Preparing for the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine interview

Excelling in your interview at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine requires more than just academic achievement; it involves a thorough knowledge of Florida’s healthcare system, awareness of both state and federal regulations, and an understanding of key societal and health concerns impacting the region and country. 

This guide is crafted to offer valuable perspectives, enabling you to present well-informed, thoughtful answers that highlight your dedication to medicine and your readiness to positively influence the communities you aspire to serve.

1. The FIU HWCOM Interview: Structure, Format, and Signature Themes

FIU HWCOM uses a hybrid interview format that seeks depth, adaptability, and a clear commitment to the populations of Miami and South Florida:

1. Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI):

You’ll rotate through 7-9 MMI stations (5-8 minutes each), each designed to probe your reasoning, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Expect ethical scenarios (e.g., “Should undocumented patients receive free emergency care?”), role-plays with standardized patients, teamwork exercises, and health equity dilemmas. Miami-specific prompts, such as climate impacts on health or community responses to vector-borne disease outbreaks, are not uncommon.

Signature Themes:

• Social Accountability and Service: HWCOM’s unique “Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP)” weaves longitudinal outreach with high-need Miami households right into the curriculum.

• Cultural and Linguistic Humility: In Miami-Dade, over 68% identify as Hispanic/Latino and 53% speak a language other than English at home.

• Adaptive Leadership: As Florida faces frequent hurricanes, infectious outbreaks, and shifting demographics, HWCOM prizes agile, systems-minded thinkers ready to help communities thrive in adversity.

Insider Tip:

MMIs at HWCOM emphasize your ability to process new info quickly, weigh cultural context, and articulate your reasoning respectfully—even in ambiguous, real-world scenarios.

2. Florida’s Healthcare Policy: Sunbelt Politics Meets Tropical Medicine

1. Medicaid Non-Expansion & the Coverage Gap

Florida remains one of 10 states rejecting ACA Medicaid expansion, leaving 1.1 million uninsured. Miami-Dade’s “charity care belt”—hospitals like Citrus Health Network—absorb 80% of uninsured ER visits. FIU’s ROMPER Program trains students to navigate this system.

Tip: Cite FIU’s partnership with Care Resource, which offers sliding-scale HIV care in Little Havana.

2. Opioid Settlement Reinvestment

Florida is allocating $1.6B from opioid lawsuits. Miami-Dade’s “Narcan vending machines” in Overtown (installed May 2024) reflect FIU’s research on harm reduction in Black communities.

3. Climate Crisis as Clinical Reality

Hurricane season (June–Nov) strains clinics. FIU’s Disaster Medicine Track trains students to manage heatstroke in farmworkers (Homestead saw 143 cases in 2023) and post-storm dialysis access.

Tip: Reference FIU’s Sea Level Rise Solutions Center when discussing preventive care for asthma (up 22% in coastal ZIPs).

3. Current Events & Social Issues: The 305 Lens

Local Flashpoints

• Maternal Mortality: Black women in Florida die at 3x the rate of white women. FIU’s MamaCare Initiative trains doulas in Liberty City, where 40% of births are Medicaid-funded.

• HIV/AIDS: Miami leads the U.S. in new HIV diagnoses. FIU’s STOP HIV Program targets PrEP access in Allapattah’s LGBTQ+ clubs.

• Immigrant Health: SB 1718 (2023) chilled healthcare access for undocumented patients. FIU’s Caridad Center in West Boynton provides pro bono care to 10,000+ farmworkers.

National Issues with Florida Stakes

• Abortion Access: Florida’s 15-week ban (upheld April 2024) created a Southeast “care desert.” FIU OB-GYNs lead research on delayed prenatal ultrasounds in migrant communities.

• Mental Health: Florida ranks 49th in mental health funding. FIU’s TeleMind Program bridges gaps in Immokalee’s Haitian clinics.

Tip: Name-drop FIU’s Wertheim Clinical Skills Center, where students practice trauma-informed care for human trafficking survivors.

4. The 5 Questions FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine is most likely to ask during your medical school interview

1. “Describe a time you collaborated with someone from a radically different background. How did it shape you?” 

2. “How would you address vaccine hesitancy in Hialeah’s Cuban elderly population?”

3. “Florida has the 3rd-highest uninsured rate. Design a mobile clinic for Liberty City.”

4. “What role should medical schools play in combating climate-related health disparities?”

5. “A patient refuses care due to fear of deportation. How do you respond?”