University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine Interview Feedback Summary

What are your general comments?

• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• I will update this when the admissions cycle is over.
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• The interviewers only possess your AMCAS and secondary essays and activities. They do not know your GPA or MCAT score.
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• 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.
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• 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".
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• 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!
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• Good
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• Excellent!
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• 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.
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• 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
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• Overall a great experience. Good overview of the program.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• Be sure to have questions about the school, PBL system and other topics b/c interviews are very conversational and almost casual.
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• 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.
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• 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!
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• The interviews went very well. We were able to get into a good flow. I felt like they were trying to get a good feel for my motivations
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• It was very pleasant, like conversations. I had a great time in Hawaii mostly due to the students.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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...
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• The interview with the student was the most difficult of the three
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• Long but challenging, and in the end, rewarding and humbling
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• Relaxed and inviting, just be yourself
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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!
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.)
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• 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.
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• 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!
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• 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'
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• 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
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• It was a great experience. Interviews lasted between 60-90m minutes. They were full of information and very easy to talk to.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• Overall is was a good experience. Students seem happy and excited. Facilities are kind of small...but who cares..you're in Hawaii.
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• 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.
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• Overall, a positive experience. The doctors I interviewed with were interested in learning about me and my experiences.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

• 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?
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• Do you have any leadership experience?
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• What do you know about PBL and its pros and cons?
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• Tell me about a clinical experience
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• A big part of medicine is gray, not always black and white. What do you think about that?
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• Tell me about yourself.
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• Why medicine?
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• Why do you want to be a doctor?
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• 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?
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• Stem cells-what is the controversy?
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• Why PBL?
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• 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?
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• Aside from helping people why do you want to be a doctor?
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• Where do you see yourself in 8 years?
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• What did you study over the summer at Johns Hopkins?
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• What concerns do you have about attending medical school?
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• What is your support network?
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• What kind of leadership experience do you have? How do you work in a team?
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• Academics
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• How much do you know about PBL? advantages and disadvantages?
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• Why an MD instead of PhD
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• Do you have any questions for me? (Dr. Izutsu)
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• What are the pros and cons of.....(pick an issue)
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• Why jabsom
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• Why practice medicine in Hawaii?
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• Can you tell me about yourself?
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• Why medicine? Why Hawaii?
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• Describe your clinical experience.
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• Why Hawaii?
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• What would you do if you didn't get in this year?
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• When have you had a personal crisis, and how did you solve it? (next question was academic crisis)
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• Why UH?
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• What do you do in your spare time?
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• Why hawaii
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• What do you do in your spare time? Any hobbies?
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• Tell me about your parents/family.
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• What is the one quality you posess that you are the most proud of? (Asked as if it was a REALLY deep question!!)
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• What specialty are you interested in?
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• What is the one most profound experience you have had in your life?
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• Choose a specific ethical issue and describe how you would approach it.
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• What is your greatest achievement?
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• Why do you want to become a doctor?
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• See above. That's pretty much it, everything else pretty conversational.
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• Interview 1: What did you do during your summer vacations (during undergrad)? What are your hobbies?
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What was the most interesting question?

• 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?
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• What were the "intangibles" of your college experience?
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• Do you watch House?
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• What makes a person "good"?
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• None
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• If a 5 year old and 50 year old patient arrived at the ER with similar injuries, will all things being equal, which one would you treat?
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• Wow, blanking.
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• What are your strengths and weaknesses as a learner?
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• If I could be a fruit what would it be?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• How does a major in medical anthropology affect the way in which you look at issues in biomedicine today?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What do you think about the current state of medicare?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• How would you describe yourself in three words?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Ethical question
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Ethical questions like "if your best friend's 14 yr old daughter came in asking for birth control pills, what would you do?" etc...
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Outline the fundamental differences between the US and Canadian healthcare systems. Which one works better?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• "I will be personally interviewing more than 120 applicants... How would you want to make yourself stand out amongst those in the applicant pool?"
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• If you were going to invite 5 historical figures to dinner, which ones would you invite and why?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• How would your family feel about you moving so far away
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What has brought you to this decision to pursue medicine, no less, in hawaii?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Nothing interesting... all standard
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Asked to demonstrate how I would teach CPR to small children, my volunteer experience
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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).
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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?"
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Did Baldwin (my high school) prepare you well to go into medical school? We don't get very many applicants from Baldwin.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What do you think makes a good doctor?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Nothing tricky.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What do you think about the ambiguity in medicine?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Where do you see yourself in terms of practicing in hawaii
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Why UH?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What's the biggest personal challenge you think you will face as a physician?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• I was not asked any interesting questions at all - they were all very generic and unimpressive.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• If I was to go in front of the admissions commitee what would you like for me to tell them about you.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• If you could invite any 5-6 people from any period of time (dead or alive) to a dinner party, who would it be and why?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What kinds of experiences have you had with different cultures?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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...)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• None really- discussed my activities etc.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• If I were an HIV+ surgeon, would I continue to practice/tell my patients?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Typical questions, nothing interesting.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• If a patient with cancer came to you wishing to commit suicide what would you do?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report

