University of Manitoba Medicine Interview Questions

General Interview Information

​​Interview Format
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Manitoba University uses a Multiple Mini Interview consisting of 11 stations and 1 rest station. Ten of the scenarios are held one-on-one with an interviewer. One scenario is a written station.  The interviews last for approximately two hours. 


Key Dates
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Interviews generally take place in February and March.


Recent Interview Questions
 
Ethical Dilemmas – These stations have no clear right or wrong answer. Instead, the applicant's ability to consider a wide range of issues and opinions relevant to the scenario is being assessed. It is imperative to have a good understanding of the 'Two Sorts, Two Sides of Ethical Scenarios' in order to succeed in these stations. Recent ethical dilemmas have included the following:
  • If a student was accepted into medical school and then it was discovered that he/she contracted a fatal disease and only had one week to live. Should they be allowed to attend medical school? What would you do if you had the power over this decision?
  • The Royal College of Physicians have said that doctors who don't want to perform abortions should refer the women to other physicians. Do you think this is fair?
  • How would you address cheating?
  • What is your opinion on people adopting children from Tsunami ravaged countries?
  • Are you entitled to health care if you breed poisonous snakes?
  • In your opinion, who should get medication which is in limited supply during an epidemic?
  • Should you accept an applicant into medical school with a degenerative disease? What about if they got into medical school and developed the same degenerative disease?

Communication Stations – The essential skills required to help candidates manage stations aimed at examining communication can be reviewed on the BlackStone Tutors 7 Stages of MMI Communication Stations. Questions at these stations may include:
  • A 60-year old man has lived in the north for all his life and has never visited a big city. He has diabetes, kidney failure and comes to Winnipeg for treatment. What do you do as his doctor besides putting him on a dialysis machine?  
  • You are a 68-year-old alcoholic walking away from the funeral of your wife, who you cheated on and abused; your children want nothing to do with you- what are you thinking?
  • You're a 50-year-old diabetic woman who is functionally impaired and just out of insulin. How do you feel?
  • How would you explain to a little girl why the sky is blue?
  • Describe how you would feel if you had drunk heavily through pregnancy and were then informed that your son had FAS.
 
Personal Statement/General Questions – these stations delve into areas of the candidate's application, requiring them to reflect on them in depth. Questions may include:
  • Tell me about yourself.
  • Tell me about your volunteering activities.
  • What TV do you watch?
  • If I handed you an envelope full of money, what would you do for fun?
  • Give me an example of how you have dealt with a past conflict.
  • Should Canada be sending troops overseas?
  • How would you contribute to our class?
  • If you could have anyone over for dinner, alive or dead, who would it be?
  • If you had a free weekend what would you do?
  • Should government MPs be allowed to cross the floor?
  • Tell me about your learning methodologies.
  • What have you failed at?
  • How do you define success/failure? Give examples.
  • Tell me about a volunteer situation that you found rewarding?
  • What do you like about Manitoba compared to the province you live in now
  • If we met your friends on the street, what would they say are some of your greatest strengths/your greatest weaknesses?
  • How do you feel about affirmative action in the United States?
  • Describe a situation where you were under pressure.
  • What do you think about Canada's position in the war?
  • What would your friends say they dislike about you most
  • Who do you think is/was the greatest Canadian out of "X or Y"?
  • What is the most important thing you have learned from your mother?
  • What question didn't you want to hear?
  • Do you think the University of Manitoba scheme for admittance is fair?
 
Motivation and Insight into Medicine – these stations have a broad scope, requiring the candidate to be familiar with both the national healthcare system and issues affecting the medical community. The candidate's reasons for pursuing a career in medicine will also be discussed at these stations. Questions may include:
  • Who is the greatest medically-related Canadian (from 3 options)?
  • What do you expect to be challenging in medical school?
  • Why do you want to be a doctor?
  • What are your thoughts on the fact that senior citizens take up more than 70% of the monies available for drugs in Canada? What can we do to alleviate this?
  • If you could only pursue one profession, would you be a physician or a researcher?
  • Under what circumstances would you work in a rural area?
  • What are the effects of poverty on health?
  • How will you feel if you go to medical school and you are only an average student?
  • Why do you think socialist health-care in Europe is more successful than it is here?
  • What solutions do you propose for "fixing" Medicare in Canada?
  • A 4th-year medical student thinks they won't be graduating this year. What sort of their personal beliefs could be causing this?
  • Do SARS and HIV worry you about pursuing medicine?
  • What is your opinion on the private versus public Canadian Health Care System?
  • Additional questions with model answers can be found in the MMI Question Bank​
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Additional Medical School Interview Questions
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