Anyone hear about interviews?

[babygoose]

First off - pat yourselves on the back b/c you all have just disproved the horrible stereotypes about med students being competitive, back stabbing arses.

 

I have a few really good friends in med and I knew them before they got in, so I kind of figured med kids weren't all brats... but it's nice to know that incoming generations are kind-hearted, gentle creatures as well.

 

slowly-but-surely: like everyone said, just round up every bit of frustration, sadness, anger, anything that you're feeling and FIND A WAY to harness it into positive energy, to continue working hard and staying positive. I forget who said it but they were right, you never know what others are going through either. From the outside we all look like neat little people who have our lives together, and that's what many of my friends/teachers/coworkers think about me as well.... but I remember a time in October when I was literally sleeping 2 hours a night for about two weeks straight, working like mad to study for midterms, working in my lab, volunteering twice a week, doing med applications, remembering to exercise/pack healthy lunches, TA-ing a course... it was absolute hell, but at the end of each exhausted day I had a smile on my face thinking, I CAN ACTUALLY DO THIS... in fact i AM doing this.

 

To everyone out there going through this: stick by the important people in your life right now, whether you get an invite or acceptance or not.... in the end it's people that help each other through anything, which is why this thread has been exceptionally pleasant to read. (can y'all tell I wanna go into psychiatry?)

 

Slowlybutsurely, keep going! And same with the rest of you. Good luck and I hope we hear from UofT soon. And please, anyone who is reading this and is frustrated, just get your words out. It's anonymous and it's a chance for you to unload in a safe environment, and hopefully gain some feedback from people who are going through something very similar to you.

[scatthecat]

hey everyone,

 

i'm a nervous wreck about U of T...and I'm sure this question has been posted many times before, but I'm curious what people think of my chances at U of T:

U of T GPA: 3.85

(I also noticed U of T looks at the difficulty of the program, and I have purposively taken a lot of upper-division courses even in my lower years, as well as lots of science, math and english/writing courses to show my depth of interests)

MCAT is decently above their minimums

Undergraduate thesis on molecular genetics (honors thesis), which I also plan on publishing (done research for 2 years now, and during the summer)

Tutored physics for 1 year

Honor society president

varsity sport for 1.5 years

Conduct Review Board (review conduct cases and determine outcomes at my university) for 4 years (including this year)

pianist- first class honors with distinction

volunteer with various honor societies, etc, and on my own after Hurricane Katrina

Peer tutor for a first-year seminar for 2 semesters

Student ambassador

note-taker for a disabled student for a semester

ran a half-marathon (running is my past-time now)

large undergraduate scholarship

(I'm sure I have some other small various activities not particularly worth listing)

 

 

I really want to get an interview at U of T...I hope this is good enough/what they are looking for. Anyone?

[scatthecat]

Thanks for your input.

 

I really did like my U of T essay- I used it for my AMCAS, too ( I applied in the States as well, but we all know the costs of a US medical education ), so I spent a lot of time on it. I hope it's what they are looking for- who knows. I had a lot of people read it, including English professors, but you just never know.

 

I only have one interview so far (Queen's) and I was expecting Western but the 11 in bio broke my heart .

 

It does seem like a crapshoot- although U of T really looks at letters and your essay before they interview you, so I hope my letters are good (they better be lol).

 

I think it's weird they ask for extra-curriculars from age 16 and on. I didn't mention those in what I wrote above, but most of mine were sports and the like. I wonder if they even care about that (it would be nice if they did). Who knew your high school years would be back to haunt you?

 

Yeah, I wasn't much of a pure runner into not that long ago- I barely trained for my half marathon, so it wasn't exactly a stellar performance, but I didn't care. I just hoped my years of learning how to tough out the pain from hours of practices taught me well- and I think it did. I hope the admissions committee sees that people who do sports really know how to push through times where they feel like they can't keep going, but somehow we learn how to . It's definitely a trait doctors need.

 

Wow that was worded horribly, and I consider myself a good writer. You know what I mean.

[bcgirl33]

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

 

 

Thanks for that. I agree... a little bit of perspective goes a long way. There is a Tibetan Proverb that translates loosely:

 

If there is a problem that can be fixed, then there's no need to worry about it. If the problem cannot be fixed, then there is no need to worry about it.

 

I do think the 'waiting game/medical school' type of worry is slightly different mostly because (I don't want to speak for anyone else here, but...) I think we're all people who believe that we have a calling and have the capacity to create our own futures. Besides the *cough* control freak issue

[redfox]

When U of T sends out interview invites does it mean anything if you get an email in the first wave vs the last wave?

[redfox]

what is a competitive GPA for U of T?

[epigal]

When U of T sends out interview invites does it mean anything if you get an email in the first wave vs the last wave?

 

No, they send out invites as they review applications.

[grinchsantlerdog]

With the snowstorm closing down UT campus I think its safe to say we won't hear about interviews today...

 

The waiting is the hardest part

[Orchid]

Hey everyone!

 

I wast just wondering if somone knows from previous years.... what is the last possible date / month that U of T could give out an interview?

