Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 40% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about personal qualities, conflict resolution, decision-making in unfamiliar situations, future goals, favorite activities, handling stress, ethical dilemmas, views on healthcare, and reasons for pursuing medicine and choosing specific schools. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format, suggesting a structured interview process, potentially involving nondisclosure agreements regarding specific questions asked.
Basically read through all of my AMCAS experiences and asked me to elaborate more on them. I had listed leadership in my sorority, and we even went through that experience (which was difficult.)
Do you study better individually or in a group? Followed up with: Describe a situation in which a group member has not pulled their weight and how you resolved it
Students said the most interesting questions asked at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including handling conflict in a team, personal expectations, research, ethical dilemmas, future aspirations, healthcare disparities, and scenarios involving patient care. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on responses, with a diverse set of questions reflecting on ethics, personal values, and decision-making skills, suggesting possible subjectivity due to a nondisclosure agreement.
Are there any hobbies that you picked up during the pandemic?
Have you read any books recently by scientists (She named a few, and luckily I had heard of them)? How do you think writings by scientists and academics differ from career fiction writers (I studied writing in college)?
With so much available knowledge on how to live healthily and lose weight, why do you think so many people still don't take care of themselves, or are still obese?
What would you do if you had a haitian patient recovering from a stroke and his room was filled with his family who only spoke creole and was feeding him (even though they were not supposed to).
You mentioned that you're interested in underserved urban populations. Wouldn't you say that there are rural communities that have a greater need for physicians right now?
You say you want to work in a group clinic in Miami, what do you do when you have 20 patients in the waiting room, your running late, and you have a kids and husband at home?
Imagine you have a Haitian patient who just had a stroke. When you enter the exam room, you see six relatives engaged in a candlelight vigil for him, and his wife is feeding him, which you don't want her to do. How would you handle this situation?
If you had a patient who was receiving Paclitaxel for ovarian cancer with some questions about their treatment while you had a full waiting room of patients, how would you handle this situation ?
Have you ever had an experience working in a group where one of the group members wasn't pulling their weight? How would you deal with this situation? What would you do if after talking to this person, they still weren't doing their part?
Students said the most difficult questions asked at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including handling change, ethical dilemmas, personal failures, healthcare issues, and the ability to address challenges with little expertise. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format with questions on non-disclosure, while others highlighted questions about personal strengths and weaknesses, handling non-compliant patients, and discussing significant medical breakthroughs and global health issues.
Physicians in the past built good relationships with their patients, but physicians now have to build relationships with their patients as well as deal with governments and other extra agencies, what are your thoughts on that?
If you had a patient who was receiving Paclitaxel for ovarian cancer with some questions about their treatment while you had a full waiting room of patients, how would you handle this situation ?
It ended up becoming a conversation, so honestly my most interesting question was my my most difficult. They did ask me some healthcare questions, but it was not bad at all.
You're a physician and you have a very good friend that has a drug problem and is asking for your help. What would you do? What if this friend was a lawyer?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing their application materials, researching the school and current healthcare issues, practicing with friends or family, and utilizing resources like SDN and mock interviews. They emphasized the importance of knowing the school's mission, being familiar with their own application, and practicing responses to common interview questions.
Answering SDN questions and most common questions and rehearsing with family
Read website, talked to current students, watched FIU_med on snapchat, watched videos from local news stations about FIU, watched all the videos on the FIU Med Youtube account, talked to some doctors I worked with about the school.
Read up on health care reform, medical ethics, and browsed the student handbook and COM website....practiced answers to questions posted on SDN interview feedback
Went to a preparatory seminar back home. Read extensively on the school's website and Wiki-pedia. Drove to the school the day before to make sure I wouldn't get lost.
Mock interview, reviewed my application materials, perused the FIU website and student handbook, read previous SDN Interview Feedback and Interview Secrets, read a few issues of AMA's Virtual Mentor
Read everything relevant that I could find online, participated in a mock interview with the director of the masters porgram I am in, and asked friends to give their honest feedback to my proposed responses.
Read over my file and picked out the things I wanted to emphasize because it is a closed interview, asked myself practice questions and said them outloud
I read interview feedback on SDN and practiced these questions with at my university's career center and with friends. I also read a book about medical school interview techniques and prepared an outline of interview information.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed with the friendliness and enthusiasm of the faculty, staff, and students at the medical school. They appreciated the supportive and welcoming atmosphere, the innovative curriculum, the commitment to community service, and the extensive resources available, as well as the emphasis on individual attention and support provided by the school.
