Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 30% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
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 scenarios assessing ethical dilemmas, questions about personal qualities and strengths, inquiries about research experience, discussions on healthcare system improvements, and inquiries about career goals and unique experiences in medicine. Some responses suggest the interviews may have been in an MMI format with nondisclosure agreements due to the frequent mention of scenarios and ethical questions without specific details provided.
Alternative vs. Traditional Health Care approaches. Why is there tension?
Can't give specifics but it doesn't matter because next year they will be totally different! Just wait until you finish this interview, when you see the scenarios you will understand that the possibilities are infinite and they won't be repeated. Oh, and you will also see that your prep didn't help you at all!
questions about my research experience (I have an MSc), research related ethics questions, how would you fix the health care system, if you had 3 wishes what would they be
what type of MD do you want to be and why, ethics dilemma related to holistic medicine, personal qualities questions like 'name a time when you dropped the ball and why'
Asked a lot of questions about my research experience and how I would manage that with a medical practice. Time management and priorities was what they were getting at...
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine discussed scenarios in an MMI format, covering patient confidentiality, autonomy, personal values, and ethical dilemmas. Some respondents mentioned being asked unexpected personal questions, while others were presented with hypothetical scenarios or ethical inquiries, such as views on alternative medicine, career regrets, and practicing medicine in different settings.
Asked to describe what I saw in a picture! Wasn't expecting that!
It was all the most random scenarios I have ever seen. Honestly, there is NOTHING you can do to prepare for this interview. One personal question was asked but it wasn't any of the one's you would have prepared for or expected.
Students said the most difficult questions asked at University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including ethical dilemmas, decision-making scenarios, and healthcare issues. Many responses indicated a scenario-based format, possibly an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview), with some mentioning nondisclosure agreements, making preparation challenging due to the varied nature of the questions.
What role can doctors play in preventing bullying in schools?
Should medical students give medical advice?
Four questions in a row that called for pretty much the same answer (what qualities make you a good roommate, what would you write in a reference letter about yourself, how would your friends describe you, how would your supervisor describe you). I think they were looking for consistancy.
How would I rank not only in importance but in terms of time management family/friends, my profession as an MD and my profession as a researcher. i.e. what would come first?? And how would I deal with the demands of researchers wanting me to be productive in the research field when I have a medical practice that is already very time consuming?
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 unfriendly.
No responses
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was unresponsive.
No responses
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reading about bioethics, current events, healthcare policy, and reports such as Romanow and Kirby, while also practicing potential questions and answers. Many also sought advice from physicians, friends, and family, and tried to relax before the interview to perform their best.
went to mock MMIs, read websites, newspaper articles, took a bioethics course
Read the news, used this website, read my application and info on the school, prepared answers for common questions (huge waste of time!) I did everything I could think of to prepare and none of it helped me in the slightest! MMI's are very odd.
Read this site, thought about my responses to possible questions, glanced over the Romanow report, but basically just tried to relax and believe that if it's meant to be, it would go all right.
Read lists of possible interview questions, did practice interviews, read Romanow report, looked at CMA ethics guidelines, read a book on bioethics theory, checked out how residents are matched, interviewed MD's in the field I want to go into
I read the Kirby, Romanow, and Mazankowski summaries, talked to MANY residents, med students, physicians, found out a lot about the U of C program, and just tried to be as informed as possible on a wide variety of issues.
Talked to professors and other students, read the local papers and read the Romanow, Mazankowski and Kirby reports - summaries not the whole documents.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and enthusiastic students and faculty, as well as the welcoming and non-competitive atmosphere at the school. Many applicants also appreciated the facilities, the interview format, and the accommodating admissions staff.
The students seemed really happy. They were also very enthusiastic.
The interview experience was great. I loved the MMI format - I felt it was a lot of fun and more ''objective'' than the traditional interview format.
the facilities are incredible...one of the benefits of having the premier of the richest province in the country live in your city. the students really loved the school as well
The admissions staff are fantastic. I had to reschedule my interview because I got sick and they were very accomodating. The students all seemed very cool too. It is a really relaxed med school with a team environment.
The students and faculty were soooo nice!! They can *really* sell their school!! The first year students seemed so well qualified... it seemed like everyone there was *at least* on their third degree - very interesting chatting with everyone.
Applicants commonly expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of the interview process, such as the MMI format, lack of information provided beforehand, and challenging essay requirements. They also mentioned concerns about the facility's construction and negative comments made by faculty members during presentations. Suggestions include improving communication about the interview format, providing clearer instructions for essays, and ensuring a positive environment during facility tours and presentations.
