Medical universities interview

[cooldog]

I just received a confirmed letter from IMU to study the PMS(Partner Medical School) medical program. I am really glad! On the other hand I expected that.... :) Right now, I am looking for a place to stay somewhere near the campus. Those studying in the Bukit Jalil campus could really help if you could give me some tips and contacts...

Like most universities medicine courses, to enter this course, you will be interviewed first. IMHO, I think IMU's interview is quite easy compared to those UK unis.They do not probe deeply into why you want to study medicine, their questions are very direct and are not the kind that "traps" you. I applied to study medic in the UK, got the interview, but, didn't do well in the interview.... :( So, got rejected...

I cannot emphasize anymore on how important it is to prepare for the interview. I had some help from my college's vice-principal as she had a list of the questions of what they usually ask. A senior from there helped me a lot too... he gave me an idea of how the interview is like and how to prepare for it. So, I could picture how the interview was conduct.

Anyway, for the benefit of those who wants to apply to IMU, these are the questions they asked me.
The first few questions were meant to make the student feel comfortable:
1, How did you come here? I heard that you are from outstation. (I flew in the night before, and I am not a local there...)
2, Wow... did you travel on your own? Are you very used to it? bla, bla, bla....

After that, comes the serious questions...
3, Tell us something about your family.
4, Why do you want to become a doctor?
5, Tell us more about your work experience.
6, Doesn't the life of a doctor puts you off? Aren't you afraid? You won't get to spend a lot of time with your family and it's demanding.
7, Won't you get afraid of blood, dead bodies and all the gory injuries?

Then, there's a scenario question:
8, Imagine you are a doctor, you just set up your private clinic and you are facing some financial difficulties. One day, an Indonesian maid came in asking you to help her abort her baby. She said that she will pay you anything to do it for her, because if her employer finds out that she's pregnant, she will be sacked and sent back to Indonesia. She begs you to help her as she has to earn $$ to help support her family in Indonesia.
What would you do?

Lastly, the so-called"IQ" question:
9, This is a plastic bag I got from my hotel room. Give me some uses of it.

To end it, usually the interviewers will ask if you have any questions for them.

Basically, the interviewers from IMU just want to know if you are making the right choice to study medicine. But, they do not probe deeply like the UK unis.

I hope other medical students will also post their interview questions here to help others prepare for their medic interview. It really helped me in my preparations.... So, others out there... do share.

[youngyew]

For me, IMU interview was also easier than those Australia universities... For example, University of New South Wales conduct a phone interview, they call to your home and the duration is around 50 minutes. And it was harder than face-to-face interview.

After a few rounds of interview, I sort of concluded that all these interviewers are actually looking for the passion among the interviewees and their ability to express themselves clearly and confidently. Confidence really helps, they can perceive it through your intonation, and the mat salleh really like confident students. Even if you are trembling on the chair, pretend that you are not. :lol:

I would say that to date my hardest question is still this one: Where do you see yourself in ten years time? Very hard, maybe because I am not ambitious and clear about my goal of life yet.

[tehjiao]

local uni don't have any interview, is it lucky or unlucky for the student?
anyway, i would prefer to have an interview not in order to get a place in medical field but in order to help the students make their mind clear....it's easy to say "I want to become a Dr" but difficult to continue the passion and determination to the end of the day

[missmuffet]

H'm, where are you studying now, youngyew?

I would prefer not to be interviewed. On the other hand, the interviewing process makes medicine all the more challenging to enter. So, for all those who like a challenge, I think they will enjoy being interviewed. Personally, I am beginning to enjoy interviews though I wish there weren't so much hastle in entering such a course...

For me, the hardest question to answer is: Why don't you become a nurse instead of a doctor. I was really trapped by this question... maybe because I never really give it much thought.

[youngyew]

I will be entering the University of Melbourne.. which happened to be a university which doesn't consider interview. I passed other interviews, though.. :)

What do you think of the answer to "becoming nurse instead of doctor"? Would you simply tell the interviewer, nurse's job isnt' as important and you would not use your talent to the fullest? I guess that's my spontaneous response, if I were you.

Interviewing process makes medicine all the more challenging to enter, but this is the entire point since the field really require quality instead of mere quantity today.

[missmuffet]

That was also my spontateous response at first. But then, I added something which I shouldn't have. I said that nurses are involved more in the caring part compared to the doctors. This fatal answer led the interviewers to ask me " What do you mean by care?" and "How does a doctor care for his/her patients?" Then and there, I was trapped... I was totally stumped! Whatever my answers were to those questions also backfired and were used to trap me even further... The whole interview was a total failure... :cry:

I can only say that I didn't do well because I lack of preparation and also experience. I think this question requires you to really understand what a doctor's job is really all about. I think there isn't really any right or wrong answer to this question... it's just a matter opinions and how you look at it ...

