Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 26% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low 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 growth during undergraduate years, reasons for pursuing medicine, strengths and weaknesses, experiences with extracurricular activities, adaptability to new environments, handling challenging situations, future career goals, and knowledge of the school's curriculum and values. Some respondents mentioned being asked questions related to Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) format, which may involve a nondisclosure agreement.
In what ways did you mature throughout your undergraduate years?
1st: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Why/How did you choose your undergrad school? What did you do to finish your undergrad in just 3 years? What is something special or unique about Hawaii compared to mainland states (I'm from HI but attending mainland school)? Why do you want to come back here in Hawaii? Do you think you can handle the med sch coursework? How familiar are you with the PBL curriculum? What are your parents' jobs? Is it confusing to know how to speak in three different languages? Do you work? Tell me about your research. What is your favorite subject? Why JABSOM? What did you do in the HPA program?
2nd: What is the most stressful moment/experience you had? and how did you handle it? Who is your hero? What's your favorite book? the last book you read? How many siblings you have? What are your parents' jobs? Do you know Dr. ____ (he asked me about many doctors in our island of Kauai)? How was your high school experience? Tell me about JROTC (I was a member in h.s.). Do you know how to dance Tinikling (I told him that I love to dance)? Did you ever hurt your ankles dancing this? What is your favorite subject? Why JABSOM? Was there any specific thing you were expected to learn from your preceptorship at Houston VA?
3rd: How did your parents choose your name? What does it mean? How about your middle name? What are your siblings' names? Which part of the island are you from? Why/How did you choose your undergrad? What are your plans if you don't get in? How many schools did you apply to?
Tell me about research. Tell me about clinical experiences. What do you do outside of school? Are you a leader? How do you study? What was an academic challenge that you had to overcome?
Why Hawaii? Why MD? Why not something else? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do you plan to practice in Hawaii? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What would your friends say about you?
Do you intend to stay in Hawaii to practice medicine? (Their goal is to get people who will stay in Hawaii and do primary care, and those who would do well with the PBL system.)
Why Hawaii? (I was SO prepared for this question, and could have talked forever about it, but they really didn't want to hear it!! I think they wanted to know that I wasn't coming there just to surf. I did surf the best waves I have ever surfed while I was there though! The surf is more challenging than the interview!!!)
(There's a lot of small group discussion as part of the curriculum) What if one of your group members was a mother of two kids, and was not contributing similarily compared to the rest of the group..how do you handle the situation?
Interview 2: How would your best friend describe you? If all your traits but one were taken away, which one would you keep? What would your dream career be (not medicine)? What interesting things did you see during your volunteer experiences?
Students said most interesting question 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 and hypothetical scenarios. While the interview format was not explicitly mentioned as MMI, respondents shared questions related to book preferences, personal challenges as a physician, and reflections on the healthcare system, among others.
"I will be personally interviewing more than 120 applicants... How would you want to make yourself stand out amongst those in the applicant pool?"
considering the ecology of animals, what would you do if you had to choose between saving a patient's life, or having that person pass on a horrible genetic disease?
Nothing in particular other than how I chose my path to medicine, given that I was a non-traditional applicant (having a MPH and working at the federal government).
very straight forward questions - most interesting was probably "if i were to speak for you in front of the adcomm, what would you want me to say?"
My second interviewer explained a scenario and asked what I thought about it. She wanted to see if I could point out the bioethical issue and I did. She did not give me any hints.
If you were an internal medicine doctor, and your patient came to you complaining of chest pain, what steps would you take to diagnose him? (then when I answered that I wanted a certain test to be ordered, the doc would continue with..the test is negative..now what...)
I was given a scenario in which a hospitalized patient required an extended stay at the hospital. His/her insurance company was refusing to pay for any additional days. What would I do?
Hypothetical situations - If you made a mistake during surgery and the patient died, what would you do? What would you tell the mother of a child with cancer if she wanted to try alternative medicine instead of chemo?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including ethical dilemmas, personal strengths and weaknesses, commitment to medicine, and career aspirations. While some respondents noted standard questions, others mentioned challenging scenarios like dealing with guardians refusing medical interventions for a child and choosing between primary care and research funding. Additionally, references to MMI, Multiple Mini Interview, and nondisclosure suggest that the interview format may have included scenarios under confidentiality agreements.
What natural remedies did you see abroad that are similar to Native Hawaiian natural remedies?
If a three year old child required a certain intervention and the guardian/parent refused, what would you do? (Also, they DO ask ethical questions and may ask the same question in various ways)
How would you describe the ideal doctor? He was fishing for ''upholding the integrity of the profession, community health and health policy involvement''.
