Bayamon, PR
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public 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 inquiring about research experience, strengths and weaknesses, volunteering history, ethical scenarios like dealing with cheating, motivations for pursuing medicine, long-term effects of immigration on healthcare, and attributes of a good physician. Additionally, respondents mentioned questions about MCAT scores, personal interests, family support, future goals, challenges in healthcare, and reasons for choosing a specific medical school, with some interviews being structured as MMI formats possibly involving nondisclosure agreements.
-
Have you done any research?
-
Have you done volunteering?
-
What are your strengths? weaknesses?
-
After the group discussion the professor interviewed us each individually. My personal interview was literally five minutes. He asked me what my MCAT was? What I did for fun? Why Puerto Rico (I am from the mainland? Do you speak Spanish?
-
For the group interview, the professor gave us a hypothetical situation involving a student who cheated on an exam. We had four questions which we analyzed (ethical and moral in nature). I think the whole point of this exercise was two fold. First, the professor probably wanted us to see if we had morals. Second, he wanted to see how we actually organized the group discussion. Did one person dominate the discussion? Did everyone get a chance to give their two cents? My advice would be to somewhat organize the discussion so that no one would be left out and everyone would have a chance to talk.
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting question asked at Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine discussed various topics, including majors, personal challenges affecting academic work, performance self-assessment, teamwork scenarios, and the future of healthcare reform. The interviews may have been in an MMI format with a nondisclosure agreement, as some responses indicated unique exercises and individual ratings, while others mentioned standard questions about motivation for pursuing medicine and career aspirations.
-
What did you major in?
-
What I do for fun?
-
NA
-
How can the Reforma be improved?
-
What is something that you have had to overcome that may have affected your academic work?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine discussed the difficulty of the group portion, discrepancies in transcripts, and their performance in bioethics case studies, indicating an MMI format where nondisclosure agreements may apply. Other commonly asked questions included reasons for pursuing medicine, handling stressful situations, and opinions on Reforma's improvement and future.
-
How do you feel you did in the group portion of the interview? (asked in the individual portion)
-
Explain any discrepancies in your transcipt, i.e., grades, MCAT score, etc.
-
The format at UCC is different from most schools. Interviewees meet at the admissions office (we were 7 in total). From there we went to the library with our two interviewers. In a small group study room we had to work together in a bioethics case study while they monitored our group skills. Later these same professors were the interviewers.
-
How can the Reforma be improved?
-
Nothing difficult at all. All questions were typical and straightforward.
🤝 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 1 person.
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.
No responses
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 Admissions staff personnel
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?
Most respondents spent 7+ hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by airplane to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent more than $500.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU)
-
San Juan
-
SJU
-
Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (San Juan)
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
-
Stayed at a hostel
-
Radisson (in the Condado area)
-
Hotel Milano
-
Coqui Inn in Isla Verde
-
Beach Buoy Inn
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?
Many applicants prepared for the interview by researching the school, reading forums like Student Doctor Network, and practicing common interview questions. Some also focused on understanding healthcare in Puerto Rico and discussing relevant topics like La Reforma de la Salud.
-
Student Doctor Network interview feedback
-
Went over my resume. Read up on the school. Read SD forum and interview questions. Just get the basic questions down like why medicine, why puerto rico, stuff like that.
-
I read about the school from SDN and UCC's website. I also practiced a mock-interview with my Spanish teacher since I am a native English speaker.
-
SDN Forums, reading PR newspapers (www.endi.com), reviewed my application. Read up on La Reforma de la Salud (PR Health Reform)
-
Read books about interviews and practiced answering questions
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and supportive atmosphere at the school, with both staff and students showing genuine care and interest in helping each other succeed. The comfortable and relaxed environment, along with the well-maintained facilities and resources, contributed to a positive experience for applicants during their visit.
-
The comfortable and relaxed atmosphere
-
The five minute personal interview IN ENGLISH! Though the other students had another interviewer and he took fifteen minutes for each student. I got really lucky with my professor.
