Guest Champ Posted April 15, 2002 Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 Habraz: I also did not do so well on the verbal MCAT. But an interview was still granted for me on 21 April. I completed my Phd last year. So providing your supplemental info was very good, I think you probably have a good chance. champ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JSS02 Posted April 15, 2002 Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 I think if you have a 7 on just one section of the MCAT (even though U of T requires 8 ) , they consider it acceptable. So if you haven't been rejected yet, that means your MCAT was fine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest James Wong Posted April 15, 2002 Report Share Posted April 15, 2002 Thanks UWOMED2005, I'm hoping that you're right on that one. I'll let you know how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Habraz Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 Hi champ, thanks for the feedback. I have a few published papers and so my research stuff is solid (at least I think so as I am not sure how many PHDs applied and how my record measures up to others). I called the admissions yesterday and she told me to email her. But I still have not heard from her. Hey did you apply last year and did not get in? I am curious since I am in the same position as you were last year. I do have an interview from Ottawa but got rejected from mac and queens and did not apply to western. But I think like any graduate student our best chance is UofT since they are very research oriented. good luck on your interview. I hope I get one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Champ Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 Habraz, Yes I did apply last year...but I bombed the interview. (too overconfident!) While I am sure that they evaluate Graduate students different from undergrads, I am not quite sure how they distinguish between Masters and Phds. As the intellectual leap between the 2 post graduate degrees is at least 5-fold, I would sincerely hope that they would not use a a poor MCAT score to negate all of your recent research success. They still have another session of interviews in May...fingers crossed. champ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carla Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 Hey DD: I called UofT's admissions office directly and they told me that if upon sending out an invitation for interview the admissions office did not recieve a response from the applicant - the office would contact the applicant by phone before cancelling the scheduled interview. Hope this helps. bye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carla Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 Hey ALSOwaiting: Yes, I'm done my other inteviews too. I really wish I knew (either way) what is happening with UofT. I am almost to the point that I would rather have a reject than have to wait any more.....not really, but you know what I mean. Oh well, good luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mada Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 i was just wondering about what they do with the passport photos ... is it just a check to make sure other people don't send any other ppl to interview for them? or do they associate it with your file so that when they're discussing it they have an image for you? in that case, would it be better to dress up for the photo or does it not matter at all ? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Habraz Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 This is driving me crazy, I still have not heard anything from UofT. She told me that she would email me today about it but she still has not. Hey champ when did you get your interview at UofT last year? I am wondering whether the letters of invitation has gone out or not. I read that email notification has been sent out with letters coming in later. I hope I dont get disqualified based on my MCAT. Ihad a terrible MCAT as I spent the night in the hospital the night before (family emergency) and barely even made it to the exam. you could imagine what the results were. I got a 6 in verbal 7 in phys chem and 9 and R in the rest. So I am not too hopeful but the waiting is just killing me. MY MCATs suck! I have to write it again. Hey did you pass the verbal last year? I am not too hopeful for ottawa either 500 interviews for 111 spots and then 40 some spots go to francophones. I guess there is always next year. Hey what is your PHD in? mine is in pharmacology and my bosses are both respirologists here at western. anyway it is good talking to you I take comfort in knowing that someone like me has been given a chance. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest habraz Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 To all of you who are still waiting for the UofT interview this is what the admission officer wrote me just now. so much for all the theories out there as to how the order of interview allocations are determined. I had asked about whether the may 12-13 are the last weekend of interviews and this is what she wrote: Yes, the May 10-13 interviews are the last set. April is full. Your file is still under review. The order of review is done by randomised computer-generated lists and has nothing to do with rank, marks or when you applied. You will be e-mailed if an interview letter is being sent to you. Sincerely, Leslie Taylor, Admissions Officer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aneliz Posted April 16, 2002 Report Share Posted April 16, 2002 UofT is driving me crazy! I am still waiting. I wish that they would hurry up and get on with it. I wonder how many of us are 'still under review'. Just a thought... what happens if they find that the last batch of applications has more people worthy of an interview than they have spaces left?? Do they just reject everybody anyway? ("Sorry about your luck but the random review process screwed you over?") I thought that I was competitive for UofT (3.9 GPA, BS 13, PS 13, VR 13-15, S and some decent extra-curriculars) but I am not so sure now. I would really just like some closure at the moment. (And that ends my ranting for this evening.... Sorry ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 9901birdie Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 sigh I just hope the essay didn't screw me over... otherwise should be fine... I mean...May10/13 is like the best possible interivew time (all finals are over) : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Champ Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 Hi Habraz, If I remember correctly, I scored 7V,8P,9B and R on the essay. Like yourself I had a poor MCAT. In actuality, I wrote it whilst away at an Experimental Biology conference in San Diego....so not in ideal conditions. Last year I interviewed on March 30. They did not email me it was just a letter. In terms of my Phd...my subject area was physiology. If you are at Western and into breathing...do you know any of these guys (Ravi