Idioms? Really McMaster?

[DeeDoc]

Has anyone looked at the supplementary stuff for Mac this year?

 

 

Seriously? In over your head? Yeah, I'll say, I'm in over my head with this whole application process...

[bj89]

haha im almost considering not applying to mac.... but maybe thats just what they want us to do!!!!!

[itimebomb2]

Can you tell those of us not on OMSAS what the questions are this year?

 

If it makes you feel any better, as long as the CASPER system works, the questions wont matter anyways...

[tmosby]

Can you tell those of us not on OMSAS what the questions are this year?

 

If it makes you feel any better, as long as the CASPER system works, the questions wont matter anyways...

 

http://www.ouac.on.ca/docs/omsas/b_omsas_e.pdf

 

Page 18-19.

[deeman101]

Compared to other questions from other adcoms mac's are usually cake. This one I feel is no different. Corny, yes. But still cake!

[nemesis]

The autobiographical submission consists of the following five questions. Each question requires a response of up to 700 characters in length.

 

1. Describe a situation when you went above and beyond the call of duty. Reflect on your reasons for doing so.

 

2. Sometimes it is easy to “get in over your head.” Describe a situation in which you were in “over your head” and how you dealt with it.

 

3. Describe a situation when you were able to have a positive influence on the actions of others.

 

4. Describe a time when your active listening skills really paid off. What was the outcome? What might the outcome have been had you not actively listened?

 

5. Some people consider themselves to be “big picture people” and others are “detail-oriented.” Which are you? Give an example that illustrates your orientation.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

It's easy to get caught up in how "lame" or "cheesy" these questions might be, but insightful and thoughtful responses to these five questions can make (or break) your application.

 

So, if you're serious about your application to the MD Program @ McMaster, give these questions your all...you won't regret it!

 

Good Luck!

[mizz.lee]

i am so glad I don't have to reapply this year!

[Hero]

^me tooo! I feel like last year's questions were much better suited for me! It was fate!

[DXO]

I have been racking my brains to find good answers these questions for close to two months, and it's just not working out for me. I feel like some of these questions are VERY specific. Last year's were much more general, which I enjoyed, and which I think is a bit more useful in a submission such as this. "Active listening" is a very specific skill (see wikipedia) which I'm sure I've used in the past, however, it's not very easy for me to think of a good example where I've applied this.

 

Last year's questions were along the lines of "describe a weakness", "describe a strength", etc. etc. ...

 

Anyone else frustrated with these questions?

 

I'm about at the end of my rope with Mac right now. I am not happy with Casper, either. My problem is not with the test itself. I am not happy with the way they are planning to administer it. I am at a bit of a unpredictable crossroads in life right now, may be relocating soon, and am not sure if I will have reliable internet access in a quiet place. I would like to have a standardized testing site available to write this exam...

[future_doc]

It is what it is and needs to be dealt with as such. There are always variables in life that are not in our comfort zone and we need to adust to those variables that are challenges in oppur path thta we need to overcome.

 

Try to relate active listening to experiences in your life where you were of benefit to someone, be it a lonely elderly person for whom you made a difference or tuting kids, being a Big Brother, whatever. Moreover, all this becomes meaningless if Casper works as planned.

 

As regards Casper, the good thing is that it is a level playing field and it will be impossible for outside help, the real purpose for Mac. GL!

[DXO]

It is what it is and needs to be dealt with as such. There are always variables in life that are not in our comfort zone and we need to adust to those variables that are challenges in oppur path thta we need to overcome.

 

Try to relate active listening to experiences in your life where you were of benefit to someone, be it a lonely elderly person for whom you made a difference or tuting kids, being a Big Brother, whatever. Moreover, all this becomes meaningless if Casper works as planned.

 

As regards Casper, the good thing is that it is a level playing field and it will be impossible for outside help, the real purpose for Mac. GL!

 

I like the idea of CASPer.... but I am worried about the consequences if I can not find reliable internet access. I've applied for several jobs in the North, and a lot of these areas do not have good access.

[future_doc]

I hear yah and you are not the only one with this kind of problem. Each of you will make the best arrangements you can under the circumstances. Unfortunatley, life is not fair and you have no control over this situation and the ball continues to be up in the air for you. Best wishes.

[placenta]

I am finding it so difficult to answer Mac's questions...

[Prion]

haha im almost considering not applying to mac.... but maybe thats just what they want us to do!!!!!

 

When I first saw the five questions, I couldn't stop myself from chuckling at the "idioms", though my mood changed quickly after I realized I actually had to come up with answers for these questions.

[thatonekid]

Am I the only one who actually kind of likes these questions? They're growing one me.

