Ponce, PR
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private For-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 36% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.1
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 73 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about time management strategies, personal background and education, understanding of medical school and healthcare issues, motivations for pursuing a medical career, research experience, and the ability to separate personal and professional life. Some respondents may have faced an MMI format interview with a potential nondisclosure agreement in place.
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What to you think about time management? How do you time manage? Give an example of how you separate your professional and personal life.
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tell us about yourself
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Are you still in college? Did you graduate? What did you study?
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What do you know of medical school and what it means to be a medical student?
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Tell me about yourself.
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Ponce Health Sciences University (Puerto Rico) discussed a wide range of topics, including handling the opioid crisis, teamwork experiences, mental health practices, current news surprises, personal inspirations, ethical dilemmas like genetic manipulation, and justifications for candidate selection. These questions suggest a diverse array of topics explored during interviews, with some potentially being part of an MMI format with a nondisclosure agreement in place.
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How would you handle the opioid crisis and who do you think is at fault?
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talk about when you dealt with a problem when working with a group
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What do you do for your mental health/outside of academics? Sports? Hobbies?
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What topic in recent news lately has surprised you and in what way? (Local or otherwise)
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Do you love birds?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Ponce Health Sciences University (Puerto Rico) discussed various topics including addressing the opioid crisis, personal virtues, current events impact, US healthcare system, relationship between PR and the US, Reforma fixing, and medical underserved population percentages in Florida. The responses suggest a diverse range of challenging questions focusing on healthcare policies, personal values, and societal issues commonly encountered in medical school interviews.
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How would you handle the opioid crisis and who do you think is at fault?
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talk about your virtues
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What is a current event that has affected you recently?
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What's the relationship between PR and the US?
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What do you think of the US. healthcare system?
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Many applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as SDN, Kaplan, practicing interview questions in Spanish, and staying updated on current events through newspapers and websites. Some also sought advice from current students or practiced mock interviews in Spanish to enhance their language skills and familiarity with the interview format.
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Normal MMI prep, and MMI prep in Spanish
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The practice questions on their interview website with the format of how the interview would be.
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SDN
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Sdn, reddit
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SDN, AMCAS, wiki
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were positively impressed by the friendly and enthusiastic faculty, the laid-back and supportive atmosphere, the small class sizes fostering close relationships, and the approachability of staff and students. Suggestions included maintaining the interactive and personal nature of the interviews to continue showcasing the school's positive attributes.
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The faculty that interviewed me was all extremely friendly and enthusiastic about the school. Felt a little bit more personal than a normal MMI because they asked a lot of follow up questions.
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How interactive some of the interviewees were.
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approachability of staff
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the faculty was super kind and knowledgeable
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How laid back the interviewers were, they seemed very proud to work at the school
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were negatively impressed by aspects such as disorganization in the interview process, lack of opportunities to ask questions, delays in interviews, inadequate facilities, negative attitudes of current students, lack of a tour, and unexpected language requirements during interviews. Suggestions include improving organization, providing more information and opportunities for interaction, offering tours, maintaining facilities, and ensuring consistent interview experiences.
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Nothing
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How the interview started off with a question before being presented to the person interviewing you. It made the introduction feel less personal. I also did not have an opportunity to ask them questions.
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doctors were late to interview; 3 hour long interview
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Facilities were small and not state of the art compared to other medical schools. However, this is an LCME accredited school, so you learn the same things. It's the residency that matters, so do well in your board examinations.
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A tour was not given.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the interview format, including the mix of Spanish and English questions, the possibility of a group interview, and the importance of engaging in a conversation with interviewers rather than just talking at them. They also highlighted the need for thorough trip planning, as well as the relaxed nature of the interview day.
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4/6 MMI questions in Spanish, 2 in English, the two English ones are first. Don't feel like you have to talk AT the interviewer the whole 8 minutes, they all have follow up questions to keep the conversation going
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The details of the interview were clear and all of the information and preparation resources were given to you ahead of time.
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group interview; duration
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the interview format
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No tour was going to be given, so you have to ask around (cafeteria, how to take taxis, etc) Also, there are flights that arrive to Ponce (Airport Mercedita) directly so you have to research/plan your trip accordingly. There's that saying that goes: Preguntando se llega a Roma.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally provided feedback about the language used in interviews, emphasizing the need for fluency in Spanish and noting that the interviews were conducted in both Spanish and English. Additionally, positive comments were shared regarding the laid-back atmosphere, friendly staff and students, and the beautiful location of the school in Ponce.
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4 out of the 6 stations were in Spanish. There is only 8 minutes per questions to discuss with the interviewer.
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need to be very fluent in Spanish
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Very impressive faculty
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Ponce performs better than the rest of the island schools in the USMLE Step 1. The school really emphasizes on integrating the knowledge taught to you so each month a medical case is presented for students to analyze with their current knowledge. It is a beautiful island with many things to do if you are willing to take the 1 hour drive to San Juan. All the beaches are nice and the mountains are amazing. Ponce is in the driest place in the island so the heat, although it's really hot, won't suffocate you. You have to be carefuly where to go, however, because crime rates aren't dropping anytime soon. Also, you will need your own transportation, either a second hand car, a bike, or a new car. Ponce does not have public transportation. Thank Ford and another american car manufacturer for that (they bought out the stocks of the railroad being constructed in the island many years ago).
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Seems like a great area but I did not get to meet any students on interview day. The interviewers were pleasant and made us laugh.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office provide tours of the facility to offer a better understanding of the campus environment and resources available.
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Give a tour of the facility!
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by airplane to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent between $101 and $200.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Mercedita International Airport (PSE)
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)
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PSE
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SJU
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Other or at another housing option.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
Holiday Inn
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Holiday Inn in Ponce
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Hotel Melia
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
All Responses
| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Positively 🙂 | Good | Virtual |
| 2023-24 | Positively 🙂 | Good | Virtual |
| 2021-22 | Positively 🙂 | Good | Virtual |
| 2021-22 | Positively 🙂 | Great | Virtual |
| 2020-21 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2019-20 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2019-20 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2014-15 | No change 😐 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Negatively ☹️ | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | N/A | N/A |
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