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Anyone hear about interviews?


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Just wondering if anyone has heard back from UofT regarding interviews. Last year, they sent the first wave out around this time so hopefully they should be on their way.

 

Last year the 1st interviews were Feb 9-11 and people received interviews about Jan 19. 1st interviews this year are Feb 22-24 so maybe 1st week of Feb?

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It seems everyone is getting some sort of interview around this time. I'm still waiting to hear from U of T and Ottawa U. I feel like the only thing I've been doing is working my butt off non-stop but somehow all of the rejection letters are piling in. I also know peers who work less hard than me and have gotten the joy of interview invites.

 

I've been trying to juggle my father's death a few years ago with preparing for medical school, and it seems there is no way I can make it because the competition is against strong, solid students anyways. Unfortunately with all of these rejections, I am realizing there is no emphasis placed on an applicant's situation. What's also strange is that a friend of mine received an interview invite with nearly identical grades as mine but minus a family catastrophe in her life (?)

 

I'm not saying I have terrible grades (am a good student), and my MCAT is acceptable, but probably not as strong as it could be if I was totally emotionally intact.

 

Starting to despair...and thinking medical school is reserved for the elite members of society who have the ability to concentrate without any distractions. On friday night you will find me volunteering, Saturday night studying, and every other night studying or volunteering for others.

 

WHAT MORE CAN I POSSIBLY DO TO BE ACCEPTED TO MEDICAL SCHOOL?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

I don't know, I don't know, but it is quite depressing to be around students who do not put in the effort I do and have recieved invites. I suppose this goes to show...some people are more adapt to success in school than others. I suppose all I can do is continue focusing and working, and trying not to think about dad and my family, but using that power to guide me more as I go along.

 

NEVER GIVE UP! But its getting so hard now with everyone around me!!

Well, hope others are coping with this time well, and continuing to stay true to their dreams.

 

 

If medicine is truly what you want to do, you will end up doing it. It might not be at the right time or at the right place or under the ideal circumstances, but don't be discouraged with what you see around you. If you want to study medicine, you will do just that if you stay determined.

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I agree...just try and stay positive amidst all of this. Definitely dont give up - think positive thoughts, and try not to worry too much..be confident in your goal, and I assure you that it will happen. If this cycle isnt kind to you..apply next year and try and make your app as solid as possible. a lot of people who gain admission have applied more than once (sometimes as many as 3 or 4 times!).

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It seems everyone is getting some sort of interview around this time. I'm still waiting to hear from U of T and Ottawa U. I feel like the only thing I've been doing is working my butt off non-stop but somehow all of the rejection letters are piling in. I also know peers who work less hard than me and have gotten the joy of interview invites.

 

I've been trying to juggle my father's death a few years ago with preparing for medical school, and it seems there is no way I can make it because the competition is against strong, solid students anyways. Unfortunately with all of these rejections, I am realizing there is no emphasis placed on an applicant's situation. What's also strange is that a friend of mine received an interview invite with nearly identical grades as mine but minus a family catastrophe in her life (?)

 

I'm not saying I have terrible grades (am a good student), and my MCAT is acceptable, but probably not as strong as it could be if I was totally emotionally intact.

 

Starting to despair...and thinking medical school is reserved for the elite members of society who have the ability to concentrate without any distractions. On friday night you will find me volunteering, Saturday night studying, and every other night studying or volunteering for others.

 

WHAT MORE CAN I POSSIBLY DO TO BE ACCEPTED TO MEDICAL SCHOOL?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

I don't know, I don't know, but it is quite depressing to be around students who do not put in the effort I do and have recieved invites. I suppose this goes to show...some people are more adapt to success in school than others. I suppose all I can do is continue focusing and working, and trying not to think about dad and my family, but using that power to guide me more as I go along.

 

NEVER GIVE UP! But its getting so hard now with everyone around me!!

Well, hope others are coping with this time well, and continuing to stay true to their dreams.

 

Slowly_but_surely, this is going to sound cliched but: DON'T GIVE UP! (you're right.) I can definitely understand that it would be depressing to see people who you think are less qualified then you getting interviews, but remember: we never know what our fellow applicants have been through themselves. So just have faith in yourself, be proud of your HUGE accomplishments in dealing with such a situation, and know that you have put in the hard work....and hard work is always rewarded! Medical school is obviously something that is very imporant to you, so maybe the universe is just testing you to see HOW badly you want it - just keep your hopes up!

 

Finally remember another important fact as more invites are sure to come out: Some people may get "only" 1 interview...but that one interview may be the one that counts (and helps you to achieve your goal)! Good luck!

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Don't give up!

