that after an MD degree."
"What makes a good doctor, a dangerous one?"
"Tell me about your family history, any medical problems you know of?"
"Why an MD PhD?"
"Last book I read"
"Why Medicine"
"What kind of medicine would you like to practice?"
"Why havent you contributed your service towards your undergrad school instead of other volunteer work?"
"If somehow premed doesn't work out (you are not accepted), what do you plan to do? Where do you picture yourself in 10 years? Why medicine, why now? Pretty standard questions."
"Discuss a health care issue which has been in the news in the past month."
"How do you feel about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide?"
"What have you seen in the medical field that has made you want to join it/not join it?"
"What things do you like to do at school besides research and classes?"
"Why medicine? "
"Why {insert major here}? Lots of questions from autobio."
"Describe a time you became close with another patient during your volunteer experiences. Many questions from my autobiographic sketch."
"Is there anyone in medicine, other than your family, that has inspired you to pursue this field?"
"Why medicine?"
"explain your research project. Will you pursue graduate studies if not admitted to med school? why is research so important in medicine and should medical students be obligated to carry out research projects?"
"How/why did you choose McGill?"
"in team works, are you usually the leader? what do you do when a partner doesn't do his/her part?"
"what will you do if not accepted..."
"Some obscure question about Canadian healthcare in PEI"
"Describe a conflict situation you've been in."
"Tell me about yourself. What major accomplishment would you want me to highlight if I were to defend you to the admissions board? What do you do when an encounter with a patient is going badly?"
"What would be your biggest fear in practicing medicing ? "
"What would be some of the things you would consider in treating a patient who is in chronic/uncurable pain?"
"Tell me about yourself, what is it about medicine that you enjoy, and what is it that you may not enjoy?"
"Are you aware of the time commitment required to finish your PhD in 3-4 years?"
"What I would personally find to be the most difficult aspect of practicing med."
"tell me about experience X? what are your interests? "
"What was the greatest challenge in your life so far?"
"Why did you come here today? In 30 secs sell yourself."
"What do you consider is the greatest challenge for doctors?"
"What is the sickest person you have ever seen, and how did you deal with that?"
"Discuss your greatest accomplishment/failure."
"Tell me about your research."
"What was the last movie you saw? "
"When was the last time you cried? "
"Have you ever had to report something to an authority about someone who was acting in an unethical or unlawful manner?"
"Some quality of life and euthanasia questions."
"what are three major issues in healthcare (in north american and globally)"
"Nothing too interesting, pretty much just went through my autobiographical letter."
"what would you tell to people who say that 17-18 year-old students are too young and not mature enough to enter the medicine program and that older students (that have completed a baccalaureat for example) should be privileged?"
"-What are some of the major issues in the world concerning healthcare"
"If you were an intern and accidently killed a patient how would u react"
"Is there anything you have changed in extracurricular program that will remain after you graduate?"
"If you were to direct a movie, what would the theme be?"
"would you still be a doctor if the highest salary you could earn was $20,000 a year?"
"It has been said that the average intern has killed 1.5 patients. Would you be able to live with yourself ?"
"What would you say to me if I told you I donlt think you have a strong enough interest in the 'hard sciences' to get through medical school?"
"Tell me about HMO's"
"What is the most negative thing about practicing medicine, in your mind?"
"A question about business decisions made by certain pharmaceutical companies."
"Standard Questions only. nothing new"
"Do you have any questions for us? :)"
"An 80 year old terminally ill man calls you up to tell you that he is going to take a lethal dose of painkillers. He has called you to tell you that you have been a great doctor and many thanks. How do you handle the situation?"
"Who is my favorite rapper?"
"What kind of problems would you encounter if you were practicing up North with a Native population?"
"What kind of movies/books/music do you like?"
"What do I feel are the major health problems that people working for Doctor's without Borders face?"
"How would you handle a situation as a medical student if an attending physician demanded (at the risk of you not getting your first choice residency program) that you take pictures of a patient for a research paper without getting approval from the patient. "
"n/a"
"What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?"
"What is your response to people who say that all use of animals in experiments is wrong, and that weighing the pros and cons shouldn't even enter into it?"