The admission person really seemed to care and gave us some words of wisdom at the end that was applicable to how we view all medical schools not just FIU. She seemed really genuine in wanting to help us and make us feel more comfortable.
The interview day itself was extremely professional and all of the faculty presenters were very enthusiastic and authentic. The campus is gorgeous, and since the medical students share it with the undergraduate campus, they get access to all of the resources.
Talking with the students. The students mentioned how open the administration is to student feedback. The MS2 noted that they have seen changes based off of their feedback. The financial aid session was very good. They provide students with financial counseling and help with budgeting.
The faculty were beyond amazing. Very amiable and treated the interviewees extremely well. Not a single person was unfriendly. The students all looked very happy and were encouraging about the school, which is perhaps the most important thing I took from the interview.
The admissions committee was really friendly! They were all very interested in us as students. The other interviewees were also very nice and friendly which made the interview day less stressful.
Fantastic school for those who want to be primary care docs. This school exists specifically to generate primary care docs for South Florida. That's pretty unique, since most medical schools hang their hat on their scientific research accolades.
The school's attitude-- the faculty and staff we met were very friendly and very enthusiastic about the school, and the school itself was built from the ground up with every nuance in mind, with the student's comfort and success always at the forefront. I really liked the Integration of the curriculum. Also, the building is really pretty! :)
Extremely friendly staffs, so much improvements in programs made over years, for the fact that every med student will have a leadership opp, 3:1 faculty ratio
They seem to have their act together. I was actually very impressed. I really liked hearing about their integrated curriculum and the involvement you will be able to have with such a small class!
The Library has a room specifically for the medical students - complete with swipe card access, shelves of medical reference materials, and a designated cubicle for each student! They also provided umbrellas for everyone on the campus tour.
All the faculty is excited about the university. Many left well established jobs and careers to be a part of this and are really great at showing how much they believe in the mission of the school. The fact they have more faculty than students is major b/c you will spend 4 years without any competition and you will get a lot more attention. The professors will be like your friends b/c of how few members there are, and everyone will get a chance to start their own club or be officers and establish everything that they can think of because the school is waiting to be developed in that sense. In the library section everyone gets their own cubicle and when rotation time comes around (and they do have some great affiliations already, including working closely with UMMSM) you will have a lot of experience coming your way b/c you won't have to fight and share with another 150 med students in your class.
Applicants were commonly unimpressed by the lack of dedicated medical facilities, disorganization during the interview day, negative interviewer interactions, the emphasis on selling the program rather than showcasing experiences, and the shared campus with other programs causing a lack of space and resources for medical students. Suggestions include improving interviewer training, enhancing the structure of the interview day, focusing on authentic experiences over sales pitches, and prioritizing the development of dedicated medical facilities.
Student attitudes. Some where really enthusiastic about talking about their experience, but most seemed a bit uninterested and blah about the program. It almost seemed like a majority of students were forced to be here, and could care less. Also, sometimes it felt like the faculty knew that they were a new program and had a lot of work to do, so they were trying to sell the school to you and sell their weaknesses as strengths.
Exams almost every Monday/Every other Monday
No separate Medical building
Very small facility for a class of 120+ to share
Ranking grading system
Area's high COL
Traffic is a pain (make sure to add at minimum 30min to your projected travel time)
They make you buy a very expensive computer at the start of med school ($1700). Only 3 cadavers for the whole class, all pro-sected (no dissection). Cost of living is not cheap and clinicals are all over the place (lots of driving)
I didn't get to tour the anatomy lab, The admissions staff ran the interview like a marketpalce, I did not feel the leadership came from a medical standpoint but rather a business standpoint . You're just a number. No building exclusively dedicated to the medical students, it's mostly shared with nursing and other undergraduate students and rather small and crowded.
I was in the second round of interviews, so this was expected: there was a little bit of disorganization. Quite a bit of standing/sitting around waiting for the next step in the process. This wasn't a problem though because the other applicants were great to talk with.
Presenter took several calls during his presentation. Admissions staff spent ~ 10 minutes trying to sell us on how great Leon Medical center is (where they do the geriatrics rotation). Most people from Miami know that this place is NOT where you want to be doing your rotations, I think they knew this too which is why they were working so hard to convince us otherwise. Medical Library is far away from classroom building.