Menin, David Cunningham, Don Paterson, John Kowalchuk)..these are breathing guys but I dont think they are medically qualified. In the unlikely event that your are not granted an interview on 13 May weekend...don't despair! The 6 may have been the stumbling block. If that is the case, then as you said you may have to take it again. Which in the long run may not be such a bad thing because an extra year might increase your number of publications which is likely a factor when evaluating graduate candidates (esp Phd's). In the extra year, I also was able to do alot more extra-curricular activities as well. However, one word of caution is that to ensure that all of your references are entirely clear on your reasons for choosing a career in medicine. Sometimes supervisors are against the idea of training a student for 3-4 years for them to run away and do medicine. I knew a colleague whose reference by his supervisor was reasonable except for the last line which read....while XXXX is an excellent indivdual, I QUESTION his reasons for choosing a career in medicine. Just some thoughts. champ Hope this helps champ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest habraz Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 hey champ, I don't know any of those guys. I am based here at south street and so maybe they are based at st josefs or UH or the campus. My supervisors are both doctors and they were ok with me applying since this is what they are doing. I got a total of six references 4 of which were from my phd comprehensive exam board and acted as my tutors. I am sure that they wrote me good letters as I passed the exam with distinction and so they were happy with my performance. I often wonder if just the MCAT could just screw up a whole application. I mean the rest of my application is solid (at least I think so) but then again reading everyones comments they all think the same thing. I am not so sure anymore. Last night I just thought that I should just focus at my ottawa interview no matter what happens to UofT. I consider that my only chance and have given up at UofT. Just curious, did you get any other interviews anywhere else? Anyway I wish you luck in your upcoming interview. I have to do a couple of mock interviews for ottawa which is this friday. Bye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Champ Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 Well, Those guys worked at the Aging Center. It's good that at least you were offered an interview at Ottawa and realistically that is what you should focus on. In terms of other interviews, I did not apply to any other schools as I am pretty set on moving back to Toronto. I am currently living in the UK and all of our (mine and my wife's) family and friends are in Canada. A bit of a risky move I guess, but we will just have to see. Good luck in Ottawa. champ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Habraz Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 Hey Champ, I think you have a pretty good chance at UofT this year. there are about 200 spots for roughly 400 interviews and so chances are pretty good. Just be yourself that was what my boss who interviews here at western told me. Dont give synthetic rehearsed answers. They dont come across as geniune. Like I was reading about the health care system in Canada and the principles of distributive justice!! etc. My boss told me that I was wasting my time. Should focus on your motivation to do medicine and just "becuase I want to" is not enough. Talk about motiviation, compassion, empathy that you may have and give examples (very improtant). Don't sit on the fence, stick to your opinion and always listen to the interviewer they often direct you to the answer that they are looking for. For example my best friend who is a fourth year medical student at UofT and interviewed in his second year told me about a Jehova witness case when an advanced directive told the physician not to transfuse blood and the interviwer had asked the interviewee well he is bleeding to death and what do you do? he said that he would not transfuse and they failed him. The patient was underaged. The right answer is to listen to what they are telling you and stir in that direction. So dont worry be yourself and LISTEN to what they tell you. Habraz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest utapp Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 ...I would have refused to transfuse as well...I guess if something like that comes up you have to do what ever it takes to save the patient and deal with the consequences after (?)...trying to IMAGINE someone bleeding to death and actually SEEING someone bleed to death are completely different though...would they actually fail (i.e. reject you despite the other components of your application) you based on your answer to one question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shulmann Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 habraz, i was wondering why did he fail because he said he would not transfuse ... was it just because the interviewee didn't ask more info about the situation and instead just answered right away? did the fact that it was an underage patient matter and make a difference than if it was an adult patient? if it was an adult who had previously given an order to refuse blood transfusions based on their religious beliefs don't you have to obey the patient's wishes? because i know of the previous case where a doctor was sued for giving a blood transfusion However, because in this situation he/she was underage, and you're unsure if the patient's reasons for refusing transfusion were rational and competently thought out and it was an "EMERGENCY" life or death stituation do you have to act to save the person's life? Shulmann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Habraz Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 The fact of the matter is that transfusion is only one of many different treatments (possibly most important treatments) but only one of the treatments that a doctor in an emergency situation can opt to undertake. The questioner had asked well you nick an artery and the person is bleeding to death with blood pressure rapidly falling so what do you do? you cant transfuse becuase there is advanced directive but in that special situation they had wanted to see how the interviewee think on their feet. so there are other ways to stop the falling blood pressure like applying a clamp on the artery etc etc. You can transfuse on an underaged pateint legally (case in point recent case in calgary) but it is still and ethical delima becuase if the pateint is transfused they may be disfellowshiped by the watchtower society and hence you are doing a different kind of harm. So bottomline it is a dilema and you would have to LISTEN to the interviwer and answer after really thinking about the question, dont jump to rehearsed answers you would get burned. Hope this helped. Habraz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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