One interviewer alluded that since the joint program was 7 years long, that as a woman I couldn't possibly have a family like I said I wanted. It really wasn't a question so much as a statement that I had to defend for how I could still be "a serious candidate".
When have you had an academic crisis, and what did you do to solve it?
(There were a bunch of questions that caught me offguard, but I am so incredibly nervous in interviews that they all converge into 1 in my mind.)
I am a non-traditional student, so I had to explain my career changes and why I will stick with medicine. This was asked in a very fair manner rather than an 'explain yourself' tone.
Where do you see your self in 10 years? This is always a hard one. But it also illustrates my main frustration with the interview - the questions didn't ask me to think at all.
I'm doing clinical research and was asked by both interviewers how do I know if my patients aren't lying and if they are compliant with their meds, since I work with psychiatric clinical studies.
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 conducting mock interviews, reviewing their application materials, researching the school's curriculum and faculty, and familiarizing themselves with ethical issues and current events related to healthcare. They also utilized resources like SDN, school websites, and online forums for interview feedback and advice.
Mock interview with friends and drafted answers to common questions
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.
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.
Went over my AMCAS and secondary application. Review my journals of my preceptorship in Houston VA and my job-shadowing/volunteering experiences. Read Medical Technical communication book. Talked to JABSOM's med students. Had mock interview with pre-med advisor. Checked out this website and JABSOM's website. Asked for feedback and pieces of advices from my friends. Checked out the bio's of the interviewers (physicians) in the internet.
read over secondary essays, AMCAS essay, Univ. of Washington Bioethics website, found background on my interviewer, looked up questions asked by and to prospective med students, SDN
Reviewed my AMCAS application, secondary application essays, googled common medical interview questions and although no ethics questions were asked of me, I read through the UW bioethics website. http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/index.html
SDN, AAMC "31 questions I wish I had asked", read over essays, New York Times, Wikipedia for medicare/medicaid, HMO background, and info on Hawaiian history. Some punk rock to pump me up.
This site helped a lot!! Read over some information about the school to familiarize myself with PBL and my interviewers. I also met with a second year med student early the day of my interviews which really helped because she answered a lot of my questions so I felt better prepared and more informed about the school.
I did a ton of research for the interview - read up on current issues of consequence to the various hawaiian communities, learned about the problems with their health care system, talked to many community members about their opinions about these issues. None of it came in handy though, since my interviewers asked me NOTHING about interesting/challengeing topics.
I read over my AMCAS and secondary essays and reviewed ethical issues on UW's bioethics website (http://eduserv.hscer.washington.edu/bioethics/topics/index.html)
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness of the faculty and students, the new and beautiful facilities, the collaborative and student-oriented atmosphere, and the emphasis on student well-being and happiness at the medical school. Many highlighted the welcoming and inclusive nature of the school, the innovative Problem-Based Learning curriculum, and the unique cultural and educational opportunities offered by the location in Hawaii. Suggestions for improvement were generally minimal, with a few applicants mentioning the length of interviews or basic questions asked during the process.
Friendliness of the MS4 and the faculty interviewer
Everyone was very friendly and easy to talk to. In the third interview, they also break down how you were selected for the interview by their scoring system which as an applicant is very nice to have.
the PBL demonstration was really cool. the school is 5 years old, and relatively new. the students were really friendly and seemed closed. a real collaborative spirit.
casual, friendly interviewers, eager to share their experiences. the new med school is beautiful with strong contacts abroad (in particular, SE Asia and the Pacific)
Everyone made me feel so special. The interviewers were very flexible for scheduling my interview. Two medical students had a dinner with me just to make sure I'm very familiar with almost everything about JABSOM and the interviews. The friendly, laid-back, non-competetive atmosphere is very evident.
All interviewers were professional and asked intriguing ethical questions. They seemed to really want to understand my motivation for going to their school specifically and why Hawaii-and asked in a laid-back way.
The students wear slippahs (if you have to ask you're out of state) and street clothes. It's relaxed, they are on friendly (if not first-name) terms with their profs.
Faculty, Students, Facilities (Brand New!). The class size was small. The instruction was superb. The curriculum is set up by two very very smart MD's that specialize in curriculum development and is designed to produce favorable results. The school's philosophy was to make med school fun because it's hard either way... they don't want med school to be a miserable experience. The students actually seemd happy (unlike at other schools). Everyone knows each other... from the security guards to the profs to all of the students!
Everyone is very nice. The new facilities are amazing. Student body seems closely knit. USMLE part 2 passing rate. The school is within walking distance of a local surf spot. It was about 35 degrees warmer than where I am now.