The interview day wasn't very well structured (we interviewed in 3 time slots, and while our group wasn't interviewing, we just sat around, which nothing planned. Most of the interview day was waiting.) I felt like this was indicative of other things with the school as well. I think they have tremendous ideas and potential, but are still kind of getting their act together.
it's just weird that they don't have a reputation yet, also they kept emphasizing how great the curriculum was, and no one has taken step ones yet.....
I was unable to meet any med students, they happened to stop by when we were all on the tour. Some of the facilities that were emphasized were silly things like the spa, dry cleaners, and game stop. I did not like having two people interviewing me, I found it hard to make eye contact, I had to keep looking at the one who asked the question or switching my head back and forth. It took three people for them to answer my question as to when they thought we all would hear back, I thought it was a relatively simple question though. They took a long time to meet over my file, which as longer than they had originally said, about 2 1/2 months. They claimed they had plenty of spots left in their class when I interviewed in October, but when they started reviewing files, people from my interview time were automatically accepted/alternate, meaning they did not have plenty of spots left.
No tour of the hospital, no anatomy lab, small campus and facilities, nothing that impressive about the school other than the friendly admissions and staff
Hugely expensive for out-of-state students! It's a great school and it's all about providing healthcare to the underserved, which is wonderful, but for those who might want to take that skill set back to their home states, FIU wants you to pay through the nose.
Lots of construction going on; we visited the library and there were only 2 students there studying and they weren't super excited to speak with us (maybe because they were studying...).
There won't be many upperclassmen to share experiences(I'm interviewing for just the 2nd class), and practically all the buildings are still under construction and the majority won't be completed until "10-20 years later."
They kept saying how nice, easy, and conversational our interview would be but one of my interviewers was really harsh (with the ethical questions). However, only 25% of the interviewees got this doc and this doc probably won't be there everyday, so there is very little chance that you will have an interview like mine. Everyone else I talked to said their interview was very relaxed, nice, and conversational.
I had a few questions that no one was able to answer for me (I asked 4 different people,and I was given someone else to email), all were related to administrative/ciriculum areas.
Wish the facilities were finished. Right now it's in the top floor of the Health Life Sciences II Building and much of the school is kind of spread out b/c they're taking up available space. But that's to be expected being a new school in a big university.
since it's a new medical school, the facilities aren't really established yet. also, FIU has affiliations with a bunch of great hospitals, but they're all spread out over miami and not located anywhere on campus.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the breaks between interviews, encountering interviewers who provide no feedback, the campus size, the stress of the curriculum, the relaxed interview atmosphere, bringing a book, arriving early, and the importance of community service experience. They also mentioned being surprised by the short interview duration, the heavy emphasis on ethics, and the strict enforcement of time limits during interviews.
That I would get breaks in between the interviews so I had a moment to collect myself.
For most schools in general: you will encounter interviewers who will ask you a question and just watch you respond with no input, follow-up, or feedback on how you're doing or whether they are receptive to your answer. Don't let it intimidate you! Keep your confidence and go through your points like you practiced. With interviewers like this, I found it easier to look at the computer camera than at their face (virtual interview)
The school tries to sell the strange anatomy curriculum as a plus but it really isn't. There doesn't seem to be a strong cadaver program, so first year students do not get to dissect and instead learn from models and prosected bodies. Also, the course is 4 WEEKS LONG which is insanely stressful. In addition, the students only take Step 1 after their 3rd year and most opt to take Step 2 immediately a month after which can be stressful. They boast higher scores but it seems like the curriculum puts a lot of undue stress on the students. Also, FIU is a commuter school.
Miami traffic is worse than you think. They said to be there 30 min early. I left in time to be 1 hr early, but I arrived only 15 min early. It was probably okay, but it made me nervous that I was the last person to arrive.
I wasn't surprised about anything about the school, but I was a bit unprepared for my own interview in that I hadn't prepared good stories or responses for some of the "challenge" or "stress" questions.
That the interview was going to be so short. I was disappointed it ended so early as I was having such a great time conversing with the two professors.
that trying to prepare answers to typical questions was somewhat of a bad idea, my nerves got to me and I fumbled hard trying to recall what i had wrote
Applicants generally found the school impressive with a positive atmosphere and friendly staff, though some expressed concerns about the program's newness and resources compared to established medical schools. Suggestions included improving resources, reputation, and execution of ideas, while highlighting the school's unique opportunities and community-based approach.
This school impressed me positively overall, I didn't receive too difficult questions nothing about healthcare or stem cell research or ethical questions. Very straightforward about your application and asking general interview questions about how you handle conflict and change.
