Ponce, PR
Allopathic Medical Schools | Private For-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 35% 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
7.2
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 77 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.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (88%)
Negatively (6%)
No change (6%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (38%)
Good (50%)
Average (13%)
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.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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PHSU required a pre-interview video recording on Kira that incorporated many general interview questions which gave more opportunity for "scenario" type MMI stations during the actual interview.
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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).
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
54 Minutes Average
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Number:
2.6 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
59% One-on-One
41% Group Interview
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File Type:
14% Open-File
86% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
PSM-COMP interviews are an average of 54 minutes, with an average of 2.6 interviews. 59% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 86% are closed-file.
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.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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I was asked how I knew Spanish as a non-native speaker
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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)
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.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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SDN, recording myself on Zoom
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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
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.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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?
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.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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I was able to ask a question, which is hard to do during MMI interviews
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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
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.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The initial shock of going straight to the first station as I was expecting an introduction
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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.
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.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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My whole interview was in Spanish
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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
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
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.
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 an introduction prior to the MMI interview please.
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Give a tour of the facility!
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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SJU
83% interviewees used SJU (SJU), with 17% using PSE (PSE).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by airplane to the interview.
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78% Airplane
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22% Automobile
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0% Train or Subway
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0% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Holiday Inn in Ponce (average ranking 9/10), with some staying at Hotel Melia (average rating 8/10). (Top 2 displayed)
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Holiday Inn in Ponce
9/10
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Hotel Melia
8/10
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.2
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 77 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.
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Other or at another housing option.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (60%)
Other (20%)
Student (20%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (75%)
Neutral (25%)
All Responses
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