writing essays for medical schools

10 Successful Medical School Essays

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-- Accepted to: Harvard Medical School GPA: 4.0 MCAT: 522

Sponsored by A ccepted.com : Great stats don’t assure acceptance to elite medical schools. The personal statement, most meaningful activities, activity descriptions, secondaries and interviews can determine acceptance or rejection. Since 1994, Accepted.com has guided medical applicants just like you to present compelling medical school applications. Get Accepted !

I started writing in 8th grade when a friend showed me her poetry about self-discovery and finding a voice. I was captivated by the way she used language to bring her experiences to life. We began writing together in our free time, trying to better understand ourselves by putting a pen to paper and attempting to paint a picture with words. I felt my style shift over time as I grappled with challenges that seemed to defy language. My poems became unstructured narratives, where I would use stories of events happening around me to convey my thoughts and emotions. In one of my earliest pieces, I wrote about a local boy’s suicide to try to better understand my visceral response. I discussed my frustration with the teenage social hierarchy, reflecting upon my social interactions while exploring the harms of peer pressure.

In college, as I continued to experiment with this narrative form, I discovered medical narratives. I have read everything from Manheimer’s Bellevue to Gawande’s Checklist and from Nuland’s observations about the way we die, to Kalanithi’s struggle with his own decline. I even experimented with this approach recently, writing a piece about my grandfather’s emphysema. Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love. I have augmented these narrative excursions with a clinical bioethics internship. In working with an interdisciplinary team of ethics consultants, I have learned by doing by participating in care team meetings, synthesizing discussions and paths forward in patient charts, and contributing to an ongoing legislative debate addressing the challenges of end of life care. I have also seen the ways ineffective intra-team communication and inter-personal conflicts of beliefs can compromise patient care.

Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love.

By assessing these difficult situations from all relevant perspectives and working to integrate the knowledge I’ve gained from exploring narratives, I have begun to reflect upon the impact the humanities can have on medical care. In a world that has become increasingly data driven, where patients can so easily devolve into lists of numbers and be forced into algorithmic boxes in search of an exact diagnosis, my synergistic narrative and bioethical backgrounds have taught me the importance of considering the many dimensions of the human condition. I am driven to become a physician who deeply considers a patient’s goal of care and goals of life. I want to learn to build and lead patient care teams that are oriented toward fulfilling these goals, creating an environment where family and clinician conflict can be addressed efficiently and respectfully. Above all, I look forward to using these approaches to keep the person beneath my patients in focus at each stage of my medical training, as I begin the task of translating complex basic science into excellent clinical care.

In her essay for medical school, Morgan pitches herself as a future physician with an interdisciplinary approach, given her appreciation of how the humanities can enable her to better understand her patients. Her narrative takes the form of an origin story, showing how a childhood interest in poetry grew into a larger mindset to keep a patient’s humanity at the center of her approach to clinical care.

This narrative distinguishes Morgan as a candidate for medical school effectively, as she provides specific examples of how her passions intersect with medicine. She first discusses how she used poetry to process her emotional response to a local boy’s suicide and ties in concern about teenage mental health. Then, she discusses more philosophical questions she encountered through reading medical narratives, which demonstrates her direct interest in applying writing and the humanities to medicine. By making the connection from this larger theme to her own reflections on her grandfather, Morgan provides a personal insight that will give an admissions officer a window into her character. This demonstrates her empathy for her future patients and commitment to their care.

Her narrative takes the form of an origin story, showing how a childhood interest in poetry grew into a larger mindset to keep a patient's humanity at the center of her approach to clinical care.

Furthermore, it is important to note that Morgan’s essay does not repeat anything in-depth that would otherwise be on her resume. She makes a reference to her work in care team meetings through a clinical bioethics internship, but does not focus on this because there are other places on her application where this internship can be discussed. Instead, she offers a more reflection-based perspective on the internship that goes more in-depth than a resume or CV could. This enables her to explain the reasons for interdisciplinary approach to medicine with tangible examples that range from personal to professional experiences — an approach that presents her as a well-rounded candidate for medical school.

Disclaimer: With exception of the removal of identifying details, essays are reproduced as originally submitted in applications; any errors in submissions are maintained to preserve the integrity of the piece. The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this article.

-- Accepted To: A medical school in New Jersey with a 3% acceptance rate. GPA: 3.80 MCAT: 502 and 504

Sponsored by E fiie Consulting Group : “ EFIIE ” boasts 100% match rate for all premedical and predental registered students. Not all students are accepted unto their pre-health student roster. Considered the most elite in the industry and assists from start to end – premed to residency. EFIIE is a one-stop-full-service education firm.

"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The tribulations I've overcome in my life have manifested in the compassion, curiosity, and courage that is embedded in my personality. Even a horrific mishap in my life has not changed my core beliefs and has only added fuel to my intense desire to become a doctor. My extensive service at an animal hospital, a harrowing personal experience, and volunteering as an EMT have increased my appreciation and admiration for the medical field.

At thirteen, I accompanied my father to the Park Home Animal Hospital with our eleven-year-old dog, Brendan. He was experiencing severe pain due to an osteosarcoma, which ultimately led to the difficult decision to put him to sleep. That experience brought to light many questions regarding the idea of what constitutes a "quality of life" for an animal and what importance "dignity" plays to an animal and how that differs from owner to owner and pet to pet. Noting my curiosity and my relative maturity in the matter, the owner of the animal hospital invited me to shadow the professional staff. Ten years later, I am still part of the team, having made the transition from volunteer to veterinarian technician. Saving a life, relieving pain, sharing in the euphoria of animal and owner reuniting after a procedure, to understanding the emotions of losing a loved one – my life was forever altered from the moment I stepped into that animal hospital.

As my appreciation for medical professionals continued to grow, a horrible accident created an indelible moment in my life. It was a warm summer day as I jumped onto a small boat captained by my grandfather. He was on his way to refill the boat's gas tank at the local marina, and as he pulled into the dock, I proceeded to make a dire mistake. As the line was thrown from the dock, I attempted to cleat the bowline prematurely, and some of the most intense pain I've ever felt in my life ensued.

Saving a life, relieving pain, sharing in the euphoria of animal and owner reuniting after a procedure, to understanding the emotions of losing a loved one – my life was forever altered from the moment I stepped into that animal hospital.

"Call 911!" I screamed, half-dazed as I witnessed blood gushing out of my open wounds, splashing onto the white fiberglass deck of the boat, forming a small puddle beneath my feet. I was instructed to raise my hand to reduce the bleeding, while someone wrapped an icy towel around the wound. The EMTs arrived shortly after and quickly drove me to an open field a short distance away, where a helicopter seemed to instantaneously appear.

The medevac landed on the roof of Stony Brook Hospital before I was expeditiously wheeled into the operating room for a seven-hour surgery to reattach my severed fingers. The distal phalanges of my 3rd and 4th fingers on my left hand had been torn off by the rope tightening on the cleat. I distinctly remember the chill from the cold metal table, the bright lights of the OR, and multiple doctors and nurses scurrying around. The skill and knowledge required to execute multiple skin graft surgeries were impressive and eye-opening. My shortened fingers often raise questions by others; however, they do not impair my self-confidence or physical abilities. The positive outcome of this trial was the realization of my intense desire to become a medical professional.

Despite being the patient, I was extremely impressed with the dedication, competence, and cohesiveness of the medical team. I felt proud to be a critical member of such a skilled group. To this day, I still cannot explain the dichotomy of experiencing being the patient, and concurrently one on the professional team, committed to saving the patient. Certainly, this experience was a defining part of my life and one of the key contributors to why I became an EMT and a volunteer member of the Sample Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The startling ring of the pager, whether it is to respond to an inebriated alcoholic who is emotionally distraught or to help bring breath to a pulseless person who has been pulled from the family swimming pool, I am committed to EMS. All of these events engender the same call to action and must be reacted to with the same seriousness, intensity, and magnanimity. It may be some routine matter or a dire emergency; this is a role filled with uncertainty and ambiguity, but that is how I choose to spend my days. My motives to become a physician are deeply seeded. They permeate my personality and emanate from my desire to respond to the needs of others. Through a traumatic personal event and my experiences as both a professional and volunteer, I have witnessed firsthand the power to heal the wounded and offer hope. Each person defines success in different ways. To know even one life has been improved by my actions affords me immense gratification and meaning. That is success to me and why I want to be a doctor.

This review is provided by EFIIE Consulting Group’s Pre-Health Senior Consultant Jude Chan

This student was a joy to work with — she was also the lowest MCAT profile I ever accepted onto my roster. At 504 on the second attempt (502 on her first) it would seem impossible and unlikely to most that she would be accepted into an allopathic medical school. Even for an osteopathic medical school this score could be too low. Additionally, the student’s GPA was considered competitive at 3.80, but it was from a lower ranked, less known college, so naturally most advisors would tell this student to go on and complete a master’s or postbaccalaureate program to show that she could manage upper level science classes. Further, she needed to retake the MCAT a third time.

However, I saw many other facets to this student’s history and life that spoke volumes about the type of student she was, and this was the positioning strategy I used for her file. Students who read her personal statement should know that acceptance is contingent on so much more than just an essay and MCAT score or GPA. Although many students have greater MCAT scores than 504 and higher GPAs than 3.80, I have helped students with lower scores and still maintained our 100% match rate. You are competing with thousands of candidates. Not every student out there requires our services and we are actually grateful that we can focus on a limited amount out of the tens of thousands that do. We are also here for the students who wish to focus on learning well the organic chemistry courses and physics courses and who want to focus on their research and shadowing opportunities rather than waste time deciphering the next step in this complex process. We tailor a pathway for each student dependent on their health care career goals, and our partnerships with non-profit organizations, hospitals, physicians and research labs allow our students to focus on what matters most — the building up of their basic science knowledge and their exposure to patients and patient care.

Students who read her personal statement should know that acceptance is contingent on so much more than just an essay and MCAT score or GPA.

Even students who believe that their struggle somehow disqualifies them from their dream career in health care can be redeemed if they are willing to work for it, just like this student with 502 and 504 MCAT scores. After our first consult, I saw a way to position her to still be accepted into an MD school in the US — I would not have recommended she register to our roster if I did not believe we could make a difference. Our rosters have a waitlist each semester, and it is in our best interest to be transparent with our students and protect our 100% record — something I consider a win-win. It is unethical to ever guarantee acceptance in admissions as we simply do not control these decisions. However, we respect it, play by the rules, and help our students stay one step ahead by creating an applicant profile that would be hard for the schools to ignore.

This may be the doctor I go to one day. Or the nurse or dentist my children or my grandchildren goes to one day. That is why it is much more than gaining acceptance — it is about properly matching the student to the best options for their education. Gaining an acceptance and being incapable of getting through the next 4 or 8 years (for my MD/PhD-MSTP students) is nonsensical.

-- Accepted To: Imperial College London UCAT Score: 2740 BMAT Score: 3.9, 5.4, 3.5A

My motivation to study Medicine stems from wishing to be a cog in the remarkable machine that is universal healthcare: a system which I saw first-hand when observing surgery in both the UK and Sri Lanka. Despite the differences in sanitation and technology, the universality of compassion became evident. When volunteering at OSCE training days, I spoke to many medical students, who emphasised the importance of a genuine interest in the sciences when studying Medicine. As such, I have kept myself informed of promising developments, such as the use of monoclonal antibodies in cancer therapy. After learning about the role of HeLa cells in the development of the polio vaccine in Biology, I read 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' to find out more. Furthermore, I read that surface protein CD4 can be added to HeLa cells, allowing them to be infected with HIV, opening the possibility of these cells being used in HIV research to produce more life-changing drugs, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP). Following my BioGrad laboratory experience in HIV testing, and time collating data for research into inflammatory markers in lung cancer, I am also interested in pursuing a career in medical research. However, during a consultation between an ENT surgeon and a thyroid cancer patient, I learnt that practising medicine needs more than a scientific aptitude. As the surgeon explained that the cancer had metastasised to her liver, I watched him empathetically tailor his language for the patient - he avoided medical jargon and instead gave her time to come to terms with this. I have been developing my communication skills by volunteering weekly at care homes for 3 years, which has improved my ability to read body language and structure conversations to engage with the residents, most of whom have dementia.

However, during a consultation between an ENT surgeon and a thyroid cancer patient, I learnt that practising medicine needs more than a scientific aptitude.

Jude’s essay provides a very matter-of-fact account of their experience as a pre-medical student. However, they deepen this narrative by merging two distinct cultures through some common ground: a universality of compassion. Using clear, concise language and a logical succession of events — much like a doctor must follow when speaking to patients — Jude shows their motivation to go into the medical field.

From their OSCE training days to their school’s Science society, Jude connects their analytical perspective — learning about HeLa cells — to something that is relatable and human, such as a poor farmer’s notable contribution to science. This approach provides a gateway into their moral compass without having to explicitly state it, highlighting their fervent desire to learn how to interact and communicate with others when in a position of authority.

Using clear, concise language and a logical succession of events — much like a doctor must follow when speaking to patients — Jude shows their motivation to go into the medical field.

Jude’s closing paragraph reminds the reader of the similarities between two countries like the UK and Sri Lanka, and the importance of having a universal healthcare system that centers around the just and “world-class” treatment of patients. Overall, this essay showcases Jude’s personal initiative to continue to learn more and do better for the people they serve.

While the essay could have benefited from better transitions to weave Jude’s experiences into a personal story, its strong grounding in Jude’s motivation makes for a compelling application essay.

-- Accepted to: Weill Cornell Medical College GPA: 3.98 MCAT: 521

Sponsored by E fie Consulting Group : “ EFIIE ” boasts 100% match rate for all premedical and predental registered students. Not all students are accepted unto their pre-health student roster. Considered the most elite in the industry and assists from start to end – premed to residency. EFIIE is a one-stop-full-service education firm.

Following the physician’s unexpected request, we waited outside, anxiously waiting to hear the latest update on my father’s condition. It was early on in my father’s cancer progression – a change that had shaken our entire way of life overnight. During those 18 months, while my mother spent countless nights at the hospital, I took on the responsibility of caring for my brother. My social life became of minimal concern, and the majority of my studying for upcoming 12th- grade exams was done at the hospital. We were allowed back into the room as the physician walked out, and my parents updated us on the situation. Though we were a tight-knit family and my father wanted us to be present throughout his treatment, what this physician did was give my father a choice. Without making assumptions about who my father wanted in the room, he empowered him to make that choice independently in private. It was this respect directed towards my father, the subsequent efforts at caring for him, and the personal relationship of understanding they formed, that made the largest impact on him. Though my decision to pursue medicine came more than a year later, I deeply valued what these physicians were doing for my father, and I aspired to make a similar impact on people in the future.

It was during this period that I became curious about the human body, as we began to learn physiology in more depth at school. In previous years, the problem-based approach I could take while learning math and chemistry were primarily what sparked my interest. However, I became intrigued by how molecular interactions translated into large-scale organ function, and how these organ systems integrated together to generate the extraordinary physiological functions we tend to under-appreciate. I began my undergraduate studies with the goal of pursuing these interests, whilst leaning towards a career in medicine. While I was surprised to find that there were upwards of 40 programs within the life sciences that I could pursue, it broadened my perspective and challenged me to explore my options within science and healthcare. I chose to study pathobiology and explore my interests through hospital volunteering and research at the end of my first year.

Though my decision to pursue medicine came more than a year later, I deeply valued what these physicians were doing for my father, and I aspired to make a similar impact on people in the future.

While conducting research at St. Michael’s Hospital, I began to understand methods of data collection and analysis, and the thought process of scientific inquiry. I became acquainted with the scientific literature, and the experience transformed how I thought about the concepts I was learning in lecture. However, what stood out to me that summer was the time spent shadowing my supervisor in the neurosurgery clinic. It was where I began to fully understand what life would be like as a physician, and where the career began to truly appeal to me. What appealed to me most was the patient-oriented collaboration and discussions between my supervisor and his fellow; the physician-patient relationship that went far beyond diagnoses and treatments; and the problem solving that I experienced first-hand while being questioned on disease cases.

The day spent shadowing in the clinic was also the first time I developed a relationship with a patient. We were instructed to administer the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) test to patients as they awaited the neurosurgeon. My task was to convey the instructions as clearly as possible and score each section. I did this as best I could, adapting my explanation to each patient, and paying close attention to their responses to ensure I was understood. The last patient was a challenging case, given a language barrier combined with his severe hydrocephalus. It was an emotional time for his family, seeing their father/husband struggle to complete simple tasks and subsequently give up. I encouraged him to continue trying. But I also knew my words would not remedy the condition underlying his struggles. All I could do was make attempts at lightening the atmosphere as I got to know him and his family better. Hours later, as I saw his remarkable improvement following a lumbar puncture, and the joy on his and his family’s faces at his renewed ability to walk independently, I got a glimpse of how rewarding it would be to have the ability and privilege to care for such patients. By this point, I knew I wanted to commit to a life in medicine. Two years of weekly hospital volunteering have allowed me to make a small difference in patients’ lives by keeping them company through difficult times, and listening to their concerns while striving to help in the limited way that I could. I want to have the ability to provide care and treatment on a daily basis as a physician. Moreover, my hope is that the breadth of medicine will provide me with the opportunity to make an impact on a larger scale. Whilst attending conferences on neuroscience and surgical technology, I became aware of the potential to make a difference through healthcare, and I look forward to developing the skills necessary to do so through a Master’s in Global Health. Whether through research, health innovation, or public health, I hope not only to care for patients with the same compassion with which physicians cared for my father, but to add to the daily impact I can have by tackling large-scale issues in health.

Taylor’s essay offers both a straightforward, in-depth narrative and a deep analysis of his experiences, which effectively reveals his passion and willingness to learn in the medical field. The anecdote of Taylor’s father gives the reader insight into an original instance of learning through experience and clearly articulates Taylor’s motivations for becoming a compassionate and respectful physician.

Taylor strikes an impeccable balance between discussing his accomplishments and his character. All of his life experiences — and the difficult challenges he overcame — introduce the reader to an important aspect of Taylor’s personality: his compassion, care for his family, and power of observation in reflecting on the decisions his father’s doctor makes. His description of his time volunteering at St. Michael’s Hospital is indicative of Taylor’s curiosity about medical research, but also of his recognition of the importance of the patient-physician relationship. Moreover, he shows how his volunteer work enabled him to see how medicine goes “beyond diagnoses and treatments” — an observation that also speaks to his compassion.

His description of his time volunteering at St. Michael's Hospital is indicative of Taylor's curiosity about medical research, but also of his recognition of the importance of the patient-physician relationship.

Finally, Taylor also tells the reader about his ambition and purpose, which is important when thinking about applying to medical school. He discusses his hope of tackling larger scale problems through any means possible in medicine. This notion of using self interest to better the world is imperative to a successful college essay, and it is nicely done here.

-- Accepted to: Washington University

Sponsored by A dmitRx : We are a group of Chicago-based medical students who realize how challenging medical school admissions can be, so we want to provide our future classmates with resources we wish we had. Our mission at AdmitRx is to provide pre-medical students with affordable, personalized, high-quality guidance towards becoming an admitted medical student.

Running has always been one of my greatest passions whether it be with friends or alone with my thoughts. My dad has always been my biggest role model and was the first to introduce me to the world of running. We entered races around the country, and one day he invited me on a run that changed my life forever. The St. Jude Run is an annual event that raises millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. My dad has led or our local team for as long as I can remember, and I had the privilege to join when I was 16. From the first step I knew this was the environment for me – people from all walks of life united with one goal of ending childhood cancer. I had an interest in medicine before the run, and with these experiences I began to consider oncology as a career. When this came up in conversations, I would invariably be faced with the question “Do you really think you could get used to working with dying kids?” My 16-year-old self responded with something noble but naïve like “It’s important work, so I’ll have to handle it”. I was 16 years young with my plan to become an oncologist at St. Jude.

As I transitioned into college my plans for oncology were alive and well. I began working in a biochemistry lab researching new anti-cancer drugs. It was a small start, but I was overjoyed to be a part of the process. I applied to work at a number of places for the summer, but the Pediatric Oncology Education program (POE) at St. Jude was my goal. One afternoon, I had just returned from class and there it was: an email listed as ‘POE Offer’. I was ecstatic and accepted the offer immediately. Finally, I could get a glimpse at what my future holds. My future PI, Dr. Q, specialized in solid tumor translational research and I couldn’t wait to get started.

I was 16 years young with my plan to become an oncologist at St. Jude.

Summer finally came, I moved to Memphis, and I was welcomed by the X lab. I loved translational research because the results are just around the corner from helping patients. We began a pre-clinical trial of a new chemotherapy regimen and the results were looking terrific. I was also able to accompany Dr. Q whenever she saw patients in the solid tumor division. Things started simple with rounds each morning before focusing on the higher risk cases. I was fortunate enough to get to know some of the patients quite well, and I could sometimes help them pass the time with a game or two on a slow afternoon between treatments. These experiences shined a very human light on a field I had previously seen only through a microscope in a lab.

I arrived one morning as usual, but Dr. Q pulled me aside before rounds. She said one of the patients we had been seeing passed away in the night. I held my composure in the moment, but I felt as though an anvil was crushing down on me. It was tragic but I knew loss was part of the job, so I told myself to push forward. A few days later, I had mostly come to terms with what happened, but then the anvil came crashing back down with the passing of another patient. I could scarcely hold back the tears this time. That moment, it didn’t matter how many miraculous successes were happening a few doors down. Nothing overshadowed the loss, and there was no way I could ‘get used to it’ as my younger self had hoped.

I was still carrying the weight of what had happened and it was showing, so I asked Dr. Q for help. How do you keep smiling each day? How do you get used to it? The questions in my head went on. What I heard next changed my perspective forever. She said you keep smiling because no matter what happened, you’re still hope for the next patient. It’s not about getting used to it. You never get used to it and you shouldn’t. Beating cancer takes lifetimes, and you can’t look passed a life’s worth of hardships. I realized that moving passed the loss of patients would never suffice, but I need to move forward with them. Through the successes and shortcomings, we constantly make progress. I like to imagine that in all our future endeavors, it is the hands of those who have gone before us that guide the way. That is why I want to attend medical school and become a physician. We may never end the sting of loss, but physicians are the bridge between the past and the future. No where else is there the chance to learn from tragedy and use that to shape a better future. If I can learn something from one loss, keep moving forward, and use that knowledge to help even a single person – save one life, bring a moment of joy, avoid a moment of pain—then that is how I want to spend my life.

The change wasn’t overnight. The next loss still brought pain, but I took solace in moving forward so that we might learn something to give hope to a future patient. I returned to campus in a new lab doing cancer research, and my passion for medicine continues to flourish. I still think about all the people I encountered at St. Jude, especially those we lost. It might be a stretch, but during the long hours at the lab bench I still picture their hands moving through mine each step of the way. I could never have foreseen where the first steps of the St. Jude Run would bring me. I’m not sure where the road to becoming a physician may lead, but with helping hands guiding the way, I won’t be running it alone.

