University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine Interview Feedback Summary
Honolulu, HI
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 26% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a low stress level and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.2
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 268 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
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
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 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 growth during undergraduate years, reasons for choosing the specific medical school, motivations for pursuing medicine, experiences with leadership and clinical settings, familiarity with problem-based learning (PBL), and long-term career goals. The responses suggest that the interviews may have been structured in an MMI format, with a focus on assessing candidates' attributes and competencies, while also exploring their ethical reasoning and decision-making skills. Some respondents mentioned a non-disclosure agreement, indicating a standardized approach to the interview process.
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In what ways did you mature throughout your undergraduate years?
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Ties to Hawai'i?
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Why JABSOM?
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Tell me about yourself
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Why do you want to come to JABSOM?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting questions asked at University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, from personal strengths and weaknesses to ethical dilemmas in medicine. While the interview questions varied, the absence of specific mentions of MMI or nondisclosure agreements suggests a diverse set of inquiries that included hypothetical scenarios, personal reflections, and opinions on healthcare systems.
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If your PI was a dog, what breed would he be?
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What are your weaknesses? List it until you can't do anymore.
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What are some books you've read recently?
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What's the Vietnamese population in Southern California? (Note: I am Vietnamese, and we were talking about how in Santa Ana there was a Little Saigon)
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Would your girlfriend move out to Hawaii with you for medical school?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine discussed various topics, including ethical dilemmas, commitment to medicine, cultural competency, and career goals. The interviews may have been in a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format due to references to nondisclosure agreements, with questions ranging from healthcare policies to personal strengths and weaknesses.
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What natural remedies did you see abroad that are similar to Native Hawaiian natural remedies?
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They asked me to list all the weaknesses I have.
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How do we know that you are going to stay and practice in Hawaii (being OOS)?
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Blanking out. Most of the interview is standard stuff. Nothing too far out in left field.
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What lessons from your extra-curricular involvements will you be able to apply towards a career in medicine?
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 people.
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.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at another location.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by conducting mock interviews, reviewing their application materials, researching the school's curriculum and interviewers, reading through SDN feedback, and studying ethical issues. Many also emphasized the importance of practicing common interview questions, staying informed about current events, and familiarizing themselves with the program's unique features.
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Mock interview with friends and drafted answers to common questions
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Read up on curriculum and reviewed my application.
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Look at their website and see what their curriculum is like. Explain how this curriculum would help your career and how you can contribute to the community.
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Read SDN, researched the school, reviewed personal statement and secondaries, and had a couple mock interviews with friends and professors
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Read up ALOT on PBL. It is the core of a very successful curriculum for them and many of the interviewers are actively involved in its delivery. Knowing about PBL can only help you. I also made sure I checked out the publications my interviewers had put out in case they came up in conversation.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and warmth of the faculty, students, and interviewers at the medical school. The brand new facilities, beautiful campus location, and strong sense of camaraderie among students were also highlighted as positive aspects. Suggestions for improvement were minimal, with most applicants expressing satisfaction with their overall experience at the medical school.
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Friendliness of the MS4 and the faculty interviewer
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Facility, location, students attitude, school culture, friendly faculty
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The tour ambassador
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All the interviewers were extremely friendly and laid back, but retained a sense of professionalism.
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The friendliness of everyone. Everyone at the school seemed really helpful.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the outdated facilities, scheduling challenges with interviews at different locations, the lack of academic support, and the impression that some interviewers were unprepared or inappropriate. Suggestions included improving facilities, providing clearer communication on interview logistics, enhancing academic support, and ensuring professionalism in the interview process.
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Gap between MS4 and faculty interviews was about 6 weeks.
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n/a
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Dr. Assano is very candid. She reviews your application right in front you and asks questions. She gives you comments on your stat, such as MCAT, GPA, your EC and so on. Some people might think it is very rude and offensive.
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The 4th year student interviewer seemed more nervous than me when I asked him questions at the end of the interview.
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Nothing, I can think of. Maybe the heat. It's a little hard to dress professionally in a suit and everything when the weather is humid and it's 80 degrees outside.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants wished they had known more about the interview attire being casual, the emphasis on quantitative aspects, the specifics of the interview rating system, and the importance of the writing sample in the application process at the University of Hawaii. It was also recommended to research PBL thoroughly and be prepared for ethical questions during the interview process.
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Nothing
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Tour attire can be casual
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They do care about numbers a lot. I felt like that they invited me because I am from one of the ivy leagues with the great stat. They do not care about other non-quantitative aspects.
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that i did even more research into PBL.
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Everything is closed file. All they have are your essays and school list.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview process at JABSOM to be relaxed and conversational, with a focus on getting to know them as individuals. Many expressed concerns about the preference for in-state residents and the challenges of scheduling interviews, but appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the school.
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Great people to chat with, but I disliked how I had to schedule the dates of interviews myself.
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I am an OOS.. I felt that the JABSOM invited me because they like my academic profile, not because they value experiences and personalities written in my AMCAS application. A little bit disappointed.
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Scheduling three one-on-one interviews around a travel schedule was difficult (being OOS), but thankfully we were able to make it work. I could see it negatively affecting others though.
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Good luck.
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There are a lot of rumors about the Dean of Admission's interview. I found him very aloof and distant. He didn't read my essays or even look at my file. When he asks if you have any questions (and he asks like 20 times), don't try to make up bulls**t if you don't (he'll get annoyed), just say "I honestly don't have any questions right now" and let him get on with his presentation about the school. His interview doesn't count anyway. Oh and he takes your picture.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office should improve friendliness during interviews to create a more welcoming environment, switch to online secondary applications to reduce waste and improve accessibility, and enhance transparency in processes such as ranked waitlists and interview scheduling.
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I had three interviews in total; one MS4, one faculty, and Dr. Asano. My hope for the interview is that the interviewers need to be more friendly to potential students because students are also interviewing the school. The relationship between interviewees and students should be mutual and bi-directional. If the interviewers are not friendly to the prospective students, how can students even consider the school for attendance over other schools?
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The secondary application should be online, instead of mailed.
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An online/electronic secondary application would decrease paper waste, eliminate the need to ship materials to Hawaii, and likely be more easily accessible for multiple interviewers.
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I would suggest using an online secondary application.
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If you're going to use a ranked waitlist, it's kind of shady to keep it confidential
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 7+ hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by airplane to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent more than $500.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
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HNL
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Honolulu International Aiport
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Honolulu International Airport
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There is only one airport in Honolulu.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
The most commonly mentioned hotel among the responses is the "Hilton Hawaiian Village".
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AirBNB
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Aqua Aloha Surf Hotel
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Hilton Hawaiian Village
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Ohana- w/ SOM discount
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Pagoda
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
All Responses
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