Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 31% 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 reasons for choosing the school, experiences dealing with challenges or ethical dilemmas, motivations for pursuing medicine, academic performance explanations, and future career goals. The interviews may have been in an MMI format, possibly involving nondisclosure agreements, as some responses referenced 'MMI' or 'Multiple Mini Interview'.
Describe a time where you were trying to do the right thing but came out seeming like a bad guy.
Students said most interesting question asked at Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell discussed a range of topics, including personal experiences, ethical dilemmas, future plans, and self-reflection. Some responses hinted at an MMI format and possible nondisclosure agreements due to references to multiple mini interviews and sensitive questions about integrity and personal values.
Students said most difficult question asked at Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell discussed ethical scenarios in an MMI format, including decision-making under pressure and teamwork challenges. Some responses hinted at a nondisclosure agreement due to mentions of nondisclosure or non-disclosure regarding specific questions, while others highlighted inquiries about leadership experiences, project justifications, academic performance, personal integrity, and the impact of religious studies on patient care.
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
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?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by researching the school extensively through resources like SDN and the school's website, practicing with mock interviews, reviewing their application thoroughly, and preparing answers for common interview questions. Additionally, some applicants engaged in mock MMIs, pre-answered standard questions, and sought advice from current students or alumni to better understand the school's curriculum and philosophy.
I read over my application more than a few times and really made sure that I could speak at great length about anything an interviewer could ask me about. Additionally, I researched the school quite extensively, read the student manual, and spent an hour chatting with an MS4 over the phone.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the innovative curriculum, early clinical exposure, and modern facilities at the school. They also highlighted the responsive and passionate faculty, the supportive administration, and the overall positive atmosphere of the institution.
The passion about the unique curriculum. The amount of clinical exposure. The Step 1 performance. The responsiveness of the administration to student feedback. The diversity of the patients because serves Queens.
Everyone I met at Hofstra, from faculty to students, truly loved the school. The curriculum is modern, impressive, and well thought out. You get clinical exposure starting week 1, and (what I love best) much of your learning is self-guided and in teams. Look up the PEARLS curriculum, and you can't but help be impressed. The ratio of faculty to students is ~5:1. That's a top tier ratio, and this school is looking to be an academic & clinical powerhouse in the next 10 years. They are a rising school, and, from the students that I met that they have recruited, they clearly are on the rise. On a final note, their student lounge was on point... and only students (and not faculty) have access, so it's a truly safe space to just hang.
The curriculum seems very innovative. All of the students were very happy to be there. The program seems to be a huge success re: board scores, medical community response to the students during residency applications.
Administration is very open and the curriculum has a lot of early patient exposure. Also, light breakfast was provided, which is always appreciated and doesn't happen at all schools.
The new curriculum sounds very well thought out and unique. I liked the EMT training to start off with and the lots of early clinical experince. The school is brand new and beautiful. The faculty seemed really dedicated to making Hofstra a great school.
Very new and nice facilities. Students get ALOT of resources compared to other schools. Faculty and staff are very straightforward and clearly care about developing and excellent curriculum and atmosphere for their students.Many students chose Hofstra over other equally or better "standing" schools.
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the lack of feedback and assessments, the distance to amenities and clinical locations, the unstructured curriculum, inappropriate interview behavior, limited nightlife options, the newness of the school impacting student experience, and the need for a car. Suggestions included improving feedback mechanisms, providing more structure in the curriculum, addressing interview conduct, enhancing extracurricular activities, and considering the impact of location on student experience.
The location (!!). Students described not always feeling like they knew how well they are doing in courses and wish there was more feedback (there are very few assessments). The way that everything is a drive away. The sense that the school wasn't very motivated by a social mission/serving the underserved (staffs uses terms like "illegal immigrants" instead of "undocumented," ect) which was surprising because they brag about learning from the diverse population of Queens.
The students mentioned that the neighborhood is kind of a dead zone for nightlife. That being said, you're a half hour away from the beach. I would trade a day at the beach for a hundred nights in a club.
I had 2 interviews - a "good cop, bad cop". I was asked where else I was interviewing, which I found distasteful. My "bad cop" interviewer made some inappropriate comments relating to something in my personal statement. I also did not like that they had someone from the admissions office come with the group on our tour. The med student who was giving the tour could not be honest with someone from admissions standing right there the whole time. I disliked that students do not have a true anatomy lab experience. Med students do not get to do dissections, instructors dissect everything for you.
Students seemed nervous about the way medicine is taught (very little formal schooling, a lot of self-directed learning). There is a requirement to have a car here, administration made that very clear and not everyone may be enthusiastic about that. Also, admissions gave the illusion that most people would hear back in March when the reality is that accepted people will hear before then and only waitlist and rejected applicants will hear back in March (true, that IS the majority, but applicants were told that not getting an immediate acceptance didn't mean no acceptance at all, which wasn't the case).
It is a new school, so the students are like Guinea pigs, extra curricular activities are not fully developed, and everything else that comes along with a new school
Applicants commonly wished they had known about the early MMI timing, the potential for curveball questions during the interview, the importance of arriving well in advance, and the varying interview styles. Suggestions included being prepared for a good cop, bad cop dynamic, being aware of potential time extensions, bringing a book, knowing about a bus trip to the simulation center, and having information on the curriculum, interviewers, and weather forecast.
The MMI is right in the beginning which was very nice
I wish the the special video they should us during the interview was available on their youtube channel. It made me tear up. It was fantastically done.
The interviews were right after the dean's talk. Maybe it was just my interview experience but it seemed like a good cop, bad cop situation. Also, your interviewer can go past the time allotted (of course my "bad cop" was the one who grilled me way past the time). Mine went way over and once I got back to the group they were in the middle of the next presentation.
Applicants generally expressed positive experiences with Hofstra, highlighting the unique curriculum and supportive environment for student success. Some concerns were raised about the location and uncertainty about the school being new, but overall, there was enthusiasm about joining the program and contributing to the innovative curriculum.
I really liked the idea of the school (clinical experience, unique curriculum, normal-seeming students) but was very disappointed by the location
Super positive experience here. Hofstra definitely seems like a school invested to their students' success and their curriculum approach is definitely very unqiue!
Lots of questions up in the air for the students about their future at such a new place but overall it seems like administration cares about their success.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office should provide more information about student programs and prioritize transparency in communication, particularly in terms of timelines and feedback. Some applicants also highlighted the importance of timely responses and a positive interview experience.
I wish I could have learned more about student programs. I think they spent a lot of time diving into the minutia of the curriculum but I wanted to learn more about what it was like to live in the area and student happiness. I was disappointed by the sense that the school was not very interested in the mission of serving the underserved/social justice ("we aren't here to solve the primary care crisis")
Don't imply that we can email and you want to be as open as possible about the process and where we are ranked and then give vague responses when we email you. Don't do the good cop/bad cop interview
Don't give the illusion that most people will hear back in March when the reality is that accepted people will hear before then and only waitlist and rejected applicants will hear back in March (true, that is the majority, but applicants were told that not getting an immediate acceptance didn't mean no acceptance at all, which wasn't the case).