Preparing for the University of Sherbrooke interview

Successfully navigating the medical school interview process at Université de Sherbrooke requires comprehensive knowledge of Québec's healthcare system, provincial and federal health policies, emerging social challenges, and significant medical developments across Québec and Canada.

This strategic preparation guide offers essential context and information to help you craft compelling interview responses that reflect your understanding of Québec's unique healthcare challenges, your passion for medicine, and your readiness to serve diverse communities throughout the region.

1. The FMSS MMI: Structure and Hidden Priorities

Sherbrooke uses a 6-8 station MMI format conducted in English, assessing:

• Ethical Reasoning (e.g., triaging care in overcrowded ERs)

• Cultural Competency (e.g., serving Indigenous communities in Nunavik)

• Policy Analysis (e.g., debating private vs. public healthcare expansions)

• Teamwork (e.g., resolving conflicts in interdisciplinary care teams)

Key Themes

• Rural health equity (FMSS trains 40% of Québec’s rural GPs)

• Bilingualism’s role in patient trust (even in English interviews, French cultural nuances matter)

• Santé Québec reforms and their impact on marginalized communities

Insider Tip

Sherbrooke evaluates how you think, not just your conclusions. Structure responses with:

1. Clarify the issue (“This scenario involves competing values of autonomy and beneficence…”).

2. Acknowledge complexities (“In rural Estrie, limited resources mean triage decisions are systemic, not just individual”).

3. Propose a balanced solution (“I’d consult the Protocole de délestage while ensuring transparency with the patient”).

2. Québec’s Healthcare Policy: Decoding the RAMQ Revolution

Québec’s system operates under the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), but recent reforms are reshaping care delivery:

1. Bill 15 (2023): Overhauled healthcare governance, merging 34 regional agencies into Santé Québec. Critics argue it centralizes power, but FMSS faculty praise its potential to streamline rural telehealth in regions like Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

2. Family Doctor Shortages: 20% of Québécois lack a GP. Sherbrooke’s Stage en milieu rural program incentivizes students to practice in underserved areas like Gaspésie—a likely discussion point.

3. Private-Public Tensions: Québec now allows private clinics to perform 55% more surgeries (2024 policy) to reduce waitlists. Be prepared to debate equity vs. efficiency.

Tip: Cite Sherbrooke’s Groupe de recherche en médecine d’urgence (GRMU) when discussing ER overcrowding solutions.

3. Current Events: Sherbrooke’s Backyard Challenges

1. Opioid Crisis in Estrie: Overdose deaths rose 33% in 2024. Sherbrooke’s Projet Liane deploys nurse-prescribers to Montréal’s Hochelaga district—a model interviewers may ask you to critique.

2. Bill 96 Compliance: New French-language laws require physicians to communicate primarily in French. Discuss how you’d balance this with care for Allophone refugees (e.g., Sudanese families in Sherbrooke).

3. Climate Health: Record wildfires in Nord-du-Québec (2024) displaced Cree communities. FMSS runs mobile clinics in Chisasibi—tie this to planetary health literacy.

Tip: Mention FMSS partnerships like CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS to demonstrate program-specific knowledge.

Social Issues with Québec Flavor

• Indigenous Health Disparities: Inuit in Nunavik face TB rates 300x higher than southern Québec. Sherbrooke’s Initiative de santé autochtone trains students in cultural safety—a likely ethics station topic.

• Aging Population: 30% of Estrie residents will be over 65 by 2030. Discuss Sherbrooke’s Soins intégrés pour personnes âgées (SIPA) model, which reduces hospitalizations via home care.

• Mental Health in Schools: Québec’s Plan d’action en santé mentale (2024) funds school social workers. FMSS students staff the Clinique Jeunes Adultes at Cégep de Sherbrooke.

Tip: Weave in experiences with Québec’s centres de santé et de services sociaux (CSSS) to show hands-on understanding.

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

1. “A terminally ill patient requests assisted dying, but their family opposes it. How do you navigate this?”

2. “Québec’s private clinics reduce wait times but increase inequity. Should they expand further?”

3. “A nurse disagrees with your treatment plan for a diabetic patient. Resolve this conflict.”

4. “A Muslim patient refuses a female surgeon for religious reasons. How do you proceed?”

5. “Design a program to reduce ER wait times in rural Estrie with a $100K budget.”