 

thanks so much

[medgirl08]

has ANYONE (other than the MD/PhD applicants) heard anything from U of T?? Invite or reject???

[Superking25]

I'm sure we'll hear a ton about it when the "INTERVIEW INVITES ARE OUT!!!!" threads start for Toronto!

[hydes79]

Hey guys! I am a second year medical student at UofT. I remember how stressful it was to wait for interviews, so I would like to share few words with you.

 

As you all know, unlike other schools, UofT doesn’t send all the offers at once, because they don’t/can't review all files at once. The order of interview invites doesn’t reflect the strength of your application (i.e. if you receive a late interview, that doesn’t mean that you have a weaker application). So, even IF UofT start sending their interview offers, and you have not heard, it’s OKAY. As long as you have not heard from UofT, there is a chance that you will be invited for an interview. I know it’s easier said than done,but try not to think about UofT interview, because there is nothing you can do at this moment and it could take another 4-6weeks until you hear from UofT. Just to give you an example, two years ago my interview letter was dated March 2nd, and I got it by mail on March 7th (I had 19 days notice...i.e. my interview was on March 26th).

 

Keep your fingers crossed and hopefully you will hear good news. Good luck everyone.

 

Hydes

[Dante]

Hey everyone!

 

I wast just wondering if somone knows from previous years.... what is the last possible date / month that U of T could give out an interview?

 

thanks so much

 

april 1st was their last interview date... i know someone who was rejected but then offered an interview a week or so before april 1st. But i think it's safe to say that if you haven't heard anything from UofT by the middle/end of march, you're out of the running.

[lostintime]

I have a question..do rejections come at the same time as interview offers? Or do they hold onto all the rejections until the end?

[DiscoDoc]

Thank you for posting, Hydes!

[armstk]

I have a question..do rejections come at the same time as interview offers? Or do they hold onto all the rejections until the end?

 

Rejections are sent out at the very end, after all the interviews are done.

[peter_pan]

Rejections are sent out at the very end, after all the interviews are done.

 

Hmm, I guess in this system you are really kept in anticipation! However, out of all of the medical schools in Canada I like U of T's selection process the most. It offers a whole-istic approach to understanding the applicant, and I feel like in their system the applicant isn't just a random number that gets cut for the stupidist reasons.

 

For some of the other med schools (No names mentioned***) I really think their selection for interviews involves cutting applicants for small, minute reasons that don't really revolve around medicine or the practise of it. Its just a way to randomly weed them out and your left thinking "huh? they got an interview and I didn't??" have to piece together why that possibly could have happened, when you go to school with that person and know you have nearly identicial resumes with minor differences, or both of you excel in different ways

 

Well thats my input, and I also find it strange that a few years of univeristy has the capacity to determine one's eligibility for a life-long career. Ie. what if during those univeristy years the applicant went through major turmoil? obviously they will appear less qualified. For instance, I know of an individual who excelled in high school but right at the end of high school his parents died in a car accident and he lost it....he tried to continue his excellence in school, but the loss of his parents took the better part of him and he dropped out for stress-related factors. Now, compare him assuming he didn't go through that experience = likely 3.90 average, great community involvement, etc.. Or if he was able to at least maintain a decent grade and some involvement, would med schools consider that that is fantastic in light of his situation? Some would, some wouldn't. It just seems that way.

 

Well, good luck with the wait you all!

[Dante]

well i understand where you're coming from peter_pan, but a person now is not the same person they were 4 or 5 years ago. High school is much easier than university. And if the person has become much different due to their parents death, it's tragic for sure, but that doesn't mean that they are qualified to become a physician. Of course if they recover and improve afterwards, that would be reason to re-consider them, but to say "oh this guy was getting 99's in high school, but for family reasons (or any reason really) dropped out of university, but still deserves to get into med" is a bit naive. I know many excellent students in high school who decided to party it up in university, or just didn't do as well as they did in high school, and of course their options will be more limited.

[lostintime]

Well the thing with major turmoil, I really do feel for them because I can imagine I would totally break down if something like that happened to me.

 

But society is not fair and they simply can not judge based on "potential" and not "results". It's the same reason why most jobs need hardcore Experience and not only "potential" that people can do something. Potential is not certain, but experience is. And same w/ marks.

 

That being said, if there's a CLEAR trend that there was ONE year where the person went through turmoil and had stellar grades other years, then I think schools should definitely take it into consideration. But I agree, you can't just take someone w/ 95% in high school and then go, "Oh, there was extenuating circumstances in first year, that caused problems all the way to fourth year, and based on their high school marks and potential, we should reconsider."

 

And that is essentially why life is not fair, because not everyone has the same circumstances. I was lucky not to have met with such circumstances, but I guess I can always argue that I wish I was super duper rich and could apply to US without thinking about being in debt for up to 5-10 years and all the financial pressures it has on my family. Or that I could just write myself a cheque to go volunteer overseas without thinking about working during the summer to pay off tuition. It really depends on how you look at it, and although we always wish our circumstances could be better, I think the only thing we could do is just to cope with what we have and make the best out of it. It may be harder for some people than others, but when they've come out conquering more, they know they can REALLY face anything. So don't give up and be strong!

