Ponce, PR
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private For-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 36% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about time management, handling patients with different beliefs, motivations for pursuing medicine and attending a specific school, personal background, research and clinical experiences, ethical dilemmas, future of healthcare, and commitment to the profession. Additionally, some respondents may have experienced an MMI format with questions related to nondisclosure agreements, family dynamics, and decision-making scenarios involving personal sacrifices.
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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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What would you do if a patient has different beliefs?
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Why Medicine? Why PHSU? What do you know about PHSU?
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tell us about your research
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tell us about yourself
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting questions asked at Ponce Health Sciences University (Puerto Rico) discussed a wide range of topics, including addressing the opioid crisis, handling group conflicts, personal mental health practices, reactions to recent news, ethical dilemmas like genetic manipulation of babies, and justifying one's uniqueness in a competitive application pool. Some respondents also mentioned questions about personal interests, inspirations, and controversial global events, with no specific reference to MMI or nondisclosure agreements.
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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 handling the opioid crisis, personal virtues, current events impact, US healthcare system, PR-US relationship, and Reforma improvement. Additionally, questions on the percentage of medically underserved residents in Florida, study commitments, and future debt were also challenging.
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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 Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
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.
📍 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.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
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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SJU
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PSE
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Other or at another housing option.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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Hotel Melia
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Holiday Inn in Ponce
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 is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as Student Doctor Network (SDN), practice questions on interview websites, and staying updated on current events in Puerto Rico. Some applicants also practiced speaking Spanish, received mock interviews, and sought advice from current students.
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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 interactive and laid-back interview environment, the approachability of staff, small class sizes fostering a supportive environment, and the overall laid-back atmosphere of the school. They also appreciated the close relationships between students and faculty, as well as the location offering opportunities for cultural experiences and activities.
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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 commonly mentioned negative impressions such as lack of personalization in interviews, late start times, inadequate facilities, a focus on comparing the school to others rather than highlighting its strengths, and unexpected language mismatches during interviews. Suggestions included providing more personalized and welcoming interview experiences, improving facilities, emphasizing the school's unique strengths, and ensuring consistency in interview language preferences.
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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 expressed a wish for more information on the interview format and specific details such as the language of the questions, group interviews, and the need for self-directed planning in terms of transportation and arrival. Many also mentioned a desire for better guidance on how to navigate the location and logistics 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 commonly mentioned that Ponce emphasizes fluency in Spanish, has impressive faculty, and offers a laid-back environment with friendly students. Some expressed concerns about the language barrier and mentioned the need for personal transportation on the island.
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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?
Many applicants suggested that the admissions office should offer tours of the facility to provide a better understanding of the campus environment and resources available.
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Give a tour of the facility!
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