The curriculum setup: 3 jam packed years with two 2 week holidays a year. The presenter at info session: a med student who spoke quite unprofessionally. The fact that you are not really informed about exactly how the MMI works and what is going to happen AND THE ESSAYS- worst experience of my entire life, so stressful! I couldn't even hear the guy giving instructions at the front of the room and all of a sudden about 100 people start typing as fast as possible and i didn't even understand one of the questions, I almost was in tears by the end.
the MMI format was wierd, i hadn't seen or heard enough about it beforehand to really be comfortable with it. also, close-file interviews didn't with specific stock scenarios made it difficult to incorporate all of my experiences into the interview
My interviewers didn't ask any followup questions and they were late. The student interviewer seemed extremely tired although this was a first interview. I wish they would have asked more probing questions instead of generic ones.
Gathering with all the other interviewees on the day of the interview - I didn't need to hear how wonderful all their other interviews at other schools had been!
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the lack of faculty members at the interview, the unique format of the MMI, the casual nature of the interview, and the option to change into formal attire at the location. They also highlighted the importance of staying calm and relaxed during the interview process.
That I wouldn't leave feeling like calgary is an amazing school - I interviewed last year at UWO and when i left I wanted nothing more than go to that school. I wasn't sold on UofC at all!
That I could have my interview and come back for the orientation and tour another day rather than having to cart all my good clothes there and change in the bathroom and spend all day sitting in the room with other stressed out applicants.
I was really surprised at the differences between the interviewees at Canadian med schools vs. American. They were a lot less stuffy and formal, and more talkative. They were also a lot less polished.
Applicants generally found the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format quick and nerve-wracking but appreciated the friendly interviewers and the opportunity to showcase their skills in a unique way. Some expressed uncertainty about their performance due to the format's limitations in fully assessing their abilities, while others highlighted the conversational and low-stress nature of the interviews.
The MMIs happened very quick! I was nervous, but relaxed a bit as they went on. I was pleasantly surprised that the interviewers were friendly and gave good feedback such as nodding, smiling and commenting. I wasn't expecting that!
I had a good time. I loved the interview. I found that I liked the school a lot more than I expected. After the first couple of MMI stations, I started to enjoy myself rather than being stressed out.
My feelings on this interview are mixed. The MMI format does not allow the interviewers to get to know you at all. Someone with no social skills would have soared through this interview! Unless they have discovered some secret way to truly analyze what should be analyzed in a med interview then I would say that it doesn't give them any indication of how you will behave as a physician. All you need to do is read the scenario and talk about every aspect you can think of - all common sense. I'm almost sure that every single person would have given the same response to these questions. The only difference would be word choice and the sequence they come out in.
it was good...not really sure how I did. it went by quite quickly, as the MMI was very much like a bell ringer. i felt a lot more stressful than I felt I should have. the essays were really weird (2x25min essays post-mmi)...good experience, have no idea how it went though...very difficult to tell
I felt like the interviewer kept trying to put words into my mouth. It was one thing to ask follow-up questions to clear up a point, but it's another to totally go off on a tangent about something I did not suggest in the slightest.
I really have no idea how I did. I actually think I may have been "too friendly" and not serious enough. Although they are supposed to be laid back interviews I feel a little grilling of people's reponses is a good thing and I had none of that.
My interview experience was awesome. I just felt like I was having a conversation with two friends. It was so low stress I couldn't believe it, but I guess I had a sort of low stress attitude going into it as well. They asked funny questions like "What is your favourite comedy and why?" I was surprised that for an open file interview, the interviewers didn't seem to know much about me. Maybe they chose to be that way to stay unbiased. My interview was over really fast, 35 minutes instead of 60, and in the end I got in so I guess in my case it was a good sign. Overall I had a really positive experience in Calgary.
I did a lot of research prior to the interview, which really helped. Especially knowing how residents are matched, having good understanding of what being a MD is really like in the real world, and understanding Canada's health care system. Overall a pretty good experience.
I had a young MD and a 3rd year interview me at the same time. They had my extracurriculars and my essay (admissions, not the onsite essay). All in all, it was not very stressed and very conversational. I had no ethical questions. By the way, I got in :)
Overall, not bad. This interview was the most stressful that I've had thus far (and I've had a few). The faculty member really tried to put the pressure on with some tough questions (to the point where the medical student looked a little shocked at his questions).
This was very relaxed and conversational in nature. Very few "standard questions" - Lots from my sketch and essay. Here is a list of topics/questions that came up:
-how would I feel if my patient was HIV + and didnt tell me
-recent dialysis error at foothills and mistakes I've made in my work and how I dealt with them
-euthanasia/end of life decisions
-good and bad aspects of their program (what I know)
-describe my research in layman's terms
-my strengths and weaknesses
-where see myself in 10 years
-if I was health minister, what problems would I tackle
The interviewers were very friendly and I got the feeling that they had a genuine interest in getting to know me. The majority of their questions were based on my autobiography.