Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 25% of interviews, indicating it is highly 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 inquiries about the motivation to study medicine, personal background and interests, handling ethical dilemmas, and balancing responsibilities. Some respondents mentioned questions related to role models, advocacy for underserved populations, and scenarios testing decision-making skills in challenging situations. Additionally, references to MMI or Multiple Mini Interview format and nondisclosure agreements suggest a structured interview setup with specific guidelines and scenarios presented to applicants.
Where did you grow up? Who are your role models? What do you do for fun? How do you balance your life/time and how will you do this when in the demanding field of medicine?
With respect to physicians being gatekeepers, how would you address a crowd of people in a developing country when the food drop-off that week was spoiled? What actions would you take if you came upon an automobile accident in which the driver seemed to be drunk and injured and there was a strong smell of gas?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Western Ontario Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry discussed a range of topics including ethical scenarios, rural medicine, healthcare costs, and preferences in healthcare systems. The interview format might have been an MMI, with nondisclosure agreements in place for some respondents, while others mentioned standard questions and confidentiality statements.
Interviewer stated, ''This is going to be a poorly articulated question. Perhaps you can make sense of it...He (purposely) rambled on about the SARS situation and eventually talked about doctors conforming to their instructions or disregarding them and returning to work infected.
What do you think about the cost of higher education, what should be done about it, what kind of advice would you give a high-school graduate about the expenses
although, i was asked to sign a confidentiality statement, and thus, i cannot divulge these questions, there is no need to worry! all the questions that were asked were the expected ones that you have i'm sure already prepared for!
What specific group of people in Canada need specific consideration for health care? (After I answered - And supppose you were the physician of this group - how would you solve the problems associated with their health care?)
Students said the most difficult question asked at University of Western Ontario Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry discussed a variety of topics, including ethical scenarios, resource allocation, personal project reflections, and communication strategies with patients. Some responses hinted at an MMI format or nondisclosure agreement due to mentions of multiple questions at once and similarities in questions asked.
The ones with multiple questions within the question that they rattled off all at once. hard to keep track of what had been answered.
After discussing in depth a major project I worked on during an internship, I was asked if there was anything I would do differently. I couldn't think of anything.
What questions would you ask to an elderly mother, who had just fallen and hurt herself but did not want to move into a retirement home and her daughter who felt that her mother needed to move in order to be safe?
"Comment on one group of people in Canada requiring specialized/distinct healthcare". I said aboriginals because of potential conflicts with traditional beliefs and medicine...
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 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 the interview by researching the Canadian healthcare system, reading medical ethics books, conducting mock interviews, practicing with friends, and reviewing their application materials. They also emphasized the importance of remaining calm, staying informed on current events, seeking advice from current medical students, and engaging in introspection to feel prepared and relaxed for the interview.
Little bit of reading of canadian health care system, reviewed ethics etc.
I bombed my first interview at another school because I thought it would be better to sound genuine and unrehearsed. I learned my lesson and did a couple practise ones with friends.
Mock interview, this site, reviewed Western's website (particularly curriculum objectives and learning outcomes), read Romanow report and other similar ones, read newspaper daily, etc.
Applicants were positively impressed by the beautiful campus, the friendliness and closeness of the student body, as well as the well-organized and accommodating interview process. Some applicants also appreciated the emphasis on individual experiences during the interviews and the supportive atmosphere created by students and faculty. Suggestions included reducing lecture time in the first year and ensuring clarity in guiding the interview process.
Nothing outstanding, a formal interview as expected
However, I am very appreciative in that they looked past my substandard MCAT and interviewed me based on my research experience.
The interviewers put extra effort into making me feel comfortable during the interview so they could really get to know me. It really made me feel welcomed
The video was funny and the students seemed to really love their school. The program also impressed me, although it seemed like way too much lecture time first year.
students are extremely nice and they really seem like a very close knit group. They seem to have a lot of fun on top of studying. Everything was also very very well organized.
The closed file nature of the interview was really interesting! It let me guide my own interview since we could only talk about experiences that I brought up. Make sure to know what you want to say at the beginning when they say "Okay, we only know your name thus far, what do you want us to know about you?"
How friendly the students and faculty were! Everyone just kept smiling and offering to help me do things! Absolutely unbelievable how much the entire Meds 2006 class was there FOR the interviewees!
Applicants were negatively impressed by the perceived arrogance of students, lack of enthusiasm during interviews, stereotypes about the student body, and limited dialogue during closed-file interviews. Suggestions include encouraging more engaging interactions during interviews, addressing stereotypes, and ensuring interviewers show genuine interest in applicants.
How arrogant the students were. Also, the one interviewer kept doing the whole head-bob-I'm-sooo-tired thing. Compared to MMI interviews I have also had, panel interview was awkward and less effective IMO.
There was no recycling program in place at the lunch which was provided. Also, the student's seemed a little young. Not in a bad way, but they tended to emphasize how Western was the--and I'm quoting here--"Bestern." Following this philosophy, instead of emphasizing their academic side, they focused a lot on the party life in London. This is something I'd like to know, but our tour guids got so excited while describing city-life that I thought they might flash me (okay... so maybe I wasn't negatively impressed persae).