This essay, a description of the applicant’s intellectual challenges, displays the hardships of tending to cancer patients as a milestone of experience and realization of what it takes to be a physician. The writer explores deeper ideas beyond medicine, such as dealing with patient deaths in a way to progress and improve as a professional. In this way, the applicant gives the reader some insight into the applicant’s mindset, and their ability to think beyond the surface for ways to become better at what they do.

However, the essay fails to zero in on the applicant’s character, instead elaborating on life events that weakly illustrate the applicant’s growth as a physician. The writer’s mantra (“keep moving forward”) is feebly projected, and seems unoriginal due to the lack of a personalized connection between the experience at St. Jude and how that led to the applicant’s growth and mindset changes.

The writer explores deeper ideas beyond medicine, such as dealing with patient deaths in a way to progress and improve as a professional.

The writer, by only focusing on grief brought from patient deaths at St. Jude, misses out on the opportunity to further describe his or her experience at the hospital and portray an original, well-rounded image of his or her strengths, weaknesses, and work ethic.

The applicant ends the essay by attempting to highlight the things they learned at St. Jude, but fails to organize the ideas into a cohesive, comprehensible section. These ideas are also too abstract, and are vague indicators of the applicant’s character that are difficult to grasp.

-- Accepted to: New York University School of Medicine

Sponsored by MedEdits : MedEdits Medical Admissions has been helping applicants get into medical schools like Harvard for more than ten years. Structured like an academic medical department, MedEdits has experts in admissions, writing, editing, medicine, and interview prep working with you collaboratively so you can earn the best admissions results possible.

“Is this the movie you were talking about Alice?” I said as I showed her the movie poster on my iPhone. “Oh my God, I haven’t seen that poster in over 70 years,” she said with her arms trembling in front of her. Immediately, I sat up straight and started to question further. We were talking for about 40 minutes, and the most exciting thing she brought up in that time was the new flavor of pudding she had for lunch. All of sudden, she’s back in 1940 talking about what it was like to see this movie after school for only 5¢ a ticket! After an engaging discussion about life in the 40’s, I knew I had to indulge her. Armed with a plethora of movie streaming sights, I went to work scouring the web. No luck. The movie, “My Son My Son,” was apparently not in high demand amongst torrenting teens. I had to entreat my older brother for his Amazon Prime account to get a working stream. However, breaking up the monotony and isolation felt at the nursing home with a simple movie was worth the pandering.

While I was glad to help a resident have some fun, I was partly motivated by how much Alice reminded me of my own grandfather. In accordance with custom, my grandfather was to stay in our house once my grandmother passed away. More specifically, he stayed in my room and my bed. Just like grandma’s passing, my sudden roommate was a rough transition. In 8th grade at the time, I considered myself to be a generally good guy. Maybe even good enough to be a doctor one day. I volunteered at the hospital, shadowed regularly, and had a genuine interest for science. However, my interest in medicine was mostly restricted to academia. To be honest, I never had a sustained exposure to the palliative side of medicine until the arrival of my new roommate.

The two years I slept on that creaky wooden bed with him was the first time my metal was tested. Sharing that room, I was the one to take care of him. I was the one to rub ointment on his back, to feed him when I came back from school, and to empty out his spittoon when it got full. It was far from glamorous, and frustrating most of the time. With 75 years separating us, and senile dementia setting in, he would often forget who I was or where he was. Having to remind him that I was his grandson threatened to erode at my resolve. Assured by my Syrian Orthodox faith, I even prayed about it; asking God for comfort and firmness on my end. Over time, I grew slow to speak and eager to listen as he started to ramble more and more about bits and pieces of the past. If I was lucky, I would be able to stich together a narrative that may or may have not been true. In any case, my patience started to bud beyond my age group.

Having to remind him that I was his grandson threatened to erode at my resolve.

Although I grew more patient with his disease, my curiosity never really quelled. Conversely, it developed further alongside my rapidly growing interest in the clinical side of medicine. Naturally, I became drawn to a neurology lab in college where I got to study pathologies ranging from atrophy associated with schizophrenia, and necrotic lesions post stroke. However, unlike my intro biology courses, my work at the neurology lab was rooted beyond the academics. Instead, I found myself driven by real people who could potentially benefit from our research. In particular, my shadowing experience with Dr. Dominger in the Veteran’s home made the patient more relevant in our research as I got to encounter geriatric patients with age related diseases, such as Alzhimer’s and Parkinson’s. Furthermore, I had the privilege of of talking to the families of a few of these patients to get an idea of the impact that these diseases had on the family structure. For me, the scut work in the lab meant a lot more with these families in mind than the tritium tracer we were using in the lab.

Despite my achievements in the lab and the classroom, my time with my grandfather still holds a special place in my life story. The more I think about him, the more confident I am in my decision to pursue a career where caring for people is just as important, if not more important, than excelling at academics. Although it was a lot of work, the years spent with him was critical in expanding my horizons both in my personal life and in the context of medicine. While I grew to be more patient around others, I also grew to appreciate medicine beyond the science. This more holistic understanding of medicine had a synergistic effect in my work as I gained a purpose behind the extra hours in the lab, sleepless nights in the library, and longer hours volunteering. I had a reason for what I was doing that may one day help me have long conversations with my own grandchildren about the price of popcorn in the 2000’s.

The most important thing to highlight in Avery’s essay is how he is able to create a duality between his interest in not only the clinical, more academic-based side of medicine, but also the field’s personal side.

He draws personal connections between working with Alice — a patient in a hospital or nursing home — and caring intensely for his grandfather. These two experiences build up the “synergistic” relationship between caring for people and studying the science behind medicine. In this way, he is able to clearly state his passions for medicine and explain his exact motives for entering the field. Furthermore, in his discussion of her grandfather, he effectively employs imagery (“rub ointment on his back,” “feed him when I came back from school,” etc.) to describe the actual work that he does, calling it initially as “far from glamorous, and frustrating most of the time.” By first mentioning his initial impression, then transitioning into how he grew to appreciate the experience, Avery is able to demonstrate a strength of character, sense of enormous responsibility and capability, and open-minded attitude.

He draws personal connections between working with Alice — a patient in a hospital or nursing home — and caring intensely for his grandfather.

Later in the essay, Avery is also able to relate his time caring for his grandfather to his work with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients, showcasing the social impact of his work, as the reader is likely already familiar with the biological impact of the work. This takes Avery’s essay full circle, bringing it back to how a discussion with an elderly patient about the movies reminds him of why he chose to pursue medicine.

That said, the essay does feel rushed near the end, as the writer was likely trying to remain within the word count. There could be a more developed transition before Avery introduces the last sentence about “conversations with my own grandchildren,” especially as a strong essay ending is always recommended.

-- Accepted To: Saint Louis University Medical School Direct Admission Medical Program

Sponsored by Atlas Admissions : Atlas Admissions provides expert medical school admissions consulting and test preparation services. Their experienced, physician-driven team consistently delivers top results by designing comprehensive, personalized strategies to optimize applications. Atlas Admissions is based in Boston, MA and is trusted by clients worldwide.

The tension in the office was tangible. The entire team sat silently sifting through papers as Dr. L introduced Adam, a 60-year-old morbidly obese man recently admitted for a large open wound along his chest. As Dr. L reviewed the details of the case, his prognosis became even bleaker: hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiomyopathy, hyperlipidemia; the list went on and on. As the humdrum of the side-conversations came to a halt, and the shuffle of papers softened, the reality of Adam’s situation became apparent. Adam had a few months to live at best, a few days at worst. To make matters worse, Adam’s insurance would not cover his treatment costs. With no job, family, or friends, he was dying poor and alone.

I followed Dr. L out of the conference room, unsure what would happen next. “Well,” she muttered hesitantly, “We need to make sure that Adam is on the same page as us.” It’s one thing to hear bad news, and another to hear it utterly alone. Dr. L frantically reviewed all of Adam’s paperwork desperately looking for someone to console him, someone to be at his side. As she began to make calls, I saw that being a physician calls for more than good grades and an aptitude for science: it requires maturity, sacrifice, and most of all, empathy. That empathy is exactly what I saw in Dr. L as she went out of her way to comfort a patient she met hardly 20 minutes prior.

Since high school, I’ve been fascinated by technology’s potential to improve healthcare. As a volunteer in [the] Student Ambassador program, I was fortunate enough to watch an open-heart surgery. Intrigued by the confluence of technology and medicine, I chose to study biomedical engineering. At [school], I wanted to help expand this interface, so I became involved with research through Dr. P’s lab by studying the applications of electrospun scaffolds for dermal wound healing. While still in the preliminary stages of research, I learned about the Disability Service Club (DSC) and decided to try something new by volunteering at a bowling outing.

As she began to make calls, I saw that being a physician calls for more than good grades and an aptitude for science: it requires maturity, sacrifice, and most of all, empathy.

The DSC promotes awareness of cognitive disabilities in the community and seeks to alleviate difficulties for the disabled. During one outing, I collaborated with Arc, a local organization with a similar mission. Walking in, I was told that my role was to support the participants by providing encouragement. I decided to help a relatively quiet group of individuals assisted by only one volunteer, Mary. Mary informed me that many individuals with whom I was working were diagnosed with ASD. Suddenly, she started cheering, as one of the members of the group bowled a strike. The group went wild. Everyone was dancing, singing, and rejoicing. Then I noticed one gentleman sitting at our table, solemn-faced. I tried to start a conversation with him, but he remained unresponsive. I sat with him for the rest of the game, trying my hardest to think of questions that would elicit more than a monosyllabic response, but to no avail. As the game ended, I stood up to say bye when he mumbled, “Thanks for talking.” Then he quickly turned his head away. I walked away beaming. Although I was unable to draw out a smile or even sustain a conversation, at the end of the day, the fact that this gentleman appreciated my mere effort completely overshadowed the awkwardness of our time together. Later that day, I realized that as much as I enjoyed the thrill of research and its applications, helping other people was what I was most passionate about.

When it finally came time to tell Adam about his deteriorating condition, I was not sure how he would react. Dr. L gently greeted him and slowly let reality take its toll. He stoically turned towards Dr. L and groaned, “I don’t really care. Just leave me alone.” Dr. L gave him a concerned nod and gradually left the room. We walked to the next room where we met with a pastor from Adam’s church.

“Adam’s always been like that,” remarked the pastor, “he’s never been one to express emotion.” We sat with his pastor for over an hour discussing how we could console Adam. It turned out that Adam was part of a motorcycle club, but recently quit because of his health. So, Dr. L arranged for motorcycle pictures and other small bike trinkets to be brought to his room as a reminder of better times.

Dr. L’s simple gesture reminded me of why I want to pursue medicine. There is something sacred, empowering, about providing support when people need it the most; whether it be simple as starting a conversation, or providing support during the most trying of times. My time spent conducting research kindled my interest in the science of medicine, and my service as a volunteer allowed me to realize how much I valued human interaction. Science and technology form the foundation of medicine, but to me, empathy is the essence. It is my combined interest in science and service that inspires me to pursue medicine. It is that combined interest that makes me aspire to be a physician.

Parker’s essay focuses on one central narrative with a governing theme of compassionate and attentive care for patients, which is the key motivator for her application to medical school. Parker’s story focuses on her volunteer experience shadowing of Dr. L who went the extra mile for Adam, which sets Dr. L up as a role model for Parker as she enters the medical field. This effectively demonstrates to the reader what kind of doctor Parker wants to be in the future.

Parker’s narrative has a clear beginning, middle, and end, making it easy for the reader to follow. She intersperses the main narrative about Adam with experiences she has with other patients and reflects upon her values as she contemplates pursuing medicine as a career. Her anecdote about bowling with the patients diagnosed with ASD is another instance where she uses a story to tell the reader why she values helping people through medicine and attentive patient care, especially as she focuses on the impact her work made on one man at the event.

Parker's story focuses on her volunteer experience shadowing of Dr. L who went the extra mile for Adam, which sets Dr. L up as a role model for Parker as she enters the medical field.

All throughout the essay, the writing is engaging and Parker incorporates excellent imagery, which goes well with her varied sentence structure. The essay is also strong because it comes back full circle at its conclusion, tying the overall narrative back to the story of Dr. L and Adam, which speaks to Parker’s motives for going to medical school.

-- Accepted To: Emory School of Medicine

Growing up, I enjoyed visiting my grandparents. My grandfather was an established doctor, helping the sick and elderly in rural Taiwan until two weeks before he died at 91 years old. His clinic was located on the first floor of the residency with an exam room, treatment room, X-ray room, and small pharmacy. Curious about his work, I would follow him to see his patients. Grandpa often asked me if I want to be a doctor just like him. I always smiled, but was more interested in how to beat the latest Pokémon game. I was in 8th grade when my grandfather passed away. I flew back to Taiwan to attend his funeral. It was a gloomy day and the only street in the small village became a mourning place for the villagers. Flowers filled the streets and people came to pay their respects. An old man told me a story: 60 years ago, a village woman was in a difficult labor. My grandfather rushed into the house and delivered a baby boy. That boy was the old man and he was forever grateful. Stories of grandpa saving lives and bringing happiness to families were told during the ceremony. At that moment, I realized why my grandfather worked so tirelessly up until his death as a physician. He did it for the reward of knowing that he kept a family together and saved a life. The ability for a doctor to heal and bring happiness is the reason why I want to study medicine. Medical school is the first step on a lifelong journey of learning, but I feel that my journey leading up to now has taught me some things of what it means to be an effective physician.

With a newfound purpose, I began volunteering and shadowing at my local hospital. One situation stood out when I was a volunteer in the cardiac stress lab. As I attached EKG leads onto a patient, suddenly the patient collapsed and started gasping for air. His face turned pale, then slightly blue. The charge nurse triggered “Code Blue” and started CPR. A team of doctors and nurses came, rushing in with a defibrillator to treat and stabilize the patient. What I noticed was that medicine was not only about one individual acting as a superhero to save a life, but that it takes a team of individuals with an effective leader, working together to deliver the best care. I want to be a leader as well as part of a team that can make a difference in a person’s life. I have refined these lessons about teamwork and leadership to my activities. In high school I was an 8 time varsity letter winner for swimming and tennis and captain of both of those teams. In college I have participated in many activities, but notably serving as assistant principle cellist in my school symphony as well as being a co-founding member of a quartet. From both my athletic experiences and my music experiences I learned what it was like to not only assert my position as a leader and to effectively communicate my views, but equally as important I learned how to compromise and listen to the opinions of others. Many physicians that I have observed show a unique blend of confidence and humility.

What I noticed was that medicine was not only about one individual acting as a superhero to save a life, but that it takes a team of individuals with an effective leader, working together to deliver the best care.

College opened me up to new perspectives on what makes a complete physician. A concept that was preached in the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions in Medicine (GPPA) was that medicine is both an art and a science. The art of medicine deals with a variety of aspects including patient relationships as well as ethics. Besides my strong affinity for the sciences and mathematics, I always have had interest in history. I took courses in both German literature and history, which influenced me to take a class focusing on Nazi neuroscientists. It was the ideology of seeing the disabled and different races as test subjects rather than people that led to devastating lapses in medical ethics. The most surprising fact for me was that doctors who were respected and leaders in their field disregarded the humanity of patient and rather focused on getting results from their research. Speaking with Dr. Zeidman, the professor for this course, influenced me to start my research which deals with the ethical qualms of using data derived from unethical Nazi experimentation such as the brains derived from the adult and child euthanasia programs. Today, science is so result driven, it is important to keep in mind the ethics behind research and clinical practice. Also the development of personalized genomic medicine brings into question about potential privacy violations and on the extreme end discrimination. The study of ethics no matter the time period is paramount in the medical field. The end goal should always be to put the patient first.

Teaching experiences in college inspired me to become a physician educator if I become a doctor. Post-MCAT, I was offered a job by Next Step Test Prep as a tutor to help students one on one for the MCAT. I had a student who stated he was doing well during practice, but couldn’t get the correct answer during practice tests. Working with the student, I pointed out his lack of understanding concepts and this realization helped him and improves his MCAT score. Having the ability to educate the next generation of doctors is not only necessary, but also a rewarding experience.

My experiences volunteering and shadowing doctors in the hospital as well as my understanding of what it means to be a complete physician will make me a good candidate as a medical school student. It is my goal to provide the best care to patients and to put a smile on a family’s face just as my grandfather once had. Achieving this goal does not take a special miracle, but rather hard work, dedication, and an understanding of what it means to be an effective physician.

Through reflecting on various stages of life, Quinn expresses how they found purpose in pursuing medicine. Starting as a child more interested in Pokemon than their grandfather’s patients, Quinn exhibits personal growth through recognizing the importance of their grandfather’s work saving lives and eventually gaining the maturity to work towards this goal as part of a team.

This essay opens with abundant imagery — of the grandfather’s clinic, flowers filling the streets, and the village woman’s difficult labor — which grounds Quinn’s story in their family roots. Yet, the transition from shadowing in hospitals to pursuing leadership positions in high schools is jarring, and the list of athletic and musical accomplishments reads like a laundry list of accomplishments until Quinn neatly wraps them up as evidence of leadership and teamwork skills. Similarly, the section about tutoring, while intended to demonstrate Quinn’s desire to educate future physicians, lacks the emotional resonance necessary to elevate it from another line lifted from their resume.

This essay opens with abundant imagery — of the grandfather's clinic, flowers filling the streets, and the village woman's difficult labor — which grounds Quinn's story in their family roots.

The strongest point of Quinn’s essay is the focus on their unique arts and humanities background. This equips them with a unique perspective necessary to consider issues in medicine in a new light. Through detailing how history and literature coursework informed their unique research, Quinn sets their application apart from the multitude of STEM-focused narratives. Closing the essay with the desire to help others just as their grandfather had, Quinn ties the narrative back to their personal roots.

-- Accepted To: Edinburgh University UCAT Score: 2810 BMAT Score: 4.6, 4.2, 3.5A

Exposure to the medical career from an early age by my father, who would explain diseases of the human body, sparked my interest for Medicine and drove me to seek out work experience. I witnessed the contrast between use of bone saws and drills to gain access to the brain, with subsequent use of delicate instruments and microscopes in neurosurgery. The surgeon's care to remove the tumour, ensuring minimal damage to surrounding healthy brain and his commitment to achieve the best outcome for the patient was inspiring. The chance to have such a positive impact on a patient has motivated me to seek out a career in Medicine.

Whilst shadowing a surgical team in Texas, carrying out laparoscopic bariatric procedures, I appreciated the surgeon's dedication to continual professional development and research. I was inspired to carry out an Extended Project Qualification on whether bariatric surgery should be funded by the NHS. By researching current literature beyond my school curriculum, I learnt to assess papers for bias and use reliable sources to make a conclusion on a difficult ethical situation. I know that doctors are required to carry out research and make ethical decisions and so, I want to continue developing these skills during my time at medical school.

The chance to have such a positive impact on a patient has motivated me to seek out a career in Medicine.

Attending an Oncology multi-disciplinary team meeting showed me the importance of teamwork in medicine. I saw each team member, with specific areas of expertise, contributing to the discussion and actively listening, and together they formed a holistic plan of action for patients. During my Young Enterprise Award, I facilitated a brainstorm where everyone pitched a product idea. Each member offered a different perspective on the idea and then voted on a product to carry forward in the competition. As a result, we came runners up in the Regional Finals. Furthermore, I started developing my leadership skills, which I improved by doing Duke of Edinburgh Silver and attending a St. John Ambulance Leadership course. In one workshop, similar to the bariatric surgeon I shadowed, I communicated instructions and delegated roles to my team to successfully solve a puzzle. These experiences highlighted the crucial need for teamwork and leadership as a doctor.

Observing a GP, I identified the importance of compassion and empathy. During a consultation with a severely depressed patient, the GP came to the patient's eye level and used a calm, non-judgmental tone of voice, easing her anxieties and allowing her to disclose more information. While volunteering at a care home weekly for two years, I adapted my communication for a resident suffering with dementia who was disconnected from others. I would take her to a quiet environment, speak slowly and in a non-threatening manner, as such, she became talkative, engaged and happier. I recognised that communication and compassion allows doctors to build rapport, gain patients' trust and improve compliance. For two weeks, I shadowed a surgeon performing multiple craniotomies a day. I appreciated the challenges facing doctors including time and stress management needed to deliver high quality care. Organisation, by prioritising patients based on urgency and creating a timetable on the ward round, was key to running the theatre effectively. Similarly, I create to-do-lists and prioritise my academics and extra-curricular activities to maintain a good work-life balance: I am currently preparing for my Grade 8 in Singing, alongside my A-level exams. I also play tennis for the 1st team to relax and enable me to refocus. I wish to continue my hobbies at university, as ways to manage stress.

Through my work experiences and voluntary work, I have gained a realistic understanding of Medicine and its challenges. I have begun to display the necessary skills that I witnessed, such as empathy, leadership and teamwork. The combination of these skills with my fascination for the human body drives me to pursue a place at medical school and a career as a doctor.

This essay traces Alex's personal exploration of medicine through different stages of life, taking a fairly traditional path to the medical school application essay. From witnessing medical procedures to eventually pursuing leadership positions, this tale of personal progress argues that Alex's life has prepared him to become a doctor.

Alex details how experiences conducting research and working with medical teams have confirmed his interest in medicine. Although the breadth of experiences speaks to the applicant’s interest in medicine, the essay verges on being a regurgitation of the Alex's resume, which does not provide the admissions officer with any new insights or information and ultimately takes away from the essay as a whole. As such, the writing’s lack of voice or unique perspective puts the applicant at risk of sounding middle-of-the-road.

From witnessing medical procedures to eventually pursuing leadership positions, this tale of personal progress argues that Alex's life has prepared him to become a doctor.

The essay’s organization, however, is one of its strengths — each paragraph provides an example of personal growth through a new experience in medicine. Further, Alex demonstrates his compassion and diligence through detailed stories, which give a reader a glimpse into his values. Through recognizing important skills necessary to be a doctor, Alex demonstrates that he has the mature perspective necessary to embark upon this journey.

What this essay lacks in a unique voice, it makes up for in professionalism and organization. Alex's earnest desire to attend medical school is what makes this essay shine.

-- Accepted To: University of Toronto MCAT Scores: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems - 128, Critical Analysis and Reading Skills - 127, Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems - 127, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior - 130, Total - 512

Moment of brilliance.

Revelation.

These are all words one would use to describe their motivation by a higher calling to achieve something great. Such an experience is often cited as the reason for students to become physicians; I was not one of these students. Instead of waiting for an event like this, I chose to get involved in the activities that I found most invigorating. Slowly but surely, my interests, hobbies, and experiences inspired me to pursue medicine.