-
The school is beautiful, great location in Bayamon, great resources available. Overall the school-complex was much larger than Ponce, but that was perhaps because it is associated with a hospital.
-
Friendliness. Everyone was so helpful and it is a very warm, close-knit community. It seemed like the professors were genuinely concerned for the students.
-
Buildings seemed well-taken care of inside
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the run-down facilities, lack of organization in the admissions process, and a desire for more modern buildings. Some also mentioned negative impressions about the attitude of American applicants and the difficulty in navigating certain areas. Suggestions included improving maintenance, enhancing organization in tours and interactions, and modernizing facilities.
-
The attitude of the Americans applicants. The Puerto Ricans were very nice and welcoming.
-
Nothing, it was nice.
-
Bayamon is somewhat difficult to navigate. Avoid this problem by taking a cab.
-
Lower board passing rates and funding
-
I saw Americans just hanging out with each other.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known the exact location of the school and admissions office in advance, as finding the university in Bayamon could be challenging due to traffic and lack of clear directions. Some also highlighted the importance of being prepared for a tour conducted entirely in Spanish and recommended arriving early, using GPS, or seeking assistance from the admissions office for directions.
-
The exact location of the school and the admissions office. If you are using the iPhone GPS, you should type in "Hospital Regional Bayamon" and that should help you greatly.
-
That the tour was completely in spanish.
-
It is tricky to find the school. Even once I got to the building I had to ask six people where the admissions office was. Get there early and find the right place. Then you can always go relax and eat a little breakfast at the small restaurant by the "umbrellas". You'll see the umbrellas and know what I'm talking about.
-
Much less pressure on the Spanish than I originally thought. My Spanish isn't that great, but that was OK. They will help you become bilingual during the course of your studies.
-
That it is hard to find this university! I got lost, ended up at the wrong place...rent a car and go there the day before just to make sure you know where you are going. Puerto Ricans are not the best at giving directions, or maybe it was my Spanish?
What are your general comments?
Applicants commonly mentioned the importance of being prepared for navigating the campus, the flexibility with Spanish language proficiency, the relaxed and friendly interview atmosphere, the efficiency of the admissions process, and the positive impressions of the school and its students. Some felt stressed at the beginning but found the overall experience to be comfortable, highlighting the school's location and the opportunities it offers for medical education.
-
Make sure you know exactly where to go on the day. It is very difficult to navigate
-
To all those who are weak in Spanish: Do not be afraid of applying here. I suck at Spanish, yet I was accepted to this medical school. Everyone in my group interview (6 students) was from Puerto Rico and spoke fluently. I felt really dumb answering in English while everyone else spoke Spanish. Just make it clear in your one on one interview that one of the main reasons you chose UCC was because you want to cater to Spanish speaking population in the U.S. Also tell them that you will work extremely hard to be fluent in Spanish by the fall. They love hearing stuff like that. Most important thing: Relax and breath. Oh and don't act too much like a gringo. Hasta la vista...
-
Overall, a very low-stress interview. Everyone was friendly and helpful and encouraging. Last year's class did really well in the Match and the school was very proud of that. I felt as though if I came here without being completely fluent in Spanish, that would not be an obstacle as exams and lecture notes are in English. Students here seemed very happy with the school.
-
Good times
-
Got there an hour late, missed the group interview but they were very forgiving. Made it in time for the individual interviews and got a tour of the campus. The interviewers (two) were very very nice and the tour guide was reaally cool. Good experience minus the stressful beginning.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office should send more emails instead of mailing letters to improve communication efficiency. Additionally, there were recommendations to accommodate English-speaking students by providing information in English to ensure clarity during the admissions process.
-
send more emails instead of mailing letters
-
I was not exactly fluent in spanish but could understand it at an advanced level. My advice: accommodate the English speaking students by speaking to them in English.
Success!
School has been added to your favorites.