r/Hawaii • u/No-Win2208 • 10h ago

Education University of Hawai'i at Mãnoa Inquiry

Is the University of Hawai'i at Mãnoa good for premed? I am thinking of applying there, but I'd like to hear from others about their experience. How are the management, academics, campus culture, etc. like? Do they have good opportunities and resources for premed? I appreciate all input, even if you are not a premed student there

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u/Imeanyouhadasketch Oʻahu 10h ago

I don’t go to UH but I am a med student and did live in Hawaii.

UH bio department (from what I gathered from my premed friends I had when I lived there) is more directed towards marine and ecological biology vs human biology so take from that what you will. They still have the required classes you need for med school but if you’re looking at going there to apply to JABSOM and you have no other connections to the island, you are wasting your time. They prioritize those from Hawaii, those who have significant connections to the islands and those who plan on staying in Hawaii to practice medicine

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u/Feisty-Citron1092 9h ago

Even plenty of UH grads I know have difficulty getting into jabsom

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u/Imeanyouhadasketch Oʻahu 9h ago

Yep. Many of my native friends were rejected

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u/Feisty-Citron1092 9h ago

I got rejected last cycle as well. I noticed many of their class is compromised of local kids who did go off to the mainland tho

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u/No-Win2208 3h ago

That is good to know, thank you for sharing. Are the other colleges in Hawaii similar? As in, they focus more on marine and ecological biology rather than human biology? Thank you again

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u/Pitiful-Comedian4248 10h ago

It is a perfectly fine choice for someone who lives in hawaii, commutes from home and is paying instate tuition. Or has a free ride via scholarship or GI bill. Our medical school is VERY SMALL and priority is for people who plan on sticking around.

But it's not any better than your current state school and paying out-of-state tuition plus housing in one of the most expensive cities in the US is an INCREDIBLY poor decision given how much debt you'll be taking on to go to medical school.

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u/No-Win2208 10h ago

Omg noooo I'm OOS :(

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u/Pitiful-Comedian4248 9h ago

You want to pay about 200k (tuition and housing) for a fine but utterly middle of the road state school experience? I mean why not take that money go in state, and take the extra 100k for med school?

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u/No-Win2208 3h ago

Fair point. I will look into other schools. I considered UH at Manoa because it is a LECOM EAP affiliate, so I thought it would be a good idea.

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u/lostinthegrid47 Oʻahu 4h ago

If you're from the west coast, I think UH has an exchange program of sorts where residents from those states can attend at a reduced tuition rate. It's still expensive but much less than full tuition rates.

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u/No-Win2208 3h ago

I'm from Texas, but thank you for letting me know

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u/Aromatic-Ad6456 Oʻahu 8h ago

If you can get in to any school that’s ranked higher academically, go there.

As someone mentioned a lot of the bio classes are more curated for marine/environmental sciences since NOAA is a major organization here. Also, a lot of the premed students at UH are born/raised here and already know each other so I found it a bit challenging to find a solid group of people to study with since I’m from out of state. On the other hand, if environmental science or marine biology happen to be your back up plan then UH could be a good fit!

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u/butterf1y Oʻahu 8h ago

Here is the residency screening for JABSOM: https://admissions.jabsom.hawaii.edu/apply/application-process/residency-screening.html

JABSOM’s first priority is to admit resident applicants with strong ties to Hawaii or Pacific Islands. They’ll consider you a “resident” if you meet 2 of the 5 criteria.

If you’re hoping to achieve that by the time you graduate from undergrad, UH Manoa might be a good choice. Otherwise, recommend reviewing the requirements for your state medical school and prioritizing that.

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u/Feisty-Citron1092 9h ago

If you are instate: yes, my entire bio degree cost 40K. However I felt like you were up to your own devices as a pre med and if youre not resourceful --- you are screwed.

If youre out of state, you might find a better institution that has more bang for yout buck

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u/MechaTengu 6h ago

Go somewhere in a state with a medical school you can get in to with cheap in-state intuition.

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u/T0othdecay Oʻahu 8h ago

I’m from OOS and went into the sciences. I am a dentist now. I had amazing professors who set the standard really high. My experience was great and I made a ton of friends. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But I know a lot who got homesick. Maybe I just got lucky but I would recommend it to anyone looking to expand their horizons.