MD/PhD and MD admissions interview weekends

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and Undergraduate Medical Education hosted their annual MD/PhD and MD admissions interviews in late February and early March.

The MD/PhD program conducted their admissions interviews in late February. With only three positions available each year, this highly competitive program - which concurrently trains individuals to be both clinicians and scientists - attracted interview candidates from across Canada. Applicants must meet all the same high standards of both Schulich Medicine and Graduate Studies.

The MD/PhD admissions process uses panel-style interviews with experts looking for suitability for all aspects of medical and scientific training. The expert panel includes one current MD/PhD student in addition to four faculty members. The interview is designed to examine both the special qualifications sought after to fill the three spots and to gain a greater understanding of the applicant in a personal manner. After a very successful interview weekend, the program plans to fill all three available positions.

With more than 200 prospective students in attendance, the MD interview weekend was full of nerves, activities and excitement. Year 1 medical student representatives from the Medicine Admissions Committee were responsible for organizing volunteers from London and Windsor, interview weekend social events, billeting for candidates, preparing an admissions video and creating a prospective student website. The student volunteers also organized physician guest speakers, including Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Dean, Dr. Michael J. Strong.

The MD interviews are conducted on site at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Western University over two weekends. The second MD interview weekend will be hosted the weekend of April 5-6.

Each applicant who successfully meets the School's admission requirements and the current admission thresholds for GPA and MCAT is interviewed by a team of three interviewers consisting of a community member, a physician or faculty member and a senior medical student.