PBL, student entusiasm, tuition (if you're a resident), opportunity to travel and study all over the country/world, weather, proximity to bars/clubs/beach/restaurants.
everything...the new school is impressive...the people were great...something in particular-the dean says the students have a chance to impact the prerequisites and curriculum as they continue to tweak the PBL program....the school does truly seem student oriented for this and other reasons.
Location is excellent, students seem friendly, if you like a very mixed culture with a decided asian cast, then this is great. Faculty were very friendly and accessible. If you're interested in cloning or stem cell research check out Wakayama's institute... he's a major hitter and incredibly friendly)
The interviewers were very nice. All were pretty much conversational. The 3rd with the associate dean went over why I was invited for an interview, their scoring methods, told me about the school and the PBL curriculum, and answered questions I had.
The students I met with (including on of my interviewers) were very, very happy with the school. Everyone was extremely nice and encouraging. All the information I learned about the school and PBL impressed me.
The interviewers are not 'out to get you.' They have to write up a summary to the admissions committee and want to make it as complete as possible. The brand new campus is underway and looks great (increadible location). They need it now since the Halloween flood wiped out their old building.
The interviewers were truly interested in getting to know me. They were not intimidating; one interviewer described our interview as a low-key conversation. She was correct.
Students are friendly, a diverse student body, a lot of clinical experiences during the first two years. However if you are female then you have a good chance of getting into UH. I heard last years class was 2/3 female.
The way that the school takes into account the students' evaluations of the curiculum. They have just included a new basic science course per the student's request for more lecture based courses. My interview was also REALLY long - 2 hours! Although this could have been great, it consisted of a long list of really basic questions.
Small class size, prematriculation program (Imi Ho'ola), student camaraderie. The model and plans for the new, state-of-the-art medical school (to open fall 2005) were VERY impressive. Basic science lectures will supplement PBL. There are also plenty of cadavers for anatomy students.
The students are really happy to be in the MD program and grow to be really close to each other (the entering class is only 62 students!) The physicians I met were really involved with academic as well as clinical medicine. My interviewers were very honest and open about explaining to me all aspects of entering medicine. They also seem genuinely dedicated to training the students.
The UH has an innovative curriculum that would work well for me- it is a bit more independent. My experience with all representatives of UH was wonderful.
One of my interviewers (who I later heard from a nurse friend was very difficult to work with) was cool, in a difficult sort of way. Interesting converstation. Oh yes, and the fact that "almost residents" are now being considered as "true residents" for acceptance (not tuition) purposes.
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the scheduling process of interviews, outdated facilities, lack of academic support, and mixed experiences with interviewers. Suggestions include improving communication with interviewers, modernizing facilities, enhancing academic support, and ensuring consistency in interview experiences to provide a fair assessment of applicants.
Gap between MS4 and faculty interviews was about 6 weeks.
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.
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.
They claim that all interviews are low-stress, but this is a lie. The interviews can vary wildly. It's really up to luck whether you click with the interviewer or not. Some people are really nice and the interview is awesome, and then there are a few really, really mean ones out there.
Neither interviewer read my file carefully. One didn't read it until I was in the room with him, the other interviewer didn't seem interested in me at all (her first day back from vacation). I had to drive around quite a bit for my interviews, one required me to go onto a military base.
The way they reduce you into a number between 1-10 is a bit deflating and their initial scoring rubric flattens your MCAT but it is good to see the details of how it works. The campus is great but isolated from the main campus so if you thing interdisciplinary collaboration outside biomedical research....
They tell you exactly why you got your interview. They go through their appscore system. In your last interview with Dr. Izutsu you go over your whole app.
Many of the new cutting up facilities are either not finished or not incorporated in to the cirriculum. School is small and does not have a University hospital.
having to schedule dates and times of interviews myself...hawaii leaves it up to the interviewee to email his/her interviewers and designate the date and time. Plus side: offers flexibility to those who have strict schedules... But i prefer to have a set date/time so i can schedule around the interview
The dean was very rude to me. He treated me like I was some sort of distasteful creature (presumablely b/c I'm a Haolee from the mainland). Without saying so openly, he made sure I understood that he thought I was too aggressive and that I wouldn't be welcome. He obliquely compared me to a cancer! (And believe me I did nothing to provoke him except wear a suit)
Current facilities are second to third rate. This is especially true for research facilities. (Apart from one extremely well funded lab and the cancer institute.)
Personally scheduling the three interviews and meeting at different locations. Plus, learning that only a SMALL number of spots are open for out-of-state students.