"How would you improve the long waiting times in clinics, and how would you address the families who are waiting? "
"What does compassion mean to you?"
"What do you think about cosmetic dermatology and the doctors who pursue it?"
"No really difficulty questions. The question above was probably the most difficult. no ethics questions"
"What do you think is a big ethical issue facing people today?"
"in medicine, we often have to work with patients or collegues with whom we have disagreements. have you ever had any experience of that sort, where you had to work with someone who didn't share your way of working or your opinion?"
"none really, mainly personal questions, very few ethical questions"
"What are some of the major issues in the world concerning healthcare"
"Same"
"All questions were fairly standard and mostly related to my experiences as opposed to the medicine-related questions."
"How do you expect to change in medical school?"
"lots of ethical questions...hypothetical medical scenarios that I had to think about and make a tough/controversial decision"
"How is socccer a metaphor for life and medicine ? (first interview, first question asked... 9am in the morning)"
"Biggest achievement/biggest failure (such typical questions, but pretty hard!)"
"Why didn't you go for your PhD in engineering?"
"What are your biggest personal weaknesses."
"Why do you think you should do medical research if the research you've done up to now isn't medical in itself?"
"nothing that stumped me, all standard"
"above"
"What was the greateest challenge in your life so far?"
"Tell me something to make me laugh."
"If my best friend is in the room, what would she say that I have to work on. I did think of my weakness before, but somehow my mind blanked out for half a minute. Very odd."
"Do you think doctors make too much money?"
"An ethical scenario involving a patient giving a doctor gifts for work performed."
"Nothing was really very difficult, it was all just about what I learned from "
"Do you have to actively work at being humble?"
"Looking back on your life, what's one thing you wish you could change?"
"Tell me about yourself?Why did you choose Mc Gill (hard because there is little info on the dental program)"
"Forums, feedback, practice with friends, med students."
"Mock interviews with a friend, CAPS, practiced/researched lots of interview questions, watched the news, read about ethical situations"
"Read the newspaper, Time magazine, Ethics in Canadian Health Care textbook, mock interviews, etc."
"Read a little bit about the school, faculty. What was new in the province, city."
"kept up with the news, read ethics books, mock interviews with career advisor and friends"
"SDN, school website, talked to someone who had interviewed there previously"
"visited many websites like this one, asked myself why i wanted to become a doctor, prepared to talk about what i wrote in my autobiographical letter (that's what they base themselves on during the interview)"
"read a lot about the health care system, and current affairs"
"Read lots and lots of books on ethics, healthcare system in canada. Read books on improving the healthcare system in canada. studied the school's webpage "
"Read about Quebec healthcare, read my auto, practice Qs"
"Read up on healthcare in Quebec, did mock interview with friends, read autobiographical letter"
"Read essay and CV. They go through almost item by item with you in the interview"
"studentdoctor.net, reread application materials, "
"Read a lot of everything: magazine (Time, Macleans, Economist, Strut, GQ) just to get a style of wording and current events. Read my autobiography. made a time line."
"Read my autobiographical statement, read the newspapers; introspection."
"School site, talked to students"
"Talking with other applicants and reading my personal statement."
"I tried to relax."
"this site, Ian Wong's site, read newspaper, current health care reading and some ethical discussions with friends"
"Read personal statement. sdn. Ian wong site."
"Read up on Canadian healthcare and the McGill curriculum, knew my essay inside out."
"Reread my essay, news paper articles about the health care system in Canada and in Quebec, read the curriculum of the school."
"Read over my essays and brainstormed over the types of questions which could be asked, went over how I would present my life experiences, kept up with current events and recent health care issues, read a book on medical ethics and visited this website."
"read newpaper, did mock interview"
"read over my essay, read the newspaper, read the romanow report executive summary, practice questions"
"read my essay, followed health issues, discussed potential questions and answers with professors and fellow applicants "
"Read newspapers, re-read my essay and just relaxed"
"Read over my essay, their website, current health news."
"One of the interviewers was from outside the faculty of medicine. People really got into my personal statement and my motivations."
"Good presentation by the students."
"The kindness of the interviewers."