As a medical student, one must possess a solid academic foundation to facilitate an understanding of physical health and illness. Since high school, I found science courses the most appealing and tended to devote most of my time to their exploration. I also enjoyed learning about the music, food, literature, and language of other cultures through Latin and French class. I chose the Medical Sciences program because it allowed for flexibility in course selection. I have studied several scientific disciplines in depth like physiology and pathology while taking classes in sociology, psychology, and classical studies. Such a diverse academic portfolio has strengthened my ability to consider multiple viewpoints and attack problems from several angles. I hope to relate to patients from all walks of life as a physician and offer them personalized treatment.

I was motivated to travel as much as possible by learning about other cultures in school. Exposing myself to different environments offered me perspective on universal traits that render us human. I want to pursue medicine because I believe that this principle of commonality relates to medical practice in providing objective and compassionate care for all. Combined with my love for travel, this realization took me to Nepal with Volunteer Abroad (VA) to build a school for a local orphanage (4). The project’s demands required a group of us to work closely as a team to accomplish the task. Rooted in different backgrounds, we often had conflicting perspectives; even a simple task such as bricklaying could stir up an argument because each person had their own approach. However, we discussed why we came to Nepal and reached the conclusion that all we wanted was to build a place of education for the children. Our unifying goal allowed us to reach compromises and truly appreciate the value of teamwork. These skills are vital in a clinical setting, where physicians and other health care professionals need to collaborate as a multidisciplinary team to tackle patients’ physical, emotional, social, and psychological problems.

I hope to relate to patients from all walks of life as a physician and offer them personalized treatment.

The insight I gained from my Nepal excursion encouraged me to undertake and develop the role of VA campus representative (4). Unfortunately, many students are not equipped with the resources to volunteer abroad; I raised awareness about local initiatives so everyone had a chance to do their part. I tried to avoid pushing solely for international volunteerism for this reason and also because it can undermine the work of local skilled workers and foster dependency. Nevertheless, I took on this position with VA because I felt that the potential benefits were more significant than the disadvantages. Likewise, doctors must constantly weigh out the pros and cons of a situation to help a patient make the best choice. I tried to dispel fears of traveling abroad by sharing first-hand experiences so that students could make an informed decision. When people approached me regarding unfamiliar placements, I researched their questions and provided them with both answers and a sense of security. I found great fulfillment in addressing the concerns of individuals, and I believe that similar processes could prove invaluable in the practice of medicine.

As part of the Sickkids Summer Research Program, I began to appreciate the value of experimental investigation and evidence-based medicine (23). Responsible for initiating an infant nutrition study at a downtown clinic, I was required to explain the project’s implications and daily protocol to physicians, nurses and phlebotomists. I took anthropometric measurements and blood pressure of children aged 1-10 and asked parents about their and their child’s diet, television habits, physical exercise regimen, and sunlight exposure. On a few occasions, I analyzed and presented a small set of data to my superiors through oral presentations and written documents.

With continuous medical developments, physicians must participate in lifelong learning. More importantly, they can engage in research to further improve the lives of their patients. I encountered a young mother one day at the clinic struggling to complete the study’s questionnaires. After I asked her some questions, she began to open up to me as her anxiety subsided; she then told me that her child suffered from low iron. By talking with the physician and reading a few articles, I recommended a few supplements and iron-rich foods to help her child. This experience in particular helped me realize that I enjoy clinical research and strive to address the concerns of people with whom I interact.

Research is often impeded by a lack of government and private funding. My clinical placement motivated me to become more adept in budgeting, culminating in my role as founding Co-President of the UWO Commerce Club (ICCC) (9). Together, fellow club executives and I worked diligently to get the club ratified, a process that made me aware of the bureaucratic challenges facing new organizations. Although we had a small budget, we found ways of minimizing expenditure on advertising so that we were able to host more speakers who lectured about entrepreneurship and overcoming challenges. Considering the limited space available in hospitals and the rising cost of health care, physicians, too, are often forced to prioritize and manage the needs of their patients.

No one needs a grand revelation to pursue medicine. Although passion is vital, it is irrelevant whether this comes suddenly from a life-altering event or builds up progressively through experience. I enjoyed working in Nepal, managing resources, and being a part of clinical and research teams; medicine will allow me to combine all of these aspects into one wholesome career.

I know with certainty that this is the profession for me.

Jimmy opens this essay hinting that his essay will follow a well-worn path, describing the “big moment” that made him realize why he needed to become a physician. But Jimmy quickly turns the reader’s expectation on its head by stating that he did not have one of those moments. By doing this, Jimmy commands attention and has the reader waiting for an explanation. He soon provides the explanation that doubles as the “thesis” of his essay: Jimmy thinks passion can be built progressively, and Jimmy’s life progression has led him to the medical field.

Jimmy did not make the decision to pursue a career in medicine lightly. Instead he displays through anecdotes that his separate passions — helping others, exploring different walks of life, personal responsibility, and learning constantly, among others — helped Jimmy realize that being a physician was the career for him. By talking readers through his thought process, it is made clear that Jimmy is a critical thinker who can balance multiple different perspectives simultaneously. The ability to evaluate multiple options and make an informed, well-reasoned decision is one that bodes well for Jimmy’s medical career.

While in some cases this essay does a lot of “telling,” the comprehensive and decisive walkthrough indicates what Jimmy’s idea of a doctor is. To him, a doctor is someone who is genuinely interested in his work, someone who can empathize and related to his patients, someone who can make important decisions with a clear head, and someone who is always trying to learn more. Just like his decision to work at the VA, Jimmy has broken down the “problem” (what his career should be) and reached a sound conclusion.

By talking readers through his thought process, it is made clear that Jimmy is a critical thinker who can balance multiple different perspectives simultaneously.

Additionally, this essay communicates Jimmy’s care for others. While it is not always advisable to list one’s volunteer efforts, each activity Jimmy lists has a direct application to his essay. Further, the sheer amount of philanthropic work that Jimmy does speaks for itself: Jimmy would not have worked at VA, spent a summer with Sickkids, or founded the UWO finance club if he were not passionate about helping others through medicine. Like the VA story, the details of Jimmy’s participation in Sickkids and the UWO continue to show how he has thought about and embodied the principles that a physician needs to be successful.

Jimmy’s essay both breaks common tropes and lives up to them. By framing his “list” of activities with his passion-happens-slowly mindset, Jimmy injects purpose and interest into what could have been a boring and braggadocious essay if it were written differently. Overall, this essay lets the reader know that Jimmy is seriously dedicated to becoming a physician, and both his thoughts and his actions inspire confidence that he will give medical school his all.

The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this content.

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Secondary Essay Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Session 242.

Ever after you submit your primary application, the work isn’t over. Secondary essays are still a huge part of your medical school application.

On this podcast, I’ve covered a lot of different topics related to the application process, including personal statements, applications in general, and interview prep. But I’ve never actually talked specifically about writing your secondaries until now, so I want to touch on this topic today. Specifically, we’ll discuss the most common mistakes students make when it comes to secondary essays.

[01:22] First Biggest Mistake: Not Writing Them Sooner

One of the biggest mistakes students make is waiting for the request for secondary essays to come before they start working on them. If you’ve submitted your primary application and you’re not writing your secondary essays, then you’re behind.

Some schools will monitor how long it takes you to send a secondary back and they will use this as a gauge on your interest to get into their school. If it takes you three weeks to respond, while their average response time is a week and a half, chances are that you could be put lower down the list.

The implications of rolling admissions for medical school

Remember that the medical school admissions process is a rolling admissions process, which means that as soon as applications open, the clock is ticking. This is different than applying to college, which is a deadline-driven process. As long as your application is in by the deadline, you’re just as good as everybody else that applied. This is not the same with medical schools.

So the earlier you turn in your primary application and the sooner you’re done with your secondary essays, the sooner your MCAT score is in, the sooner your letters of recommendation are in, and the sooner your application is complete, you have a better chance that the schools will look at your application while they still have plenty of interview spots open.

I cover this in more depth in Session 281 of The Premed Years :

Applying to medical school is like a game of musical chairs . Your chances of getting a seat becomes slimmer as the application cycle goes on… A s you get later in the cycle, there’s a decreasing number of seats available and an increasing number of applicants in the pool. This is why you need to apply early and understand how putting off the MCAT can affect you.

Pre-write your secondary essays

If you’re asking how to pre-write your essays when the schools haven’t sent them to you yet, the good news is most schools don’t change their essays from year to year. There are a few exceptions, but most schools don’t.

We have compiled a  Medical School Secondary Essay Database , with prompts from all the medical schools. Look up the schools you’re applying to, and if your primary application is submitted, get started on your secondaries.

You will find that writing secondary essays gets easier and easier over time because a lot of them are around the same theme.

[05:22] Second Biggest Mistake: Letting Them Sit Unopened

The second biggest mistake students make with secondaries is letting them sit on your desk or unopened in the mailbox. Let’s say you scheduled a vacation in the middle of application season for some reason, and your secondaries are just sitting there for a couple of weeks while you’re traveling. You can’t do this.

[Related episode: Does It Matter How Fast I Turn Around My Secondary Essays? ]

[06:18] A Deep Dive into Secondary Essays

You will find out that a lot of the questions are very similar from school to school. A lot of them are going to ask about diversity or why you’re applying to a DO school, so you need to be prepared to answer these.

Some students will try to write answers for broad types of questions, like write a generic answer for “diversity questions” or “what will I bring to the class” type questions. Don’t try to answer question batches like that. Just answer the secondary prompts from one school, then move on to the next school. Don’t try to work outside of a school framework.

[07:25] Third Biggest Mistake: Not Answering the Question

One common feedback I give to students I work with is that they’re not answering the question. They told a beautiful narrative about this patient they saved, but they didn’t answer the question the school was looking for. You have to answer the questions.

Most of the questions are asking you something very specific, so keep that in mind and make sure you’re answering the question. I recommend you get feedback from somebody. Ask them to review whether or not you’re answering the question asked.

[08:49] Fourth Biggest Mistake: Being Too Generic

A common question for secondary essays is, “What about our school makes you want to go here?” A lot of students can get so generic here that I can just copy and paste it from secondary to secondary for every school that asks the same question.

You need to say something specific about the school. You need to do some research and come up with a list of programs at each of the medical schools, or student organizations at each of the medical schools.

Identify what is unique about that school

If you want to join a specific program at that school because of the impact you see it having, talk about that. Mention the program by name. Mention very specific types of things or types of research. Mention the mission statement of the school or the program.

Do your research. A lot of medical schools may look alike after a while, but do your research and see if there’s anything specific that you can draw out to help you write your secondaries.

[11:02] Fifth Biggest Mistake: Repeating the Same Story

Students tend to repeat the same stories from their primary application on their secondary. Don’t tell the same story. Even if they’re asking for your most meaningful clinical experience, you can talk about the same experience, but don’t tell the same story.

Some essays will specifically tell you not to repeat anything that’s in your primary application. If that is the case, then you can’t even talk about the same experience. You have to figure something else out. It can be frustrating when schools do that, especially when they ask about your most meaningful clinical experience and you already put that in your personal statement.

Listing extracurriculars for your secondary application

Some schools will ask for a list of extracurricular activities. In that case, it is okay to just copy and paste from the list you created for your primary application. You don’t need to re-work everything and re-frame things and tell new stories. Just copy and paste it. Some schools just want it in their secondary and not in the primary application.

[Related episode: 5 Common Mistakes Premeds Make With Extracurriculars ]

[13:03] Sixth Biggest Mistake: Copying and Pasting Without Editing

Do not get caught copying and pasting without editing. You don’t want to be that student who sends a secondary essay to NYU that says “I would love to be part of Columbia Medical School next year.”

Be sure to edit it and have somebody look over your stuff. Copy and paste all you want, but then put it aside for the day, and go back and check the next day. Make sure all of the names have been changed and everything is up to date before you send it off.

Links and Other Resources

• Check out our Medical School Secondary Application Essay Database .
• Check out our Secondary Essay Editing service .
• Related episode: Does It Matter How Fast I Turn Around My Secondary Essays?
• Related episode: What Does the Med School Application Timeline Look Like?
• Need MCAT Prep?  Save on tutoring, classes, and full-length practice tests by using promo code “MSHQ” for 10% off Next Step full-length practice tests or “MSHQTOC” for $50 off MCAT tutoring or the Next Step MCAT Course at  Blueprint MCAT (formerly Next Step Test Prep) !

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Medical School Secondary Essay Examples from Accepted Applicants!

Plus tips for answering the 5 most common med school secondary essay prompts.

Before we jump into medical school secondary essay examples, you need to know that the main purpose of the secondary medical school application is to determine whether you are a good “fit” with the mission and values of the school you are applying to. Medical schools send out secondary essays to further assess the unique characteristics of each applicant that have not been addressed in the  AMCAS Work and Activities  section or your medical school personal statement . This post will go over medical school secondary essay examples from students who were accepted, and tips for writing strong essays that application committees will love. 

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Article Contents 16 min read

Medical school secondary essays: "why our school" prompt.

The most important component of answering this prompt is doing your research. Do you have a thorough understanding of the school's mission statement and values? What population or populations are they most interested in serving? How do they describe their student body? What curriculum-enriching activities are available to their students? Do they have a strong research program? Is their curriculum a good fit for your learning style? Are all of these things in line with your own values, career goals, and learning needs?

Being informed will demonstrate an interest in the program, allowing you to write a response showing that you will be a genuinely good fit for the school.

“Questions like these are an opportunity for you to shine and show the faculty what sets you apart from the other candidates … In your response, it is important to highlight things that are relevant to the institution’s mission and values while also explaining qualities that would make you a great asset to the program … it is important to always tailor your response to the school and program you are applying to, including for this question.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

Would you like us to help you with your medical school secondary essays ","buttontext":"free strategy call","buttoncolor":"#ffffff","addtrustpilot":"false","bannerundertext":" ","belowbuttontext1":null,"belowbuttontext2":null,"trustpilot":false}" :url=""https:\/\/bemoacademicconsulting.com\/contact-schedule-free-strategy-call"" code="banner1" background-color="#000066" button-color="#ffffff" banner-image> to answer this prompt, it can be useful to think about how to choose a medical school and what you’re looking for. “my main priority [in choosing a med school] was location. since i knew i was going to spend four years there, i wanted it to be in a location that i could see myself having support and enjoying. beyond that i looked at opportunities for research support, patient population diversity, and locations where students matched. i also thought about where rotations occur during third year as i wanted to focus on hospitals where rotations were not scattered and centralized to a main hospital center.” – dr. monica taneja, md, university of maryland school of medicine..

What are you most excited about when you think of attending this school? Research? Global health? Community outreach? "}]" code="timeline1">

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Why Our School?

Write a critical analysis of your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine, the realization of your professional ambitions, and why you are choosing to apply to our school.

When I was in kindergarten, I was playing tag with my friends when I noticed a kid sitting on the bench. He seemed visibly anxious and left out of the fun so I felt compelled to invite him to play with us. This sense of compassion lay the foundation for my desire to study medicine. As I grew older, I became more inquisitive about the natural world and wanted to know how everything worked and fit together. I started to become passionate about chemistry, mathematics and biology, finding that those subjects gave me the tools to understand my surroundings. I felt empowered with every new concept I would learn; however I never quite felt as though I knew enough. It was only when my friend asked for help with her mental illness that I realized just how much I did not know and how unequipped I was to help someone in this situation. The clash between my sense of compassion and my lack of knowledge and ability to help drove me to want to study medicine.

As I ventured into college, my knowledge-seeking tendencies manifested in an interest in biomedical engineering. I chose this degree for its ability to teach me about the design and manufacturing of groundbreaking medical technologies such as skin-grafts, medical imaging devices, and prostheses. I dreamt of pushing clinical innovations and finding the next technology to revolutionize patient care. Aside from educating myself in medical technology, my college years gave me a lasting perspective and understanding of the Hispanic community’s struggles. I once accompanied my friends to volunteer in a mobile clinic. It was early in the morning when a nurse told me to put up a sign that read: “We do not check IDs.” At first, I was confused, but after careful consideration, I realized that it was to not deter illegal immigrants from seeking medical aid. As the day went on and patients came in, I noticed that most did not have the means to afford regular health and dental care. Most of them prayed that their illnesses would go away on their own because they did not have the means to get professional help. This experience really opened my eyes to the plight of underserved communities and reinforced my decision to pursue medicine so that I could help serve those who were unable to help themselves.

I applied to X University for its opportunities to allow me to work with underserved communities and develop the technical and interpersonal skills to provide patients from these communities the best care. I hope to combine my experience within medicine and engineering to push clinical technologies and advancements further to provide cheap and effective alternatives to current medications and treatments to drive down the cost of healthcare so that it can become available to more people.  

Questions surrounding cultural competency delve into your ability to interact with people whose culture, beliefs, or values are different from your own. Are you able to help people in a way that is in line with their values and belief system, even if these values and beliefs are not in line with your own? It is also important to realize the vital role that effective communication plays in bridging cultural differences.

Similar to the TMDSAS personal characteristics essay, your essay should focus on the barriers you encountered, the communication strategies you employed to overcome these barriers, how you helped the person in a way that respected their beliefs, and how you will apply this lesson in the future.

Great ideas for narratives that could address the diversity secondary essay prompt include:

• A time when you used your problem-solving skills to help someone from a socio-cultural background different from your own.
• A time you advocated for someone from a different socio-cultural background from your own.
• How you used your communication skills to overcome a language barrier and help someone.
• A reflection on what you learned from working with people with a different background from your own.
• A reflection on communicating with people with a different background from your own.
• A reflection on learning about and accepting the difference in beliefs of people with a different background from your own.
• A reflection on an interaction with an individual whose values were different from your own.

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Diversity Essays

A. Describe how you relate to someone who is very different from you. Examples of differences may be cultural, racial, religious, economic, gender/sexual orientation, lifestyle.

The world is so diverse and it can be easy to resign to only care for and be informed of one’s own personal interests. To connect with someone else is to choose to forgo ignorance and aim to understand other people and their backgrounds. This is a choice that is made every day when we decide how to interact in society.

In my first year of university, I roomed with a person who immigrated from Colombia. I saw how difficult it was for her to transition to a new country and to overcome cultural barriers. Instead of accepting the fact that our cultures rendered us incompatible, I decided to educate myself on her culture. I started to read of the political unrest in Colombia, I found Latin music we could listen to, and I utilized my basic Spanish to try to make her feel at home. Five years later, we still live together and are the best of friends. It's clear that a little effort trying to understand the life and journey of someone else can go a long way to building connections and trust.

Would you rather watch a video? Here are the most common medical school secondary essay prompts:

B. Please discuss the diversity that you would bring to our school of medicine and the profession of medicine.

The challenges I faced as a first-generation immigrant has taught me several valuable lessons, which have influenced my pursuit of medicine. Here in the States, I am granted liberties that are otherwise unattainable in Vietnam- specifically access to quality healthcare and opportunities for growth and enrichment. My first exposure to medicine did not transpire in a hospital but instead took place in a small tent affiliated with a roaming clinic.

The significant gap in healthcare accessibility, advancement, and quality between the States and the developing countries were increasingly apparent when I returned to Vietnam to visit my family. In time, I also realized that these similar circumstances and situations exist in my local community as well. This has inspired me to advocate for the underserved population because I, myself, can identify with their struggles. During our financial crisis, my family received overwhelming support and generosity from several neighborhood communities. I wish to return the kindness. Now more than ever, in a time where immigrants are restricted access, I must fight to give them a voice.

I also bring with me the traditions and culture of a Vietnamese American. I have developed my own understanding of the diverse facets of the Asian American identity and the ripple effect it has on the community. Through lion dancing and partnering with the Vietnamese and Chinese communities, I grasped the important role that communities play in providing resources. To become one of the few Vietnamese doctors in the area would allow me to address the needs of the community and give me a platform to collaborate with other communities of color. One of my goals is to break down the language barriers and stigmas surrounding the older Asian community and help them achieve their health goals.

I bring a steadfast mindset of advocating for the underserved in my community and as an immigrant Vietnamese American, I aim to use my position to influence decisions that will benefit the entire community.

Medical School Secondary Essays: "Overcoming Challenges" Prompt

This prompt is looking at what medical schools typically refer to as “resilience”. The reality is that you will be faced with a wide variety of challenges during your medical training. Medical schools are looking for candidates who are equipped with mature coping strategies, enabling them to proficiently navigate whatever life, or medical school, decides to throw at them.

You can use any example from your own life to address this prompt. Ideas include:

• A time when things did not go according to plan.
• Overcoming a setback.
• Overcoming an illness or injury.
• Dealing with the illness of a loved one.

The important thing to remember with this prompt is to keep it positive. Focus on the strategies you used to overcome the hurdle that presented itself to you, and what you learned from the situation. Review some adversity essays for medical school for inspiration.

“It is not only important to highlight the situation in detail but to also reflect on your actions. Drawing upon lessons from this experience and how you used what you learned to make changes the next time around is key to demonstrating a growth mindset.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD.

Describe a challenging situation you faced and what you did to address it.

My sister was diagnosed with epilepsy at 3 months old, and it has been a continual learning experience. She never qualified for an autism diagnosis, but her behaviors resembled an autistic or neurodivergent individual. As an 8-year-old, I did not notice public reactions to my sister’s behaviors.

But, as we both grew older, I became embarrassed when people would stare at her, or notice her behavioral differences. Behavioral incidents continued to occur throughout my time in high school and college. However, I have grown into a more empathetic person who better understands the difficulties my sister faces. I won’t deny that sometimes it is still embarrassing, but I remind myself that she struggles to control her behaviors and it is not her fault.

The best way I can help her as a sister is to be there for her and try to help her through the emotions she may not be able to express all the time. Understanding my sister has made me into a stronger, more confident and empathetic woman.

Medical School Secondary Essays: "Future Goals" Prompt

It’s okay not to know exactly what kind of doctor you want to be or what medical specialty you want to pursue. For this prompt, reflect on the experiences that cemented your decision to pursue medicine.

• What was it specifically about these experiences that made you want to become a doctor?
• What fascinated you the most? Why?
• What patient population did you enjoy working with the most? Why?

You can then go on to say what kind of doctor you would like to be, or, if you haven't decided, suggest more generally which direction you would like to see your career take (i.e. mention a patient population you think you would like to work with). Many students change their minds once having been in medical school a couple of years, so it’s reasonable to say that you will keep your eyes open and continue to explore every opportunity!

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Your Future Goals

Professionalism and the ability to gain respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance as you embark upon a career as a physician. What three professional qualities do you feel a Student Doctor must be able to demonstrate as he/or she makes the transition into the study and practice of medicine? How will you demonstrate those qualities as a medical student at RowanSOM?

There are many valuable attributes a student doctor must possess, but the three of which I consider the most valuable are self-discipline/reflection, open-mindedness/sensitivity, and teamwork skills.