Had a rather close minded interviewer who said that I might get in because I was a woman, but that I might not because I have a similar HIGHSCHOOL as other applicants (God, I'd hope you wouldn't look at what high school I went to & determine admissions), AND that I wouldn't be able to have children (as a woman) because a joint program is SEVEN years long...(By the way, he asked me 3 times if I knew that it was that long, as if, oh gee, I had know idea...well in that case forget it?!)
PBL. I'm sure I could handle the problem based learning with very few lectures (the only lectures are for basic sciences), but I'd prefer to have standard lectures, not mostly small group taught.
the facilities are pretty worn down; you have to schedule the interviews on your own and make sure that all your interviewers (you're provided their names in advance) are available at the time you're visiting (i was coming from out-of-state)
Professionalism of interviewers (my interviewers took calls during the interview and seemed very distracted). Admissions staff and dean were rude. Facilities were old and students who enter this year won't get to use the new school they are building. Level of students was lacking since the school chooses to admit much less qualified ethnic minorities over other qualified non minority students. (Since students teach each other in the PBL curriculum I would want to have competant classmates)
the fact that each of my 3 interviews were at different locations in the city as well as on different days. I had to arrange appointments with each interviewer. Kind of a hassle.
I was disappointed that I was not asked at least one question that made me think. Physicians should be critical thinkers - don't they need to make sure that med students are capable of thinking through challenging issues? It wasn't that I was disappointed that the interview was relaxed. You can be relaxed and still ask intellegent questions. I just felt that my interviewers didn't get to assess the issues of most consequence to being a medical student and my ability to shoulder the responsibility of being a physician.
The main UH facilities are small. Also, you would have to go to the school to have access of their internet/computers. Most if not all, live off campus and even at home.
The school's facilities seem very limited. However, they did get a 150 million dollar grant to build a new medical school. (It just won't be completed for the entering class of 2003 to benefit from.)
Applicants commonly wished they had known more about the interview attire, the emphasis on quantitative aspects, the PBL demonstration session, and the specific categories in which interviewers rate candidates. They also suggested doing more research, being prepared for ethical questions, and being aware of the low acceptance rate for out-of-state applicants.
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.
I wish I'd had the interview experiences that I've had since then, this was my first set of interviews.
Also, third interviewer (Dr. Izutsu) is not a voting member of the ADCOM, he just advises it.
The interviewers have specific categories in which they will rate you, such as appearance and desire to go into medicine.
There is a PBL demonstration session held twice a year...definitely go! I went and all three of my interviewers asked me if I had done so!
Sell yourself!
The Imi Ho'ola Program application process. This is a very great option for any "disadvantaged" applicant who is rejected. (Just in case JABSOM rejects me.)
The interviews are set up as: the first two are doctors minimally affiliated with the school, the last is the dean of admin. The doctors were friendly and open, the dean is a very serious dude make sure to ask about USMLE test data ect. or at least mention that you've already looked at it. Ask about the research facility since you won't see much of it and they're big on it. Ask about hawaii specific angles at the school... if you have Dr. Chen as an interviewer find his office the day before, the address is REALY hard to find even if you know HNL. Good luck and have fun with it. Oh, and that nice park out in front.. those gentle hills? Old landfill. Still, very pretty, you can surf right out in front.
You are rated on a scale from 1-10 by a 12 person committee that looks at your whole application including interviewer's recommendation. The top 55 or so students get offered a spot in the school.
What to wear. I went to Aveda and asked what the businessmen wear, then went to mall and asked a few people working there what to wear to an interview. Aloha attire is acceptable, but if you're not comfortable with that I would just go with nice pants and a button down short sleeve shirt. The other med school applicants were wearing ties, so not at all a disadvantage. On the other hand, the dean was not wearing a tie, so I don't think you'll be underdressed if you don't. Make sure you have nice shoes.
I wish I had known that Dr. Izutsu would take a more business approach than "let's-get-to-know-you" approach. I wish I had stayed closer to the school.
while it's probably good idea to wear a suit, it's not necessary to wear the jacket... because the weather is mostly temperate, the school understands that on some days it may be too hot to wear the jacket... i just wore slacks, shirt and tie.
It's a waste of time to apply from out of state unless your family is actually from Hawaii and you recently moved away or you have some extremely random, but strong connection, like your parents used to be missionaries here.
The closing interview was touted as being the worst, but in fact it was the best and the Assoc. Dean was very friendly, candid, and helpful in describing the program, future challenges, and where I stood in their consideration for admission.
