The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, established in 2011, is a private medical school located in Hempstead, Long Island, with deep operational ties to Northwell Health, New York's largest integrated health system. Its curriculum integrates basic science with health systems science and population health from Year 1. Students train across Northwell's network of hospitals including Lenox Hill, North Shore University Hospital, and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. The school draws approximately 100 students per class in an environment that emphasizes leadership development, research, and interprofessional collaboration.
What makes it different
Zucker SOM is structurally embedded within Northwell Health, providing students with access to over 800 clinical sites across the New York metropolitan area. The curriculum emphasizes interprofessional education through joint sessions with nursing, pharmacy, and PA students from Hofstra University. The school has a distinctive focus on population health, health systems science, and physician leadership.
Course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Years 1–2: Organ-system integrated blocks combining basic science, pathophysiology, and clinical correlation. A required Health Systems Science thread runs throughout all four years, covering quality improvement, patient safety, health policy, and interprofessional care. Years 3–4: core and advanced clinical clerkships at Northwell hospitals across Long Island, Queens, and Manhattan.
Research strengths
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (MD) has notable research strength in Health services research, Population genomics, Cancer biology, Cardiovascular medicine, Neuroscience.
Interview
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (MD) interviews via MMI (6–8 stations, in person or virtual). Zucker SOM uses a Multiple Mini Interview format with six to eight timed stations of approximately eight minutes each, covering ethical scenarios, communication tasks, and situational judgement prompts. The MMI is conducted either in person at the Hempstead campus or virtually depending on the cycle. Given the school's deep integration with Northwell Health — the largest health system in New York State — interviewers frequently probe interest in large health system environments and interprofessional collaboration. The interview day includes a panel presentation about the curriculum and a student-led campus tour of the Northwell facilities.
Intake
Approximately 100 students per year.
At a glance
Founded in 2011, based in Hempstead, NY. Programmes offered: Health Systems Science, Population Health, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Medical Education.