Possessing self-discipline and self-reflection skills are key for any student doctor planning on tackling the arduous medical courses that will come their way. Through my undergraduate career, I have constantly improved upon my academic study strategies to adapt to the rigors of upper-level biological courses. I realize that when one way does not work it is crucial to consult peers, advisors, and professors to improve my approach. Such changes included recording my lectures, attending more office hours, and even seeking resources outside of my lecture material to supplement my knowledge. I use this principle in my personal health goals as well. For example, my favorite hobby that I use to keep me grounded is going to the gym, where I attempt to break my fitness plateaus by researching and consulting peers. It is this drive to constantly improve myself that will allow me to overcome the many obstacles that will come my way during my medical pursuit.

In addition, it is important for student doctors to be open-minded and sensitive when understanding patients from diverse backgrounds. My research experience at the Center for Addiction, Personality, and Emotion Research enriched my understanding of the socioeconomic and environmental factors that are involved in developing addiction disorders. Learning about the neurobehavioral and psychological processes that underlie addictive behavior reinforced my awareness of the health disparities that arise from environmental and social systems in my local community. It is imperative to understand the patient outside of their symptoms in order to realize the other factors involved in their diagnosis. I aim to one day use this knowledge to inform my future patients of preventative measures and how to overcome their environmental strains.

Lastly, it is crucial for student doctors to develop teamwork skills when entering the field of medicine. Physicians have to be prepared to engage and work within different teamwork structures or environments with other specialists to provide high-quality care for their patients. My experiences as an EMT taught me firsthand how critical it is to build long-lasting relationships based on trust with your team. I have spent countless hours getting to know my EMS crew to ensure that we built a sense of camaraderie that would allow us to work well together during calls. I remember one occasion when my partner was flustered during a stressful call and could not remember the next step in delivering a treatment protocol to a patient. I noticed he was frustrated and subtly reminded him of the next step. Based on our relationship and trust, he acted on my advice and later thanked me for the assistance. Knowing that we always had each other’s back gave us the reassurance and confidence we needed to handle the many unpredictable calls that came our way. I hope to strengthen this same sense of teamwork as a future physician.

If you have an academic lapse or took a break that you wish to explain to the admissions committee, you may want to prepare this prompt in advance. The most important things to focus on are:

• Clearly, yet briefly, explain the situation that led to the break or lapse.
• Outlining how you moved past the situation.
• Outlining what you learned from the situation, and how you will manage similar situations going forward.

“The best way to address red flags is to be open and honest … and provide open reflection on how you grew from the experience.” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD.

“what i would do in these situations is talk about the red flag/gap in an open and honest way without sounding closed off or confrontational about it … essentially, you are taking something that would normally be considered a negative and spinning into a positive.” – dr. jaime cazes, md, university of toronto temerty faculty of medicine., medical school secondary essay example: academic lapses or breaks.

If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be, doing since graduating from your undergrad institution. 

I threw myself into the medical school application process during my final year of my undergrad degree. Realizing that my application was lacking, I have spent the time since graduation gaining volunteer and leadership experience, improving my MCAT score, and taking science prerequisite courses.

Taking post-baccalaureate classes proved advantageous. I was thrilled when my MCAT score improved significantly, going from 505 to 517. My score was a testament to the hard work and dedication I put into my organic chemistry and molecular biology courses, and to the time management, accountability, and work ethic I refined in studying for the MCAT.

While pursuing post-baccalaureate science courses improved my academics, volunteering at a seniors’ care center has opened my eyes to the issues facing seniors and those who care for them. Once, upon entering the facility, I heard a patient calling for help; he had fallen and could not get back into his wheelchair. Per volunteer protocol, I cannot physically assist the residents into their chairs. However, after determining that he was not physically hurt, I calmly reassured him that I was getting help and informed the nurses of his situation. This incident and other experiences at the center allowed me to develop and practice skills such as enforcing appropriate boundaries, working with others, and handling unexpected and stressful circumstances with poise.

From my various experiences, I have developed and refined my belief system and skill set. I've developed a greater sensitivity to those facing physical or mental limitations, and a dedication to serving my community in overcoming such challenges. I’ve learned the value of being empathetic and showing compassion in the process. I've developed the critical traits and values that I am certain this school would be proud of, whether as a student or as a physician.

Pre-writing your secondaries for med school is key! Here's how:

Medical School Secondary Essays: Tips from Our Experts and Students

1. submit your essays as soon as you can.

Submitting your essays early means you can take advantage of medical schools’ rolling admissions process. As soon as medical school secondary essays are received, decisions about interview invites are made. Submitting early means a better chance of securing an interview, and therefore an acceptance letter. Being delayed with your secondaries can cost you both! One of our students, Rishi, had to reapply after submitting his secondaries too late and receiving zero interview invites.

“[One of] the things that really I think prevented me from getting in the first time around is I was just very delayed with my secondaries … I didn't even get any interviews that first cycle because I was so late on my secondaries.” – Rishi, former BeMo student.

Planning your secondaries well ahead of time also ensures you’re not rushing to write, proof, rewrite and finalize your essays.

“It is advisable to start preparing for secondaries as early as possible so that you have enough time to revise and go through multiple iterations of edits prior to submitting. Also, getting a fresh pair of eyes to have a look is never a bad idea.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD.

2. pre-write your med school secondary essays.

Some of you may be realizing at this point that you’ve applied to 10-20 schools and that each will likely send somewhere between 2-10 prompts. That’s a lot of essay writing! To get on top of this, we recommend pre-writing your secondary essays.

“Secondaries were a lot of work especially after completing all of the primary application materials. I tried to pre-write secondaries starting in mid-June as there aren’t many changes year to year in prompts, which are easily found online. For each school I read their mission statement and tailored my answers to their priorities. Since many essays also overlap between schools, I was able to morph different essays based on length to reduce overall writing. Pre-writing allowed me to have [less than] 1 week turn around on all of my secondary application returns.” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD.

If you check out our comprehensive list of medical school secondary essay prompts , you can pull out common themes for the schools you are most interested in applying to. You should then create an essay outline or rough essay that addresses each of these themes.

“A lot of these prompts, they might be worded a little bit different … but there's some broad [question] types. If you compare a couple of schools, there will be some overlap and that's helpful because you can write what are these common skeletons that will allow you to be more efficient.” – Rishi, BeMo student.

Though schools may change their prompts from year to year, pre-planning at least some of your essays will make you much more efficient with your writing, allowing you to create consistently well-thought-out essays. 

Just like with your medical school personal statement, your personal stories will help your secondary essays stand out and be more memorable to the admissions committee.

“These application readers are reading a large volume of essays and sometimes they're not spending as much time as you might think. They are kind of glancing over every word so you have to think like what they are going to remember from this when they read it.” – Rishi, BeMo student.

As part of your pre-writing plan, start brainstorming personal experiences or influences you can talk about in your secondaries to make your points and keep your readers’ attention.

Medical school secondary essays are meant to provide medical school with more specific information about your candidacy and fit for their programs. The questions are geared towards the missions, requirements, and goals of each program. They are usually sent out once primary applications have been submitted.

Some schools will list a deadline (UCLA secondary essays are due after fifteen days). If the school does not specify a deadline, you should aim to submit your secondaries no later than 2 weeks after receiving the invites to complete them.

Some of the most common med school secondary prompts include "Why our school?", "Cultural Competency", "Overcoming Challenges", and "Future Goals". Pay attention to the wording of the prompts, as they may not include this direct terminology, but you should approach them with specific strategies to answer them.

Each medical school will have its own secondaries requirements. Some may ask for 1 or 2 essays, while others may require 10. Check the requirements of your schools of choice to make sure.

Yes, there are some medical schools without secondary essays , but these are rare. Check with the programs of your choice to make sure.

Many med schools recycle their secondary prompts from year to year. Plus, there are some common themes that all secondaries explore. Check out the old prompts from your schools of choice to start planning general outlines for your essays.

Most likely, you will be eliminated from the applicant selection pool right away. Med schools will want to see your dedicated and commitment to their school, which secondaries demonstrate. If you are late or do not submit them at all, you will no longer be considered for a position in their medical school.

If you applied to many med schools, there is a chance you will have trouble completing all the secondaries on time. If this is your position, you should certainly try to complete all of them on time and of good quality. Focus on the schools you want to attend and where you have the highest chance of acceptance and complete their secondaries first.

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Wynne Milhouse

Hello! Would it be okay to write about how not getting into medical school the first time was a time of adversity, even if it was on a secondary for a school I didn't apply to last time (or if it was)? I feel as if this prompt may show up for schools that I did and did not apply to two years ago, but not getting into medical school the first time WAS a big hurdle, and I have made significant changes to combat this. Is it okay to talk about that, or will that reflect poorly on me? Thanks! Best, Wynne Milhouse

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello Wynne! Thank you very much for your question. Absolutely, you should write about not getting into med school the first time even if you are writing secondaries for a school you did not apply to last time. You can even mention that you are now applying to this school because you improved your research and found that this would be a more suitable choice for you. Let us know if you have any other questions!

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Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts (2024-2025)

A complete list of med school secondary prompts to help you get ahead and stay organized during your admissions process.

We recommend using this resource alongside our Secondary Essay Premium Example Hub , which includes a sample essay in response to every prompt required by every MD and DO program in the US and Canada. It’s even been featured by outlets including U.S. News & World Report, making it a convenient and reliable tool for your application process.

(Note: This list is continually updated. We are now adding med school secondary essay prompts for 2024—2025. If you notice that a specific school’s prompts need to be updated, please email [email protected] with details.)

Click on the state, territory, or country below to view the med schools there: 

Connecticut

District of columbia, massachusetts, mississippi, new hampshire, north carolina, north dakota, pennsylvania, puerto rico, rhode island, south carolina, south dakota, west virginia, over 90% of our students get into med school—the first time..

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Thank you! Your guide is on its way. In the meantime, please let us know how we can help you crack the the medical school admissions code . You can also learn more about our 1-on-1 medical school admissions support here .

* Denotes a school with a time-sensitive guideline for submission (e.g., requirement to submit within 2 weeks of receipt).

Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

Describe how specific attributes of ACOM’s mission and core values align with your professional goals and personal attributes? (250 words)

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine promotes values and equity from various cultural, social, and economic backgrounds. Discuss the role that diversity played in your decision to become an osteopathic medical school applicant. (250 words)

What are your personal attributes that demonstrate the osteopathic philosophy? (500 words or less)

University of Alabama School of Medicine

State of Residence Section:

Non-Alabama Resident with Ties to Alabama: Describe any ties or meaningful experiences you have had related to the state of Alabama or UAB Medical Center (1500 characters)

(All Applicants) If the area you spent most of your life before college differs from where you currently consider your permanent address, please explain (1500 characters)

Essay Section:

Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now? (750 characters)

Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics or experiences that would add to the learning environment for your classmates. (750 characters)

Describe a patient interaction with the healthcare system. This could be a direct patient observation (in person or virtual) during a shadowing/clinical experience or a personal experience within the healthcare system. What did you learn from this experience? (750 characters)

Describe a fulfilling or challenging community service experience and how you grew personally from the experience. (750 characters)

UAB Medicine provides quality health care and compassionate service to every patient, every time, regardless of their individual differences or circumstances. Our academic medical center attracts patients from across the world who represent many cultures, religions, lifestyles, and economic backgrounds. Why are you specifically interested in beginning your medical education in this environment, and how do you feel that your previous experiences will prepare you for this unique learning environment? (750 characters)

(OPTIONAL): Describe your identity and how it has impacted the development of your values and attitudes toward individuals different from yourself and how this will impact your interactions with future colleagues and patients. (750 characters)

(OPTIONAL): Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application. (750 characters)

Additional Experiences Section (from previous cycles; may apply to 2024—2025 also):

You have a separate page to add any experiences that you did not have listed on your AMCAS application.

University of South Alabama College of Medicine

Although interests may change, what areas of medicine are you primarily interested in at the current time? (200 characters)

Out-of-State Applicants: Although our primary obligation is to residents of the State of Alabama, we do consider competitive applicants from neighboring states and applicants with strong ties to the State of Alabama. Please write a brief essay explaining your ties to the State of Alabama. (2000 characters) (optional)

The learning community at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine benefits from the inclusion of students with broad life experiences, as well as students from diverse backgrounds. The Admissions Committee encourages you to share life experiences that you may have had and/or important factors in your background that illustrate your readiness for practicing medicine in a multicultural society. (3500 characters) (optional)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Arizona: How to Get In )

A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine

ATSU-SOMA’s osteopathic medical education model includes training at one of our partner Community Health Center (CHC) sites. 1) Describe any previous CHC or free clinic experience that you have had. 2) Describe how learning at a CHC will enhance your osteopathic medical school experience. (500 words)

Describe any gaps that lasted longer than three months that may have occurred during or following undergraduate/posttgraduate educational programs. (500 words)

ATSU-SOMA emphasizes self-directed learning in small group sessions. What experiences have you had that will help you be successful in this educational model? (500 words)

Describe any hrs/week of employment that may have coincided/impacted your academic work during each semester. (500 words)

Which field of osteopathic medicine are you interested in pursuing? Explain why you chose this field. (500 words)

Describe what you have learned from your experiences with osteopathic physicians. If you do not have any of the above, please explain why you are applying to an osteopathic medical school. (500 words)

Describe your understanding of SOMA by answering ONE of the following questions: (500 words)

What unique feature of SOMA appeals to you? What specific feature of SOMA concerns you?

What would be your strongest attribute as a SOMA student? What would be your weakest?

How do you plan to be involved with medically underserved populations in your medical career? How have your past volunteer experiences influenced your plans?

Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine

Why do you believe AZCOM would provide you with the type of osteopathic medical education you are seeking? (1500 characters)

Why should AZCOM accept you into this year's class? (1500 characters)

University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix *

Time-sensitive considerations: " 30 days after invitation or December 1st"

What achievement are you most proud of in your life? What aspect(s) of this achievement will you bring to our medical school? (1000 characters)

The UA College of Medicine - Phoenix practices Inclusive Excellence, which celebrates the differences, talents, and unique qualities of all individuals. Please describe how you will pursue Inclusive Excellence in your studies while contributing to the collaborative environment at the College of Medicine - Phoenix. (1000 characters)

Servant Leadership is a Core Value and Attribute we deem essential for our students to possess. To us, it is service to others where one possesses personal humility along with a strong professional will. Describe a time where you have practiced this skill or have seen this in another. What traits were exemplified, and how will you apply these traits to your career in medicine? (1000 characters)

Throughout your application you have given us a sense of how you intend to contribute to the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix. We would now like to know about how you anticipate the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix will contribute to your goals and passion for medicine. What aspects of our program and community appeals most to you, and how do you plan to make use of specific resources and opportunities here? (1000 characters)

Please reflect on your entire application, is there anything you would like to further share with the Admissions Committee? Items to consider: connection(s) to Phoenix and/or our medical community, your plan during this application season, gap(s) in your education, personal, academic, or COVID-related challenges. Do not repeat any information already mentioned in the primary or secondary applications. (1000 characters)

University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson *

Time-sensitive considerations: "Submit your secondary application and fee to the College of Medicine – Tucson within 30 days from the date it was initially sent by 11:59 p.m. Arizona time or January 2, 2025 — whichever day comes FIRST. "

Please share a meaningful experience you have had working or volunteering in the health professional field or a time in your past in which you were responsible for the care and well-being of someone else. What did you learn from this as it relates to becoming a physician? (350 words)

Discuss a time in your life in which you have failed at something other than an academic experience. How did you confront the failure and what did you learn from it? Please describe how you typically approach challenges that you face in your life. (350 words)

"The mission of the University of Arizona College of Medicine Office of Admissions is to select a diverse cohort of students who will become the future leaders in advancing health care to the distinct communities that comprise Arizona and the United States. Consistent with the mission of The University of Arizona College of Medicine, selection of individuals with a demonstrated commitment to serve as care providers, physician scientists, clinical leaders, medical educators and/or public health experts, including advocates for rural and urban underserved populations, is highly valued. Applicants seeking admission should exhibit qualities of altruism, academic excellence, leadership and dedication to becoming lifelong learners through research endeavors and academic development." Please describe the role(s) you can play in helping the College of Medicine to achieve its mission. (350 words)

Describe the effect that your experiences with engaging diversity have had on your own growth and development. Provide an example and describe how it will impact your career in the medical profession. (350 words)

Share any disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (no limit)

Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

List any significant volunteer, community service and/or mission experiences you have had that is not listed on your AACOMAS application. Provide the organization name, hours/week, duration of experience, as well as a brief description of your duties.

Please tell us about any healthcare experiences you have had that are not listed on your AACOMAS application. Provide organization name, hours/week, duration of experience, and a brief description of your duties.

How do you plan to fulfill the ARCOM Mission in your practice as a physician?

What challenges do you expect to personally face most in the next 10 years as a healthcare professional?

How do you expect to overcome these challenges?

Describe an experience where you interacted with a person or people from a different background than you (ability, religion, gender, race, age, socioeconomic status, citizenship/ nationality, sexual orientation).

How did that interaction impact your mindset of the role of a physician?

If you are in a difficult basic science class and feel you are not fully grasping the information given in lecture, how would you alter your study habits or techniques to better understand the material and complete the course successfully?

What is a recent book you read that impacted the way you think about today's world?

Please explain how this book impacted the way you think about today's world.

How did you hear about ARCOM? (No limit)

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine

Non-Arkansas residents who have strong ties to Arkansas are given preference over non-residents without strong ties to the state. Therefore, if you have strong ties to Arkansas (you have lived in Arkansas, you have a parent or close relative who resides in Arkansas, you attend(ed) an Arkansas college, etc.), you must describe your ties to Arkansas in a letter to be uploaded using the Upload Documents section of this application.

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in California: How to Get In )

California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine

CHSU-COM values a diverse student body that reflects our region and our world. Please explain how you personally would contribute to diversity at CHSU-COM. (250 words)

Describe some common healthcare disparities that may be found in a resource-limited area, such as the California Central Valley. How might the presence of CHSU-COM help to alleviate those disparities? (250 words)

California Northstate University College of Medicine

Please note: Questions 1 to 6 have a stated limit of 250 words, though the space provided for submitting responses allows 1785 characters. We recommend developing your responses based on the stated limits.

(REQUIRED) Why have you chosen to apply to CNUCOM? (250 words maximum)

(REQUIRED) Did you have a Pre-Health Advisor at your undergraduate institution? If so, please tell us about your experience. How did it help you in your journey to to apply to medical school? If not, please let us know how you worked independently to find out more about applying to medical school and the path of your journey to apply? (250 words maximum)

(REQUIRED) In which direction would you like to see healthcare progress over the next decade? (250 words maximum)

(REQUIRED) If your education has not been continuous since high school, please explain why. Examples of discontinuities include time taken off while obtaining your undergraduate degree, in addition to gap years. (250 words maximum)

(REQUIRED) If you have previously applied to medical school, what have you accomplished since that time that would warrant your admission now? (250 words maximum)

(REQUIRED) Is there anything you would like the Admissions Committee to know that is not reflected elsewhere in your application? (250 words maximum)

(OPTIONAL) How do you feel about standardized tests? How did you prepare for the MCAT? What tools or preparatory courses/material did you use and how did you study? Do you feel like your score reflects how you will perform in medical school? From what you have learned, do you think it will help you in the way you will study or prepare for USMLE exams? (1000 characters)

California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine

Diversity comes in many forms. How do you think you might contribute to the diversity of the class? (150 words)

Describe the last time you were criticized by a peer or supervisor. How did you handle it? (150 words)

Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person? (150 words)

What would be the best example that shows you are a person of integrity? (150 words)

If given the opportunity to attend medical school, where would you see yourself in ten years? (150 words)

If you were enrolled in fewer than 12 units/credits for more than 1 semester/2 quarters during your undergraduate education, please provide a brief explanation below. (If not applicable, please enter N/A in the box below) (150 words)

Drew/UCLA Joint Medical Program Drew University of Medicine and Science *

Time-sensitive considerations: " 28 days after receipt of the supplemental application invitation"

The university’s vision statement is “Excellent health and wellness for all in a world without health disparities”. Describe how you envision yourself contributing to the CDU vision statement. (1200 characters)

Describe your commitment to transforming the health of diverse and underserved communities. (800 characters)

Detail the key motivational factors in your decision to apply to the CDU MD Program. (1200 characters)

Please describe a personal experience in which you have encountered discrimination. (800 characters)

How will you utilize your medical knowledge and skills to contribute positively to your community after completing medical school? (800 characters)

Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Kaiser Permanente Medical School )

During your career as a physician, you will potentially encounter obstacles, and be required to overcome challenges. Please describe your experience with a situation that had an unfavorable outcome, including your reaction, how you might have responded differently, and what you learned about yourself. (250 words)

Kaiser Permanente is committed to advancing equity, inclusion, and diversity for all. How will you contribute to the diversity of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine? (250 words)

Lifelong learning is an essential process for continued professional development. This includes reflection and being open and responsive to constructive feedback. Please tell us about an area of intellectual exploration you’re passionate about, and your approach to exploring this area. (250 words)

Based on your own experiences, how do you believe an understanding of the social determinants of health can be applied to address social justice issues within healthcare? (250 words)

(OPTIONAL) Have you previously applied to medical school? If yes, please describe your accomplishments since you last applied that would promote your acceptance? (250 words)

Loma Linda University School of Medicine

What makes LLUSM particularly attractive to you? (275 word limit)

Our medical curriculum integrates spiritual, ethical, and relational issues from the Christian perspective into the practice of medicine. Religion courses and weekly chapel services are part of this program. Please respond to the preceding statements as they relate to your personal educational and career goals. (275 word limit)

What personal attributes make you a desirable candidate for admission to LLUSM? (275 word limit)

Identify experiences in your life that illustrate your service to others. (275 word limit)

Discuss how your spiritual origins, development, and experiences have influenced and been integrated into your daily life. (275 word limit)

Please describe your current involvement (or reason for not being involved) with a church or religious group. (275 word limit)

If you have already graduated, briefly describe your activities since graduation and your planned activities prior to matriculation into medical school. (275 word limit)

Behavioral Expectations. LLU has expectations which include respect for all persons and high standards of personal and professional conduct. This includes abstinence from alcohol, nicotine, cannabinoids, and illicit drugs/substances in all forms. Please describe any use of the above substances within the past year. (No word limit)

Stanford University School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Stanford Medical School )

Are there any current or pending disputes concerning your academic status? If yes, please explain. (300 character limit)

Was your enrollment status ever interrupted during your undergraduate or graduate program, not including summer term (e.g. medical, personal, or academic reasons, military service, other)? If yes, please explain. (150 character limit)

PRACTICE SETTING What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career? Choose the single answer that best describes your career goals and clinical practice setting:

Academic Medicine (Clinical)

Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist)

Non-Academic Clinical Practice

Health Policy

Health Administration

Primary Care

Public Health/Community Health

Global Health

Please describe your motivation for this practice scenario. Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario? What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? (1000 characters)

CURRICULAR INTERESTS How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? (1000 characters)

BACKGROUND Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background. (For example) I grew up in New York City, as the 3rd child of a supermarket cashier and a high school principal. I attended Mann High School where my major interests were boxing and drama. (600 characters)

CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Please describe which aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Medicine. (2000 characters)

Please describe how you have uniquely contributed to a community with which you identify. (1000 characters)

ADVOCACY Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else. (1000 characters)

ANYTHING ELSE? Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (OPTIONAL) (1000 characters)

There is also a Health Belief and Attitude Survey (15 questions) where you will select your response (from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree).

Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine

Are you a TUCOM re-applicant who has previously interviewed? If yes, what was the result of that interview and what changes, if any, have you made which should effect a different outcome? (3000 characters)

Have you attended any TUCOM information sessions on campus, at another location, or virtually? If yes, please list the event(s) in which you participated. (3000 characters)

Please describe your understanding of osteopathic medicine including osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Please include your personal exposure to osteopathic medicine (if any) and demonstrate your understanding of the osteopathic principles and history of the profession. (3000 characters)

Please describe your hobbies (or non-academic pursuits) and how they will influence your success as an Osteopathic medical student and/or Osteopathic physician in the future. (3000 characters)

Please discuss how your life experiences and personal characteristics will contribute to your future success as an outstanding osteopathic physician. (3000 characters)

When considering medical schools, what criteria are important to you and how does TUCOM align with those criteria? (3000 characters)

Have you graduated or do you plan to graduate from a High School or equivalent (e.g. GED, ATB, etc.) - OR - College whose primary method of instruction is English? (3000 characters)

Have you ever had a criminal conviction (this includes a judge or jury verdict, guilty plea, a plea of no contest or nolo contendere, and/or juvenile offenses), or any criminal conviction that you are currently appealing? (3000 characters)

University of California – Davis School of Medicine

(Optional) Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee. (This could include explanation of metric trends, institutional actions, legal violations, etc.) Please enter N/A if no concerns to report. (500 characters)

(Optional) Do you have a connection to Northern or Central California? (Yes/No) Please explain. (500 characters)

Activities: Please list the activities you would like to be considered in your application to UC Davis. The secondary activities may be used to highlight your experiences specifically relevant for UC Davis. You may use your most meaningful experiences listed in your initial AMCAS application or select/add others that may be relevant to UC Davis. Please only list three. The admissions committee will review all AMCAS application activities as well; this an opportunity to highlight your most meaningful and/or relevant to UC Davis School of Medicine.

Prompt for activities: Briefly describe this activity and its significance. How did it prepare you for a medical career? Include any supporting information (e.g. your contribution to the project or accomplishment as well as links to any publication, etc) (500 characters each activity)

Scholarly Pathways questions:

Rural-PRIME:

Are you interested in applying to the Rural-PRIME program? [yes/no] Please describe how your experiences with rural communities make you a good fit for the Rural-PRIME program.

Describe your future plans to serve a rural underserved community.

TEACH-MS: Are you interested in applying to the TEACH-MS program? [yes/no] Please tell us what experiences have shaped your desire to be a primary care physician in urban underserved communities.

ACE-PC: Are you interested in applying to the ACE-PC? [yes/no] Please tell us what attributes or experiences would make you a good fit for an accelerated program in primary care.

REACH: Are you interested in applying to the REACH program? [yes/no] Please tell us about your ties to Central California and what you have done, or plan to do, to make a positive change in Central California.

Tribal Health PRIME: Are you interested in applying to the Tribal Health PRIME? [yes/no] What experiences have you had with rural and/or underserved communities/populations? More specifically, what involvement have you had with tribal communities/populations?

ARC-MD: Are you interested in applying to ARC-MD? [yes/no] Academic Research Careers for Medical Doctors (ARC-MD) is a five (5) year honors pathway that mentors students who envision a career as research faculty in a medical school or who want to use research and quality improvement methods to improve health in their community. These students are drawn from diverse backgrounds and committed to research as a foundational aspect of their career. That research may include basic-translational research, clinical-translational research, community engaged research, or policy and advocacy. Prior research experience or related activity as an undergraduate is preferred. Tell us about how you could see yourself as a faculty of the future and how biomedical research will play a role in your career as currently envisioned."

University of California – Irvine School of Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: "Applicants have one month from the date of the invitation email to complete the secondary application."

What personal accomplishment are you most proud of and why? (1500 characters)

Please describe to the Admissions Committee a challenge or disappointment you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience. (1500 characters)

(Optional) Do you identify as being part of a marginalized group socioeconomically or in terms of access to quality education or healthcare? If so, please describe how this inequity has impacted you and your community. (1500 characters)

This essay is only for applicants that have already received their baccalaureate degree. Please clarify for the Admissions Committee your activities (school, work, and/or volunteer, travel, etc.) since receiving your undergraduate degree. You may list them in chronological order or you may incorporate them into an essay, stating why you chose particular activities. If you have just received or will receive your undergraduate degree this year, please discuss your plans for current year. (1500 characters)

MSTP prompts

What research accomplishment are you most proud of and why? (1500 characters)

Please describe to the Admissions Committee a research challenge you have overcome and what you learned from that experience. (1500 characters)

What does it mean, to you, to be an MD/PhD? (1500 characters)

Please list all posters, manuscripts (published or planned) you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (1500 characters)

University of California – Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine *

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into UCLA Medical School )

Time-sensitive considerations: " 2 weeks from the date and time of invitation"

At the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, students are provided with curriculum and experiences enabling them to become an "Outstanding Physician, AND...," dedicating themselves to important societal missions. What missions do you want to embrace? What have you done toward your missions? (800 characters)

Respond to the following and indicate how these areas of experience have impacted your progress toward your future career goals in relation to becoming an "Outstanding Physician, AND..." .

A. Describe your most unique leadership, entrepreneurial, or creative activity. (800 characters)

B. Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful. (800 characters)

C. Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 characters)

Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as other relevant information. (800 characters)

Did you experience or are you anticipating time between graduating from college and matriculating into medical school? (Yes/No)

If yes: Describe the activities in which you participated or are planning to participate. Examples include additional schooling, employment, or caring for a loved one. (800 characters)

Do you identify as being part of a group that has been marginalized (examples include, but are not limited to, LGBTQIA, disabilities, federally recognized tribe) in terms of access to education or healthcare? (Yes/No)

If yes: Describe how this inequity has impacted you or your community and how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community. (800 characters)

Are you re-applying to DGSOM?

Global Heath Equity Pathway Application Questions

1. Please describe why you are interested in the Global Health Equity Pathway and any experiences that have informed your decision to apply for this Pathway.

2. How do you think participation in the Pathway will contribute to your future career plans and career development?

3. What additional skills would you like to develop as part of the Pathway? What strengths do you currently have that may contribute to a global health or health equity project? (i.e., language, writing skills, advocacy work, monitoring and evaluation experience, data management/cleaning/analysis, website development, etc.)

4. What are the major challenges you might face as medical student working in global health or health equity? How might you overcome these challenges?

5. Optional question: Please let us know if you have a mentor or organization with whom you would be excited to work as part of the Pathway and why you would like to work with this individual and/or organization. Mentors and organizations may be affiliated with DGSOM/UCLA or may be pre-existing relationships you developed prior to medical school. Note that you are not expected to have a DGSOM mentor and/or partner organization identified prior to arrival at DGSOM.

Urban Health Equity Pathway Questions

1. Please describe how your experience, community and family background impact your understanding of medically underserved/under-resourced communities.

2. Other than healthcare access, what are some of the most important health care issues confronting medically underserved/under-resourced and vulnerable communities? How would you address them?

Want a sample essay in response to every prompt required by UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, as well as every prompt required by every other medical school in the US and Canada? You can subscribe below.

Gain instant access to med school secondary essay examples for every single prompt required by every medical school in the United States and Canada. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.

University of California – Riverside School of Medicine

The mission of the UCR School of Medicine is to improve the health of the people of California and, especially, to serve Inland Southern California by training a diverse workforce of physicians and by developing innovative research and health care delivery programs that will improve the health of the medically underserved in the region and become models to be emulated throughout the state and nation. What experiences, skills, and abilities will you bring to the class to fulfill this mission? (250 words)

The values of the UCR SOM are integrity, innovation, inclusion, excellence, accountability and respect. Please choose one of the values and tell us how you have personally experienced it or have seen it emulated in a clinical setting. (250 words)

In what type of healthcare setting do you see yourself practicing medicine? (250 words)

Tell us about a personal challenge you have faced in your life thus far and how you demonstrated resilience and grit to overcome it. [Please do not write about studying for or taking the MCAT.] (250 words)

(Optional) If there is anything you would like the committee to consider about your candidacy that is not explained elsewhere in your application, please use this space to tell us. (250 words)

(Only if you are non-California resident) If you answered Yes, please explain your connection to Inland Southern California and the mission of the UC Riverside School of Medicine (100 words)

University of California – San Diego School of Medicine 

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into UCSD Medical School , which contains a sample secondary essay)

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

This should be a true autobiographical statement. Topics to be included are family, childhood, primary and secondary school years, undergraduate years, and, if applicable, what you’ve done since completing your bachelor’s degree. You should also discuss the motivational factors which led you to a career in medicine including any disadvantages or obstacles which might put your accomplishments into context. A repeat of your AMCAS statement will not be acceptable. (6000 Characters)

Please note: if you are applying to the MD/PhD program, please include why you are specifically interested in seeking MD/PhD training at UCSD.

PRIME - HEq

The goals of PRIME - HEq are: To increase the number of clinicians, research scientists, and advocates addressing minority health and health disparities; to create a diverse community of scholars that develop, transmit, and apply new knowledge in minority health and health disparities; and to promote a multidisciplinary community/university partnership to eliminate health disparities. The program utilizes existing opportunities to allow enrollees to obtain a master's degree emphasizing minority health and health disparities, tailored to student's interest (MPH, MBA, MAS, MS) Applicants indicating an interest in PRIME are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in the program.

Please describe your interest in the PRIME-HEq program. Topics to include are longitudinal experiences that you’ve had with underserved communities, including the type of community that you’ve worked with and your level of involvement. Additionally, you should discuss the length of time that you’ve spent working in these communities. (Yes/No prompt. If yes, you have up to 4800 characters for your response.)

Applicants to the UCSD School of Medicine may apply for admission to the GHAC. This track is available to five medical students per class per year, and will provide mentored research and clinical experiences in Global Health. The GHAC has four goals: 1) to prepare young physicians to engage with the global community to address health disparities; 2) to provide experiences and training in academic Global Health research; 3) to provide field experiences in Global Health delivery; and 4) to facilitate education about structural and social factors that create and propagate health disparities. Students in this concentration will undertake an additional curriculum that exposes them to Global Health topics throughout all four years of medical school. This track is appropriate for applicants hoping to pursue an academic medical career in Global Health. Students accepted into the GHAC will be provided with financial support for two international rotations (up to $5000 for both). Applicants interested in applying for the GHAC are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in this program.

Please describe your interest in Global Health. The term Global Health can have many meanings; for our purposes, we find the definition provided by Koplan et. al. in their 2009 Lancet publication useful: “the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide”. In your essay, be sure to describe any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how Global Health issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. (Yes/No prompt. If yes, you have up to 4800 characters for your response.)

PRIME-TIDE​

Applicants to the USCD School of Medicine may apply for admission to the Program in Medicine - Transforming Indigenous Doctor Education (PRIME-TIDE), which is available to six medical students per class per year. The educational objectives of the PRIME-TIDE are to: 1) teach medical students the appropriate management and treatment of diseases common in AI/AN communities with a focus on culturally sensitive care via a mentored clinical experience in local, regional or national tribally-operated Indian Health Service (IHS) ambulatory clinics; 2) understand the opportunities for community-based research with AI/AN communities through the California Native American Research Center for Health (CA-NARCH); 3) engage in preventive medicine and public health in a tribal healthcare setting; and 4) understand the social, environmental, economic and political issues related to providing healthcare to tribal communities, as well as the limitations/adaptations to the delivery of IHS care. These objectives will be met by completing didactic coursework, as well as mentored research and clinical experiences.

Please describe your experiences with American Indian and Alaskan Native communities, including the type of community and your level of involvement. Please provide the length of time you spent working in or exposed to these communities. Be sure to detail any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how American Indian and Alaskan Native issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Finally, please delineate how completion of the PRIME-TIDE program will help you obtain your medical education goals." (Yes/No prompt. If yes, you have up to 4800 characters for your response.)

TAN FAMILY SCHOLAR PROGRAM

Applicants to the UC San Diego School of Medicine may also apply for admission to the Tan Family Scholar Program, into which they are selected after being accepted to the School of Medicine. This is an academic concentration available to up to five medical students a year, in which selected medical students are provided support to partake in course work designed to develop specific knowledge about empathy and compassion in medicine, participate in research in this area, and travel internationally for inter-institutional exchanges of knowledge regarding empathy and compassion in medicine. Applicants interested in being considered for the Tan Family Scholar Program are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in this program.

Please describe your interest in Compassion and Empathy. In your essay, be sure to describe any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how you think your career as a physician would benefit from being in this program. (Yes/No prompt. If yes, you have up to 4800 characters for your response.)

MEMBER OF A MARGINALIZED GROUP

Do you consider yourself to be a member of a group that is marginalized in a way that systemically affects access to quality education or healthcare?

Please describe how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community. (Yes/No prompt. If yes, you have up to 4800 characters for your response.)

MOST MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES (FROM AMCAS)​

On your AMCAS Application, you were asked to identify your three “most meaningful” experiences. These activities have been auto-filled in your secondary application.

In addition to the information you provided on the AMCAS application, we would like to know if there are any additional activities you would consider among your most meaningful. This may include activities that you’ve already completed but couldn’t include as you were limited to three selections on the AMCAS application, or it may include a new activity that began after your initial AMCAS application was submitted. Use the “Add” button below to enter a new activity.

This section is optional –you can enter any number of additional experiences including zero. If you have no experiences to add, simply click save and continue and this section will be marked as complete

We would also like to know if a letter of recommendation has been submitted on your behalf by somebody you worked with through this experience. If you do not have a letter from this experience, simply type N/A . This information allows Admissions Committee members reviewing your application to more readily match your letters to your experiences and thus facilitates the review of your application." (Yes/No prompt. If yes, additional basic information and a 100-character box appear. )

POSSIBLE CAREER PATHWAY (Required, with a 400-character box)

Some medical school applicants are already focused on pursuing a particular career pathway in medicine. While many students will change from this pathway during medical school, knowing of your potential interests does help us to assign interviewers. Your choice below does not influence how the Admissions Committee selects students to interview.

Please select from one of the career pathways listed below. In addition to this selection, please provide a brief description of your future career goals:

Academic Medicine (Working as a faculty member at a School of Medicine either as a clinician, a clinician-educator, or a clinician investigator. This could be in any field of medicine)

Primary Care and/or work in underserved communities (Working as a general internist, a pediatrician, or a family medicine physician and/or spending the majority of your time working in a community currently underserved by the medical profession)

Public Health, administrative leadership in medicine (Pursuing an MPH and/or working for a public health department or organization; working in health care policy; working as a hospital administrator)

Specialist in private practice (Working in a private practice or managed care setting as a subspecialist. Examples include cardiologist, infectious disease specialist, obstetrician, orthopedic surgeon, general surgeon, anaesthesiologist, radiologist)

Other/undecided

University of California – San Francisco School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into UCSF Medical School )

If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)

If you are 2023 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (350 words)

Do you identify as being part of a marginalized group socioeconomically or in terms of access to quality education or healthcare? Please describe how this inequity has impacted you and your community. (500 words)

UCSF PRIDE values serve as a guiding light for institutional life and activities. Briefly describe how you will contribute and support one of our PRIDE values that is consistent with your goals or life experience. (500 words)

University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

What is the most fun you’ve had lately? (65-word limit)

If you had to give yourself a nickname, what would it be? (65-word limit)

What are three things you don't care about at all? (65-word limit)

Describe a situation in which you didn’t get something you felt you deserved. (65-word limit)

Have you previously applied to or attended medical school (M.D. , D.O., international)? Yes/No

If you answered yes, please provide an explanation on what occurred with your application process or previous matriculation to medical school.

Is there anything else you would like us to know? Please respond in 200 words or less (max. 1,400 characters)

Additional questions for MD-PhD applicants:

List your publications and papers submitted including one or two sentences describing your role on each publication. (250 word, max. 1,800 characters)

Please indicate fields of study for which you have a special interest. For example: Anatomy, Biostatistics, Molecular Biology, Systems Biology, Epidemiology, Bioengineering, Human Genetics, Neurosciences, Biochemistry, Immunology Nutrition, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology Biophysics, Physiology, Cancer, Other

Please provide the names of faculty with whom you would like to meet, if invited for an interview. For each faculty member suggested, provide a sentence or two explaining why you would like to meet that person. (250 word, max. 1,800 characters)

Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Questions are the same for the Pomona and Northwest campuses.

What experience observing a DO solidified your desire/ambition to become an osteopathic physician? (This could be a formal shadowing experience (one-on-one with a physician), scribing, observing your own physician, friend, or family member who is a DO). (500 words)

If you have not had the opportunity to shadow/observe a DO why is it important to you to become an osteopathic physician? (500 words)

What was your most memorable community service activity and how did your activity benefit the community? (500 words)

How does the COMP Mission statement align with your values? (500 words)

Why do you want to attend COMP? (500 words)

What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you and why are they important? (500 words)

Have you participated in research? (Yes/No)

If yes, briefly describe your role and what skills you gained from participation in the research. (500 words)

Please provide us with the link to the publication or abstract if possible.

Did you contribute to the published work as an author/coauthor? (Yes/No)

Briefly discuss any extenuating circumstances which you feel are pertinent to your application (poor grades, course withdrawals, lapse in your education, etc.). (500 words)

If you have not taken any coursework for over 3 years, please explain why and what you have been doing during that period of time. (500 words)

Are you a transfer applicant? (Yes/No)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Canada: How to Get In )

Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine

250 words each:

Describe your personal experience in community service, volunteer work or service/help to another. What did you learn from this experience?

Describe your strongest quality and provide a specific example of this quality. How does this quality relate to the study and practice of medicine?

The Dalhousie Medicine curriculum uses case-based small group learning. Describe one or more examples of your experiences with small group learning or teams and what you have learned from it.

What does being a physician mean to you? How did you come to this understanding?

Health care professionals work with people from diverse and broad populations and experiences. Cultural competence and sensitivity are important skills to develop. How would you describe your own level of cultural competence/sensitivity? What steps could you take to further build cultural competence/sensitivity?

Out-of-province applicants: In 250 words or less, please describe your knowledge of any connections to and past experiences with the Maritime Provinces and how these have contributed to your selection of Dalhousie University as your preferred choice of medical schools. 

Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Autobiographical Sketch questions:

Considering NOSM University’s self-directed, small group, distributed learning environment, select ONE (1) entry from your autobiographical sketch and describe how it has specifically prepared you for being a medical student at NOSM University.

Select ONE (1) entry from your autobiographical sketch that has had a significant impact on your personal growth and describe how this experience has influenced your development and prepared you to be a medical student at NOSM University.

Considering NOSM University’s social accountability mandate, select ONE (1) entry from your autobiographical sketch and describe how this experience has prepared you to learn and work in Northern Ontario and/or rural/remote settings.

Supplementary questions:

Describe how you have developed resilience and coping mechanisms. How will you utilize these skills to support yourself during your medical training in making informed and rational decisions when faced with difficult circumstances?

Describe an experience you have had interacting with individuals from backgrounds different from yours. How would this experience translate to working within a health care environment and/or with patients?

Provide a specific example of when your work or performance was criticized. Explain how your responded to the criticism and how this experience contributed to your personal development/growth.

NOSM University’s Social Accountability mandate is to improve the health of the people and the communities of Northern Ontario. Describe how you plan to embody this mandate as a medical student and future physician, and how this has factored into your decision to apply to NOSM University.

University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry

List and describe your top two personal achievements/experiences. (750 characters per)

Share a life experience where you encountered challenges and describe how you addressed the situation(s). You may include a different experience that you have not previously addressed in your application which will further serve the goal of learning more about you as an applicant. (2000 characters)

Please share an experience that you have had which was significant enough, potentially even life altering, that helped you become a better person. (1500 characters)

University of Toronto School of Medicine

Detailed Autobiographical Sketch: Write about an impactful experience from your Autobiographical Sketch that demonstrates your personal growth, character, and values. How did this experience prepare you for medical school? (500 words)

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed obligatory changes in all our lives. What have you learned and how has this changed you as a person? Are there ways that you adapted that you would keep going forward? (250 words)

What is the purpose of a mentoring relationship? What are the 3 most important elements of a mentoring relationship? Discuss a mentoring situation that you experienced in relation to these qualities. (250 words)

Western University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry

Abbreviated Autobiographical Sketch

(Note: These questions allow you to expand on activities described in your OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch; however, you may include up to two activities that are not in your Autobiographical Sketch.)

Teamwork and Leadership: We are interested in extracurricular activities or experiences (employment, volunteering and/or other extracurricular activities) that demonstrate your teamwork and leadership skills. Please highlight a minimum of 1 activity and a maximum of 2 activities that highlight your teamwork and leadership skills. 

Note: Leadership does not mean being the boss or having a formal title. Instead, it refers to someone who is engaged and takes the initiative to contribute in a collaborative way toward sustainable and positive change. Please ensure that in whatever activity you choose, you demonstrate a clear link to these skills. Maximum points are allocated if you can link to both skills of teamwork and leadership, as defined above.

Please provide a brief description of how this activity demonstrates your teamwork and leadership skills, outline concretely what you have learned (3 items) and how this will be helpful to your career in medicine. (Max. 2,400 characters/activity)

Respect for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:  Please list your top 1 to 2 activities (employment, volunteering, or other extracurricular activity) that demonstrate your respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an example, this core value can be demonstrated through interactions and exposure to those who may have perspectives different from our own (e.g. different age, skill level, educational background, gender identity, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, etc.). 

These activities and experiences do not necessarily have to be international/global and the definition of diversity is broad. The activities can be local or regional, and do not necessarily have to be volunteer-related. In whatever activity you choose, you must clearly articulate the link between the activity and diversity.

Please provide a brief description of how this activity demonstrates your respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Please also outline concretely what you have learned (3 items) and how this will be helpful to your career in medicine. (Max. 2,400 characters.)

Self-directed Learning, Problem-solving, and Critical Inquiry: Please list your top 1 to 2 activities (employment, volunteering, research or other extracurricular activity) that demonstrate your capacity for self-directed learning, problem-solving, and critical inquiry.

Note: You may choose any activity as above, so long as you can articulate well where you demonstrated these higher learning skills in that activity If you have done research in any capacity (undergraduate, Master’s and/or PhD), one of your activities must be related to your research experience. If your research led to any notable awards and/or publications, please provide enough information so that it may be corroborated. The verifier you choose must be able to confirm any publications and/or awards.