[eeyoreccp]

i'm still in considering weather to sit for PQA test from University of Adelaide.... did you guys have any experience on sitting the PQA test.... ? ??

[youngyew]

i'm still in considering weather to sit for PQA test from University of Adelaide.... did you guys have any experience on sitting the PQA test.... ? ??
PQA is basically an IQ test (some multiple choice, some fill in the blanks) plus a personality test (multiple choice questions). The IQ questions are indeed very difficult (more difficult than the ISAT test and many questions in MENSA test) while the personality test is to see your perceptions about health care, confidentiality etc. Answer as you would and don't be pretentious. For personality part, the questions would be something like that:

Your wife is having a terminal disease and you know the only chance to save her is to try a new medical procedure which would cost you hundreds of thousands. You are a trusted manager of a bank and you have been a loyal worker for 30 years. Would you consider embezzling some money from the company? Choose from 1 as the least likely to 5 as very likely)

What other aspects would you like to know about PQA? As far as I know, it's harder to exceed the ISAT requirement (more than 90 for both papers) than to pass the PQA (i.e. called for the interview).

Hope that helps.

[lucasscott]

I would like to ask:

1. What are the general academic qualifications of applicants accepted into IMU? Will a 4A in A Levels guarantee an offer?

2. How well do an applicant must be in the interview in order to be accepted?

[day_dreamer]

For me, IMU interview was also easier than those Australia universities... For example, University of New South Wales conduct a phone interview, they call to your home and the duration is around 50 minutes. And it was harder than face-to-face interview.

After a few rounds of interview, I sort of concluded that all these interviewers are actually looking for the passion among the interviewees and their ability to express themselves clearly and confidently. Confidence really helps, they can perceive it through your intonation, and the mat salleh really like confident students. Even if you are trembling on the chair, pretend that you are not. :lol:

I would say that to date my hardest question is still this one: Where do you see yourself in ten years time? Very hard, maybe because I am not ambitious and clear about my goal of life yet.

Sounds pretty scary... Anyone ever go through medical school intake interview by NUS ??

[blackkirin]

wat to wear for d interview??? i noe guys r easy to match.. but wat bout gals??
it is kinda of troubling as i look into details very much >.<

[jingguo]

wat to wear for d interview??? i noe guys r easy to match.. but wat bout gals??
it is kinda of troubling as i look into details very much >.<

well, for gals, just wear something more formal la.. shirt and pants.. baju kurung is also ok.. i knew some wore that..but please no jeans. it wouldnt be appropriate if you were to come for the interview.

[sunflowerseed]

Hi! Anyone underwent any interview for dental student?? I've tried to search for this kind of thread, but failed to find it...help! help! Thanks :D

[Zeroth]

sorry to say this, but i think IMU interviews are rather easy..

I got a tell me what you can do with the rubber-band for the IQ question, lol!

I think it was easy because, for my interview, because i wasn't gonna really go for IMU, i did not take it too seriously. I kinda acted goofy and give random answers without thinking (of course, they are reasonable answers, but random nontheless). In the end, I still got the offer. So i don't know.. but it seemed to be rather random at selection as i believe what i've portrayed that day were totally un-medic-able. Granted, they probably took my actions as having good 'confidence', lol!

Congrats for those accepted. IMU is a good university nontheless. I have many friends there and they are happy with how things are there (except for some minor details).

[drnus_11]

I really2 want to know about interview with nz uni?anyone who has experienced,please share...thanks!

[jingguo]

I really2 want to know about interview with nz uni?anyone who has experienced,please share...thanks!

well, i've been through them before.. uni of auckland and otago.. its more like chat rather than interview though.. cant really elaborate much now.. mayb sometime next week.. so hang on...

[jingguo]

well, basically there's only 2 unis that offers medic in nz.. i.e. otago and auckland. and what i can summarise is that both uni are in fact having quite similarities in their interviews.

their interviews are more like what i would say as friendly chats/discussion. normally they would start off with the standard questions. like things about your family background, your firend and your life. then they would eventually ask why medicine, anyone who inspires you to take up medicine, opinion of a good medical school. and then they would go to the discussion part. what i can say is that there is no standard question to that. may it be politics, may it be religion. you'll never know. once for auckland, we did discuss about racism esp on muslims and christians (though i am neither, i am a buddhist), so i am lookin in the buddhist point of view.

i think that's all i can think about for the moment. mayb i'll write more if i do remember somemore of them.

[sue89]

What about interview with UK unis?

[jingguo]

sorry can't help u on that then...

[SHuLy]

Interview with UK Unis differ from university to university, as of all other unis. And I think that it would be quite typical of other medical school interviews, namely:

- chit chat
- personal statement
- why UK, why Medicine
- issues

Usually it would be the first 3. but if you are 'lucky', you might be asked on certain issues. and i think that would be cool.

:)

[tinuviel]

Ireland?

[slumber]

anyone has been through manipal interview? can share it with me
?