Did anyone else have a stressful interview?

[Guest breaker79]

Hey everyone. I was just wondering how everyone's interview went this weekend. Mine was pretty stressful - I don't really know how I did because it was really hard to guage the interviewers' interest in what I was saying. They seemed nice, but they simply showed no expression. On top of that, my interview was only around 35 mins. Anyhow, I was just wondering how your experiences were.

 

All the best,

 

breaker79

[Guest studentz]

Mine went really, really well (I think). The panel was very nice, they new my OMSAS sketch almost as well as I did, and they asked really interesting and fair questions. They all seemed interested in what I had to say, which is definitely more than I can say about the med student at my UofT interview. Mine was between 45 min and an hour. Then again, most people that went at the same time as me said theirs went well so I'm not sure how to judge it.

 

The weekend improved my opinion of the program, though I'm still not crazy about Kingston. The students were very friendly, and all seemed to like it there. Unfortunately, my interview was at 9am today so I skipped the evening activities yesterday.

 

Anyone going for the next round, be sure to check out the info session as the video is very funny. Also, know your sketch inside out, and be able to relate how your experiences have prepared you for what you're about to embark on.

[Guest seedstrike]

Hi Beaker,

 

All interviewers have a different style of interviewing. You can't really judge how your interview went based on the facial expressions / level of interest that the interviewer exhibited.

 

As for as the interview length...35 minutes isn't too short. We were told that we should keep our interviews under 40 minutes so 35 minutes is a resonable length.

[Guest breaker79]

thanks alot Seedstrike. Any reassurance at this point is very much appreciated. God willing good news is awaiting me in May.

All the best,

 

breaker

[Guest MedAnxiety]

Mine actually lasted quite long ...about 50 minutes. But one of the interviewers looked quite tired. But near the end, he seemed to be a lot more up beat. I think overall, the Queen's interviewers that I had were extremely pleasant and definitely tried to make me feel comfortable. There were a few confrontational moments, but that was fine. Good luck to the april group!!!

[Guest purplefairy13]

Strangely enough, I would actually describe my Queens interview as FUN :lol

The interviewers were all really nice, and I actually had a conversation about one of my favorite books with the doctor (and all of the teenage 'fan'-atacism that goes along with aforementioned book ). I would love to come to Queens next year!!! :b I am now sooo conflicted b/w Queens and my other number 1 choice school :eek ...

 

PuRpLeFaiRy13

[Guest purplefairy13]

But seriously, though, to answer the question in this thread....

A short interview could be good. I know someone who interviewed at UBC last year, had a 25 minute high stress interview, and still got in! :eek

So you never can tell....it depends on your interviewers style. Good luck, and RELAX

 

 

puRpLeFaiRy13

[Guest Madz25]

breaker,

 

my interview was very stressful like yours. it lasted 45 mins. my other interviews have been 30 mins so dont take the length of the interview to mean anything.

 

my interview experience at queens was HORRIBLE! it was NOT laid back and NOT like a conversation. there were no 'fun' questions and one of the interviewers kept staring at my hands the whole time! they kept grilling me with questions so it seemed like they were trying to make me stumble instead of trying to get to know me. i didn't get a whole lot of questions from my ABS...only 2 of 'em were from my ABS. the interviewers didn't seem friendly to me. and it was so uncomfortable without a table there!

 

i dont think i'll be getting into queens this year. it was my WORST interview experience.

 

madz

[Guest fever meds]

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being most stressful), my interview was a 1. It went at least 45 minutes, but possibly 10 minutes longer (I can't remeber if I started at 9 or 8:50).

 

They asked a few questions from my OMSAS app, and I feel they knew more then they let on, but I don't think they had read everything as the faculty member actually showed me the sheet they had.

 

I wished they asked more ethical type questions, of which maybe only 2 were asked. The other questions were CV or just basic, obvious questions.

 

However although I felt the interview went well, I am not expecting an invite as I am an OOP student and I imagine there many more candidates with better OMSAS apps (I didn't put much effort in, as I wasn't too serious in getting an acceptance, just an interview as practice)

 

Anyways for all, Queens interviews are fun. Enjoy.

[Guest Madz25]

fever meds,

 

queen's doesn't have any allocation of seats for IP or OOP. it doesn't matter where you're from.

[Guest Alfred18]

im very sorry to hear about the stressfull interviews! i guess everyone has different experiences.......mine at UBC was really stressful and the interviewers were cold, but others have said that theirs were fun and happy. mine at queens was good, we talked and laughed and they broached the questions very gently and asked me questions on my auto sketch and other stuff. the second year med student was amazing!! she was sooooooo nice. so i guess in this process we all have a stressfull and not so stressfull one. its not over till the letters come!