How did you prepare for the interview?

• Mock interview with friends and drafted answers to common questions
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read up on curriculum and reviewed my application.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read SDN, researched the school, reviewed personal statement and secondaries, and had a couple mock interviews with friends and professors
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read up on bioethics, health care reform, tort reform, reviewed all app materials sent to UH, read up extensively on PBL
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read through everything here on sdn
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Mock interviews
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN interview feedback, went over questions with a friend.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Reviewed application material, read recent issue of Modern Healthcare and Newsweek
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN, mock interview, reviewed my application
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read this website, my application
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN interview feedback-very accurate; AMCAS, essays, reviewing the school website, news articles pertaining to the medical school+local med news
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Casual browsing through this forum, my application
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Look at the curriculum. Take a tour of the school before you go to your interviews! Ask to sit in on a lecture or PBL session!
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN, reread AMCAS
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN, reviewed my application, did practice questions
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Review my files. read this site.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• See my interview response for 08/07/06
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• See my other post on 08/07/06.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Mock interview, read my essays, read about school, read about interviewers online
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read over apps, statements. Looked into Hawaii's history.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read my essays, read about the school
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• This site, jabsom website, looking over my application and essays.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Sdn, read about school, read own app, jot down ideas to common Q's
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Previous interviews, SDN, MSAR
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read over my personal and secondary statements.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• App,sdn,read,know yourself
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read about the school, mock interviews, reviewed app
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Reviewed amcas application, reviewed personal statement, looked at the school brochure
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read over my application and the schools web-site
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Review amcas/ps, reread brochures, reread secondary essays, jot down ideas for possible questions, relax
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read sdn, read some med ethics, re-read my app
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN, reviewed applications, look at ethical interview questions book
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read my essays, read the school curriculum and research options, school website, SDN website.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• This site, read up on the school, the area
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Application, personal statement, sdn
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read all the interview feedbacks on SDN, read over a few articles at http://www.townhall.com/issues/HealthandScience/
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• This site and the JABSOM website
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN, reviewed Primary and Secondary applications, MSAR, JABSOM website
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Students at school, studentdoctor.net, u of hawaii publications
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• I went over my essays and gave myself a pep talk.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read up on PBL, looked at the web site, talked to current students.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN, read through secondary essays
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• This site, looked over my AMCAS and secondary essays, reasearched the programs the school has to offer.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN, read over my application, websites on ethical issues
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Looked over my application, asked med students about UH,
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read application, ethics, reflected on my strengths.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• It was my first interview so I just tried to relax. I also read through my personal statement and supplemental essays.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• SDN, studied ethical questions, re-read apps, slept
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• School web-site, my application, essays, and sdn site.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Know the answers to the most commonly asked interview questions.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Read up on the school
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Review my application, keep up with current events, and familiarized myself with their problem based learning curriculum.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report

What was the most difficult question?

