Q & A

Some Frequently Asked Questions

 

Who are you?

  • I’m a resident physician in Radiation Oncology with extensive experience about medical school and medical residency admission interviews.  Over the years, I’ve worked with many applicants who have gone on to successfully gain admission into medical school and residency.  It’s a very rewarding two-way street.

Why should I work with you instead of other interview consulting services?

  • There are certainly lots of consultants out there to choose from!  However, my numbers speak for themselves.  94% and 80% of the applicants I worked with for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 years respectively,  fulfilled their dream of getting into medical school and ultimately becoming a doctor.   The average medical school accepts less than 10% of applicants each year. 

Why should I work with you instead of other interview consulting services?

  • There are certainly lots of consultants out there to choose from!  However, my numbers speak for themselves.  94% and 80% of the applicants I worked with for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 years respectively,  fulfilled their dream of getting into medical school and ultimately becoming a doctor.   The average medical school accepts less than 10% of applicants each year. 

I live outside of the Hamilton/Greater Toronto area.  Will you work with me?

  • Unfortunately, because all of my sessions are held in person rather than through e-mail/skype/webcam, I am currently unable to provide any interview preparation to individuals outside of these areas.

What do you cover in your donation Based Medical School MMI Group discussion session?

  • Each MMI Group session lasts a total of 50 minutes.   I begin the session with a general overview of the MMI and a few useful pointers about the MMIs.   The majority of the session is devoted to a facilitated group discussion of 3 carefully selected MMI scenarios.  We work through these MMI scenarios in detail and I emphasize key strengths/characteristics that may be assessed of applicants during their interview.  Participants are also given the opportunity to ask questions related to the MMI.

What do you cover in your Medical School One-on-One Simulated MMI session?

  • Each Simulated MMI session consists of a total of 3 MMI stations and lasts a total of 60 minutes.   The stations may involve answering a simple question, a discussion or an interaction with a standardized patient.   The stations will test your ability to think on the spot and will assess personal qualities deemed important for medicine.  You will be timed and graded on each station and are expected to come formally dressed in interview attire.  At the end of the 3 stations, I will go over your performance (written and verbal) in detail on each of the 5 stations and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

What do you cover in your Medical Residency One-on-One Simulated MMI session?

  • Each Simulated MMI session consists of a total of 3 MMI stations and lasts a total of 60 minutes.   The stations may involve answering a simple question, a discussion or an interaction with a standardized patient.   The stations will be geared towards your specialty and will emphasis qualities important to your specific residency field.  You will be timed and graded on each station and are expected to come formally dressed in interview attire.  At the end of the 3 stations, I will go over your performance (written and verbal) in detail on each of the 5 stations and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

What do you cover in your Medical School Traditional Personal Interview session?

  • Each Personal Interview session lasts a total of 60 minutes.   You are expected to come formally dressed for this session and will be asked a variety of interview questions to help assess your performance on a range of personal attributes deemed attractive to medical schools.  You will be graded on your answers and you are expected to come formally dressed in interview attire.  At the end of the session, I will provide feedback on your performance (written and verbal) in detail and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

What do you cover in your Medical Residency Traditional Personal Interview session?

  • Each Personal Interview session lasts a total of 60 minutes.   You are expected to come formally dressed for this session and will be asked a variety of interview questions to help assess your performance on a range of personal attributes deemed attractive to your specific specialty of choice.  You will be graded on your answers and you are expected to come formally dressed in interview attire. At the end of the session, I will provide feedback on your performance (written and verbal) in detail and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Who will interview me during the mock interview session?

  • Unless otherwise previously agreed on by the applicant, all interviews are conducted by Dr. To.  

What are some the advantages to attending your small group medical school MMI discussion session vs. a free Peer organized session?

  • My group sessions are extremely small in size to allow for maximum facilitation and minimum distractions.  Peer organized sessions usually contain too many participants (ie. on avg. 8-12 applicants) and are generally messy, poorly co-ordinated and lack emphasis on important MMI concepts.   When dealing with such peer organized sessions, there is often inefficient use of each participant’s time.  In addtion, my group sessions are highly focused and I carefully select scenarios to help illustrate key teaching concepts/points.  Last but not least, participating in one of my sessions allow you the opportunity to asks questions and receive answers from someone with a lot of experience regarding the medical school admissions’ interview process.

Are you able to customize interview sessions to suit my individual needs?

  • Yes, please send me an e-mail with your detailed request.

Do you offer other services related to medical school admissions?

  • Yes, at the current time, I am able to provide assistance to aspects related to an applicant’s pre-interview portfolio. These include but are not limited to MCAT preparation, Prerequisite course work and Personal Statement/Essay Editing. For more information about these non-interview services, please contact me directly.

Do you offer other services related to medical residency admissions?

  • Yes, at the current time, I am able to provide assistance to aspects related to an applicant’s pre-interview portfolio. These include but are not limited to USMLE, LMCC preparation, Elective selection and Personal Statement/Essay Editing.  For more information about these non-interview services, please contact me directly.

Who will edit my essay?

  • Unless otherwise previously agreed on by the applicant, all editing will be done by Dr. To.  

What payment options do you accept?

  • Cash, check or credit card (VISA, MASTERCARD, AMEX).  If paying by credit card, there will be an additional 3% processing fee incurred by the applicant.

I am interested in attending one of your sessions but cannot afford the session fees.  Do you offer reduced session fees?

  • Yes! I occasionally provide group MMI discussion sessions at reduced fees.  In such cases, the fee ranges from $20-30 per person and proceeds from these sessions go to the Canadian Cancer Society.  If you would like more details,  please send me an e-mail or use the contact form on this website.  Unfortunately, I am unable to provide one-on-one sessions for a reduced fee.

Do you offer any discounts?

  • Yes! To save $5 off of any session, simply click “like” on my DiagnoseMD facebook page.  To visit my facebook page, please click here.   You can also save an additional $5 by simply subscribing to my twitter @diagnosemd.   Additional discounts are also offered to applicants that participate in more than one session.  

I have a question that has not been addressed.  Where can I write to you?

  • You may use the contact form directly on this website or write to me via e-mail:  kevyn@diagnosemd.org