2008 MMI Questions from University of Alberta

[Purple]

Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone who had an interview at the U of A this year remembers the questions they were asked? Does anyone know of a website with the U of A questions on it? Thx:)

[Jamer]

You can't repeat them--we signed a contract (along with every other school) stating that we wouldn't make them public.

 

You won't find any questions anywhere except for a handful of practice ones. Unless someone stated them illegally.

[KristenD]

Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, Dr. Bagnall mentioned that following the interview day (Saturday or Sunday), that the questions could effectively become public domain. IIRC, he even quipped about how he was going to go check the internet right after his morning presentation to see if anyone had posted the previous day's MMI questions.

 

However, my memory may be completely wrong, in which case someone else feel free to step in here to correct me. As always, though, a phone call or e-mail to the office should give you an authoritative answer.

 

Cheers!

 

My understanding was that Dr.Bagnall expected to see the questions surface on the internet, despite the fact that we had all signed confidentiality agreements. To post them would still be a breach of confidentiality. They did provide us with a list of ten or so practice questions though before the interview, if anyone can dig those up, those are fair game! These were pretty similar to the style of the interview questions anyways, and as they won't use the same questions again next year, knowing the specific questions asked this year won't really be of much benefit. Its more so getting used to the MMI style of questions.

[Purple]

Ok good to know. Thanks for the info

[Premed03]

My understanding was that Dr.Bagnall expected to see the questions surface on the internet, despite the fact that we had all signed confidentiality agreements. To post them would still be a breach of confidentiality. They did provide us with a list of ten or so practice questions though before the interview, if anyone can dig those up, those are fair game! These were pretty similar to the style of the interview questions anyways, and as they won't use the same questions again next year, knowing the specific questions asked this year won't really be of much benefit. Its more so getting used to the MMI style of questions.

 

In my group, I remember that someone specifically asked Dr. Bagnall for how long the confidentiality agreement was binding, and he said, after some hesitation, until the end of the day. He didn't ask at all that we try not to breach confidentiality after the interview. It sounded as though the only purpose in keeping confidentiality was so that the next group of interviewees didn't have a head start on the questions, not so that next year's candidates could not practice the MMI format. Also, we had to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to access the practice questions, so are those really fair game?

[Purple]

Well I doubt they would use any of the questions again. I just wanted to get a feel for what kinds of questions they ask for next year. The only practice ones I could find on the web were from McMaster.

[Jixe]

Well I doubt they would use any of the questions again. I just wanted to get a feel for what kinds of questions they ask for next year. The only practice ones I could find on the web were from McMaster.

 

Calgary has some practice MMI questions. Look them up on pubmed.

[KristenD]

Also, we had to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to access the practice questions, so are those really fair game?

 

I think so, I was given a print out of these questions at an interview information session Dr. Bagnall gave at the U of A which none of us signed any confidentiality agreements at all for, in addition to receiving them in the e-mail for the interview invite, so I think they're fair game! I'll see if I can find them...

[register]

to the OP, i wrote down all the questions and my answers to them, but because of that confidentiality form, i won't tell any specifics.

 

vaguely. there were about 3 conflict management questions, 2-3 on healthcare, and 1-2 on handling personal conflicts.

 

i found it strange that they didn't have any traditional "why do you want to be a doctor" questions

[KristenD]

Also if you go to the studentdoctor.net website you can find where people have posted about their interview experiences including some of the questions they were asked. Here is a link

 

http://share.studentdoctor.net/interview/school_pick_canada.aspx

[KristenD]

Hi, I found the practice questions I was given, sorry this is a long post, I just copy pasted them...!

 

Examples of possible MMI questions:

 

Q1.

You are the shift supervisor at a MacDonalds fast food restaurant. The owner of the franchise has called you over. He is very upset as he has received 3 complaints in the last 30 mins. about the meat in the hamburgers being poorly cooked. There are two people (one male, one female, both 15 years-old) who have been cooking the meat for the hamburgers for the past two hours. The female is the owner’s daughter.

 

How would you handle this situation?

 

 

Q2.

You and three friends are watching a 70 year-old man prepare a hot-air balloon. The balloon is ready and the man is holding one of the 5 released anchor ropes which are all 6m long. His 10 year-old grandson is already in the balloon’s basket. A gust of wind raises the balloon 2m off the ground. The man shouts for help and you and your friends each grab close to the end of one of the other anchor ropes. The balloon rises so high that even though you are holding onto the ropes, you are all lifted off the ground to a height of 7m.

 

What would you do in this situation?

 

 

Q3.