Really loved the feel of the school- it gives off a vibe that students are happy and carefree and have access to endless resources. However, you could feel the newness of the program in a couple of things, especially in its ever-changing curriculum and interesting innovative changes to hide weaknesses to the program. I think its a perfectly good school for any student to attend and I would be excited to be admitted, but I am also wary of some of the potential obstacles in receiving an education there.
Friendly and open staff and students. Dean is someone you wish you could be friends with after, and while you should relax and be yourself, remember you are also trying to impress them...
School has allot of potential, and if living in a big busy city is your selling point, then FIU is great for you! The Deans try very hard to address student concerns, and do a pretty good job.
The interview day at this school bumped the school up in my list of choices. They did a great job of selling the strengths of the school (and there are many). Any concerns I had about the relative youth of the program were gone.
I had low expectations so I was actually quite impressed with the school. It's definitely better than what I expected. New facilities and clinicals at a wide variety of hospitals throughout Miami was definitely a plus. However, when you compare it to more established medical schools it's deficient in some areas (like research opportunities which is very important if you want a shot at a competitive residency like derm. or rad.).
There will be deans and students in and out of the interview holding room all day. Use this opportunity to ask questions and get to know the faculty and students. Everyone was very enthusiastic and excited to talk to interviewees.
A really kind, altruistic, and awesome group of people with big plans for the future. They're still in the learning and growing phase, but I think FIU will be come into its own soon.
it looks like a fine medical school, but just doesn't have the resources or reputation of a established medical school.....I think I will go here if I don't get in anywhere else (but hopefully I will)
I believe that FIU has a good chance to soon be among the top schools in the state, given the design of the curriculum and type of students recruited. With strong clinical sites and exciting opportunities for med students in research, community service and clinical experience, the school offers a really impressive opportunity.
Awesome Curriculum, very supportive faculty and staff, great community service and leadership opportunities, great chance to learn or improve your Spanish!
Great school for an aspiring primary care doc, or anybody who wants to get into medicine out of a desire to help others. Too bad it is far from home and very expensive. Unless it's the only school I get into, I doubt I will go to FIU.
This was my first interview - so I was nervous, but I think I kept it together fairly well. I really liked the school. My interviewers were two very funny guys who were definitely having fun interviewing MS0's. The day can be very long and tiresome - so if you're a coffee drinker, like myself, stock up - because there isn't any at the interview.
We took a tour of the school after the interview portion, which was great, because it was really hot outside and of course I was wearing a suit. They also gave us food while we were waiting to be interviewed and afterwards.
The building that classes are in is very nice, and the students were all very friendly and open about talking to us.
They have improved a lot since last cycle. It's very well organized and they have enormous support from the Miami community. I think it will end up being a decent program given the population it will be serving.
I took an overnight flight and public transportations only - it saved me some money. Miami public transportation system is actually quite good - on time & affordable.
Look into the NeighborhoodHELP program before you go for your interview... FIU is taking an interesting community based approach in their curriculum. Also, try to go to the 8 am interview if possible so you can relax and enjoy the rest of your day!
The school is amazing and it's an excellent opportunity to be a pioneer in South Florida medical education. I hope I get in here lol. And it's only 15 min from home WITH traffic, so I definitely wanna go here.
The afternoon interview session started at 11 AM. The day started with a brief introduction about the medical program and the unique aspects of the FIU curriculum. After the presentation, we were treated to lunch in the school cafeteria. Afterwards, I had a 45 minute break period before my interview at 1:45. The interview itself lasted 30 minutes and the day ended with a brief tour of the campus and a presentation by financial aid. The day was over by 4:15.
i was part of the morning session, so the day began with a presentation about FIU lasting about 30-45 mins, then i had a 30 min break while another student interviewed, my interview was 30 mins long, after the interview i had a tour of the campus, a closing presentation about student life and financial aid, and then lunch.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested starting with interviews or financial aid sessions before lunch, reducing downtime by having interviews before lunch, providing more perspective from M3 and M4 students, improving communication regarding timelines, and offering more in-depth tours of the medical facilities. They also recommended holding a social event before interviews, avoiding simultaneous interviews by two people, and ensuring professionalism during presentations.
Did a great job of selling the uniqueness of the school. Would have liked more perspective from M3 and M4 students. Most of the interview day was spent with M1 and M2s.
Learn how to answer the question. "When do you think we will hear back from you?" I asked three different people to finally receive the reply "by the end of the year" and "there are multiple applicants in front of you right now".
Could schedule a social event or dinner the night before the interview so applicants could get to know each other and the students in a less formal setting.