"Admissions people were extremely friendly and well organized. I had some friends who gave me a tour. Everything put me at ease."
"great school, dean's presentations were informative, great food"
"Everyone was very nice, and really seemed to like the school."
"the anatomy laboratory and museum was very impressive. we had the occasion of observing some corpses, which was really interesting. the campus is gorgeous. oh and the food they gave us (breakfast and lunch) was good =)"
"the dean stop by at talked to us"
"the fact that the Associate Dean took the time (in fact the whole day almost) to sit and talk about the program. She repeated the same talk over 3 times that day and was very patient and answered all the questions we had. "
"The free food"
"The students were all very enthusiastic and went out of their way to present their school well. They also took a lot of time out for activities, tours, etc even though they had an exam the coming week."
"Downtown Montreal and McGill campus. McGill students get into hospitals in Jan of second year."
"the students, the facilties, the program, the city...even the weather was nice that day"
"The relaxed atmosphere and the desire to keep the interviews unstressful; the other students were supportive of the applicants; the desire of the McGill staff to tell us some of the good things about McGill, including the focus on clinical skills and the international make up of the class."
"The students planned a whole weekend around the interview for us to have fun"
"The quality of education at McGill. There is more hands-on training here than in US schools, which prepares and trains better."
"The MD PhD students were friendly and open. Although the last interview was with the director of the MD PhD program, she asked good, albeit hard, questions."
"The low stress level, the interviewers really do just want to get to know you."
"Montreal is awesome. People were friendly and down to earth."
"Lunch with the dean was amazing, and the McGill med students are awesome. "
"School's location in Montreal"
"The students are super friendly and fun. The interviewers made me feel very relaxed."
"The friendly atmosphere during the interviews... it was all very casual and I really felt that the interviewers were trying to get to know me."
"the students seemed very enthusiastic, they were totally selling the school."
"The people were all very friendly and welcoming, we had lunch at Thomson house with the Dean of Admission and the Dean of Health Sciences"
"I love McGill, so it doesn't take much to impress me about the school, but I suppose it was how eager the med students were to chat with the interviewees"
"The students were really excited about the program and the school which gave a good impression."
"They treated us to a pizza dinner the night before the interview and a fancy lunch the day of. The students were all very friendly and enthusiastic. The school and the city of Montreal has a lot to offer. Plus cheap tuition."
"two students and 1 professor conducted the interview"
"Despite what they tell you that day, not every interview is easy going. I had a lot of ethical questions in my first interview, (however the second one was very relaxed)."
"I was there from 830-4 for two 30 minutes interviews."
"Nothing. The school/faculty/city are amazing."
"no tours but I attended this school for undergrad therefore already knew the campus well"
"Nothing in particular, but I would have liked to visit one of the hospitals while I was there."
"the presentation of the program was kind of boring and monotone. the director/teacher (i didn't really pay attention...) was not interesting to listen to and it was too long. i wasn't even listening (i was eating....)"
"That there were no medical students around to talk to. With all fairness, I think that the day I interviewed, the MED I's had classes, MedII's and III's were in the hospitals while MedIV's were busy finalizing residency matches or soemthing like that..."
"The facilities are old... and the hospital tour was sketchy. We did not feel welcome being herded through ER, ICU as a large group that was getting in the way."
"Learning that almost no clinical skills are taught during the first 1.5yrs."
"nothing in particular"
"McGill has too many students for its limited class space; small group sizes are large (15+); there are lots of younger students because of the MedP program."
"It was pretty cold"
"A seeming lack of maturity among some students, and difficult to get around."
"I wish I had had a little more time in between interviews. I nearly was late to each interview despite the fact that there was a small buffer in between interviews."
"It was freakin cold out, but I guess I'm used to that."
"all round great... though some of the facilities seem a little older. I'm sure they do the job."
"Nothing!"
"The students are not happy at all to be there."
"The four hour wait in between the two interviews felt so long. Luckily I went with friends."
"No tours, no fancy lunch (unlike some other people who have posted their experiences at McGill!), no chance to meet current med students on the interview day (though there was a pizza party organized on the weekend)."
"Too many hills!"
