Reflections from the MHSc Admissions Committee in the Department of Molecular Genetics

This summer, I had the privilege of serving as the student representative on the University of Toronto's Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) Medical Genomics Admissions Committee.

I was selected as the student voice on this year's Spring 2025 admissions panel. This role involved interviewing shortlisted applicants, submitting evaluations, and collaborating with faculty and program leadership to help shape final admission decisions. But more than a checklist of tasks, this experience offered something deeper: a rare glimpse into what thoughtful, equity-informed evaluation really looks like.

As a committee member, I was entrusted with:

• Representing the student experience to prospective applicants
• Asking pre-defined questions and evaluating responses
• Bringing an inclusive EDIA lens to every conversation and decision
• Collaborating on a fair, transparent, and student-centered admissions process
• Upholding confidentiality and care throughout

What stood out most was how human this process really is. Behind every score and structure is a conversation shaped by presence, preparation, and personality.

Here's what I learned on the other side of the table:

🔹 Personality matters.
The strongest applicants didn’t just know the right things; they made us feel something. Confidence, warmth, humility, humor. Presence is powerful.

🔹 Small moments speak volumes.
A thoughtful pause, a warm follow-up, or a unique anecdote often stood out more than rehearsed answers. Authenticity is hard to fake.

🔹 Balance is everything.
Successful interviews paired technical knowledge with personal insight, structure with spontaneity, professionalism with a sense of self.

🔹 Representation is a responsibility.
Being trusted to speak for students, especially in a process that determines who joins our academic community, is not something I took lightly.

This experience sharpened my understanding of fairness, equity, and leadership, and it reminded me that impact often happens in quiet, behind-the-scenes rooms. I’ll carry these insights into my own future interviews, too (but this time, from the other side of the table!)

I’m deeply grateful to Dr. Johanna Carroll for modelilig leadership grounded in both accountability and grace, and for the opportunity to grow through this process.

And to the incredible applicants we interviewed: thank you for trusting us with your stories. I look forward to seeing where your paths lead. 

To those preparing for interviews: don’t just memorize your answers, get to know yourself. It makes all the difference.

Note: All views expressed here are my own and reflect my personal experience serving on the panel. They do not represent the views of any other committee members.