Your older sister tells you that she values her career and is reluctant to take time away to have a baby. Her husband agrees with her. They have arranged to conceive an embryo through in vitro fertilization. A company in India will implant the embryo in a surrogate mother from a nearby village who will be paid $5000. Two weeks after the baby is born, the company will deliver the baby to your sister and her husband. Your mother is opposed to this arrangement whereas your father supports her decision. Your sister asks for your support.

 

How would you respond to your sister?

 

 

Q4.

Your best friend is an identical twin. The other twin has been sick with a variety of illnesses most of their lives. Several times, the other twin has been so ill that your best friend has supplied tissue (e.g. blood, bone marrow) sometimes to help their sibling stay alive. The other twin now needs a kidney transplant to stay alive. Their parents have assumed that your best friend will automatically donate the kidney as usual when tissue has been needed. However, your friend is now balking at this automatic assumption of donation and is considering saying ‘no’.

 

What would you say to your friend to convince them to donate the kidney?

 

 

Q5.

Your best friend and their partner are undergoing in vitro fertilization to have a baby. This technique allows for the selection of certain characteristics for the child by identifying them in the embryo before implantation. Your friend asks for advice on the characteristics they should select.

 

How would you respond to your friend?

 

 

Q6.

In the City of Plymouth in England, the City Council has introduced a maximum speed limit for all vehicles of 30km/h (previous limit was 50km/h) within city limits because this will reduce the number and severity of traffic accidents. The city councilors in Edmonton wish to introduce the same restrictions.

 

Would you support such a policy here in Edmonton?

 

 

Q7.

If, as part of the admissions process, we were to interview your best friend, what would they say about you?

 

 

Q8.

Your friend is of Chinese descent and fluent in Mandarin. You both want to get into medicine. She registers for Mandarin101, a course in Chinese Language for Beginners. The course coordinator asks that students who can already speak even just a little bit of Mandarin should leave because this is a course for beginners. Your friend remains but makes a sufficient number of deliberate mistakes in the classroom discussions, in the required homework and in the examinations that she will not be detected and yet still receive an excellent grade.

 

What would you do in this situation?

 

 

Q9.

Your friend tells you that a piece of expensive electronic equipment he had bought for $3000 just two weeks ago had stopped working. The store where he bought it has only a 7-day return policy. Your friend goes to the store, buys a new piece of equipment and then returns the old, damaged equipment in its place for a full refund. The store is owned by your uncle who is struggling to keep the business going.

 

How would you deal with this situation?

 

 

Q10.

If the Prime Minister of Canada were to ask your advice on one change that could be applied to the healthcare system in Canada that would improve it enormously and have the greatest positive effect, how would you answer?

 

 

Q11.

The daughter of the interviewer is 16 years-old. She is adamant that she have a tattoo next week. The interviewer is against letting their daughter have a tattoo and this is causing much friction in his household.

 

What advice would you give the interviewer?

 

 

Q12.

At the beginning of your last year of undergraduate studies, the Dean of your Faculty has offered to all of you the opportunity to swallow a ‘red’ pill. If swallowed, this pill would increase enormously your ability to ‘absorb’ all the educational material being presented to you in all your courses. In fact, this pill would basically guarantee that you would receive an A+ in all your future courses with a significantly reduced workload.

 

Would you take the red pill?

 

 

Q13.

The man who lives next door to you often rides his bicycle in the company of his two young children but without a helmet. In fact, on several occasions you have seen him riding with his helmet hanging by its straps from the handlebars. His young children sometimes wear a helmet, sometimes not.

 

If the man fell off his bicycle and hurt his head in a way that would have been prevented if he had worn a helmet, would it be reasonable to ask him to contribute towards the treatment costs for his injury?

 

 

 

Q14.

In his recent novel ‘I am Charlotte Simmons’, Tom Wolfe bases the story on life at a typical university in North America. He develops various characters and describes their lives, surroundings, beliefs, and moral behaviour while they are at the university. Wolfe acknowledges that it is 40 years since he himself was a student at university. Consequently, his children, currently at university, read the drafts of the book as it was being written and ensured that the descriptions associated with life at this fictitious university were appropriate for the modern day.

 

What changes to the original manuscript do you think Wolfe’s children made?

 

 

Q15.

 

Imagine your friend’s father is 70 years-old and has lived in Edmonton for his whole life. He is taken to the emergency department at the University of Alberta hospital. The has had good health until now and this is the first time he has been to a hospital of any kind since he was 20 years-old.

 

What changes in the healthcare system and environment in the hospital do you think he would notice?

[tooty]

omfg @ question 2