• What natural remedies did you see abroad that are similar to Native Hawaiian natural remedies?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• They asked me to list all the weaknesses I have.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• How do we know that you are going to stay and practice in Hawaii (being OOS)?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Blanking out. Most of the interview is standard stuff. Nothing too far out in left field.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What lessons from your extra-curricular involvements will you be able to apply towards a career in medicine?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What were the "intangibles" of your college experience, and how do you see it being integrated into a life in medicine?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Tell me specifically about the new healthcare plan in congress
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What makes a person "good"?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• None
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• How would you describe the ideal doctor? He was fishing for ''upholding the integrity of the profession, community health and health policy involvement''.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Have you ever failed? (didn't ask at what)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• If I controlled a billion dollars and could only give it to primary care or research, which would I give it to and why?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• So outside of this summer, what other clinical experience have you had? (little to none)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• How would you go about finding a common cultural ground with a patient if, say you were Catholic and your patient were Buddhist?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• All questions asked were expected.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Nothing stands out.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• If you were mistakenly suspected of cheating, what would you do?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• None of my interviewers asked me the why medicine or why this school which was puzzling.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Nothing really.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Same
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• None really... No controversial/ethical q's, no q's on religion...
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• "I'm going to be seeing 489 students. Why should I remember you?)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Not one, but a whole series of twists on euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, dr. kevorkian, and the terry schiavo case.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Why be a physician instead of being a PA or a nurse practioner?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What are your weaknesses and strengths?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Why Hawaii
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Three ways to show you are committed and should receive acceptance to this school
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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".
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• When and how did you decide to apply to Hawaii (I honestly can't remember).
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Above
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• All were pretty simple, really. Why HI? Why do you want to become a doctor? Questions about my essays...
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What would you tell a teenager who came to see you and was pregnant?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• No difficult questions
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Why not be a nurse? If you want to be in charge, why not be a head nurse?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• See above
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What do you think of the current malpractice reform?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What will you do if you don't get into medical school?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Since we're assuming that all of our applicants are competitive, why should we choose you over the next person?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Give me an even number of strengths and weaknesses.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What is your greatest weakness? This one was hard for me- I don't know why- maybe it was the warm weather?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The question I stated above was also the most difficult question.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• (See above) Do your patients have a right to know?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• No difficult questions.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• What make you more qualified than other applicants to our school?
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report

What impressed you positively?

• Friendliness of the MS4 and the faculty interviewer
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Facility, location, students attitude, school culture, friendly faculty
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The tour ambassador
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• All the interviewers were extremely friendly and laid back, but retained a sense of professionalism.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The friendliness of everyone. Everyone at the school seemed really helpful.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The school's building is brand new and beautiful
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Facilities! Brand new building, mock exam rooms are very spacious, new and well kept.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Optional student tour the day before the interviews, location
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Beautiful med school facilities.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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!
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Facilities at new medical are top notch. Students were very laid back and close knit.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Facilities are brand new, location is great
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The campus is incredible. The people are very nice. Very good "family environment" People and place easy to look at.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The new medical school.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Student-driven atmosphere, everyone (including security guards) seemed happy, personal interactions with interviewers
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The school was very nice, the hospital facility was good. The interviews were very little stress.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The students there, they made me love the school, and of course the weather and the waves.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Everyone seems very friendly - interviewers, shuttle bus drivers, securities..everyone! the weather was beautiful! the new campus is impressive.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The location of the school/new campus
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Brand new facility (moved in '05 and the anatomy lab faces the pacific!), location, diversity of student body and city, cultural life
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Facilities are new and wonderful, i love oahu, laid back atmosphere
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Contrary to popular belief, it was actually really challenging. and long... we went for an hour and a half!
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• How welcoming the faculty and students were along with the medical education building
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Doctor had a great personality, was honest about what lies ahead as a medical student
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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)
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• ALOHA spirit! It's great! Everyone is really nice and friendly. The new med school will have great facilities, and it's right on the water!
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• New medical campus looks good and prospect of new clinical trials research introduced into the islands.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Hawaii of course, the PBL curriculum, the new building
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• I was impressed by the new direction of the school as well as the PBL curriculum.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Dean was very helpful and gave a lot of information about the school, pbl and how i received an interview.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Everyone there was warm and friendly; it's Hawaii
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Everything about hawaii, students and faculty at school, pbl system
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The awesome location!
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The people are very nice, relaxed and enthusiastic
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Problem Based Learning curriculum, students seem really happy to be there and seem very close since there's only 62 per class
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• Both interviews were very informal and relaxing.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• 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.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• I learned that clinical exposure/education starts during the first few weeks of your first year.
  Had same question/issue | More from this member | Report
• The faculty is there to help the students. The school is very laid back.
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• The incredibly friendly and non-competitive atmosphere the school had was impressive.
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• Everyone is very friendly and laid back. Of course, it is Hawaii, so that's normal.
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• Everyone there is very supportive of the problem based learning curriculum.
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What impressed you negatively?