 

Trust me, things always work out they way they are supposed to. :)

 

 

I remember reading on U of T's website awhile ago that they can accommodate people for interview dates if you are travelling from far away- does anyone know if they still do that? They have set interview dates posted, but I'm wondering if you could go another weekend...

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Hi slowly_but_surely,

 

Sorry I meant to reply earlier but seriously don't beat yourself down, with hard work will come reward. If it's all meant to be it will happen and you definitely have got what it takes and are qualified! I'm sure what happened to you has made you a much stronger person and just channel that into positive thinking about what awaits you in the future. You will get there with dedication and perseverance so don't give up!

 

I totally know where your coming from. I worked my butt off at UofT for 4 years and with all these rejections am feeling now like it wasn't worth it. I also dealt with family stuff as well in 2nd year (my mom had a heart attack), but in the end I'm just trying to look up. I hear ya in waiting now just for Ottawa and UofT. We all need to stick in this together so let's all try to stay positive!

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hey guys, its defn good to see that everyone's in the same boat...

i have a question tho..after seeing how difficult and random it is to see the fate of really good canadian applicants, how come so few of us apply to the states??

im asking b/c as an engineer with not a super competitive cGPA i applied to canada, not expecting much...am getting pretty much rejected everywhere and have gotten into a good u.s. school.

If the goal is to do med school and u really really want to be a doctor then location doesnt matter...and u.s. schools are a lot easier to get into.

of course cost is a practical issue...but then again in teh long run you make it up after you start working...and if thats ur life goal...then thats the hit you have to take....

what are ur thoughts?

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hey guys, its defn good to see that everyone's in the same boat...

i have a question tho..after seeing how difficult and random it is to see the fate of really good canadian applicants, how come so few of us apply to the states??

im asking b/c as an engineer with not a super competitive cGPA i applied to canada, not expecting much...am getting pretty much rejected everywhere and have gotten into a good u.s. school.

If the goal is to do med school and u really really want to be a doctor then location doesnt matter...and u.s. schools are a lot easier to get into.

of course cost is a practical issue...but then again in teh long run you make it up after you start working...and if thats ur life goal...then thats the hit you have to take....

what are ur thoughts?

 

i applied to a few schools in the states, but i was late in the app cycle. so things didnt go so well in that dept. would you mind telling me where you applied in the states? thanks.

________

TF107

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yeah, i applied to a LOT of places..like i filled out 22 secondaries. i know it sounds like a lot..and it was but when i went for interviews and talked to applicants in teh states they all said it was "normal". so i guess the key is to apply the way the americans do...broadly to a lot of schools and early...i filled out my primary in june...but i did write my mcat in aug so that delayed things a bit.

 

if u want more details pm me...

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yeah, i applied to a LOT of places..like i filled out 22 secondaries. i know it sounds like a lot..and it was but when i went for interviews and talked to applicants in teh states they all said it was "normal". so i guess the key is to apply the way the americans do...broadly to a lot of schools and early...i filled out my primary in june...but i did write my mcat in aug so that delayed things a bit.

 

if u want more details pm me...

 

thanks so much!

________

HERBAL VAPORIZERS

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dudes and dudettes-- don't worry so much about not getting in.

 

here's the thing-- getting into meds in canada is ridiculously competitive at the minute, so very good people get cut for silly reasons. Be chill about it-- just take a year, do some travelling, do a Master's. We all spend too much time in school anyway, so a year off can kinda be a blessing. Write a novel. Go to Laos.

 

I applied after fourth year and got waitlisted at four schools. I was sure i'd get in, and when it didn't happen I was devastated. But I ended up in Vancouver doing a Master's, and the last two years have been amazing. Now I'm applying again, and I got it in the bag this time... but if I'm wrong, I'll go travel a year. I know a girl in first year at UBC who got in after her fifth application! that's a rough way to do it, but the lesson is: keep trying. and in the meantime, enjoy life. we all die too young to stress away our twenties. :)

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Same thing for me too!! I see a post on here and I know my email box doesn't have exciting news so my heart jumps....

 

Argh...this is getting painful!

 

Word on the street is that we should probably start hearing by the end of this week...but that may just be the 'first wave' and that's mostly undergrads I'd think. So us postgrads may still be in for a longer haul... I'm driving my family INSANE with my mood swings and everytime my blackberry dings to let me know I got a new email I jump on it to check if it's from UofT. When it's not, I curse the person who sent me the stupid email. I'm a nutter...

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dudes and dudettes-- don't worry so much about not getting in.

 

here's the thing-- getting into meds in canada is ridiculously competitive at the minute, so very good people get cut for silly reasons. Be chill about it-- just take a year, do some travelling, do a Master's. We all spend too much time in school anyway, so a year off can kinda be a blessing. Write a novel. Go to Laos.

