Calgary, AB
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
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.
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Alternative vs. Traditional Health Care approaches. Why is there tension?
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Ethics surrounding an influenza vaccine
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How can your emotions about your family members affect your practice of medicine?
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Strengths and weaknesses of program
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Tell me about your research.
What was the most interesting question?
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.
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Asked to describe what I saw in a picture! Wasn't expecting that!
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Naturopathic medicine q?
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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.
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The multiple-mini interview format had a lot of interesting scenarios.
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they were all scenario based, very different than most schools
What was the most difficult question?
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.
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What role can doctors play in preventing bullying in schools? Should medical students give medical advice?
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What is a decision I made that may have been wrong?
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Confidentiality agreement, sorry! But they were all so different and not healthcare related even!
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The essay topics were vague and a bit more stressful than I had thought they would be.
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again, all scenario based (MMI) and couldn't really prepare for specifics.
🤝 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 2 people.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one 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 2-3 hours 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 between $201 and $300.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Calgary International Airport (YYC)
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YYC
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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Best Western Village Park Inn
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Best Western
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 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.
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went to mock MMIs, read websites, newspaper articles, took a bioethics course
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Student sites, read over my essay, ABS, looked up ethics, RELAXED
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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.
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Read a few articles about MMIs, quizzed by friends.
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read some ethics literature, discussed possible questions and answers with physicians, family and friends, self-reflection and re-read essay/resume
What impressed you positively?
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.
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The students were very friendly!
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The facilities
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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.
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The med students lounge is awsome! Air hockey, pool, the whole bit...
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Everyone in the med school class was extremely friendly.
What impressed you negatively?
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.
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NOTHING
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Nothing by itself....it was just very different from what I'm used to.
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I didn't like the on-site essays
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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.
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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
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
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.
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Nothing
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I researched the school prior to coming, but knowing that there would be no faculty member at the interview would have been helpful...
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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!
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how different the MMI was than a regular interview...would have prepped totally differently...some of the most random scenarios
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who unstressfull the interivew was going to be
What are your general comments?
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.
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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!
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Good, but different...
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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.
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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.
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Overall, very positive; but it is difficult to assess your performance in an MMI.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
No responses
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