Applicants must submit the ʻImi Hoʻōla application and supporting materials through our online ʻImi application (Available July - November).
Please continue to monitor our website and FAQ pages for updates.
Applicants should upload and submit only 1 (one) application per cycle. Applications received by 11:59 pm (HST) on November 1 will be accepted. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Upon submitting the application you will NOT be able to make any edits or changes to what you have entered. Please ensure that you have completed each section and reviewed your application prior to submitting each section of the application.
There are 5 (five) sections of the online application for the applicant to fill out:
Helpful Hint - Click “Save and Return Later” while filling out the application to ensure the information you entered is saved.
Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommender by November 1st at 11:59 pm (HST). No third-party recommendation letters will be accepted (i.e. Interfolio or similar system).
Applicants will enter the contact information of the recommenders in the online application. A generated email and link will be emailed to the recommender. This link is unique to each recommender and should not be forwarded to others. Recommendation letters received after the deadline will NOT be accepted. Do not give it to the applicant to submit. Faxed, mailed, or hand-delivered letters will not be accepted.
AAMC PREview™ Professional Readiness Exam must be taken within three years of matriculation to JABSOM. Please refer to the JABSOM Admissions Requirements for deadlines.
In alignment with JABSOM admissions, the ʻImi Hoʻōla program implemented the following changes: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, JABSOM will continue to accept online lab courses from 2020 – until further notice. Online lab courses may be used toward fulfilling prerequisite requirements for General Biology, General Physics, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry.
1. What types of students are considered for participation in ʻImi Hoʻōla?
The ʻImi Hoʻōla Post-Baccalaureate Program provides educational opportunities to individuals from socially, educationally, or economically disadvantaged backgrounds that have demonstrated a commitment to serve in areas of need in Hawaiʻi and the US Affiliated Pacific Islands (American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, CNMI). Please refer to page 2 of the ʻImi Application Booklet for more information regarding application requirements (Ties to Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, Disadvantaged criteria, and Academic requirements).
2. Do you pre-screen applications to the program?
We do not prescreen or pre-qualify applicants to the program. If you think you may qualify and believe that you would be a good fit for ʻImi Hoʻōla, then you should apply. Our application does not have an application fee.
3. How do I apply?
All applicants are required to apply to the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine through AMCAS AND submit a separate application to the ʻImi Hoʻōla Post-Baccalaureate Program. The ʻImi Hoʻōla application page can be found here.
4. Is it possible to deliver an application in person?
No hand-delivery of application packets will be allowed. Applications must be submitted via the online application. Applicants should submit only 1 (one) application per cycle. Any updates to an application must be submitted through the online application form by November 1. Applications received after 11:59 pm (HST) on November 1 will NOT be accepted. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
5. Will I receive a notification about my application?
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all required materials have been received by the application deadline. Upon submitting all required information in the online application, applicants will receive a confirmation email that they have completed the online application. It is recommended that applicants follow-up with their recommenders personally to ensure their letters of recommendation have been submitted by the application deadline. Applicants should be mindful of these time periods when submitting their applications and should plan on meeting the application requirements well ahead of the submission deadline.
If you have not received a status email from the program, email imihoola@hawaii.edu regarding your application status.
6. What academic components are reviewed in the admissions process?
ʻImi Hoʻōla conducts a holistic review of potential applicants which does include the most recent MCAT scores and GPA as part of this process.
7. Can we submit our application before our MCAT scores are out (for the sake of getting it in earlier)?
You are welcome to submit your application before you receive your MCAT score. Please keep in mind that applicants are assessed on the most recent MCAT score, so it is this score that must meet the academic requirements. MCAT scores will be a part of the application review process.
8. Do I need to send my official transcripts and submit my MCAT score as part of my application, or do you get it from the AMCAS application?
Official college transcripts are not required to be submitted with your application. You will not need to submit your MCAT scores with your application, however, you must enter the date of your most recent MCAT on the application.
9. Should secondary materials, such as a curriculum vitae or AMCAS personal statement be turned in with the application?
Secondary materials, such as a CV or additional essays, should not be turned in with the application. Essays B, C, & D in the ʻImi Hoʻōla application form is an opportunity for applicants to include additional information about themselves and their backgrounds. Applicants can use this space to provide any additional information that may not be apparent elsewhere in the application.
10. Can the information I provide on my application be updated after the submission deadline?
All application information received by the submission deadline is included in the applicant review. Upon submitting the application you will NOT be able to make any edits or changes to what you have entered. Please ensure that you have completed each section and reviewed your application prior to submitting each section of the application. Additional information regarding coursework and activities after the date of submission will not be forwarded or included in the admissions process (with the exception of required prerequisite courses that are still in progress).
