Bayamon, PR
Allopathic Medical Schools | Public 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
7.5
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 53 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 research experience, ethical dilemmas, personal motivations for studying medicine, strengths and weaknesses, and performance self-assessment. Some respondents mentioned participating in an MMI format interview where they discussed hypothetical scenarios, indicating a structured group evaluation, potentially under a nondisclosure agreement.
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Have you done any research?
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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.
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Tells us about yourself? (It was really this general. The two professors sat opposite the table from me and they had my file but did not open it. They said they wanted to hear about me in my own words. So I started talking and they asked further probes based on what I has already said. I really guided where the interview went.)
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Why do you want to study medicine here? and why Puerto Rico?
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What did you get on your MCAT?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine discussed a variety of topics, including personal challenges affecting academics, group exercises on patient scenarios, and views on healthcare reform. While some mentioned standard questions like motivations for pursuing medicine, others experienced an MMI format involving rating individual and group performance on tasks, potentially under a nondisclosure agreement.
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What did you major in?
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What I do for fun?
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NA
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How can the Reforma be improved?
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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 MMI format, where they had to work on a bioethics case study in a group setting, which was monitored by interviewers who later asked individual questions. Some respondents mentioned nondisclosure agreements, while others found typical questions straightforward, such as explaining discrepancies in transcripts or discussing stressful situations.
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How do you feel you did in the group portion of the interview? (asked in the individual portion)
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Explain any discrepancies in your transcipt, i.e., grades, MCAT score, etc.
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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.
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How can the Reforma be improved?
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Nothing difficult at all. All questions were typical and straightforward.
✅ 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 1 person.
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.
No responses
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by researching the school and its programs, reviewing their application materials, practicing mock interviews, studying healthcare in Puerto Rico, and familiarizing themselves with common interview questions. Many utilized resources such as Student Doctor Network, school websites, and books on interview techniques to enhance their preparation.
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Student Doctor Network interview feedback
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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.
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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.
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SDN Forums, reading PR newspapers (www.endi.com), reviewed my application. Read up on La Reforma de la Salud (PR Health Reform)
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Read books about interviews and practiced answering questions
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were positively impressed by the friendly and supportive atmosphere at the school, with both staff and students going out of their way to be helpful. Additionally, the interview process was highlighted as a positive experience, with interviewers making candidates feel comfortable and engaging in meaningful conversations.
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The comfortable and relaxed atmosphere
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Buildings seemed well-taken care of inside
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the run-down facilities, lack of organization in tours and interactions, and some negative perceptions of certain groups of applicants. Suggestions included improving maintenance of facilities, enhancing organization in school tours, and fostering a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all applicants.
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The attitude of the Americans applicants. The Puerto Ricans were very nice and welcoming.
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Nothing, it was nice.
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Bayamon is somewhat difficult to navigate. Avoid this problem by taking a cab.
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Lower board passing rates and funding
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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 the admissions office, as well as the language of the tour. Suggestions included arriving early, using GPS, and familiarizing oneself with the area beforehand due to difficulty in finding the university and navigating the city of Bayamon.
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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.
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That the tour was completely in spanish.
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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.
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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.
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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 generally commented on the friendly and low-stress interview experience at the medical school, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for the process and showcasing a willingness to learn Spanish. They highlighted the diverse student body, the supportive interviewers, and the overall positive impression of the campus and educational environment.
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Make sure you know exactly where to go on the day. It is very difficult to navigate
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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...
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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.
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Good times
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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 communicate more through emails rather than traditional mail and accommodate non-Spanish speaking students by communicating in English.
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send more emails instead of mailing letters
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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.
📍 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.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
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)
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Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (San Juan)
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SJU
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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?
The most commonly mentioned hotel among the responses is Radisson in the Condado area.
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Beach Buoy Inn
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Coqui Inn in Isla Verde
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Hotel Milano
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Radisson (in the Condado area)
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Stayed at a hostel
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | Positively 🙂 | Great | 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 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2009-10 | No change 😐 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | N/A | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | N/A | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | N/A | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | N/A | N/A |
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