If you do not have any research experience, that is acceptable so long as you can clearly link your activity to how you problem-solved, demonstrated intellectual curiosity and how you worked towards improving your performance in that activity.

Please provide a description and examples of how this activity concretely demonstrates your problem-solving, critical inquiry, and self-directed learning skills and how they will be helpful to your career in medicine. (Max. 2,400 characters.)

Social Accountability and Responsibility: Please list your top 1 to 2 activities (employment, volunteering, other extracurricular activity) that highlight your commitment to serving other individuals or your community and that speak to your ability to advocate for others.

Please note: No preference will be given for formal volunteering compared to other activities, so long as the activity demonstrates a commitment to your community and advocacy of others. For example, this could include helping a neighbor as long as you can. Clearly articulate the connection between the activity and the commitment to helping and advocating for others and have someone who can verify this activity.

Please provide a brief description of how this activity concretely demonstrates your commitment to helping others, advocating for others and serving your community's needs. Please comment on what you have learned (3 items) and how this will be helpful to your career in medicine (Max. 2,400 characters.)

Optional questions

Please tell us about a unique (non-academic/non-research) personal life experience(s) and/or challenges that are relevant to your application to medical school. Please also outline how you overcame those challenges, if applicable. If none, please state “none”. (Max 2,400 characters.)

Please outline whether there are any gaps and/or unusual circumstances to your file/application. If none, please state “none”. (Max. 2,400 characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Colorado )

Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine

What noteworthy characteristics, abilities, or skills do you possess that will help ensure RVU achieves new heights in medical education? (No limit mentioned.)

University of Colorado School of Medicine

Please do not repeat content from your AMCAS personal statement in these essays. To the extent that there is overlap in the personal statement to what you want to write here, please choose a different approach to discussing the issue(s), such as influence on your values and beliefs, changes you made in your life, reflections that are from a different perspective. The committee utilizes this important information in the selection process.

The pillars of our curriculum are Leadership, Curiosity, and Commitment. Tell us about how you have embodied one or more of these attributes in your path to medicine thus far. In which of these areas do you see the most opportunity for personal growth and why? Limit this response to 500 words.

Please describe how your background and/or your unique lived experiences contribute to our culture of inclusive excellence. Limit the response to 300 words.

(OPTIONAL) Fort Collins Track: Please tell us why you are interested in being a part of the 4-year CUSOM at CSU (Fort Collins Branch campus).? With the background that FCB’s smaller class sizes and unique structure lead to a highly interactive curriculum, please tell us how this campus matches your learning style and personal philosophy. Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

(OPTIONAL) Colorado Springs Branch: Please submit a short statement regarding your interest in the Colorado Springs Branch. You may address characteristics of the Branch that would be a fit for your strengths, experiences, and/or career plans. You may also note your ties to or interest in Colorado Springs or other similar communities. Limit the essay to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

(OPTIONAL) Rural Track: Why are you interested in being a rural physician? How will rural life and work fit your personal goals? You may include your past experiences and ties or interest to rural Colorado. Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

(OPTIONAL) For applicants interested in the Aerospace engineering dual degree: Describe your career path up to this point and how that has led to your interest in human spaceflight. What is your motivation for seeking a dual degree in Aerospace Engineering and how does this fit into your vision for your career.

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Connecticut: How to Get In )

Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine

If you will not be enrolled as a full-time student, how will you be spending/intend to spend your time during your application year? If you are a re-applicant, please address steps taken to improve your application for medical school. (200 words)

Why is it important to you to go into medicine and become a physician? (200 words)

Tell us about your lived experiences that will enable you to provide quality care to all patients. (200 words)

As a medical student and future physician, you will be faced with many uncertain situations. Please describe a situation when you were asked to do something that was beyond your capabilities. How did you handle the situation? Please provide a specific example. (400 words)

Netter SOM is a diverse and inclusive community, and we believe that each person brings their own unique experiences and attributes. Our students also serve and interact with diverse patient populations and communities. Please share how you have made efforts to work with people from a different background than you. What did you learn from these efforts? (400 words)

If applicable, please address any withdrawals, repeated courses, leaves of absence or breaks in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application. (250 words)

University of Connecticut School of Medicine *

(Suggested reading: How to Get into UConn Medical School )

Time-sensitive considerations: "Regardless of when the secondary is received, applicants should aim to complete their secondary applications within two weeks ."

Highlight your experiences in the healthcare field. What insights have you gained about potential problems you will face as a physician? (1800 characters)

How will the University of Connecticut School of Medicine best serve your needs of becoming a physician or physician scientist? (1800 characters)

The University of Connecticut School Of Medicine realizes that each applicant brings a unique perspective from a broad range of experiences that have been influential in leading to a career in medicine. How will your own life experiences and unique identity enhance the UConn SoM classroom and community? (1800 characters)

Yale School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into the Yale School of Medicine )

Essays (Required)​

Please submit answers to the following questions. Please limit your responses to approximately 500 words each .

Required Essay 1:

Yale School of Medicine values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician?

Required Essay 2 (please select one of the following ):

MD applicants: Please answer either one of the following questions.

MD/PhD applicants: Please answer question 2 as it pertains to your proposed PhD research.

(1) While there is great emphasis on the physician-patient relationship, Yale School of Medicine also emphasizes the importance of training future physicians to care for communities and populations. Describe how your experiences would contribute to this aspect of the mission of the Yale School of Medicine.

(2) Research is essential to patient care, and all students at Yale School of Medicine complete a research thesis. Tell us how your research interests, skills and experiences would contribute to scholarship at Yale School of Medicine.

Additional Information (Optional)​

This section is optional. It should be used to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee any important information (personal, academic, or professional) not discussed in other sections of your Yale Secondary Application . Please limit your response to 500 words .

Activities and Achievements (Optional)​

If you are not enrolled in college or graduate school classes for the duration of the current academic year, please tell us how you are spending your time. Include both your current and any planned activities prior to enrolling in medical school.

Have there been any updates regarding your activities / achievements / distinctions since completing your AMCAS application, or do you have any important accomplishments you have not yet shared with us here or in your AMCAS application? The Office of Admissions will review your activities / achievements / distinctions in the Experiences section of the AMCAS Application, so you do not need to restate anything included there. We include your AMCAS experiences below for reference.

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Washington, D.C.: How to Get In )

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Character limits do not include spaces.

1. Application Fee Payment Code (This is not a question.)

2. Have you ever registered at an institution under a different name? (Yes/No)

If YES, please enter the name here:

3. Have you ever been convicted of, plead guilty, or plead no lo contendere (i.e., no contest, I do not wish to contend) to a criminal offense? Have you ever been arrested for a felony or misdemeanor? (Yes/No)

If YES, please provide a description here: (500 characters)

4. Did you indicate that you were the recipient of any institutional action on your AMCAS application? (Yes/No)

5. With the Development of AAMC/HHMI scientific and personal competencies the George Washington University Committee on Admissions for MD Programs has moved from strict premedical requirements to competency-based recommendations. Mastery of these competencies should be reflected in strong academic performance, MCATs, experiences and letter(s) of reference. Please see minimum eligibility information here: Minimum Eligibility & Recommendations for the 2025 Cycle

The Committee on Admissions requires completion of an undergraduate degree from a U.S. or Canadian college or university prior to matriculation. The following pre-requisite competencies are required prior to matriculation: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Laboratory Experience, English, and Social/Behavioral Science.

(AP/IB is accepted except for Biology if present on undergraduate transcripts. Transfer credits from foreign institutions are not accepted unless part of a formal study abroad program accepted by your degree-granting institution.)

Do you understand you need to complete these recommendations prior to matriculation? (Yes/No)

6. Select the campus you prefer for your clinical education (Reminder: ALL students will have their pre- clinical education at our main campus followed by clinical education at the pre-assigned campus in your acceptance letter based on your selection below)

Main Campus Preferred

Regional Medical Campus Preferred

Main Campus Only

Regional Medical Campus Only

7. If you selected regional medical campus preferred or regional medical campus only in question 6, please explain in detail your interest in regional medical campus and how it will be a good fit for your clinical education.? (1750 characters)

8. Please provide the Admissions Committee with a brief summary of your activities, academics, employment or other occupations to account for full-time activity (approx. 30-40 hours/week) from the point of application through matriculation in 2025. (750 characters)

9 The MD Program includes substantial content in Clinical Public Health (population health, health systems science, health policy, and community health) to prepare GW graduates for an expanded scope of practice required to be successful 21st century physicians. What are your specific interests and experiences related to that aspect of the MD Program? (350 characters)

10. What makes you a unique individual? What challenges have you faced? What have you learned from your experiences? (750 characters)

11. What is your specific interest in the MD Program at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why? (1750 characters)

12. Have you previously interacted directly with the MD Admissions Office through events, tours, fairs, webinars, or interviews? (Yes/No)

If YES, please explain: (250 characters)

13. Do you want to pursue the joint MD/MPH program? (Yes/No)

If YES, then please describe why you want to pursue the MD/MPH program and how the combined degree would fit into your career goals (1500 Characters).

Georgetown University School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Georgetown Medical School )

The Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSOM) strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians, with cultural humility, who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. With our Jesuit values of Cura Personalis, People for Others, and Community in Diversity, we are steadfast in our commitment to racial justice and to addressing the health inequities exacerbated by the recent pandemic. Please describe how your values, life experiences, and your identity will contribute to these GUSOM priorities. (1000 Characters)

Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 characters)

Why have you chosen to apply to the Georgetown University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (3000 characters)

Howard University College of Medicine

Have you lived in communities which are medically underserved, or where the majority of the population is economically and/or educationally disadvantaged? [Please indicate, Yes or No and then explain/describe briefly in 250 words or less.]

Have you worked (volunteer or paid employment) with medically underserved, economically disadvantaged and/or educationally disadvantaged populations? [Please indicate, Yes or No and then explain/describe briefly in 250 words or less.]

After residency, do you plan to practice medicine in an underserved or disadvantaged community? [Please indicate, Yes or No and then explain/describe briefly in 250 words or less.]

Please provide below any additional information you believe is important in evaluating your application (e.g. additional coursework, problems with academic record; disadvantaged, etc.) [Please indicate, Yes or No and then explain/describe briefly in 250 words or less.]

Did COVID-19 impact you preparing your AMCAS application for fall 2024? (i.e. volunteer/work experience, financially, course registration, MCAT testing, etc.) [Please respond Yes or No and then explain/describe briefly in 250 words or less, indicate N/A if not applicable]

Why Howard University College of Medicine? (2500 characters, max)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Florida: How to Get In )

Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

Prerequisites: [For 2023—2024, this section had a 1600 character limit (for each) including spaces.]

1. Use this area to justify and/or explain any academic hardships on your transcripts (any failed and/or repeated courses due to any reason)

2. Use this area to explain exceptions to these prerequisites at your institution.

About Self:

3. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please provide details of your activities/employment for the application year. (1200-character limit including spaces)

4. Describe why you would like to attend the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU. What values, skills, talents, and life experiences would you contribute to our community? (1600-character limit including spaces)

Experience (1600 character limit including spaces):

5. Please share a meaningful community service experience outside of direct patient care that has been meaningful to you. What drew you to this particular experience? How did it contribute to your personal growth and learning? What aspects of your involvement did you find particularly fulfilling?

6. How have your previous experiences, whether in paid roles or volunteer work, shaped the skills and qualities you believe will be essential for success in medical school and as a future physician? These experiences do not necessarily have to involve direct patient care.

7. Describe a situation where you effectively demonstrated your leadership skills by guiding a group or organization towards a common goal or aligning their collective efforts.

8. Share a notable personal challenge that has influenced your personal growth. Discuss the insights gained about yourself and how these lessons will assist you in navigating challenges in medical school and your future career as a physician. Describe the support systems or resources you relied on and their impact on your journey.

Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Primary Activity/Employment (The questions in this section appeared for 2023—2024 so we are leaving them in case you need to address them for 2024—2025.)

Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school. (600 characters)

If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be doing since graduating from your undergrad institution.

Supplemental Essays (These are for 2024—2025.)

Miami is a vibrant and multicultural, multilingual city. You will be exposed to cultures and languages different than your own while living and studying in this city. Please explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked, or were exposed to diverse backgrounds. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (1200 characters)

Why did you choose to apply to FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine? (1200 characters)

Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced. If you sought guidance, support, or resources, describe how it helped you? Focus on what you learned about yourself and how you think it will help you face new challenges. (1200 characters)

What do you think will be the most rewarding and challenging part of practicing medicine in the future? (1200 characters)

(OPTIONAL) Use this area to explain any exception to the prerequisites at your institution. (1000 characters)

(OPTIONAL) Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals. (1000 characters)

For those who are not Florida residents, the following prompt appeared for 2023—2024 (so we are leaving it here to prepare you in case it appears for 2024—2025 as well):

Please describe any connection to FIU, FIU HWCOM, or South Florida.

Florida State University College of Medicine

"Please complete this application with as much specificity and detail as you can. Though many questions are optional the Admissions Committee STRONGLY ENCOURAGES applicants to submit detailed answers to each question"

A. Personal Background (500 words)​

Please provide a description of your family. (Optional)

Please provide a description of where you grew up (i.e. rural area, large city, etc.) (Optional)

Indicate what you do for fun and diversion (hobbies, special interests, etc.). (Optional)

What is a unique trait, experience, or interest that we would not normally learn about you? (Optional)

If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you are comfortable voluntarily sharing with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. (Optional)

B. Academic Background and Pre-Medical Course Requirements ​

Choose the appropriate response for each required prerequisite. As a reminder: All prerequisites must be completed with a “C” or better and BEFORE matriculating at the FSU COM. (This section includes a list of questions about prerequisites and whether you attended or applied to FSU during undergrad. For each prerequisite, the answer choices are “Completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better” and “In progress.”)

C. Self Critical Analysis (500 words)

Why are you choosing to apply to the FSU College of Medicine? Please be specific describing what is particularly attractive about FSU COM.

What do you feel are your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine? (Optional)

If you have previously interviewed or applied to the College of Medicine, what steps have you taken to improve your application? (Optional)

D. Additional Questions

In what field/specialty of medicine do you envision yourself working ten years from now? Please list no more than three (3) specialties. (500-character limit)

Write a short statement describing how you envision using the specialty/ies you listed above to advance our unique mission and contribute to the success of the FSU College of Medicine. (9999-character limit)

Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine

Questions 1 to 4 are required, and questions 5 to 9 are optional if applicable.

Please provide an example that indicates your ability to function effectively as a productive member of a team working toward a common objective. Elaborate on leadership roles you held in this capacity and how you solved problems that arose. Indicate highlights learned from this experience. (4000 characters)

Please share some personal examples of problem-solving in a team environment and/or leadership experience that would lead to your success in a Problem Based Learning environment. (4000 characters)

At NSU M.D., we value the unique perspective that each applicant brings. Identify any traits, life experiences, or interests that a professor or advisor would not normally know about you. (4000 characters)

How has your academic work beyond the “traditional” pre-medical school requirements (i.e., introductory biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and introductory physics) prepared you for medical school and for a career in medicine? Please highlight any service learning activities that align with humanism in medicine. (4000 characters)

Do you have any gaps or inconsistencies in either academic or standardized test performances throughout your undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate career? If you answered yes to the previous question, please explain. (4000 characters)

Is there a time gap between earning your last degree (baccalaureate or other) and the expected time of your medical school matriculation? If yes, please explain. (4000 characters)

Were you employed full-time (or part-time) during your undergraduate or graduate years? If yes, please explain. (4000 characters)

Have you previously applied to any medical school (M.D., D.O., international)? If yes, please explain what steps you have taken to improve your overall application profile for this admissions cycle. (if applicable) (4000 characters)

Do you believe that you are an individual or a member of a group that faced adversity, which influenced your goals for a career in medicine and service to others? If you answered yes to the previous question, then please explain the impact it had on your future life events. These may include, but are not limited to, challenges due to the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, cultural background, access to resources, or other significant circumstances. (9999 chars for this one only) (If applicable)

Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

How did you learn about osteopathic medicine? (1000 characters)

List and briefly describe your significant healthcare-related volunteer activities since graduation from high school. (2000 characters)

If you have ever matriculated into an M.D. or a D.O. program, please explain the reason(s) for leaving. Please use the following format: date, institution, status. If non applicable, please type "none" (For 2023—2024, this question had a 1000-character limit but it is unknown what the limit is for 2024—2025.)

If you were employed during the regular school year (excluding summers) while in undergraduate or graduate school, please list dates of employment beginning with your current position along with title or job description, level of responsibility, and number of hours per week. (2000 character )

University of Central Florida College of Medicine

List of Y/N questions with room to explain if necessary, no limit for any

Are you currently enrolled in an academic program? (Y/N) If you do not expect to spend the academic year enrolled in an academic program, please explain how you will use this time.

Have you experienced academic difficulties, had any grades below "B minus," or any course withdrawals while in college? (Y/N)

Are you currently or have you ever been subject to disciplinary action at a college or professional school that did NOT result in academic probation or dismissal? (Y/N)

Have you ever been placed on academic probation, dismissed, or withdrawn from a college or professional program? (Y/N)

Do you have any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you? (Y/N)

Medical school demands significant personal sacrifices, including long hours, emotional stress, and sometimes compromising personal time. Can you describe how you have prepared yourself for these sacrifices and how you plan to maintain a healthy work-life balance while managing the responsibilities of a medical student? (Limit 750 characters)

Can you please recount an experience from your academic or personal life where you actively collaborated with others to achieve a common goal? How do you anticipate applying this collaborative approach in your future medical education and practice, taking into account the diverse perspectives and expertise within healthcare teams? (Limit: 750 characters)

We often hear that students want to pursue medicine to help people. Why did you choose medicine and not some other field where you can help others, such as nursing, physical therapy, pharmacology, psychology, education, or social work? (Limit 750 characters)

Were you required to work during your college years? (Y/N). If yes, In this space, provide a brief description of why employment was necessary. Also, include the estimated weekly hours you were required to work. (no limit)

Tell us about something that is integral to understanding who you are as a person that we would not automatically know from reading your application. These may be things like qualities, characteristics, or events you feel are unique to your life experience. You could address personally important and/or challenging experiences in your background that have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and service to others. These may include experiences such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, cultural background, or other significant events or circumstances that you feel have shaped your character and defined you as an individual. (Limit 4000 characters)

Please share with the Admissions Committee why you are specifically interested in UCF COM. (500 characters)

University of Florida College of Medicine

If you are not a full-time student during this application cycle, in particular at any time between August 2023 and July 2024, please detail your current and planned activities below. (250-500 words)

The medical profession is frequently described as being both a science and an art. One could summarize this by saying that patients must “be well cared for” (science) but they must also “feel well cared for” (art). We work to teach our students not only the scientific principles of medicine, but also the core values of medicine, often called “professionalism”. Toward this end we keep patients at the center of our education and often reflect on their stories with our students.

The exciting advances in our understanding of the biological basis for disease have led to the emergence of a host of targeted therapies and amazing technologies improving the duration and quality of our patients’ lives. The better a physician knows his/her patient, the better decisions they will make together as they approach important healthcare related questions. This so-called shared decision-making model is one key feature of patient centered care. Practicing the art of medicine in this way yields a physician patient relationship (PPR) that is both therapeutic and mutually enriching. However, many of these same technologies have the unintended consequence of separating us from our patients, both literally and figuratively. In addition, the industrialization of medicine and use of electronic health records have led to a decrease in the time physicians spend with their patients further eroding the strength of the PPR.

At the UFCOM, we have many strategies to equip our students to preserve their own humanity and that of their patients. One of the most important is the ability to make connections with and get to know their patients. Frequently such connections become the student’s first taste of the joy of medical practice. In fact, the UFCOM version of the Hippocratic Oath includes the following affirmation. “I will remember with gratitude and humility those whose illness or injury provided examples from which I learned, and, in their honor, I will continue the pursuit of knowledge.”

In our polarized society, the importance of such virtues as humility and gratitude have perhaps never been greater. Over the last two decades, the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California Berkeley has offered strong scientific support for the importance of such virtues as gratitude and humility in human well-being. But it should also be remembered that philosophers and theologians have cherished these virtues for centuries. For example, when mounting a legal defense for a friend, Cicero observed, “while I wish to be adorned with every virtue, yet there is nothing which I can esteem more highly than the being and appearing grateful. For this one virtue is not only the greatest, but is also the parent of all the other virtues.” Offering a similar endorsement for the virtue of humility, Augustine of Hippo observed, “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.”

Students at UFCOM regularly write about and discuss encounters with patients that shape their professional identity in important ways. In so doing, we all learn to become better physicians and human beings. Here  are two such reflections, by our students, one a poem and the other an essay. Read and reflect on both and then choose one and describe how the writer grew from the experience. Consider the affirmation from the Hippocratic Oath in your response. (250-500 words)

The profession of medicine has always had an explicit contract with society about our expertise and competence but it also includes an important affirmation. Namely, that we will subordinate self-interest to patient interest when the needs of our patients require us to do so. This does not mean we do not take care of ourselves and one another, but it does mean we willingly take on risks to ourselves that many others would not. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this commitment to light as many medical professionals labored on the front lines caring for the sick despite the potential dangers.

When we consider medical practice and hence, medical education, one could ask what sorts of virtues or character traits equip young medical professionals for such a noble calling. Many come to mind including courage, compassion, intellectual honesty and integrity. But recently attention has been given to the ability to stay with a task or course even when one is tired, discouraged and the work is daunting and laborious. Terms such as “resilience”, “endurance”, “perseverance”, “determination” or “grit” describe this character trait. Dr. Angela Duckworth has explored this in detail in her book “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” ( Angela Duckworth ). Cultivating this virtue, in ourselves and one another, offers a tangible means to lean against the depersonalizing and emotionally exhausting forces at work in healthcare.

As physicians, we have the privilege of caring for people who are in the most difficult places of their lives. Being present during these times can be both a source of joy as we help our patients, but can also challenge our own emotional health and resilience. Struggling to make sense of suffering induced by disease, social forces and human agency has brought an occasion for growth among many of us who work in healthcare.

As you grow into your new identity as a physician, you will come face to face with the suffering of other human beings. In fact, we will all have to face  our own  losses as we go through medical training and practice. Put simply, none of us is exempt from suffering. As the Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) once observed, “When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.”

Holocaust survivor and renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, (1905-1997) wrote an account of his time in the concentration camp called, “Man’s Search for Meaning”. It has sold more than 10 million copies in 24 languages and offers profound insights into how finding meaning in suffering sustains us during our darkest times.

Below are several quotes from Dr. Frankl that deal with finding purpose and meaning in suffering.  After reading and thinking about his insights, choose one or two and tell us about experiences where you have seen these principles at work either in your own life, or in the lives of others. (500 words)

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

“If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete.”

“A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the 'why' for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any 'how.'”