"No tour or information session"
"perhaps there does not have to be a 4 hour gap between interviews"
"Lack of events planned, it was not very well coordinated."
"The fact that the medical campus is on a hill - I almost couldn't stop from sliding down the icy slopes! Also the fact that they accept more Americans than out-of-province Canadian students."
"no formal tour, no formal introductions, ppl just ignore you"
"That the interviewers do not know our grades."
"How hilly the campus is. Streets go up and down at 45 degree angles."
"nothing except that there would be a lot of waiting during interview day and that the interviews were really low stress"
"Nothing."
"how I overprepared and really shouldn't have been as stressed out as I was"
"That you take classes with Med-P students (ie. students right out of Cegep)"
"The school is transitioning to a stronger emphasis on small group learning and students seem to feel like it is an awkward transition with large (~15 students) groups and less learning. Faculty members said there is some disagreement about how the non lecture-based instruction should be conducted."
"nothing"
"The teaching methods and group methods."
"I wish I had known that most people who were interviewing me hadn't even read my personal statement. I was expecting my letter to serve as a launch pad for discussion."
"nothing, although I had done tons of research and they barely asked me about my work."
"How few out of province Canadian seats there are. An all round great place to be... didn't know I'd like Montreal as much as I did."
"There are many exits out of the metro stations and it is easy to get lost!"
"No food, no tour, no information."
"They are more interested in what you didn't put in to your essay. The second interviewer asked me if there is anything else that I would like to add (three times!!!) Finally I just ran out of things to say. So I asked him a few questions instead. "
"--"
"The hills!!"
"i expected more behavior analysis questions, but alot of standard, why did you chose dentisty, why did you chose our school"
"MD/PhD interviewers had a long day, with 2 30 minute interviews in the morning and 2 45 minute interviews with the program director and a former program director in the afternoon. These interviews were very straightforward, and they wanted to know that you had some direction and were clear about your motivations and really wanted MD/PhD. In the morning interviews, I was asked a lot of questions from my autobio and CV, one interview was very casual and one was trying to assess my level of involvement in most of the activities I was involved with. Overall it was very positive, and I came out of each interview feeling good. "
"This was for the Med-P program at McGill. Overall, it was a very good experience. They were very friendly but since they are like this with everyone, it is difficult to tell whether you impressed them or not."
"Well organized. There are two separate 30 minute interviews. Other interviewees were kind and pleasant to talk to. I think there were organized tours but they took place later in the day."
"great experience, great school."
"It was a really long day, but the school and the people were really nice. The interviews were pretty straight forward, just asking questions about my autobiographical letter. Be prepared for a lot of waiting around between your two interviews because they don't give you much to do."
"both interviewers mostly asked questions to clarify the information that i had put in my autobiographical letter (so be sure to re-read it before the interview). but there were also questions that weren't related to the letter. the interviewers were nice and sympathetic overall. the interviews are supposed to last 30 mins, but mine only lasted 20 mins each. the interviews went well in general."
"both interviews were conversational, both went over my autobiography with me. lots of questions about my family, my childhood, hobbies and interests. I felt like they were really trying to get to know me, and tried to make me feel as comfortable as possible"
"Very friendly interviewers, very conversational interviews."
"arrival from 8-9am, first 45min. interview between 9 and 11:30, second 45 min interview between 1:30 and 4:00. intermittent talks by faculty, students; tours available."
"Surprisingly laid back and was actually enjoyable. Ask questions as much as possible and just let it role. KNOW YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY."
"Overall, very positive experience. The interviewers just want to get to know you, get a sense of who you are, where you come from and why you are interested in medicine. It was much more conversational than at other schools because the interviewers weren't taking notes, and most questions were based on my previous responses. McGill would be a wonderful place to be."
"The first one was a basic conversation. I felt like my second interviewer was really grilling me and twisting my questions into things she could ask me."
"They want to know the applicant, make sure they know that it's not just finding the right applicants, but making sure the school is a good fit for us."
