Medical School Interviews

In Ontario, interview invites are just now starting to come out. Obviously an exciting time for applicants and I wish everyone reading the best of luck if they're waiting to hear back about possible interviews!

It's the first year with the new MCAT in play, so for schools that put a decent amount of stock into the MCAT, this could be an interesting admissions cycle. The main question is how the CARS section will be evaluated with respect to the old VR. The previous MCAT supposedly had the same scale for all sections, but in practice the VR tended to have lower scores compared to the other sections, at least at the higher ends where medical schools place their cutoffs. A score of 13 in the Bio section was much more likely than a 13 on the VR. The new CARS section has supposedly fixed that discrepancy; a 130 should be as likely on the CARS as on the science sections. That's a positive change in the long-term, but it means some short-term chaos as applicants try to figure out exactly where they stand.

It's also my first opportunity to be involved in the application process. My school allows 3rd year students to be interviewers, though they tend to take 4th year students if they can. I've only signed up at this point and don't know if I'll be needed, but I hope to participate. I consider the admissions process to be the most important step in medical education and the student who interviewed me 3 years ago couldn't have been nicer or more fair. It would be great to pay that service forward. As someone with an interest in improving medical education, I think it would be a great learning opportunity for me as well.

Anyway, another best wishes for those waiting to hear back, and a huge congratulations to those who obtain an interview. It's the first step of many on the way to becoming a physician, but it's a huge step, one that deserves acknowledgement. I'll keep my fingers crossed to get to know a few of you during the interview days!