11. Do I need to take Cell & Molecular Biology as a prerequisite to the program?
Starting with the ʻImi Hoʻōla incoming class of 2020-2021, Cell & Molecular Biology will no longer be a required science prerequisite to the ʻImi Hoʻōla Post-Baccalaureate Program. More information about the change to the science prerequisites can be found on the JABSOM Admissions page at https://admissions.jabsom.hawaii.edu/admissions-requirements/
12. One of the essay questions states, “Describe why you want to pursue a career in medicine. What key experiences have influenced this decision?” Would I need to copy and paste my personal statement from the AMCAS application? Or would I need to elaborate my personal statement much further?
Although your personal statement for your AMCAS application and Essay A for the ʻImi Hoʻōla application both ask the applicant to address why the applicant wants to pursue medicine as a career, we suggest that when applying to ʻImi Hoʻōla, you take into consideration the mission of our program and determine whether your professional path and career goals align with the mission of the program.
13. In the application form for the experiences section, is there a character limit for the experience description? Does the description need to fit in the two lines given for each entry?
There is an open text box without a character limit allocated for a brief description of your experience. The length of the brief description is up to the applicant as to what you would like to share.
14. My citizenship status is Permanent Resident. How should I report that I am a Permanent Resident on the application?
If you are a US permanent resident/green cardholder, you must indicate permanent resident on the citizenship line.
15. Can a recommender write their own letter of recommendation or do they need to complete the form provided in the application?
A recommender should attach their own letter of recommendation as a PDF file along with filling out their contact info in the unique link they receive by email after applicants enter the recommenders’ contact information in the online application. Letter writers should address all of the questions that are asked within the letter they write on behalf of the applicant since these questions are part of the evaluation process.
16. Where do letter writers submit their recommendation letters?
Applicants will enter the recommenders’ contact information in the online application. A generated email and unique link will be emailed to the recommender. Letter writers will submit their letters through the provided link. This link should not be shared with others.
17. Can I use the same letters of recommendation that I submitted to JABSOM on AMCAS?
Applicants are able to use letters written from the same recommenders for the ʻImi Hoʻōla application process; however, ʻImi has specific questions that will need to be addressed in the letter that they submit.
18. How many letters of recommendation can I submit?
Two letters of recommendation must be submitted via the online application. The online application will allow you to enter an optional third letter writer, however, the program will only accept the first two letters of recommendation received.
19. Can letter writers submit the letter of recommendation and forms through/by U.S. mail or fax?
As of 2023, applicants will enter the contact information of the recommenders in the online application. Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the unique link provided to the recommender by November 1st at 11:59 pm (HST). No third-party recommendation letters will be accepted (i.e. Interfolio or similar system).
Letters received after the deadline will NOT be accepted. Do not give it to the applicant to submit. Faxed, mailed, or hand-delivered letters will not be accepted.
20. Will I receive a notification when my letters of recommendation are received?
Applicants will receive an update on the status of their application (i.e. receipt of letters of recommendation on their behalf), one the program receives the applicant’s final online application.
21. Can the deadline for the letters of recommendation be extended?
We are not able to extend the deadline or make any exceptions to our policy. All application materials, which include letters of recommendation, must be emailed by the submission deadline to be considered. For more information about our Program’s admission requirements (including academic requirements), please visit our program website here
22. Will you accept letters of recommendation from a committee or group?
No committee or group recommendation letters will be accepted. Letters of recommendation must be submitted by an individual that can accurately assess your academic and professional performance and comment on your potential to succeed in the program.
23. Will you accept letters of recommendation from Interfolio or a similar system?
Letters of recommendation must be submitted directly from the recommender via email by the submission deadline. No third-party recommendation letters will be accepted.
24. Are there additional courses that would help strengthen my basic science foundation?
JABSOM Admissions lists recommended courses that have helped students strengthen their basic science foundation prior to medical school. Some of the courses listed are Anatomy, Calculus, Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, Physiology, and Statistics. More information about these courses and other recommendations can be found on their website https://admissions.jabsom.hawaii.edu/admissions-requirements/.
25. What are some resources I can access as a pre-medical student?
These are just a few resources that have been helpful to students in the past.
26. Where can I find information about financial aid or Veterans benefits?
ʻImi Hoʻōla students are admitted through UH Outreach College as unclassified students, which will not qualify them for financial aid (FA) or to use their VA benefits. More information about financial aid at UH can be found on the UH Manoa Financial Aid website at https://www.hawaii.edu/fas/.
For information about Veterans benefits, please go to https://manoa.hawaii.edu/registrar/veteran-benefits/