[peter_pan]

Yes, high school was so much easier! I agree with the two points made above ; when it comes down to it, a physician must possess certain qualities and traits, and I mentioned the person I know who lost his ability for academic achievement due to the tragic death of his parents, well it comes down to the facts - as sad as it is - is that he is less qualified than others to attend medical school because he has not demonstrated his qualities.

 

But then you can say, what if a physician goes through the same type of tragedy whenthey are trained? Should they lose their practise? I think life throws its ups and downs at different times....

 

Its also interesting, a study I read at one point - also probably common knowledge - a large fraction of people accepted to medical schools come from high socio-economic standings in the first place. The facts are the facts - I beleive medical schools attempt to be fair, but the world itself is not fair. Even the very issue that most disadvantaged youths don't attend post-secondary education due to lack of encouragement, role models etc. The whole process of applying to/ preparing as a pre-med student requires constant work and I beleive alot of guidance. When you break it down this way, anyone can be accpeted to medical school, but they have to know how to prepare and be encouraged to do so, cause as we all know, its pretty darn difficult!

 

I'm fortunate that I've had stability and support from my family, and I have done well in school. However, I also work alot with disadvantaged youth and darn it, it breaks my heart, I think, "I could have been one of them, my road barred with obstacles."

 

Good lucks guys,

[DiscoDoc]

Great post Roger, sums up my feelings exactly.

[mrgreek]

There were times in the past in Canada that 3.5-3.6 ppl had a real shot. Heck, your family doc might be one of them.

 

What is amazing is 3.5-3.6 gave you a shot 6-8 years ago at a few Ontario universities. If you want to look even further back, some of your doctors if they are older than 60, may have been recruited to med school when some schools couldn't fill their classes due to the technology boom following WW2.

[Dayne67]

Yeah, it does seem extremely difficult for Ontario residents (especially for residents that don't live in Northern Ontario, Ottawa, and Southwestern Ontario) . We don't get any leeway or preference at any of the Ontario medical schools. And then we have to deal with regionalism with the out of province schools. It kind of seems like a big double standard. I guess that it's just frustrating to not get any love from Canadian schools. And it would be an understatement to say that I am not a fan of the strict cut-offs at Western and Queens.

 

My only remaining hope this application cycle is UofT, and even with that, it's probably a long shot at best.

[raptors]

Yeah, it does seem extremely difficult for Ontario residents (especially for residents that don't live in Northern Ontario, Ottawa, and Southwestern Ontario) . We don't get any leeway or preference at any of the Ontario medical schools. And then we have to deal with regionalism with the out of province schools. It kind of seems like a big double standard. I guess that it's just frustrating to not get any love from Canadian schools. And it would be an understatement to say that I am not a fan of the strict cut-offs at Western and Queens.

 

My only remaining hope this application cycle is UofT, and even with that, it's probably a long shot at best.

 

I feel your pain. I was thinking the same thing after receiving rejection letters from some schools. Thus far, it's been a trying process receiving rejections from UBC, Manitoba, and Ottawa to name a few; where if I were a resident of those areas, I would have met the initial cut offs. But yes, I know exactly the frustration you must feel - I just thought i'd let you know, and hope it makes you feel better in some odd way.

 

Well, all we can do is stay positive I suppose. We'll get there.

[peter_pan]

Hey guys,

I'm really liking where this conversation is going. It does seem that excellent people are slipping through the cracks...What's even more alarming is that some people with good stats (high GPA's and good MCATs) (**hope I don't get beat up**) are totally in it for personal gain (I know from private conversations, hearing people chat, etc., where those people thought what they were saying wouldn't be heard, etc.). I guess at interview everyone is "I love people, I want to help people," etc. And it is disheartening, becuase if you look at it, will being able to memorize pages of notes (and statistically people only remember 20% of what they learn 5 years later, anyways) with 3.90 accuracy compared to 3.60 accuracy really make you more passionate in yoru work with people? Will it matter when you see the patient if you could write clearer on paper and faster? Or will it matter if you got an outstanding volunteer position thorugh a connection taht sounds fabulous on paper but you gave **** all about?

 

The cold hard fact is, in the end, the type of physician you are will ultimatley depend on your aim in being a physician. And quite frankly, farrrrrrrrrrr too many people do a bunch of crap they do not really care about, are able to memorize well, but fundamentally will probably chillax when they can since they simply don't have to care anymore (ie. analogy to the professor whos so nice to students waiting to get tenor, then gets tenor, and is an ugly bastard). I wish our system in Canada did more to recognize who, in the end, will take their job with passion and hard work, and who is working now with the intent of reaping a relaxing, $$ life afterwards.

 

Sometimes I wish physicians' salaries were drastically reduced. I think I wouldn't be able to help myself from smiling when I saw people in tears. Haha ha ha ha. Or maybe the best way to interview people for med school is put them through a lie detector. All of a sudden, applicant so and so isn't the miss/mr peachy-I love you- type.

 

We are at a critical point in our healthcare system, and all I hope for this country is for honest people who were born to be doctors to become doctors. Dam it, REDUCE THE SALARIES.

 

Good luck guys