“Being human always points, and is directed, to something or someone, other than oneself - be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. “

(Optional) If you think there is any additional information that would help the admissions committee in its review of your application, including any disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19, please use the space below. (4000 characters max)

Additional questions:

*REQUIRED If you are not a legal resident of Florida according to your AMCAS application, write a statement describing your association with the State of Florida below. This statement is required even if you have no ties to the State of Florida.

(optional) Reflect upon your life experiences, values and/or personal background. Do any or all of these help frame how you envision your future contributions to the health and well-being of others as a physician and if so, how? (500 words max)

There is a page for selecting introversion and extroversion traits/statements but no essay associated with it.

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: "We ask that you submit your secondary within two weeks after you are invited to complete the application."

If you have applied to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine before (through the regular application process or via an early assurance/early matriculation program) we invite you to use this space to provide additional information about your previous application. This can include year(s) applied, outcome of application, and ways you have strengthened your application since your last application. (1000 characters)

Why are you applying to the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine? In your essay, please provide a response that clearly articulates how you believe our program specifically will enhance your education/training, what you feel you will uniquely contribute to our learning community, and/or what features of our medical school prompted you to apply. (5000 characters)

In the space below, please discuss any experiences you may have had serving, working, living, and/or learning in broadly diverse environments that you believe would enable you to thrive in and contribute to our Miller SOM and Greater Miami community. (5000 characters)

In the space below, we invite you to choose one of our #MedCanes values and discuss how you exemplify that value.

Integrity: Demonstrating honesty and fairness in our words and actions.

Collaboration: Working together in teams to achieve common goals.

Accountability: Taking ownership and responsibility for our actions and outcomes.

Respect: Treating others with dignity and compassion.

Excellence: Giving of ourselves in a way that exceeds expectations. (5000 characters)

Use the space below if you would like to briefly discuss anything else that you want the Admissions Committee to know that you feel has not been covered in your primary and secondary applications. (2500 characters)

University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine

Do you believe the competitiveness (i.e., course requirements, experiences, academic performance, etc.) of your application for medical school has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic? (1500 characters,)

Do you have a parent (or grandparent) who is a graduate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine or a faculty member at USF Health? (If yes, you have 250 characters to respond.)

What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career (Private Practice, Academic Medicine, Public Health, Health Care Administration, Health Policy, or Other)? (Pick one and then move to the next question.)

Describe the knowledge, skills, and attributes you have developed in preparation for the career path you have chosen in the previous question. (1500 characters)

The USF Morsani College of Medicine’s Scholarly Concentrations program aims to support the educational development of medical students by providing opportunities for academic endeavors in areas of special interest. This program facilitates self-directed learning, enhances interactions between students and fosters relationships between students and faculty. Scholarly concentrations provide a forum where diversity of ideas and perspectives are valued. Each concentration includes elements of course work, practical application and scholarly presentation. Please review our Scholarly Concentrations website to determine which concentration would be of interest to you and answer the following question: ( Scholarly Concentrations Program | USF Health ) a. How would the USF Morsani College of Medicine’s Scholarly Concentrations Program help your personal career goals? (1500 characters)

The USF Morsani College of Medicine strives to educate a very diverse set of students who bring a variety of strengths and interests to the field of medicine. The definition of diversity is broad and includes (but is not limited to) lifestyle, race/ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status and distance traveled through life. The definition of strength is also broad and includes (but is not limited to) humanism, scholarship, intellectual curiosity, research, and leadership. How do you feel your particular experiences, interests, and passions will add to the strength and diversity of the USF class and ultimately to the field of medicine? (2000 characters)

If you have experienced academic difficulties, please explain the situation and how it was resolved. (Please explain all grades less than a "B", including B-, or any "withdrawal" on your transcripts). (2000 characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Georgia: How to Get In )

Emory University School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Emory Medical School )

List your entire curriculum plan for the 2024-2025 academic year. If you are not currently in school, please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. (200 words)

Briefly describe your health-related experiences. Be sure to include important experiences that are in your AMCAS application, as well as any recent experiences. (200 words)

Briefly describe your interest in Emory and the Emory degree program you have selected. (200 words)

Emory School of Medicine is committed to recruiting and educating medical students who will help deliver quality health care and will promote the health of our patients. In our community, this includes learning about and addressing the health care needs of our most under-served populations. Please describe any of your activities that have been in service to under-served communities. (200 words)

(If Applicable) If you have any updates or new information to report since you have submitted your AMCAS primary application, please briefly describe below. (200 words)

(If Applicable) If your school has a Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee, and your letters are submitted by three individual letter-writers rather than your school’s Committee, please explain why you are not submitting a Committee letter.

Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University *

Time-sensitive considerations: "You should submit your Secondary Application within two weeks of receiving it from the Admissions Office."

The goal of the MCG Admissions Committee is to admit a diverse medical school class of well-rounded and academically qualified individuals who will best contribute to our institutional mission and ultimately meet the healthcare needs of Georgians. This section captures additional information not readily available in AMCAS. Please adhere to the word limit in each section. Please do not use special characters in your responses ( no #, % , &, etc.).

Please discuss your primary interest in attending the Medical College of Georgia and how medical education at MCG will help you achieve your future career goals and desired specialty. (300 words)

At the core of MCG’s mission is community engagement and providing care to underserved communities. Please describe your engagement or your personal experience with underserved communities. (300 words)

Please describe your motivation for becoming a physician. Provide an example of an impactful clinical experience or patient encounter which reinforced your desire to enter medicine. (300 words)

The art of medicine requires resilience on the part of its practitioners. There can be perceived failure even when the medical team has done everything right. Please describe a time when you were part of something that failed. What did you learn from this experience? (300 words)

The Admissions Committee regards an individual’s personal attributes and life experiences as important factors in serving the educational mission of MCG and meeting the healthcare needs of a diverse patient population. In this context, how you would contribute to MCG’s community and the healthcare needs of Georgians? (300 words)

Please describe the specific geographical area (state, city, town or country if applicable) in which you would most likely practice medicine and why. (300 words)

Please explain any inconsistencies in your academic record. This may include below average course performance, grade trends, MCAT scores, etc. If no inconsistencies have occurred, please select "N/A." (300 words)

Please list any additional clinical experiences that are not included on your AMCAS application. Please include the physician’s name OR type of experience (i.e., Nursing, PA, EMT, E.R. Scribe, etc.) in the description column below along with the location, dates and total number of hours. If no additional experiences have occurred, please select "N/A." (300 words)

If applicable, indicate any special experiences, unusual factors, or other information you feel the admissions committee should consider which may not be captured in other areas of your application. If no additional experiences have occurred, please select "N/A. (300 words)

Mercer University School of Medicine 

Please provide below an alternate e-mail address (different from the one listed on the Primary AMCAS Application) to which we can send you correspondence related to your application. (Required)

Please provide a cell phone number at which you can be contacted in reference to your application. (Required)

Please address any institutional action, including honor code or conduct code violations, from your time as an undergraduate and graduate student. (Required)

If you wish to discuss your perceptions of your academic readiness for the rigors of a medical school curriculum or explain poor grades in college coursework or MCAT scores to the Admissions Committee, please do so below. (230 words)

What is your understanding of the practice of rural medicine? (230 words)

Do you consider yourself to have been raised or to be residing in an area that is medically underserved or in a county that consists of medically underserved populations? By medically underserved we mean populations vulnerable to poor health due to difficulties accessing adequate health care services. This may be due to factors including but not limited to: education level; poverty; being uninsured or underinsured; lack of a usual source of care other than the emergency department; belonging to a socially marginalized group with poorer health outcomes; cultural or language barriers to receiving quality medical care; distance or lack of transportation to needed medical care. Please explain. (230 words)

The mission of Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) is to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the health care needs of medically underserved and rural areas of Georgia. Summarize your work and learning experiences that you believe reflect congruence with this mission. Based on your understanding of our mission, where and what do you envision yourself doing after completion of medical school and residency? (230 words)

If you wish to, please briefly explain to the Admissions Committee experiences, attributes, or qualifications you believe are unique to you that will strengthen the educational environment at MUSM. (230 words)

Please explain to the Admissions Committee factors that you could not highlight above that would help the Admissions Committee better understand your unique circumstances. If you would like to briefly highlight any substantial updates with regard to your application (example, volunteer experiences) that have occurred after you submitted the Primary AMCAS Application, please summarize them below. (230 words)

Describe your experiences in service to others and your community and how they have helped prepare you to be a physician. (230 words)

Morehouse School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Morehouse School of Medicine )

Identify the one type of medical career listed below to which you may wish to devote the majority of your professional efforts:

Other Specialty Care

Research/Teaching

Briefly explain the reasons for your selections in the Perceptions of Your Medical Career Section. (999 characters)

Type a brief statement setting forth the key motivational factors in your decision to apply to Morehouse School of Medicine and any information about yourself you feel would be of interest to the Committee of Admissions in the consideration of your application. (9999 characters)

University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Please respond to essays A, B, and C. If you are a re-applicant, respond to essay D as well. Please limit responses to 600 words per essay.

A) Describe how your background and your unique lived experiences will contribute to JABSOM's mission. (600 word limit)

B) Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful. (600 word limit)

C) Describe any personal connection to JABSOM and/or Hawaii and the Pacific that you may have. If you do not have a personal connection to JABSOM and/or Hawaii, please describe why you have chosen to apply to JABSOM. (600 word limit)

D) If you are a re-applicant to JABSOM, please complete the following additional essay:

Describe what efforts you have made to further improve your application to the MD Program. (600 word limit)

Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine

What characteristics of ICOM will help you become a successful osteopathic physician? (Unlimited characters)

If this is not your first time applying to medical school, how have you improved your application? (Please type N/A if not applicable) (Unlimited characters)

What does Osteopathic Principles and Practices mean to you and how will you integrate these into your future practice? (Unlimited characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Illinois: How to Get In )

Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Note: Carle uses a unique format for its secondary. Please read the instructions carefully.

In the three artifacts we ask you to SHOW US how compassion, curiosity, and creativity have played out in your life, and how you exemplify these values. Each artifact should be uploaded as a PDF (one page for each value, formatted no larger than 8.5" x 11"). No hyperlinks or embedded videos are allowed. We encourage you to make your artifacts image focused but captions or other brief notes can be included on the artifact to help us understand the context of your images. Your artifacts will be most powerful if you include multiple activities for each and clearly indicate the quality and depth of your experience, but only include that which is meaningful for the value. The artifacts should be somewhat reflective in nature so share your thoughts and insights . You may repeat experiences listed on your AMCAS application and/or include new ones. Our screeners will evaluate your portfolio independently BEFORE they evaluate your AMCAS application so do not assume the screeners are aware of any of the information in your AMCAS. Please do not include activities from high school or earlier unless they are of very high quality or impact (an example would be achieving Eagle Scout rank). Family interactions/relationships ("spending time with family") are unlikely to score well unless you can show how they are unusual or significant (an example would be full-time caregiver for a family member for a period). Please make your role clear. Was the activity you are presenting part of a class for credit or something you did on your own? Was this part of a team? If so, what was YOUR role? For example, if you did or are still doing work in a research lab, we are less interested in a detailed description of the science and more interested in learning what you did, how YOU contributed, and if you were able to be innovative. While the content of your portfolio is of primary importance, our reviewers are also evaluating your presentation. This does not mean you have to be "artistic", but it is valuable to show an innovative approach. Instead of thinking about what WE want, include what YOU want to share. What drives you? What do you want us to know? Show us who you are, and why you are uniquely suited to our school. In the impact statement we ask you to TELL US more. This statement will provide meaningful context and scope for your artifacts and tell us the impact of what you are showing us. The impact statement is not intended to explain your artifacts, but rather to expand on and supplement them; to demonstrate the impact of the experiences you included. Think of this statement being like an abstract, a synopsis, or a legend for a figure in a paper. You have a maximum of 250 words.

We believe in creating physicians who, in addition to solving healthcare's most complex problems, are also tender, kind, and warm. From day one, you will be working with patients.

Show Us - How have you changed the lives of others? What have you experienced that has fostered a deep sense of compassion? For example, have you had a moving volunteer experience? Have you learned through adversity and shared those lessons with others in need? Share with us the ways you’ve impacted a larger population and help us see how you will be the type of physician we would entrust with our most beloved community members.

Carle Illinois College of Medicine values lifelong learners. We want to see your passion for learning and growing!

Show Us - How have you explored new interests, cultures, or people? Have you identified a need and taken the initiative to respond to that need? For example, is there a research project or work experience you’d like to share? Has your curiosity fostered a deeper sense of vulnerability, resilience, or life-long learning? If so, how? Let us see where your curiosity has taken you.

The dictionary tells us that innovation is a new method, idea, or product. Often there is an outcome, a clearly defined result, or a new thing is discovered. The introduction of something new requires dynamic thinking and creative solutions. Creativity is key to innovation. Help us see your creativity!

Show Us - What are the ways you demonstrate you have an active mind? What are you really proud of? For example, have you used technology in novel or distinct ways? What innovative solutions have you employed in your work, healthcare, or hobbies? Have you taken a risk to respond to a problem, to express yourself, or to achieve your goals? Describe how you live and lead a creative life.

Impact Statement

Tell Us - In 250 words or less, create an abstract-style narrative describing the impact of the experiences you included in your portfolio artifacts and how they have shaped your understanding of and connection to the Carle Illinois values of Compassion, Curiosity, and Creativity. The narrative should provide context and scope to the stories told in your artifacts and the value and impact these Carle Illinois values have in your life.

Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

How would you manage a situation where a family member or close friend made a sexist, racist, or prejudiced comment in your presence? (150 words)

What has been your greatest self-discovery? (150 words)

What event(s) from your youth still teaches you lessons today? How do you apply what you learned? (150 words)

Give five reasons why you would make an excellent physician? (150 words)

What is the greatest act of kindness you have ever performed for someone? (150 words)

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: "Since the school uses a rolling admissions process, however, those who submit their AMCAS application and all supporting materials in the summer and early fall will enhance their potential for being offered interviews."

500-word maximum for all questions.

Explain how you know that you want to spend your life studying and practicing medicine. Describe how the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM) can help you develop into the kind of person and physician you hope to become.

Social justice, in the Jesuit tradition, justice due to each person's inherent human dignity, is an essential dimension of education at SSOM. Describe an impactful experience working with and for under-resourced communities. Explain what you have learned about yourself through this service OR what has hindered your efforts to serve others in these environments.

Relate a situation within your professional formation in which you determined that something you did or said did not go over well with someone else. How did you know? What did you do? What did you learn from the experience?

Describe a time you received feedback about your performance and disagreed with the feedback. What did you disagree with? How did you handle it?

Describe a non-academic personal/professional challenge or conflict that you have experienced. Explain what skills, resources and/or strategies you employed to resolve the problem.

Complete the following questions if applicable:

Have you or any of your relatives attended or been employed by Loyola University Chicago or the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine?

Please indicate additional grades earned, amendments to your proposed coursework or graduation date, address changes, additions to your list of experiences, and anything else you feel we should know.

Please explain in more detail (in less than 1500 characters) anything that would help us understand any gaps or delays in your education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere.

If you have not been enrolled in coursework for over two years, please let us know what you have been doing since your coursework ended.

Have you applied to SSOM prior to this application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to SSOM and tell us how your application has improved since your previous submission.

Are you currently, or have you been, enrolled in any of the following programs?

Applicant Boot Camp or Health Equity and Advocacy Leaders (ASPIRE):

Early Assurance Program (EAP):

Health Professionals Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP):

Loyola University Chicago undergraduate (LUC):

Loyola MA in Medical Sciences (LUC MAMS):

Loyola MS in Medical Physiology (LUC MSMP):

Loyola Masters in Infectious Disease and Immunology (INDIRI):

Proviso United with Loyola for Educational Enrichment (PULSE):

Medical Minority Applicant Registry (MED-MAR):

Have you ever been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic or parking violation? If the answer is yes, please explain below.

If you did not submit an advisor or committee letter, please tell us why.

Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

List any relative who is an osteopathic physician:

Why do you believe CCOM would provide you with the type of osteopathic medical education you are seeking? (1500 characters)

Why should CCOM accept you into this year's class? (1500 characters)

Upload a copy of your resume or curriculum vitae, which will include, but not be limited to the following information:

Educational History (colleges attended and degrees earned)

Employment History

Medically-related work and volunteer experiences

College extracurricular activities, honors, and leadership responsibilities

Community activities, honors, and leadership responsibilities

Hobbies and nonacademic interests

Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine

MD application questions

FEINBERG CURRICULUM: Feinberg’s mission is to train future leaders who will serve their patients, communities and society. Describe one specific aspect of the FSM integrated curriculum that will help you achieve your future goals within medicine and how FSM, located in Chicago, will help you achieve this professional goal. (200 words, max)

COPING STRATEGIES: Describe specific steps you take to manage your stress while balancing personal, educational and professional responsibilities. (200 words, max)

POST-UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCES (if applicable): If you have one year or more between college graduation and medical school matriculation, describe both your completed activities and anticipated plans. (200 words, max)

REAPPLICANT (if applicable): If you are reapplying to medical school, please address steps taken to enhance your application. (200 words, max)

FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE RELATIONSHIP: Do you or an immediate family member have an existing relationship with the Feinberg School of Medicine?

Personal Narrative: The Feinberg School of Medicine values the totality of our students’ experiences. As everyone has their own narrative, please describe how your unique experiences would enrich the Northwestern community. (200 words, max)

MSTP application questions

Why did you choose your undergraduate major? How does the subject appeal to you? (200 words)

Name a scientific paper that you have read recently that had a strong impact on you and describe what impact it had. (200 words)

Discuss a current unanswered question in biomedical research that you find particularly interesting and what research you would like to see done to address it. (200 words)

If you have (or expect to have) a year or more between college graduation and medical school matriculation, describe your activities and/or plans. (200 words)

If you are a re-applicant this cycle, please address steps taken to improve your application. If not a reapplicant, please enter "N/A". (200 words)

What is the most gratifying research experience you have had to date and why? What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in research and how did you overcome it? (200 words)

Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as any other relevant information. (200 words)

Personal Narrative: The Feinberg School of Medicine values diversity as a measure of excellence. We define diversity as the totality of the characteristics and experiences of our students. We believe that a diverse student body improves the educational environment and the ability of our graduates to serve an increasingly diverse patient population. Everyone has their own narrative. Please provide more detail about how your experiences would enrich the Northwestern community. (200 words)

Rush Medical College of Rush University

All prompts have a 1,000-character limit.

1. RUSH Medical College is located on Chicago’s Near West Side and serves a diverse patient population. We seek to train physicians who can connect with diverse patient populations with whom they may not share a similar background. Tell us about a life experience that has broadened your own world view or enhanced your ability to understand those unlike yourself and what you learned from this experience.

2. "Distance traveled" is the metaphorical distance that represents the journey an applicant undertakes throughout their life, encompassing achievements, personal identity, and the competencies developed along the way. The Committee on Admissions seeks and values the skills and competencies that applicants develop as a result of their individual experiences, and recognizes them as desired and essential attributes of a future physician.

Based on your experiences and your distance traveled, please describe any adversities, challenges, and/or marginalized experiences that you have encountered.

2a. Please describe the effect of these adversities, challenges, and/or marginalized experiences on you as an individual. Explain how you overcame them, what skills you built, what lessons you learned, and how these experiences motivated you to be a doctor.

There is no “2b.” (Think of 2a as a continuation of the main Question 2.) Questions 3 to 6 are not essay questions.

7. Do you have direct patient care/contact experience beyond shadowing/observing? Answering "yes" demonstrates you have had active interactions with patients and/or clinical participation in their continuum of care.

(If you choose Yes): List and describe, in detail, each experience below. While activities can parallel those listed on the AMCAS application, the narratives should not. Instead, focus on detailing the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities you learned and applied during these experiences. Additionally, estimate the proportion of each role that was spent interfacing with patients.

Note: When listing the start and end date of each experience, please use the calendar button to the right of each respective text box.

8. If applicable, describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your application to and/or preparation for medical school. (Optional)

9. Use this space to provide additional information, that is non-COVID related, you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your application. (Optional)

10. Have you ever been involved in an institutional action related to academic dishonesty/integrity? Have you ever been convicted of a crime, or pleaded guilty and been placed on probation, court supervision or another reconviction program for an incident other than a minor traffic ticket?

(If Yes): Please explain in detail.

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

The mission of SIU School of Medicine is to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health care needs through education, patient care, research and service to the community.

Preference is given to established residents of central and southern Illinois who intend to practice medicine in the state.

Applicants should have a good foundation in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate facility in writing and speaking the English language.

Preference is given to applicants who will have earned a baccalaureate degree by the time of matriculation.

Preference is given to applicants who have had sufficient recent academic activity to demonstrate potential for successful completion of medical school.

Although the Admissions Committee establishes no quotas, active efforts are made to recruit qualified applicants from groups who have been under-represented in the medical profession.

SIU School of Medicine uses a holistic approach to identify students who best fulfill its mission: to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health care needs through education, patient care, research and service to the community. In what ways do you believe you would contribute to SIU’s mission and what barriers have you overcome in your life’s circumstances to reach this point in applying to medical school? Please limit your response to 300 words or less.

Tell us about your lived experiences that will make you a better physician? Please limit your response to 300 words or less.

To be successful as a student at SIU School of Medicine and as a practicing physician, you must be flexible and committed to cultivating and employing critical interactive and learning skills. Describe your experiences that demonstrate: contribution in a teamwork setting; engagement in self-directed and life-long learning (taking personal initiative to identify and address your learning goals and needs); and exposure to the small group tutorial process used in a problem-based learning environment. Please limit your answer to 500 words or less.

If you have previously applied to SIU School of Medicine, please describe how you feel you have strengthened your credentials since that application. Please limit your answer to 300 words or less.

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? Have you ever been convicted with a misdemeanor other than a minor traffic offense? Have you ever been charged with a felony or a misdemeanor other than a minor traffic offense, or with misconduct on any college campus? If you answered 'YES' to any of the three preceding questions, please explain the relevant circumstances. (No character limit was given.)

University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Students at the Pritzker School of Medicine complete the majority of their clinical training at UChicago Medicine (UCM). UCM is one of the top ten most racially inclusive hospitals in the United States with a primary service area of 12 South Side zip codes where poverty is over double the state level. Additionally, our students lead six free clinics in diverse neighborhoods throughout the city of Chicago.

Please share with us the personal and professional experiences that have best prepared you to work in this diverse clinical environment. (Suggested Word Limit: 450)

(MD-Only Applicants) All MD students participate in our longitudinal Scholarship & Discovery research program, which offers protected curricular time, mentoring, and funding for students to pursue their scholarly interests. Please describe your research interests and share how our research opportunities will help you advance your career goals. (Suggested Word Limit: 450)

Share with us a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. In your response, identify both the coping skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. (Suggested Word Limit: 450)

Optional Additional Information Please feel free to use this space to convey any additional information that you might wish the Committee to know. For example, if you are not currently completing a degree, please share your planned or current activities for this application cycle. We suggest that you limit your text to about 300 words.

