Preparing for the UdeM University of Montreal interview

Securing a spot at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine (UdeM) requires more than academic prowess—it demands a nuanced understanding of Québec’s healthcare landscape, its policy battlegrounds, and the social fabric shaping patient care. 

This guide equips you with hyper-local insights to craft responses that resonate deeply with UdeM’s mission-driven ethos.

1. The UdeM MMI: Structure, Themes, and Hidden Expectations

UdeM uses a station-based MMI format designed to assess ethics, cultural competence, and critical thinking under pressure.

Key details:

• 8-10 Stations (8-10 minutes each): Topics range from role-playing patient interactions to debating healthcare ethics. Example: “You’re a physician in rural Québec. A patient refuses a COVID-19 vaccine, citing distrust of ‘government experiments.’ How do you respond?”

• French-Language Stations: At least 2 stations test medical French fluency. Expect prompts like explaining a diagnosis to a Haitian Creole speaker with limited French.

• Collaborative Stations: Some scenarios involve group problem-solving (e.g., designing a community intervention for Montréal’s opioid crisis).

• Themes: Social accountability (UdeM’s founding pillar), health equity in linguistically diverse populations, and innovation within Québec’s public system.

Insider Tip: UdeM’s MMI emphasizes process over perfection. Evaluators want to see how you navigate ambiguity—practice verbalizing your reasoning, even if uncertain.

2. Québec’s Healthcare Policy: A Tapestry of Public Care and Privatization Debates

Québec’s system is defined by its Loi sur les services de santé and these flashpoints:

1. Bill 15 Reform (2023): Centralized 34 health networks into Santé Québec, aiming to reduce wait times. Critics argue it sidelines frontline workers—a tension to acknowledge.

2. Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) Expansion: Québec leads Canada in MAID utilization (4.7% of deaths in 2023). UdeM researchers pioneered guidelines for psychiatric MAID cases—a likely ethics topic.

3. Rural Exodus Crisis: Regions like Gaspésie have 1 doctor per 2,400 residents. UdeM’s Med-Écho program trains students in Abitibi-Témiscamingue; mention this if discussing rural health.

Tip: Reference UdeM’s Centre de recherche en droit public when discussing policy solutions.

3. Current Events & Social Issues: The Québec Lens

Local Flashpoints

• ER Overcrowding: Montréal’s Jewish General Hospital hit 200% capacity in January 2024. UdeM’s Projet Synergie uses AI to streamline triage—a model to cite.

• Opioid Crisis: Québec’s deaths rose 35% in 2023. UdeM partners with CACTUS Montréal, a supervised injection site, for community-based research.

• Language Barriers: 21% of Montréalers speak neither French nor English at home. UdeM’s Med-Lingua program trains students in medical Spanish and Arabic.

National Issues with Québec Stakes

• Indigenous Health Disparities: Inuit in Nunavik face TB rates 290x higher than non-Indigenous Canadians. UdeM’s Pauktuutit Partnership trains midwives in Salluit—tie this to social accountability.

• Housing Crisis: Montréal’s 0.9% vacancy rate exacerbates health inequities. UdeM’s Med-Urban clinic treats 1,200 homeless patients annually.

Tip: Cite UdeM’s Équipe de recherche en partenariat sur les interventions en première ligne (ÉRIPL) to demonstrate program-specific knowledge.

4. The 5 Questions University of Montreal is most likely to ask during your medical school interview

1. “Québec has Canada’s highest rate of alternative medicine use. Should OHIP cover acupuncture?”

2. “A colleague dismisses a Haitian patient’s pain as ‘cultural exaggeration.’ How do you respond?”

3. “Design a mobile clinic for Montréal’s unhoused population. What services take priority?”

4. “How does Bill 96’s French-language requirements impact care for allophone migrants?”

5. “Describe a time you advocated for a vulnerable patient. What systemic barriers existed?