It is WAY more laid back than I thought it would be. My student interview was at a coffee shop. While this could have been really great, I felt that my interviewer was distracted.
The interview with the dean is not really an interview. He goes over your application and tells you where you've earned points and why you were granted an interview. Then it's basically your turn to ask any questions you have, so be prepared to have questions for him.
UH uses a point system to determine who receives an interview invitation. I wish I had known the point breakdown. Also, the adcom places more emphasis on the MCAT writing (and possibly verbal) score than do most schools. Finally, I was told by an interviewer that students who only research the learning issues assigned to them, and not ALL of the learning issues, tend to be "trapped" by the PBL curriculum.
Although past interviewees have told me that the the interviews were laid back conversations....one of my interviewers was exactly like a great conversation, the other asked me SPECIFIC questions, and kind if caught me off guard.
The University of Hawaii has been recommended to be put on probation. However, I was reassured by the Dean of admissions that all of the problems have been addressed and Hawaii would win their appeal.
Applicants generally found the interview process at JABSOM to be relaxed and conversational, appreciating the opportunity to connect with their interviewers. They highlighted the importance of preparing questions, staying positive, and being themselves during the interviews, and expressed some concerns about the preference for in-state applicants and the logistical challenges of scheduling interviews.
Great people to chat with, but I disliked how I had to schedule the dates of interviews myself.
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.
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.
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.
I heard mixed comments about Dr.Izutsu - scary, fun, intimidating. He comes off a bit standoff-ish, but he's really a nice guy. Go to his interview with confidence, but don't over-do it. My other two interviewers were both elderly faculty members. With these age group you may get the impression that they don't care about you - don't be fooled! Make sure you stay upbeat and assertive (but not aggressive) throughout the whole thing. Do some background research on your interviewers ahead of time for questions. Didn't seem to get my interviewers too excited but obviously didn't hurt me.
This is a great school that is probably overlooked too often. I wish I had enjoyed the process more, intstead of stressing over defending myself as an OOS applicant.
All in all I don't think these went well for me, but they were good warmup for other interviews. UH has some very unique ways of doing things, such as applying a numerical score to every applicant. That means that you could be the Pope and they wouldn't look at your application with any special consideration. Dr. Izutsu explained the whole system, and I wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell as an out of state applicant (I have a high GPA and test scores, solid application). Of all the schools in the US this may be the one with the strictest residency policies.
It was awesome! I was relaxed most of the time in all three interviews. The meeting (not really an interview) with Dr. Isutzu was a bit serious. Advice: be serious but laugh when it's really appropriate to laugh, and smile, smile, smile. It was more like a "reality check" meeting. We went over my application, and I learned about my cumulative academic points. It was great, because I was able to see my overall academic performance. The first two interviews were very relaxing. These were like a warm chat with a new acquaintance. Their questions were not difficult to answer. There was no ethical question. I know that the 1st interviewer does research, so I asked her something about her work, and she went on and on about her work and other things about herself for at least 10 minutes. (Score!) I know the 2nd one loves Kauai, so I asked something about his favorite island, and he was very excited to tell me his story of falling in love with the island. (Score!) It paid to know something about my interviewers beforehand. Also, I took my premed advisor's words: "Be yourself, be honest, and enjoy".
They will match you with an interviewer that is relative to your field of interest-peds/geriatrics, etc. This was helpful because they may relate better and understand your reasons for pursuing that field. Both interviewers asked why Hawaii. Be sure to keep updated on current events: nationalized healthcare vs. US; stem cells; moral dilemmas, and having an opinion that can be substantiated. Try to research beforehand on your interviewers and this will enable you to connect with them. If not possible, ask them more general questions to show interest in them as well. As was posted in other feedback, the dean is the exit interview and was warm and welcoming. Be sincere. If you do not know something, state so. Good luck!
My interviews were like night and day. The first interviewer was INTENSE. He questioned nearly all of my ecs with something like: Why did you do that? Why not this... In the end he pretty much told me that I was not ready to be a doctor... Second and third interviews were very laid back. After the interview process I have no idea where I stand. I am not sure if I even got recommended by the first interviewer at all. If I don't get in I'll be a little dissapointed considering that I had almost the maximum number of points in the pre-interview screen.