The interview itself. My interviewers seemed disinterested and the questions were simply read of a list. There was no dialogue whatsoever and I never felt at all comfortable.
The interview...it was closed file, so I assumed the interviewers would ask me to elaborate, or question me further on my answers. Nothing like this at all, they just moved onto the next question. By not feeding off my answers, and following a rigid set of questions, I didn't think they got a good idea of who I was.
my interview. I was the last one of the day and my interviewers looked absolutely uninterested. The committee member looked like he was going to pass out. The faculty member was really a robot, and although i thought the med student was nice, I think I caught him snoozing off. bad experience? yeah...
Applicants commonly wished they had known about the emphasis on research experience, the standardized nature of the questions, and the lack of opportunity for elaboration during interviews. They also highlighted the importance of understanding unique aspects of the curriculum and being prepared for closed-file interviews where interviewers have limited information about the candidates.
Their tendency is take those with the most research experience possible (expected), thus students with Masters have a significant advantage versus undergraduates.
Western Road actually changes name before intersecting with the street I was on. So I went passed whatever that road is called and ended up asking for directions.
I wished that I had really understood the very interesting implications of "Ecosystem Health": a component of the curriculum that is certainly unique to UWO. Read-up on that for sure.
The pressure associated with a closed-file interview where the panel asked no supplementary questions. I should have taken half the interview to answer the "tell us about yourself" question because really that was the only one that would allow them to get to know you. Also, that everyone would get asked the same questions, even at the interview two weeks later. To me this just doesn't seem fair.
Well, to twist the question a little: I wish I knew that Western was going to end up being the school where I do my MD. During interview time, I had two schools I had rather gone to, but only AFTER I got acceptances at those two schools did I suddenly decide I wanted Western the most afterall!
Nothing really. The interviewers don't know ANYTHING about you before your interview so be prepared for that, i.e. they don't have your autobio sketch.
Applicants generally provided feedback on the interview process at Western University's medical school, with comments ranging from positive experiences with friendly interviewers and enthusiastic students to negative experiences with disinterested interviewers and a closed-book approach. Suggestions included being oneself, preparing for scenario questions, and not stressing too much about ethics, current events, and political issues during the interview.
Decent. The interviewers were the friendliest in that they always had pleasant and compassionate expressions on their faces. Students were nice. I came only for the interview and left soon after, so I was not able to meet a lot of students or watch their video
Went well. Met some people I had met earlier at other interviews. Students seemed genuinely happy. There were many of them to help guide us where we were needed.
A very good all around experience. My interviewers were very attentive and provided me with many good follow-up questions. Being undecided driving into London, I knew when leaving that I would be happy there.
Great. I enjoyed it. I was a little late in being called into the room and this became agonizing because med students and other interviewees would constantly pass by me and exclaim "oh you STILL haven't gone in yet?" - in the end, I did get the 45 min in there but I didn't have my calm when I walked in there in the beginning (as a result of the long wait).
Western seems it would be a great school to study medicine, especially with the revamped interior and the influx of new money. As for the interview, the closed-book approach seems a bit off-putting, but there is a good way to deal with it: Put everything on the table with the first question (within reason)and let the interviewers take it from there.
Well if it's not obvious from the preceding comments my experience was largely negative. The day itself was very well organized and the students were friendly, but my specific interviewers were stone-faced and disinterested .
Western seems like a great med school. At least from the students' enthusiasm, they seem really into helping you out. The interviewers however looked like I was boring them to death. I tried to crack a few jokes and it was a dead audience (perhaps I'm just not funny). So, how to succeed? Find out the questions they asked to the candidate that's in your interview room before you. Very likely the questions will be exactly the same. I'm not kidding. They have a sheet of set questions. If you can find out the questions before hand you'll feel more prepared. Even questions from people the week before will likely have resemblence to questions you will be asked.
lots of scenario questions.
ethics/current events/political issues are WAY too overemphasized. to other potential interviewees, just relax. esp if you've grown up in canada all your life, you'll already know the basic of the systems and if you don't i think you're in big trouble. overall a good experience, not stressful.
The interview was very comfortable and all three interviewers were attentive, relaxed and interesting people! The med students were loads of fun, and spent a lot of time getting to know the interviewees. Western has become my #1 choice after this experience.
Western wasn't my first choice at the time of the interview and I felt very confident about my chances at two other schools. As a result, I was very relaxed. I even played air guitar and sang during my UWO interview. The panel liked that apparently....
I guess the secret is, and always will be, 'just be yourself'. The air guitar thing was just something I would have done in most conversations if I was asked the same questions the interviewers asked. I didn't think it right to act like some other person so I just did what I would have normally done, and I'm glad that was the message that was conveyed.
Pretty relaxed, really short. I was expecting them to ask "tell us about yourself" as the first question but this never came up. I had to bring that spiel up at the end. Everyone I talked to was in and out in under half an hour. It was really straight forward. The interviewers weren't super friendly at first but we were all laughing by the end of it. The school is great.