 

I applied after fourth year and got waitlisted at four schools. I was sure i'd get in, and when it didn't happen I was devastated. But I ended up in Vancouver doing a Master's, and the last two years have been amazing. Now I'm applying again, and I got it in the bag this time... but if I'm wrong, I'll go travel a year. I know a girl in first year at UBC who got in after her fifth application! that's a rough way to do it, but the lesson is: keep trying. and in the meantime, enjoy life. we all die too young to stress away our twenties. :)

 

I'm with you on this one. This is my third time applying...I got waitlisted twice in previous application cycles. I took a year off to travel, then did my masters in Epidemiology (Which I LOVE)...

Trust me that the last 3 years since undergrad have FLOWN by...and I have enjoyed them immensely! Now, its time to try again!

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Same thing for me too!! I see a post on here and I know my email box doesn't have exciting news so my heart jumps....

 

Argh...this is getting painful!

 

Word on the street is that we should probably start hearing by the end of this week...but that may just be the 'first wave' and that's mostly undergrads I'd think. So us postgrads may still be in for a longer haul... I'm driving my family INSANE with my mood swings and everytime my blackberry dings to let me know I got a new email I jump on it to check if it's from UofT. When it's not, I curse the person who sent me the stupid email. I'm a nutter...

 

are you for real? end of this week?

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are you for real? end of this week?

 

That's what I've heard from several people and that's about the same time as they've come out in years prior. Don't quote me on it but it seems fairly likely especially considering the first interviews are 3 weeks from Friday, it seems entirely reasonable! :eek:

 

 

Oh, PS, straight off the UofT website under FAQ:

INTERVIEWS & OFFERS:

 

1) When will I know the status of my application?

 

We normally begin to send refusal letters and offers for interviews in late January. Both will continue to be sent until the last interview date, as the files are reviewed. Graduate applicants should not expect to receive an early letter, since there is the review of graduate material, which begins after graduate packages have been received.

 

 

Not that many days left in January!!

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Hey guys!

 

So I braved the harsh reality of calling admissions offices and finally called U of T...she didn't seem too happy to get a phone call from me haha.

 

I asked when the first round of invites would be sent out, and it was a little confusing (but I feared asking her to clarify again lol). She said they are still reviewing applications and should send out invites within a week (but it seems like she really meant in a week, ie in 7 days, not within 7 days). She also said that they tend to invite people from close by for the first round as a 'courtesy'. She asked if I was OOP and I explained that I go to school in the United States, so she said those invites are typically later. I then asked if the invites are sent out later or if the people are just given later interview dates, and I THINK she said they just give out later inteview dates (ie give you a couple more weeks to get a flight, etc.) But she did say those invites wouldn't be sent out with the first round...so all and all, it didn't QUITE make sense.

 

I could tell she was not too pleased so I just let it go and said thank you. I hope that helps anyone who is confused. I didn't want to make anyone who is determining my fate not happy!

 

In summary, I think first round with be within a week, but it seems as though they don't send them out in 'batches'- ie they send them out daily.

 

Basically, we are going to have to sit in limbo for awhile longer untilU of T gets it's act together :).

 

 

YAY!

 

ALSO, does anyone else know how long interviews are? I know the actual interview is around 1 hour, but is it a whole day or even weekend event? I want to know because ideally I will schedule my Queen's interview the same weekend as one of the U of T interviews to try and get them all done in one trip back up north.

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HAHAHA Scatthecat...she probably wasn't too happy to hear from you because I called her within the last hour and asked the same questions!!!

 

I was also a bit confused but my questions were slightly different.

 

When I asked when the invites are going to be sent out she said they were still being reviewed but the first bunch are going to be sent out 'soon' and said she couldnt' give me an exact date.

 

Grad students are looked at completely separately and after all the undergrads have been reviewed. Now I'm not sure what exactly that entails but I get the feeling that grad students shouldn't expect interviews until March at the earliest...I could be wrong, that was just my impression from speaking with her...

 

Anyhow, I just realized March is only four WEEKS away and not a million like I seemed to be thinking this whole time...

 

The lady also said that interview offers will be via email but rejections will be via hard copy letter (similar to Mac)....argh!

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Scatthecat, they do send them out separately. You tend to only get three weeks notice tops for Toronto interviews. My BF's year his friends that lived in Toronto found out about their Feb interview in late January while he found out about his interview in mid March which happened in early April. U of T is very much the waiting game as you need to wait over months.

 

I would not say they 'need to get their act together' because they take their time with each application. They have cut offs but they are not the highest compared to other schools and for each application that makes them at least two people review it and go through the whole thing...that takes time.

 

Good luck to everyone,

 

KMG

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