2 interviews with JABSOM graduates (about 45 mins) where they ask you typical interview questions; 1 with Dr. Izutsu (sbout 30 mins) where he reviews your application and your ''score'' and gives you a chance to ask about the school
Only Izutsu's interview is at the school; the others are around the city, which may complicate things for non-locals
COME WITH QUESTIONS READY FOR DR. IZUTSU!!! i CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. his part in the interview process is actually to make sure that all questions that you have are answered. also, he explains the admissions process and the scoring system.
at first, based solely on academics and test scores, students are granted/not granted an interview. it is a 22 point scale, and in-state students need to score at about 10 or 12, i'm not sure, to get an Early Decision (ED) interview. out-of-state students need a 16. I got a 15, and this is with a 37 MCAT, 3.7 cumulative gpa and 3.6 science gpa. That being said, if you are an out-of-state student, you pretty much need 13+ composites on MCAT, and like a 3.8-3.9 gpa.
The 22 pts. are given based on gpa, science gpa, MCAT scores, honors, volunteering/working in health or care related fields, gpas in the last two years (they acknowledge that many students, esp. from hawaii have a hard first year b/c of the adjustment to the mainland), etc.
After the interview process, a panel (the admissions committee) will come together and look at your file. they score you individually from 0-10, and their scores are averaged. Dr. Izutsu told me that there are no # of spots set aside for ED/regular decision candidates. Instead, a score of 8 on the ED will usually be good enough to get you accepted early. if not, your app goes back into the general applicant pool with the score that you were given during the ED process.
if you have any questions at all, email me at [email protected]
COME WITH QUESTIONS READY FOR DR. IZUTSU!!! i CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. his part in the interview process is actually to make sure that all questions that you have are answered. also, he explains the admissions process and the scoring system.
at first, based solely on academics and test scores, students are granted/not granted an interview. it is a 22 point scale, and in-state students need to score at about 10 or 12, i'm not sure, to get an Early Decision (ED) interview. out-of-state students need a 16. I got a 15, and this is with a 37 MCAT, 3.7 cumulative gpa and 3.6 science gpa. That being said, if you are an out-of-state student, you pretty much need 13+ composites on MCAT, and like a 3.8-3.9 gpa.
The 22 pts. are given based on gpa, science gpa, MCAT scores, honors, volunteering/working in health or care related fields, gpas in the last two years (they acknowledge that many students, esp. from hawaii have a hard first year b/c of the adjustment to the mainland), etc.
After the interview process, a panel (the admissions committee) will come together and look at your file. they score you individually from 0-10, and their scores are averaged. Dr. Izutsu told me that there are no # of spots set aside for ED/regular decision candidates. Instead, a score of 8 on the ED will usually be good enough to get you accepted early. if not, your app goes back into the general applicant pool with the score that you were given during the ED process.
guy was very laid back, took a few phone calls during the interview, but it didn't fluster me. in fact, i suggest you take that time to analyze what you've said, gather your thoughts and think of possible questions to ask.
he was also funny.
it was very laid back. the interviewer simply wanted to get to know me. i didn't really even get the "so tell me about yourself" or "Why Hawaii" or "why do you want to be a doctor". I think this is because the answers were in the essays that i wrote.
I had the opportunity to ask questions also, and I learned a lot about starting a family and keeping relationships, etc. while in medical school and residency. Interviewer was very open about her past experiences and was very informative about working within a larger organization (ex: Kaiser, Queens, etc.) as opposed to private practice.
Two interviews at the hospital with MD's and an exit interview with the dean. The doctors were both very nice, sincere, and honest about what it's like practicing here. The dean was nice. He told me he doesn't vote on the acceptance, but I would still go in assuming this interview impacts your chances. I got the sense that it would.
People are just so friendly. I had three interviews by a 4th-year student, a professor at JABSOM, and Dr. Izutsu. The first two were in very easy atmosphere. Neither of them didn't mind it when I asked some personal questions to get to know them. Dr. Izutsu seemed a little uncomfortable that I asked questions more than just about JABSOM.
Make sure that you go on the tour. It is a small school so I was initially not planning to do a tour. It turned out that the tour was a great time to meet other students (both prospective and current) and I even got to observe the PBL session for 3 hours!
interviews are very conversational. interviewers genuinely wants to get to know you as a person to see if you're reasonable or not. I also got to ask many questions about how it is practicing in hawaii and what they think are some negative aspects of medicine,etc. they gladly gave me their honest opinions which were very helpful.
Interviews were very informal, and enjoyable. Have lots of questions ready for the meeting with the Dean. He is a kind individual and I do not understand why some say he is impolite or hard. Be aware that they although they say they want individuals who are research committed, they really want you to do any research before or after the program. But an amazing place to study medicine.
overall it was a good experience... difficult to imagine my chances of acceptance since i am an out-of-state applicant... only the top 6 out-of-state applicants get in... but i'm crossing my fingers... Probably the most PBL(problem based learning) based curriculum you will encounter...if you don't like working in small groups or interacting constantly with your classmates, the curriculum might not be for you...
