Preparing for the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa interview

To stand out at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa, you’ll need to bring more than just a polished resume and a compelling personal statement to the table. JABSOM’s mission deeply intertwines with the unique health needs of Hawaiʻi’s diverse populations—Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, rural, and immigrant communities—and candidates who demonstrate cultural fluency, social humility, and systemic thinking will rise to the top.

This guide unpacks everything you need to know about the JABSOM interview process, Hawaiʻi’s extraordinarily unique health policy climate, and the social forces shaping health equity in the Aloha State.

1. The JABSOM Interview: Structure, Values, and What They’re Assessing

JABSOM uses a panel-based interview process designed to evaluate cultural competency, ethical reasoning, and alignment with Hawaiʻi’s healthcare priorities.

Key details:

• Panel Composition: 2-3 interviewers, typically including faculty, community leaders (e.g., Native Hawaiian practitioners), and current students. Sessions last 45-60 minutes.

• Question Focus:

  • Cultural Competency: “How would you address mistrust of Western medicine in a Native Hawaiian family preferring lāʻau lapaʻau (traditional healing)?”

  • Ethical Dilemmas: Panelists present scenarios like, “A Micronesian migrant avoids prenatal care due to fear of deportation. How do you respond?”

  • Community Alignment: “How have your experiences prepared you to serve in rural Oʻahu or neighbor islands?”

• Themes: Interwoven throughout the discussion:

  • Health equity for Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (NHPI)

  • Resourcefulness in isolated settings (e.g., adapting telehealth for Molokaʻi)

  • Collaboration with kumu hula (hula teachers) and cultural practitioners in patient care

Insider Tip: Panels assess how you answer as much as what you say. Demonstrate active listening (nodding, mahalo acknowledgments) and reference Hawaiian values like lokahi (balance) when discussing care models. Highlight hands-on work with Hawaiʻi’s underserved—e.g., organizing diabetes screenings for Filipino seniors in Kalihi through Kokua Kalihi Valley.

2. Hawaiʻi’s Healthcare Policy: Island Innovation & Systemic Gaps

1. Prepaid Health Care Act (1974)

Hawaiʻi’s landmark law mandates employer-sponsored insurance for workers clocking 20+ hours/week, resulting in the nation’s lowest uninsured rate (4.2%). However, it excludes gig workers—a critical issue in a state where 34% of jobs are tourism-related. JABSOM’s Health Policy Office advocates for extending coverage to hotel workers in Waikīkī, where ER visits for untreated diabetes are 3x the state average.

2. Medicaid’s QUEST Integration

QUEST provides coverage to 400,000+ low-income residents, but neighbor islands face provider shortages. Molokaʻi General Hospital has just 1 full-time physician for 7,500 residents. JABSOM’s Rural Health Training Program places students in Hana, HI—where patients travel 3+ hours to Maui Memorial—to pilot telehealth psychiatry.

3. Opioid Settlement Allocation

Hawaiʻi is directing $78M from opioid lawsuits into harm reduction, including mobile MAT (medication-assisted treatment) clinics in Kapolei’s homeless encampments. JABSOM’s Addiction Center of Excellence partners with IHS (Institute for Human Services) to blend Western medicine with Native Hawaiian hoʻoponopono (conflict resolution) therapies.

Tip: Cite JABSOM’s Department of Native Hawaiian Health when discussing policy solutions to demonstrate program fluency.

3. Current Events & Social Issues: The Hawaiʻi Lens

Local Flashpoints

• Red Hill Water Crisis: 93,000+ Oʻahu residents were poisoned by jet fuel leaks contaminating the Navy’s Red Hill aquifer. JABSOM researchers found benzene levels 350x above EPA limits in affected schools—tie this to advocacy for environmental justice in your interview.

• Maui Wildfire Aftermath: The 2023 Lāhainā fires displaced 8,000+ residents and exacerbated mental health crises. JABSOM’s Project LIFT deploys mobile clinics offering trauma-informed care, critical in a town where 40% of survivors report PTSD symptoms.

• NHPI Health Disparities: Native Hawaiians die from COVID at 2.3x the rate of white residents. Discuss JABSOM’s Partnership for Improving Lifestyle Interventions (PILI Ohana), which reduces obesity rates through culturally tailored nutrition programs.

National Issues with Hawaiʻi Stakes

• Clinician Shortages: Hawaiʻi needs 1,202 more doctors by 2030. Highlight JABSOM’s ʻIliāhi Program, which recruits rural high schoolers for medical pipeline training in Hilo.

• Reproductive Health: Hawaiʻi’s shield law protects abortion providers, but neighbor island clinics lack resources. Mention JABSOM’s partnerships with Planned Parenthood Pacific Southwest to train OB-GYNs in procedural abortions via simulation labs.

Tip: Reference JABSOM’s AHEC Program (Area Health Education Centers) when discussing rural workforce solutions.

4. The 5 Questions John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa is most likely to ask during your medical school interview

1. “Why JABSOM over mainland schools? How does our mission align with your goals?”

2. “How would you improve diabetes outcomes in Waiʻanae, where 50% of Native Hawaiian adults are obese?”

3. “A patient blames their illness on ‘aumakua’ (family spirits). How do you reconcile this with biomedical advice?”

4. “Hawaiʻi has the highest rate of multi-generational households. How does this impact elder care?”

5. “Design a community intervention to address vaping among Micronesian teens in Kalihi.”