[Guest fever meds]

hmmm...I knew UWO didn't give preference albeit a few bonus points to London students. Thanks for the correction. Now I'll have my fingers crossed

[Guest sk82]

My interview was quite long, probably went for almost the entire hour (I didn't dare to look behind me and check the clock during the interview--certainly didn't want to appear impatient). But it was very very pleasant, at least from my perspective. The interviewers were polite and friendly and they didn't even ask me any ethical quetion, after all that prep. But I think they got to know my personality pretty well. Hopefully they had a good impression. Also the video was hilarious!

[Guest shy]

I was talking to some of the med students at queen's and they said some of the people in their class who had horible interviews (by their own judgement) got in last year. I think it is really hard to tell how you scored, so try not to worry and wait for May.

 

My interview felt really good since the interviewers were so nice, but I don't know if this reflects how I did. We talked about a lot of just fun stuff. Like books, travel, what Kingston was like. Barely anything to do with Medicine.

[Guest studentz]

Well, none of us really have any way of evaluating our chances because we don't know what they're looking for BUT I heard they accepted 100 and had to go through the entire waitlisted group to fill the class last year. So the odds are better if a similar thing happens this year. At least it's over!

 

**edited because my original post about the number waitlisted last year made no sense!

[Guest seedstrike]

Madz,

 

sorry to hear about the lousy interview experience. I'm actually surprised because most people have positive experiences with queen's interviews (based on the feedback from interviewees).

 

Fever_Meds,

 

last I heard, UWO has a preference for those residing in the 519 area code...that encompasses Windsor/London and the surrounding areas. However, I think this preference plays a very minor role in selection.

[Guest Madz25]

thanks seedstrike

 

i was surprised too because i had only heard good things about the queen's interviews. oh well, i guess i'll find out in june!

 

madz

[Guest mosquitoba]

hi everyone - i had my interview at queens on sunday at 9 am. i was very impressed with the presentation of the program as a whole by the students and faculty. the campus is beautiful, and the curriculum sounds great. my interview was very relaxed - one of my interviewers looked like santa so that put me at ease the student was really receptive and smiled a lot, and all three of them asked a lot of follow-up questions which was great b/c it allowed me to highlight the aspects of my ABS that i really wanted to discuss. overall, i acutally had a lot of fun with my interview. and yet, its really hard to tell if all the interviews by that committee were that enjoyable and relaxed, or if my interview reflected anything about my chances for an offer of admission! i guess i'll have to be satisfied with the fact that i got to be myself and show my true personality, and try to forget about it until early june! (yah, right!!) best of luck to future interviewees, and be sure to take advantage of all the things the med 1's have planned!

mosquitoba

[Guest bl]

Hey there,

 

I don't think I had a stressful interview, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that the answers I gave were complete bunk...I got asked 4 health care policy questions (which I felt was a lot, for Queen's) and I'm pretty sure I came off sounding like I had no clue in hell what the health care system in Canada is like. How much was I expected to know??? I'm actually surprised they didn't just terminate the interview after I babbled on incoherently and wishy-washily about solutions to Canadian health care problems. Instead, they let me talk for 50 min...man, did I ever have a good conversation with myself!! If they were looking for someone with a brain, though, it didn't show. Now the waiting begins....argh.

[Guest Madz25]

hey bl,

 

i got a lot of Q's on health care as well, which i wasn't expecting at all!! maybe we had the same interviewers?? oh well im sure u did wayyy better than me! keep your hopes up! (easier said than done, i know)

[Guest studentz]

Wow...the only policy question I got was about dr. shortages and what I'd do about it. Nearly everything was from my sketch/previous responses to questions, or standard What can you contribute to Queen's or groups; Why Queen's; How do you manage stress?" type questions.

 

Perhaps the coolest question I got was "So you've taken history of medicine courses...tell me about something in the history of medicine that has shaped the profession today?"

 

Did anyone go to the martini thing or dinner on Sat (the 5th)? How was it? I had a really early interview the next morning so I skipped both (but the early interview let me get the hell out of Kingston before too much snow accumulated!!).

[Guest moxiekat]

Is it true Queens went through their entire waitlist last year? Anyone know how many people are typically on that waitlist

[Guest studentz]

My mom and cousin were waiting in the first floor of the clinical building while I was interviewing and a med student told them that. It didn't come from admin directly. In any case, even if he was stretching it and the entire list wasn't used, a large chunk of it probably was unless it was a complete lie, which I doubt.

[Guest seedstrike]

Hey guys,

 

If you are placed on the waitlist, you have a decent chance of getting in. Traditionally, we end up accepting another 100 or so students after we make the initial 100 offers. So after the interview stage, chances are pretty much 50%.

 

They don't give us the numbers on how many people are placed on the waitlist so I can't comment on exactly how good your chance is...

[Guest sstomesc]

I don't see how that's possible. Letting in another 100 or so students after the initial offers means that everyone turned thier offer down.