I'll be very honest. I would never discourage anyone from applying to any medical school, but there is a caveat when applying to JABSOM. They publicly post that they favor Hawaii residents. Out of 52 available spots, only six are set aside for out of staters. Please feel free to apply but keep in mind that the odds are stacked against non Hawaii residents.
from my experiences, the interview process works as thus:
Interviews are granted according to a rubric which determines residency. There are a certain number of points that given depending on residency, MCAT scores, EC, advanced degrees, etc. Residents need to score a 7+ in order to be considered for an interview. Non residents need to score 14+ in order to be considered.
There are three interviews total: The first two are with faculty or local doctors affiliated with JABSOM. These can range from 1-2 hours each. The third interview is with the Dean of admissions, Dr. Satoru Izutsu. The nature of the first two interviews were very plesant for me, the faculty were very nice and the interviews was more like a conversation. The interview with Dr. Izutsu is interesting. My impression of him is that he is a man of business, he is polite, but thats about it. He will be very blunt about things like residency and he will either like you or not. VERY IMPORTANT!! When you go into the interview with Dr. Izutsu, have many many questions to ask him.
Do not be discouraged though. The first two interviewers send in evaluations either recommending you or not recommending you.
A committee meets and they look at your file. Then they rank you without discussing the rankings (this is all confidential). the registrar averages the scores and the top 52 (62 total spots, but the Imi program reserves 10) are offered admissions sometime in April.
Out of the 5 schools I interviewed at,this experience was the best. The interviews were fluid and conversational. I felt they were honestly trying to get to know me.If you are out of state, your chances are limited, but you should know that going in if you have done any research at all. I fail to understand some of the negative feedback on this site. If you are willing to spend the time and money, don't be all angry and uptight about your chances, it will only hold you back.
Hawaii is a nice place to visit but they don't want you live there. Basically the school is undergoing a transition from producing, as one researcher/faculty member put it, "barefoot doctors", to becoming a real biomedical research center. The president is pushing for the biomed angle, but the entrenched bureaucracy with the support of the local medical association is foot dragging because they favor the community doc model. On the whole Hawaii is happy to have you as a tourist, but there's considerable hostility not the least because mainlanders are driving up prices for real estate and an influx of mainland physicians would threaten the entrenched physicians. My own physician interviewer liked me a lot, said I was a strong candidate and he'd do his best but basically told me I should go to Boston, New Haven or New York or "someplace where they'd appreciate me." He also let me in on how racially politicized Adcom is, apparently there's 1 rep per ethnic group (white, chinese, japanese, korean, hawaiian, etc) and they rank each candidate on a secret ballot. Which says to me that the process is so politicized that they can't work together openly to shape a class. I was told to expect resistance if I come here to practice after graduation unless I bring a million dollar piece of equipment (like another doc/researcher did) or if I have an 'in' whether with an ethnic group or from doing med school/residency here. Overall, the experience really broke my heart because I really wanted to come here... even over some much higher ranked schools... but it was clear that (surprise) as an island society, Hawaii is very very insular and that I wasn't welcome.
I had three interviews: 4th yr student, phd faculty, and dean of admissions. All of them were really laid-back and nice. Make sure you schedule them all ahead of time. I also met with a student who was really cool and informative about the school and Hawaii.
Two of the interviews were questionnable...almost like saying really off-color comments to see what I would say or how I would react, but on the whole, it is my home school and would be wonderful to attend because the quality of life of the students is so good. Wow, I never thought about Quality of Life...I assumed I could HANDLE anything, but acutally totally Loving your experience would be grand!
I had to drive around Honolulu a lot to the different interviews on different days, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Two of the interviews were really nice and conversational, one was more serious.
The interviews were much more relaxed and comfortable than I anticipated. Interviewers were more about learning about my character and personality than my academic achievements and failures. Overall, it was a really good experience.
i had a difficult time scheduling interviews with my three separate interviewers. since the biomed building was closed due to the october floods, i had to meet with my interviers at various hospitals. luckily, i rented a car! i also was given an opportunity to meet with an ms-2 and she answered many questions that i had about the class size, pbl, etc. the selection process for out-of-staters(OOS) is very discouraging (1. adcoms ranks all applicants; 2. OOS are pulled from top 52; 3. only top 6 OOS are selected, rest of class is filled with in-state applicants.)
