University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC): Medical School Application and Interview Experience

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University of the East Ramon Magsaysay (UERM) is one of the best medical schools here in our country. It has been recognized as the Center of Excellence which is clearly evident with their rating on the Physician Licensure Examination during the past years, and with their students’ positive feedback I have read on the internet. These actually made me to apply in their school.

The application process was also super easy. You just have to comply with their requirements, fill up the application form, and pass it personally. After that, they will be handing you a form and they will be informing you that you can choose your interview schedule online. Just to share, as I was looking at the available dates, I noticed that 15 was the maximum number I saw of the slots per session (AM or PM) in a day for the whole month of February.

During the day of my interview, I went straight to the admission office as per instructed on the interview sheet. They just made me write my name on the log book and gave me two long pages filled with questions and situations that was required to be answered because that is to be passed to the interviewer. Few minutes later, a staff called names which I was included and shet hindi ko natapos. Haha. I was called with three others. We were instructed to go to this room, look for this doctor, and gave us one plastic envelope in which she said held our interview forms that is also to be passed to the doctor (interviewer). As we were walking to the room, I was actually answering still. I finished writing when we got there.

Fast forward to the interview, I was actually shocked that it did not include the typical questions like why medicine, why this school, and such. I saw my interviewer filling up a form, only to realize that it was the “interview form” given to us earlier which actually was the questionnaire for the interview. The questions were more really personal like family and stuff. I can say that I was not prepared for that kind of questions and if there is a tip I can give you, that is introspect. Haha. Seriously. Go back to your winning and losing moments, the things you have accomplished, the things you are proud and not proud of, things like that. Also, be careful by your choice of words. I have seen and read this before, and I can confirm, they really are meticulous by your “wordings.” I was asked about the most fulfilling thing I have ever done in my life, and I really do not have one yet that time in mind, which made me answer in the future tense (If I will become a doctor…), and the interviewer did not accept my answer. Lol. If you are also wondering whether to speak in the vernacular language or not, I advise to do your best speaking in English since I was told it was part of the “grades” in your interview.

After the interview, you will be returning to the admissions office to hand them the interview sheet that must be signed by the interviewer. So I went. They told me to expect the results by the first week of March, and will be notified through text message.

I honestly do not know if I did well. I stuttered a lot, talked in both languages, and had a lot of dead air moments. I was really caught in the moment since I did not expect that kind of questions. I expected questions regarding my strength, weakness, stress, why I chose UE, why medicine, etc but these were not actually asked. 

I really wish I’ll be accepted.

UPDATE: I got accepted!!!!! My first! I wish I would also be accepted to the other medical schools that I applied to. To share, it was February 26 at 5 in the afternoon when I got the text message instructing to check the portal for the status of the application, and tada!