• 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.
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• Nothing.
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• Depends on how you can take the fact the school is mostly PBL, and living in hawaii may or may be the place for you (it's expensive in honolulu).
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• 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.
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• Hours of the building due to budget cuts.
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• The drive to one of the off-campus interviews, scheduling process.
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• 3rd year clerkship rotations (missing neurology)
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• 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.
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• The school really needs to be replaced now. The lecture room looks old. The 2nd interviewer is not familiar with the JABSOM PBL or financial matters.
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• I had to travel to each interview location and that the interview times were so spread out(all in 1 day for personal reasons).
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• 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....
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• I'm not sure how I feel about the curriculum being based entirely on PBL
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• Cost of living.
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• Financial issues that JABSOM has/will have in a few years.
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• USMLE part one passing rate by the student body.
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• The brand new benches outside the med school trap water and are rusting. Just a random observation.
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• Dr. Izutsu seemed impersonal compared to the other two interviewers, very expensive taxi from my hotel in Waikiki ($20 each way)
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• The very strong in-state preference
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• How difficult it is for non HI residents to get in
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• Nothing
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• Supposed commitment to research, but actually kind of discourage students to pursue clinical research while in the MD program
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• 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
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• Lack of student subsidized housing, the fact that the curriculum is built so that getting a master's while in medical school is near impossible.
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• Nothing...except I had to leave!!!!
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• Scheduling 3 interviews was kinda crazy, but not too much to ask
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• Nothing much. guess it was also the intensity of the interview.
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• How difficult it is to get in as an out of state student
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• Just that the interviewer was 10 minutes late, but our session went for about 1 hour
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• 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.)
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• 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.
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• 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?!)
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• Acceptances of out-of-staters: i knew it would be difficult, but i didn't know it would be THIS difficult!
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• 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.
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• The facilities are a little old, but the new building should be wonderful!!
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• 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)
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• Not knowing at the end of the last interview where I stood. I expected some sort of indication of what my chances are of being accepted.
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• 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)
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• The school is a bit old,but the new campus which wil open in 2005 is awesome
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• The facilities were kind of old and small, but a new one is going to open next year.
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• The current facilities are out-dated. Standardized patient room looked messy and felt crowded (too many beds, not enough space).
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• 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.
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• The facilities
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• During one of my interviews, I was interviewed by a psychiatrist who seemed to be analyzing me as well as assessing my desire to become a physician.
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• The facilities are almost non-existant. And the two doctors interviewing me were very difficult to pin down for a date/time.
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• Having to schedule your own interviews at various locations on separate days.
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• The limited facilities the school has to offer.
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• 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.)
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• Although upbeat, the students didn't feel like they received enough academic support from the faculty. There is no real medical library.
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What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

• 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.
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• How fun Dr.Izutsu would be.
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• How difficult the criteria are for OOS applicants.
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• 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!
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• 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.)
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• They are BIG on ethical questions.
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• 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.
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• JABSOM is not in the rankings because they choose not to be. If they were they would definitely be near the top! Don't pass up an interview here!
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• THE WRITING SAMPLE COUNTS JUST AS MUCH AS THE OTHER SECTIONS ON THE MCAT (IN RELATION TO THE 22-PT. ACADEMIC SCORING SYSTEM <see below>)
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• How absolutely sweet the people there were
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• My interviewer gave me a good website about ethical issues. go check it out!http://eduserv.hscer.washington.edu/bioethics/
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• The lack of enthusiasium concernng research
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• 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.
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• Nothing really, I'm from Hawaii so the interview process was leisurely for me.
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• I would have booked an extra week!!!
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• I wish i had better prepared answers for all my research work-related questions
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• How expensive it is to get to the interviews by cab
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• 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.
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• Nothing really.
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• 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.
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• Yahoo maps and mapquest does not help on the island of Oahu!
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• What PBL was about in more detail. They did explain it really well though.
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• Dr. Izutsu has a lot of print-outs explaining the curriculum, PBL, board scores, etc., so you can save those questions until you meet with him.
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• How it's impossible to get around without a car
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• Try to schedule interviews at close approximity to the school
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• I did not know that interviewers could cancel on you. I had to reschedule an interview with a different person.
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• Current first year med students aren't that approachable. they seemed remote and weren't that recepetive to me.
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• 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.
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• No surprises.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• I wish I would've known how few out-of-state applicants UH accepts- it is a very low percentage of those interviewed.
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• Don't wear a suit! People in Hawaii don't dress up that much. A nice dress or slacks and blouse would have been sufficient.
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• I knew pretty much everything ahead of time.
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• 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.
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