All interviewers were nice. The first was a faculty member and clinician at UH. She was more abrupt at starting the process. The second was a pediatrician. He was late for the interview, so I sat in his office reading a book I brought while all these kids played around me. He went over what the sheet, and the information he was supposed to get. He gave me pointers for his interview and the one with the assoc. dean. He said that he knows growing up in Hawaii makes it so people tend to be more humble, but I had to say why I was good for med school, and he also said that some people are intimidated by Dr. Izutsu, but if I knew my place, the interview with him would be fine. I didn't have any problems with Dr. Izutsu, I found him very nice and helpful.
The new Kaka'ako campus is opening in April, so this year will be the first year to use it. The flood in October messed up most of their offices, so I had to find my way around the Honolulu area which wasn't too bad, but living on Maui, I'm not used to the traffic there.
Be prepared to ask plenty of questions when you meet with Dr. Izutsu. Try and make some sort of connection to the state of Hawaii- those students are preferred. The interviewers are very welcoming and relaxed. One of my interviews was at Starbucks. I recommend meeting with a second year med student to answer questions and get a better feel of student life and the school. And of course, stay in Hawaii for at least a week!! It is great!
The interviewers were very professional but not intimidating. They do not have your grades/scores, so the interview is really about who you are as a person. They are looking to see if you will fit in the class and if you will stay to practice medicine in Pacific Islands in the long-run. It is a bit difficult to arrange the three interviews because I was coming from the mainland, but the best thing to do is pin down one appointment and try to get the other two to work with you on that time. Meet with a med student if you can to get more of the 'inside scoop'
the curriculum is purely pbl, which may not be suitable to everyone's personal learning style; the people are very cool and welcoming, just as you'd expect in hawaii; school's reputation is so-so
the interviews were very relaxed and very flexible because you get to schedule when you interview. the tour was also informative and the pbl system seems to be effective.
I wasn't nervous before the interviews but as the interviews progressed, I became more nervous. My first two interviewers seemed to increase the difficulty of the questions as the interview progressed. I felt that sometimes questions were asked not for the answer but to see how I would react. Overall, a great experience.
It was a different experience, unlike any other interview I've gone to. I'm from out of state and so getting around town was pretty difficult. Be careful when you ask for directions because they can't really inform you. They either don't know because they don't know street names, or they give you incomplete/vague directions that will leave you going in circles. The interviews were pretty chill. The interview with Dr. Izutsu was very helpful/informative since he broke down my application as to how I was granted an interview. He was very direct, and a little dry.
Complicated. Left me with a lot of questions about the quality of education I would receive and the abilities of my prospective classmates. It is no wonder that Hawaii sometimes feels inferior to the mainland. They need to raise their level of expectation.
Overall my interview experience was pretty laid-back. My interviewers were more interested about me more than anything else. They didn't ask any ethical questions except related to my work. Most of the questions they asked were related to my extracurricular activies and my life.
I first interviewed with a psychiatrist at a hospital who spent more time analyzing my movements and answers than asking questions. My second interviewer was a researcher who was very pleasant, although she asked me specific, challenging questions. Both had only my AMCAS and secondary essays. The third was an exit interview with the dean of admissions who broke down my entire application, points earned (for interview invite), and the process of selecting candidtates for acceptance.
I had a great interview experience here- much more friendly and conversational than others schools. I actually enjoyed my interviews and learned a lot about their innovative curriculum and philosophy.
The interviews really wern't like a barrage of questions. I had 3 interviews on three different days, one with a student, one with a pathologist, and one with the dean of admissions (Dr. Itsuzu). The first two were really relaxed and layed back. There was no barrage of questions, or real stress. These were simply like a pleasant conversation. The interview with Dr. Itsuzu seemed more stressful. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions. He's really just there to answer questions. However, his answers can be really brief, so conversation doesn't really flow. Be prepared for that.
It was the funnest, most relaxed interview experience I've had. All three of my interviews went well; they were all very conversational, especially the one with the 4th year student. The goal of the interviews(as I was told by the interviewers) is to see if you will fit in at the school and into their PBL system. If you've received an interview, they know you're capable of med school in general, so they need to see if you'll fit in at JABSOM. The interview with the dean isn't really an interview, it's just a time to ask questions, and he also explains the interview and selection proceess.
Interviewees have to set up their own appointments for inverviews with their assigned interviewers. Interviews are held on campus and at physician's offices off campus. UH really prefers Hawaii residents over non-residents.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office should consider implementing an online secondary application process to reduce paper waste, improve accessibility, and streamline the application process. Additionally, applicants recommend that interviewers be more friendly and approachable during interviews, emphasizing the importance of a positive and mutually respectful interaction between interviewers and potential students.
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?
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.
