Vancouver, BC
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 19% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents were neutral about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about defining integrity and providing examples of demonstrating integrity, discussing major social issues and related personal actions, describing qualities of a good physician and demonstrating them, and elaborating on volunteer experiences, research projects, and conflicts encountered. Respondents mentioned an MMI format and potential nondisclosure agreements, indicating a structured interview process focused on ethics, professionalism, personal experiences, and motivations for pursuing a medical career.
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Define integrity. Give an example where you showed or failed to show integrity. What did you learn from it?
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Explain [insert activity] in laymen's terms.
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What is a major social issue in Canada currently? Have you done anything to deal with it?
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All questions are already mentioned in past students' reviews.
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Tell us about a conflict that you've experienced and what you learned from it.
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine discussed a variety of topics, including technical questions related to personal interests, ethical scenarios such as lying to patients, explaining research in layman's terms, and assessing one's passion for community and global issues. Some responses hinted at an MMI format, alluding to nondisclosure agreements, while others highlighted unique inquiries like building a skateboard or handling sensitive medical information in hypothetical scenarios.
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None. It was just boring standardized questions.
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They asked me about a technical term from piano, which I play and mentioned in my application
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Why do you want to work in the community that you volunteer in?
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What does ischemia mean? (the word was in my essay = do not use medical words in med school application forms)
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What's a local, national or global non-medical issue that you're passionate about?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult questions asked at University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including conflict resolution, research explanation in layman's terms, community involvement impact, and integrity scenarios. Many responses indicated a structured Integrity series or multi-part questions related to qualities expected in a good physician, while some mentioned specific scenarios like a cost-benefit analysis, dealing with conflicts, or ethical dilemmas, suggesting a diverse set of challenging interview questions.
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Cost-benefit analysis of situations.
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Talk about a time you were involved in a conflict, how you resolved it and what you learned.
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They asked me to explain my research in laymen's terms...and then kept on pressing me about the details of site-directed mutagenesis which was a trivial part of my research.
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Describe a time where you had to deal with conflict and what you learned from it.
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I found all of the questions pretty straightforward and had prepared for all of them.
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 people.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a in a group interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
No responses
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 0-1 hour traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
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YVR
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Friends or family or with friends or family.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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UBC West Coast Suites
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La Quinta Inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was moderately friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by thoroughly reviewing their application materials, practicing answers to common questions, seeking advice from current medical students, conducting mock interviews with friends, researching current events and healthcare issues, and reflecting on personal experiences. Many emphasized the importance of introspection, practicing responses out loud, and seeking feedback from peers or mentors to improve their interview performance.
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Didn't. Had some interviews before this one, but this was my first and last MMI.
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Knew my essay and resume inside and out. Thought of a few key stories, examples that could answer a variety of questions. Asked current med students for advice. Prayed!!!
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This was my 7th and last interview, so I slacked a bit.
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I practiced some standard interview questions. I did a couple mock interviews with friends.
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current events (CBC health web/radio), Macleans mag, interviewed some docs, reflected on my resume/application, practiced my answers, thought about ethical dilemmas and framework for solving them....
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were positively impressed by the friendliness and welcoming attitude of the interviewers, volunteers, and current students at the school. They appreciated the well-organized interview process, top-notch facilities, and the emphasis on early clinical exposure in the program. Many also mentioned feeling at ease and supported throughout the experience.
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Nothing at all. But I do appreciate some of my interviewers for ''breaking the rules'' and having somewhat of a conversation with me.
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The whole interview process was very well organized.
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The facilities and students... but then being a UBC ugrad they weren't any surprises.
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Vancouver is an amazing city. Also, the new building is beautiful and top notch.
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New facilities, nice interviewers and very nice students.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants expressed concerns about the lack of personal connection during the interviews, with feedback indicating that the process felt impersonal, structured, and standardized. Suggestions included encouraging more meaningful interactions, allowing for individual expression, and providing opportunities for genuine conversations to take place during the interviews.
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I wish UBC will get it into their thick heads that the MMI is just a popular trend. I thought it would be better than the panel, but no, nothing much has changed, except maybe they've taken out some bias factor (but interviewers are human, there's always bias). It's still impersonal, they still don't know anything about you, and they can't have a normal conversation with you. The interview experience was the most awful one I've ever had. The interviewers don't know anything about you, and it doesn't seem like they want to. Several of my interviewers apologized to me for being so cold because they were instructed not to show any emotions to prevent ''treating applicants unfairly.'' Each station is 8 minutes, and if you finish your piece early, you are not allowed to talk to your interviewers, you are supposed to sit there in awkward silence. ''Be yourself''?! That's total BS in this interview format.
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Can't think of anything!
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Pretty much everything else. My interview panel was very stiff, didn't bother to make much eye contact with me or make me comfortable in any way, and even cut me off in one of my answers (which didn't even go beyond a minute and happen to be to the question ''Why medicine'').
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The whole interview process was very impersonal. The interview itself was very stiff.
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the subsiduary programs seem very good but I'm not thrilled with having to start out at UBC for first 4 months, then have to move over Christmas to IMP or NMP.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known not to stress if prompted to say more, to expect a formal dress code, and to simplify their research explanations. Suggestions also included arriving just in time, bringing minimal items, and preparing more thoroughly for current events discussions.
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Don't stress if they keep asking you if you have anything more to say or anything else to add. Just say no if you don't. UBC admissions is crapshoot, so don't take it personally if you don't get in. Try again.
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Do not go early!! I arrived five minutes before my slot. Other applicants had been sitting there stewing for 30 minutes.
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Nothing
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Leave your jacket, portfolio, umbrella, and other things at home - go into the lobby wearing only your interview suit and carrying minimal things (one purse max!) Oh, make sure to dress up too. Everyone is in formal business attire - pretty much dressed to the nines.
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Nothing.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally provided feedback on their experiences with the MMI-based interviews, highlighting aspects such as the interview atmosphere, interaction with interviewers, and overall comfort level. Suggestions included the need for more positive interactions, less open-ended questions, and ensuring interviewers are engaging and friendly throughout the process.
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MMI based interviews - 10 mini-interviews with 2 minutes to read a prompt and 7 minutes to respond to that prompt to an interviewer. Prompts can be anything, but generally fall into the following categories: ethical, critical thinking, role-playing, health-care system knowledge, rural care knowledge
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I was relaxed and gave full answers. I wanted them to see my personality and I believe they did. The interviewers seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. We finished the standard questions in 40 minutes and chatted until it was time to go . . . we ended up talking about the Simpsons!!
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It's a big crapshot. Some of my friends had very accomodating interviewers; others, like me, were not very fortunate. UBC seems to be looking for different qualities from most other schools.
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very comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. NO question opportunity for the interviewee as the interviewers are not school reps.
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Interviewers were not very friendly - a family member who came with me even commented that when she saw me exiting the interview space with them, they seemed a lot colder than the others. This made it kind of difficult to talk to them, and the interview had a few stony silences.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants generally expressed a desire for more transparency and consistency in the admissions process, with some noting the recent implementation of the MMI method and suggesting patience for potential changes in the future.
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Many, but things will unlikely change since they've only adopted the MMI this year. Let's wait a fe
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