[emdee]

Am I the only one who actually kind of likes these questions? They're growing one me.

 

same here. I guess I have been staring at them for two months now, and asking people generally about them.. so I kinda like them better than the previous years.

[astrogirl]

I would like them better if we had 700 words instead of 700 characters. I have some pretty good stories for two of them, but I have to leave out some of my favorite parts.

[placenta]

For the last question (the one asking if I am a detail oriented or a big pic person), am I allowed to say "both"? Personally, which mode i put on really depends on what tasks I am involved in. I find it quite difficult to give a definitive answer for this question....

Any thoughts?

[itimebomb2]

If it says pick one, than pick one. The dichotomies are meant to be difficult and unnecessarily divisive.

[placenta]

Thanks that's a good point. I suppose saying "both" would defeat the purpose of their questions. I am really hoping that Casper does not disappoint me.

[sfinch]

there is plenty of time to answer those questions...so don't worry about it...bounce ideas off of friends...and you'll be fine...

[DXO]

I think that if you are both, then you should say both. I used a single example that demonstrated that I am mostly detail-oriented but also make use of the big picture, so I spent much more time developing the detail-oriented aspect of my answer. If you are both, then it would be misleading to choose one over the other. Also, given black-white options such as "big picture" vs. "detail oriented", it's rare for anyone to ever fall neatly in to "black" or "white", and I know that I certainly do not. Usually, you will fall into a gray area. I think this question requires you to "dance around" a bit to find out which personal example best illustrates YOUR gray area, unless you truly do fall into a black/white category.

 

I'll give you another example from everyday life. When you're defining sexual orientation, most people expect you to choose homosexual/straight/bisexual. I'll tell you right now that a lot of people don't fall neatly into these categories. Let's focus on the bisexual category for illustrative purposes.... if you ask a self-identified bisexual whether they are more attracted to men or women, they usually do not have a 50-50 preference. < --- I find this issue concerning. On top of feeling like you need to conform to social expectations, it's sometimes very difficult for young people to identify with these categories and it can lead to confusion, depression, etc. Sexual orientation is a continuum and so is the big picture/detail oriented dichotomy. I refuse to conform to black/white answers. Everybody is different.

 

If you want a definitive answer, then maybe you should ask Mac admissions directly. Personally, I don't think it matters what your answer is as long as you develop it properly and provide strong support using your personal example.

[placenta]

That is a good point DXO. I agree with many points you brought up, a major reason why I thought about responding "both".

 

What I am concerned about however, as another premed-er brough up, if McMaster designed this question intentionally to have us pick a concrete answer when a "gray" question is given, then we better pick one.

 

I will look into this (somehow) and if I find any info, I will share here.

Thanks

[naspec]

That is a good point DXO. I agree with many points you brought up, a major reason why I thought about responding "both".

 

What I am concerned about however, as another premed-er brough up, if McMaster designed this question intentionally to have us pick a concrete answer when a "gray" question is given, then we better pick one.

 

I will look into this (somehow) and if I find any info, I will share here.

Thanks

 

Whenever these kinds of questions come up in our "soft skills" sessions, there is never a black and white answer, and I'm fairly certain that a school like Mac is looking for students who recognize this. With this particular question, it almost seems glaringly obvious that the "correct" answer would be "both", or some combination thereof -- but you'd have to express it in a way that properly addresses the question. For example, if you were to describe a situation that illustrates why you are "detail-oriented", you should briefly expound upon how you recognized that it also affects the "big picture". If instead you were to stick rigidly to the prompt, it shows that you are very good at following instructions, which isn't necessarily bad except that it might give the impression that you could also be the type of person who would have gone all the way with the Milgram experiment.

[bj89]

Whenever these kinds of questions come up in our "soft skills" sessions, there is never a black and white answer, and I'm fairly certain that a school like Mac is looking for students who recognize this. With this particular question, it almost seems glaringly obvious that the "correct" answer would be "both", or some combination thereof -- but you'd have to express it in a way that properly addresses the question. For example, if you were to describe a situation that illustrates why you are "detail-oriented", you should briefly expound upon how you recognized that it also affects the "big picture". If instead you were to stick rigidly to the prompt, it shows that you are very good at following instructions, which isn't necessarily bad except that it might give the impression that you could also be the type of person who would have gone all the way with the Milgram experiment.

 

I think you're analyzing the question too much... it doesn't seem logical or fair to put up trick questions on the application... One of the biggest things on applications is to answer the question rather than going off on tangents. If you do fall in a "gray" area then that would be your response and is not necessarily right or wrong. Personally I answered it as a big picture person, and whether or not McMaster likes that response is pretty irrelevant to me since that is who I am.