"I had 4 interviews, each lasted 45-60 minutes, except for the lunch interview, which lasted an hour and a half with the 2 MD PhD students. My first interview was with a fairly informal scientist for the PhD and that had low stress. I really felt at ease talking to him because I knew the type from all the research I had done in the past few years. The second interview was for the MD and this was with one of the professors. He was fairly straightforward, went down my personal statement and just asked me to elaborate on what it is that I said. I then went to eat lunch with 2 MD PhD students and we talked about research and life in general. This was also informal and much more relaxed than the other interviews. They were easier to talk to, although since this was an interview, there was this tension that made things not quite relaxed. It was a good lunch and finally the last interview was with the director of the MD PhD program. That was the really tough interview and I felt a little grilled afterwards because of the difficulty of some of the questions. I also felt like she purposefully asked certain questions to see how I would respond, like with the question about my research not being actual medical research. Overall, everyone had a good poker face. I'm personally used to being able to read people so in general, especially after the last interview, that was a little unsettling. From what I've heard from multiple people that have been interviewed at McGill, they always have an interview that's supposed to make you have doubts in yourself."
"Would be a great place to be. great value. great school. great city."
"The interviews are very relaxed and super-friendly and focused mainly on the personal essay. I was very impressed with McGill and their efforts to make the interview experience meaningful. "
"Very poorly conducted. My tenth interview and by far the worst. Students treated very impersonally, interview is very subjective. I was accepted to a top-ranked American school, but not even put on the waiting list here. Why? Because of two confrontational interviewers, who were aggressive and biased. Opposed to common belief, McGill does not have stress-free interviews. Prepare and beware!"
"Both interviewers were MDs. They only had access to the essay (not grades). Both focused on my personal essay and qualities instead of what I know. They basically went through my essay and took down notes during the interviews. Although some interviewers tend to ask a lot of ethics questions, follow a long list, or ask what if you're the minister of health...etc. It really depends on who you get. One of my friends was interviewed by a priest/psychiatrist, so obviously there were lots of ethics questions. You don't know who is going to interview you until they call for your name. Most people feel pretty relaxed and possitive after. I told my second interviewer that I wasn't able to visit the anatomy lab (to which only first year med students have access)on the tour, and he said that I would get my chance. I just found out that I was accepted, so maybe it was a good sign? Tips: do dress formally, don't wear tons of make-up. Stay relaxed and true to yourself. Arrive early because the interviews don't start at the exact time. Don't sit by yourself, talk to other students, even strangers. You want to project yourself as positive, confident and friendly. And, this might sound silly, smile to everyone you pass in the halls, maybe that person will be the next one to interview you. Good luck. ^o^"
"It was all very casual and relaxed. One interviewer asked me some tough questions, but I felt that I could answer well because I am very familiar with the type of medicine I want to practice. ALso the interviewer was very friendly and not at all confrontational. My experience there has made me even more excited about McGill!"
"Not bad, it was a very long day, since we had 2 seperate interviews with a lot of waiting in between."
"I interviewed at McGill last year so I had an idea of what to expect as far as questions go, but I was pleasantly surprised by the interviewers I had this year. They created a relaxed environment for you to speak about your experiences and just be yourself."
"Overall a very relaxed interview with no ethical or health care questions. They mostly asked about my personal interests and why I was interested in medicine. "
"The student-organized activities were great. But my own interviews didn't go as well as I hoped (the 2nd interviewer didn't seem to be interested at all). But McGill is definitely a good school to attend if one gets the chance!"
"felt like i was just another applicant in a pool of hundreds, no personalized attention"
"Excellent experience!"
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 15 |
| Faculty member | 0 |
| Admissions staff | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 6 |
| Neutral | 2 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.94 | 16 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 10 |
| Out of state | 4 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 6 |
| 2-3 hours | 2 |
| 4-6 hours | 3 |
| 7+ hours | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 4 |
| Automobile | 2 |
| Train or subway | 10 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 1 |
| $101-$200 | 2 |
| $201-$300 | 0 |
| $301-$400 | 1 |
| $401-$500 | 0 |
| $501+ | 2 |
YUL
DOR
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 2 |
| Friends or family | 4 |
| Hotel | 3 |
| Home | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.06 | 16 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.41 | 17 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.71 | 17 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.00 | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.00 | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.00 | 1 |
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?