University of Illinois College of Medicine

What characteristics, qualities, or attributes do you possess that have helped you to deal with conflict and change?

Which characteristics, qualities, or attributes of UICOM attracted you to apply for medical school here?

An important part of UICOM’s identity is the concept of “one college, three campuses.” The curriculum is identical on each campus; however, each campus has unique characteristics. Please describe what you have learned about at least two of our three campuses.

What are some of the causes and consequences of prejudice and injustice? What does an individual’s response to prejudice and injustice reveal about their character? What is the role of a bystander who witnesses prejudice or injustice?

UICOM values a wide range of perspectives. Describe an aspect of your own perspective, value system, or lived experience that is important to you and how it would contribute to the diverse and collaborative community at UICOM.

Have you applied for admission to medical school previously? (Yes/No)

If you are reapplying this year please describe what you have done during the past year.

Have you ever matriculated into and not completed a professional/graduate program? (Yes/No)

Please describe the circumstances of why you did not complete the program of study.

Indiana University School of Medicine

There are no secondary essay prompts for the 2024–2025 cycle.

Instead, the school will email to confirm receipt of your AMCAS application. When they are ready to select interviewees, they will email those students a link to provide additional (non-essay) information.

Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Do you have any experience shadowing? Y/N

Please enter records (physician name, role, specialty, hours, hospital/clinic name)

Do you have research experience? Y/N

List up to 3 experiences (Title, hours, role, and outcome)

Please describe any experience you have had working with underserved and/or rural populations. You may include healthcare-related experiences as well as volunteer work, community service, educational outreach, or any other relevant experiences. (300 words)

Can you describe a challenging situation you encountered during your academic or personal journey, and how you managed to overcome it? How did this experience shape your approach to adversity and resilience? (300 words)

Are you interested in practicing medicine in Indiana? Y/N

If yes, please describe your interest and reasons why. If not, please explain why not:

Do you have any connections to the state of Indiana?

If yes, please describe your connections:

In considering your medical career, elaborate on the practice settings or specialty that resonates with you. (300 words)

What personal experiences or values have motivated you into considering an osteopathic medical education. (300 words)

Could you share a specific example of a time when you demonstrated empathy and compassion towards someone in need, either within a healthcare setting or in your personal life? How did this experience influence your desire to pursue a career in medicine?" (300 words)

Explain your interest in attending MU-COM (300 words)

Please indicate any changes or additions that have occurred since submitting your AACOMAS application (including but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, research, military service, academic warnings, conduct violations, and/or convictions). (300 words)

Please share any other relevant information that you would like the MU-COM Admissions Committee to know about you: (300 words)

Des Moines College of Osteopathic Medicine

Note: Questions are contained within the AACOMAS primary application.

If you have previously applied to medical school, how has your application improved? (250 characters)

Please describe your exposure to osteopathic medicine, including (but not limited to) experiences with physicians in primary care or rural practice within the U.S. How have these experiences impacted you and your pursuit of osteopathic medical education as it relates to the mission of Des Moines University? (2000 characters)

What activities are you currently or planning to pursue leading up to potential matriculation? (500 characters)

University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine *  

Time-sensitive considerations: "Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit application materials by October 15 ."

We understand you may be applying to multiple medical schools. Please explain your reasons for applying to the Carver College of Medicine. (1500 characters)

Describe a personal characteristic, challenge, or experience that makes you unique. How will this influence your contribution to a dynamic healthcare system that advocates for all peoples? (1500 characters)

Please list and briefly describe all medically related experiences (paid/volunteer) you have completed during the past 5 years. Do NOT forecast future hours. Please include experiences listed on your AMCAS and also provide any additional experiences NOT listed on your AMCAS. (175 characters per description)

(OPTIONAL) If you are a reapplicant to the Carver College of Medicine, how have you strengthened your application? (1500 characters)

(OPTIONAL) If you are not currently in a degree-seeking program , please indicate what you will be doing from the time you complete this secondary application to the start of medical school. (1500 characters)

Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

What failures have you experienced that have shaped you as an individual and prepared you for the rigors of medical school? (500 words, max)

What have you found as the most effective way to prioritize your time? (500 words, max)

What individuals and experiences have led to your interest in Osteopathic Medicine and motivated you to apply to KHSC-KansasCOM? (500 words, max)

University of Kansas School of Medicine

Answer the questions that apply to you. All applicants will answer questions 1-5.

Describe your health care experiences that involved direct exposure to physicians' clinical duties and how they have shaped your desire to apply to medical school. (1000 characters)

Describe examples of leadership experience in which you have significantly influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. (1000 characters)

Beyond academics (grades and MCATs), describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to address this challenge. (1000 characters)

Give an example of what you have done to make your community a better place to live. (1000 characters)

Patients come from various backgrounds. Please describe how you will engage with patients whose backgrounds may differ from yours. (1000 characters)

If you are not a Kansas resident , what is your specific interest in applying to the University of Kansas School of Medicine? (1000 characters)

If there are academic discrepancies in your application that have not been explained in your application, use this space to clarify. Examples may include unexplained gaps in time, multiple undergraduate institutions attended, multiple course withdrawals, inconsistent academic performance, inconsistency between academic performance and MCAT scores. (1000 characters)

If you are currently enrolled , or plan to be enrolled during the next academic year in a graduate or professional degree program, please describe your status within the program and your intention to complete the program. You must also request a letter from your graduate program advisor or from the dean of your professional school. This letter must include acknowledgement of your application to medical school and a description of your status in the program. Students in the MD program are considered and expected to participate full-time in MD program requirements and accompanying activities (e.g., service, research, etc.). Our experience over multiple decades has informed the SOM that participation in outside activities (e.g., employment, other degree programs, etc.) is not conducive to successfully navigating our curriculum and overall school requirements. Failing to meet program expectations can place the student at risk for administrative action, including dismissal. (1000 characters)

If you are no longer a full-time student , briefly describe your current employment, community, medical, and/or educational activities. (1000 characters)

For Repeat Applicants Only: Since your last application, note any relevant academic, employment, and personal experiences that enhance your ability to be a better physician. (1000 characters)

For Combined MD/PhD Program Applicants: Do you also want to be considered as an "MD-only" applicant? (1000 characters)

University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Why have you chosen to apply to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine?

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine's (UKCOM) mission statement promotes a diverse and inclusive environment that provides excellence in education, equitable health care, and transformative research to improve the health and wellness of Kentuckians and beyond. Please describe how your past experiences or future plans contribute to enriching and enhancing the learning environment at UKCOM.

If you are a non Kentucky resident, you are required to elaborate on your Kentucky ties if applicable (personal, familial e.g.)

Your combination of life experiences make you uniquely you. Talk about one such experience and how it has helped you prepare to be a physician.

Describe an experience or situation which made you feel grateful?

Please share unique, personally important, and/or challenging facts in your life and/or work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Describe a situation where you were not in the majority.

Please indicate your campus choice. Please elaborate on why this is your preferred campus.

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Why are you choosing to apply to the University of Louisville School of Medicine? (500 char)

List the individuals who are providing letters of recommendation as a component of your complete secondary application (for example, Committee letter/institution name, Professor Smith/academic subject, etc.) The letter of recommendation policy can be found by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser Submit Letters of Recommendation — School of Medicine University of Louisville. (500 char)

Describe your most significant personal accomplishments and/or experiences and how these may relate to your potential to contribute to the medical community. (1000 char)

What has been your most significant contribution to your community, through service or volunteerism? What was its impact on the community and on you? (1000 char)

Academic productivity and the ability to engage in extracurricular achievements can be impacted by a number of challenges. For example, students who come from rural areas, who held regular employment during college years, or who are the first in their families to graduate from college may not have the same access to opportunities and support as students from other environments. Adversity can shape both the person you are and what you have to offer your future classmates, colleagues and patients. Please describe any challenges that you consider significant in your lived experience. (500 char)

The University of Louisville School of Medicine’s mission is to improve the health of our patients and the diverse communities we serve through excellence and leadership in education, patient care, research and community engagement. Describe how your life experiences and personal attributes prepare you to provide excellent and equitable care to diverse patient populations. (500 char)

List and describe any additional experiences, interests, hobbies, or skills not included in other areas of your application or that you have completed since submitting your AMCAS application. (500 char)

Discuss briefly why you have decided to pursue medicine and how your personal characteristics align with those you believe are most needed by physicians. (500 char)

Practice after residency: How do you see yourself practicing medicine after residency training? (Please include choice of medical practice and location). (500 char)

If you are a reapplicant, what has changed from your previous application or your approach to this year's admissions cycle? (250 char)

If you are not a Kentucky resident, please explain any personal or familial ties to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. If you are a Kentucky resident type "Not Applicable" in the text box below. (500 char)

Please list each place of permanent residence, beginning from birth, including the City, County, State, years in residence, and estimated population size. (1000 char)

University of Pikeville–Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

Have you previously applied? (500 word limit)

Please describe your experience with osteopathic medicine, such as your care and treatment from a DO and your shadowing experience with a DO (including number of hours). Please describe how your experience has influenced your decision to apply to an osteopathic medical school.

(500 word limit)

Louisiana State University – New Orleans School of Medicine

LSU uses forms (rather than essays) for most of its secondary. The following prompt is the optional essay for this year:

14. (Optional) If you wish, you may attach an essay of reasonable length (500-600 words) using the prompt "your values.”

Prompts for applicants to Primary Care Scholars program and Rural Scholars Track:

Please provide specific information about your immediate and extended family that live in rural or underserved communities in Louisiana. (i.e., relationship, community, occupation, etc.)

List all extracurricular activities during college, e.g., volunteer work, clubs, etc. Please indicate the duration and nature of your participation.

Describe your involvement in your home community prior to and since attending college, e.g., community groups, activities, or volunteer efforts, etc. Please indicate your length of time of involvement.

List your hobbies and interests.

Based on your own personal experience, observations and insights, describe the roles and responsibilities of a rural or primary care physician.

Why do you feel you are a suitable candidate for the Rural Scholar Track (RST), and/or the Patrick F. Taylor Primary Care Scholar Program (PFT)?

Primary Care Scholars program applicants:

What other career possibilities have you considered?

Describe your personal experiences and knowledge of rural and/or community life.

Do you have any commitments or obligations that will interfere with practicing medicine in Louisiana immediately following completion of a residency program (i.e., military, ROTC, religious, etc.?) If yes, please describe.

Rural Scholars Track applicants: What medical specialty possibilities have you considered?

Louisiana State University – Shreveport School of Medicine

Briefly describe the key motivational factor(s) in your decision to apply to LSU Health Shreveport and any additional information about yourself you feel would be of interest to the Admissions Committee in consideration of your application. (500 characters)

Second prompt for reapplicants: PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION ONLY IF YOU ARE A RE-APPLICANT TO LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT. Since your previous medical school application, what academic, employment, volunteer experiences or other progress have you made that make you a more competitive applicant? (2000 characters)

Tulane University School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Tulane Medical School )

Tulane University School of Medicine’s mission statement states: We improve human health and foster healthy communities through discovery and translation of the best science into clinical practice and education; to deliver the highest quality patient care and prepare the next generation of distinguished clinical and scientific leaders. Briefly describe the reasons for your interest in Tulane University School of Medicine. (150 words)

What disparities in health do you believe are pertinent to the New Orleans patient population? How would you attempt to address them as a medical student at Tulane? You may support your answer by using past involvement working in a similar patient population to compare and/or describe your interest in any student activities offered at Tulane or in New Orleans. (150 words)

Who knows you best and how would they describe you? (150 words)

Please list any leadership positions (clubs, organizations, paid work) you may have held. (100 words)

Please list your hobbies and major non-academic interests. (150 words)

(OPTIONAL) Tulane University School of Medicine values the diversity of its patients, faculty, staff, and students. Do you identify with a particular group that you believe is underrepresented among medical professionals? (60 words)

(OPTIONAL) In what ways did the COVID-19 pandemic alter/interrupt your medical school application? (No limit)

University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

Have you previously applied to the University of New England (undergraduate, graduate, or professional)? (2000 characters)

Have you had any contact with UNE COM via alumni, faculty, staff or students? (2000 characters)

Are you related to any alumni of UNE COM? (2000 characters)

What is your interest in attending UNE COM? (2000 characters)

a) If you previously only applied to Allopathic medical schools, why are you now applying to Osteopathic Medical schools? Please be concise and specific. b) If this is more than your first round of application to medical schools, what have you done to enhance your preparedness? Please be concise and specific. (2000 characters)

UNE COM’s curriculum is built on a foundation of collaborative team-based education. Give an example of when you worked in an effective academic or professional group. Explain why a team-based approach is the right model for your medical education. (2000 characters)

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Johns Hopkins Medical School )

Note: Following the list of questions, we’ve also included another section with questions. These are Yes/No questions, but if you answer Yes, you then have space (to fit the 200- to 400-word limits) to develop your response. For this reason, we felt it important to include those questions as well.

Please review the Johns Hopkins Medicine Website . Is there an area of medicine or a particular medical specialty at Johns Hopkins that interests you and why? (400 word limit)

Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application if needed (400 word limit)

Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity. Include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician (400 word limit)

Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? (400 word limit)

Wonder encapsulates a feeling of rapt attention…it draws the observer in. Tell us about a time in recent years where you experienced wonder in your everyday life. Although experiences related to your clinical or research work may be the first to come to mind, we encourage you to think of an experience that is unrelated to medicine or science. What did you learn from that experience? (500 word limit)

Please review the Johns Hopkins Medicine Equity Statement before answering the question below.

The Johns Hopkins Medicine Equity Statement:

At Johns Hopkins Medicine, we believe that everyone has a role in promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in health care, research, and education.

We must acknowledge, actively address and work toward effectively managing our negative biases, so that we collectively make decisions that improve the lives of our patients, our colleagues, our learners, and our community.

We stand against discrimination and oppression in all their forms.

It is vital that we achieve equity for all, including those who are most vulnerable.

The purpose of this essay is to get to know you as an individual and a potential medical student. Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to apply to Johns Hopkins Medicine and what has influenced your desire to become a physician in a Medical community that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first-generation college student, or being a part of a minority group, (whether because of your gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, socio-economic status, political affiliation, first-generation status, religion, etc.) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. (500 word limit)

(OPTIONAL) Would you like to share any additional information with the Admissions Committee about yourself that cannot be found elsewhere in your application? This space can also address any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, areas of weakness, etc.) that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider (300 words)

Additional questions (“Educational History”)

Have you ever applied to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (MD or MD/PhD programs) before? Yes No To which prior application year(s) have you applied?

Please share with us how you have reflected upon and grown since your previous application. Discuss any new updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, extracurricular/volunteer engagements, etc.) (400 word limit)

Have you ever interrupted your college education for a semester or longer? Yes No Please describe what you did during that break in enrollment (400 word limit)

Have you ever been placed on probation, dismissed, or suspended from any college or university for reasons pertaining to academic and/or campus judicial integrity? Yes No Please explain (500 word limit)

Have you have ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to any felony or misdemeanor (excluding minor traffic violations)? Yes No Please explain (400 word limit)

Have you have already received your bachelor’s degree? Yes No Please describe what you have been doing since graduation and your plans for the upcoming year (400 word limit)

We recognize academic journeys can be complex and varied. If applicable, please briefly explain any withdrawals (W), incompletes (I), or academic coursework grades below a B on your transcript. Your explanation helps us understand your academic history better and how you have overcome challenges.

Do you have any other dual/integrated degree interests at Johns Hopkins University (MPH, MS, etc.)? Yes No Please explain. (200 word limit)

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine *  

Time-sensitive considerations: Within 21 days of the invite. (This information was confirmed with the school.)

Medicine and Officership are time-honored professions that unite at “America’s Medical School” in rewarding and challenging ways. What are your thoughts and impressions about serving as a uniformed medical corps officer, and why do you want to pursue this career path? (1500 characters)

The Uniformed Services University features a unique curriculum that prepares students to care for those in harm’s way. Please describe what in your research about our school and its values attracts you to our institution’s mission and approach. (1500 characters)

Our Admissions Committee assembles classes of students with a wide range of backgrounds, skills, experiences, and talents. Please describe how a special quality or experience of yours has informed your ability to participate well in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. (1500 characters)

(Optional) You may use this field to enter any information that you would like to share that was not provided on your AMCAS application. (2000 characters)

University of Maryland School of Medicine

How would you describe your cultural background? (optional, 1000 characters)

Describe here the reason why you are specifically interested in attending the University of Maryland School of Medicine. (1000 characters)

Have you previously met or attended/seen a presentation by a University of Maryland School of Medicine Admissions

staff member at an open house, college fair, conference, school visit, etc.? If yes, please explain. (1000 characters)

Aside from summer and holiday breaks, have there been any pauses or delays in your education semesters between high school and college, during college, or after college? If yes, please explain (1000 characters)

Please describe what you will be doing during the 2024-2025 academic year. If you graduated/will graduate in 2024, what are your plans for the coming year until you matriculate to medical school? (1000 characters)

If you’ve experienced academic challenges while in college and/or graduate or professional school, please describe and explain below. Please be sure to include withdrawals, incompletes, poor grades, etc. (Optional, 1000 characters)

Briefly describe your most meaningful exposure to clinical medicine. (1500 characters)

Briefly describe your most satisfying experience related to community service. (1500 characters)

Without limiting the discussion to your own identity, please describe how you envision contributing to the values of equity and inclusivity at our School of Medicine, and in the medical profession. (1500 characters)

What does it mean to you to enter into a profession? (1500 characters)

MSTP Prompts

Please indicate the MD/PhD program you are most interested in (drop-down menu).

Why are you applying to the MD/PhD Program at the UMSOM? (2500 characters)

Please list the name(s) of your MD/PhD letter of recommendation writers who can focus on your research potential. (2500 characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Massachusetts: How to Get In )

Boston University School of Medicine

(Questions 1, 2, 5, 6 are REQUIRED )

Did you go on to college directly after high school? (Y/N) (if no, explain - 1400 characters )

Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate degree? ( Y/N ) (Post bac work is NOT considered undergraduate. If attending a post bac program prior to entering medical school, the answer is NO and should be explained.) If you took gap year(s), please use this space to explain what you have been doing prior to applying to medical school. (1400 characters)

If you have spent more than 4 years as an undergraduate, please explain below. (You may skip this question if you have graduated within 4 years.) (1400 characters)

Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be of particular interest to us. For example, have you lived in another country or experienced a culture unlike your own, or worked in a field that contributed to your understanding of people unlike yourself? Or, have you experienced advanced training in any area, including the fields of art, music, or sports? This is an opportunity to describe learning experiences that may not be covered in other areas of this application or your AMCAS application. It is not necessary to write anything in this section. Also use this section to explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational/research/volunteering or employment plans. (2000 characters)

Core Competencies: Explain in each box below, how your coursework exemplifies knowledge competency in each subject area. These are broad subject areas. You should list courses, and other pertinent information. (For example, Biology: Intro Bio 101, Intro Bio lab 102, Anatomy 201, summer research in cell biology with Professor Smith; Humanities: Freshman English, History of Civilization, Philosophy 101, English writing tutor 2 semesters). Add text to explain your entries if necessary.

Include courses that you have completed or anticipate completing prior to matriculation.

For sciences, include both lectures and labs.

We will accept your school's definition of lab experience for Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biological Sciences.

Use your transcript and university course classifications as a guide. Courses may be listed more than once if the subject matter falls into more than one core competency.

Non U.S. or non-Canadian educated applicant must have completed a minimum of (2) two years of academic work at an institution accredited by and located in the U.S. or Canada, which should include study in the core competencies listed.

There is no right or wrong answer here. You will be contacted if the Committee on Admissions has any questions regarding your answers.

If you have nothing to list under a particular category, write N/A. (600 characters each)

Mathematics:

Humanities (including English)

Why BU Chobanian & Avedisian SOM? Boston Medical Center is the largest safety net hospital in New England, serving primarily people who are publicly insured, people of color, immigrants, and low-income people in the Greater Boston Area. Why are you specifically interested in beginning your medical education in this environment, and how do you feel that your previous experiences will prepare you for this unique learning environment? (3000 characters)

Optional Essay: (3000 characters) Use the space below to provide additional information you feel will provide us with a comprehensive understanding of your strengths as a candidate for a career in medicine. This should include only information NOT already included in your AMCAS or other sections of the Chobanian & Avedisian SOM Supplemental Application. Most applicants leave this blank. Yes, it's really optional.

Harvard Medical School

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Harvard Medical School )

A. Marital Status

B. Are your parents/guardians Harvard Medical School alumni (MD or MD-PhD) or faculty members?

C. On average how many hours per week did you devote to employment during the academic year?

D. If you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation. (4000 characters)

E. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in the application that may illuminate how you could contribute to the medical school and that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, or other aspects of your personal or family background to place your prior academic achievements in context or provide further information about your motivation for a career in medicine or the perspectives you might bring to the medical school community. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. (4000 characters)

F. The interview season for the 2024-2025 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2025 . Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank. (1000 characters)

For HST applicants:

The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as transformative physicians who will shape the future practice of medicine. Our students come from the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical, engineering and social sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches. The unique HST pre-clinical curriculum prepares students well for the HMS clinical education while also emphasizing disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve critical unmet needs in medicine and healthcare (ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering).

Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities). (4000 character maximum)

Tufts University School of Medicine

Do you wish to share a specific reason why have you chosen to apply to Tufts University School of Medicine? (Yes/No)​ (1000 characters)

Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Will you be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, or other activities? (1000 characters)

Please tell us about your journey to medical school and how your background and experiences will positively impact your future as a medical student and physician. If you have experienced personal circumstances or hardships that have helped you develop qualities that you believe will allow you to better serve your future patients and the medical community as a whole, please share those experiences in your response.​ (1000 characters)

Which of your experiences with clinical medicine or healthcare has best prepared you for a future career as a physician, and why? Please tell us about the specific experience, the skills you acquired, and the insights you gained about the profession of medicine.​ (1000 characters)

Tufts University School of Medicine is committed to social responsibility, and to serve and advocate for all people. Have you done substantial work or service that has contributed to societal good, or addressed social determinants of health, health equity, or social justice? (Yes/No)​ (1000 characters)

Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s).​ (1000 characters)

Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation.)​ (1000 characters)

Because your academics (grades and MCAT scores) will not be shared with interviewers until after you complete your interview, we encourage you to use this space to elaborate on any academic challenges you have overcome since completing high school. We understand that many applicants encounter academic hardships along the way. We believe that such difficulties offer an opportunity for growth and would appreciate learning how your experiences have affected your approach to academics. If you have not encountered any difficulties, you may answer 'No.' (1000 characters)

University of Massachusetts Medical School 

The following note is from admissions:

The secondary application has a required field for inputting Calculus; however, we would like to confirm it is not required. We have since removed this field from the application. For the Secondary question #6 (below) this is a required essay for all applicants. Our instructions incorrectly state it is for MD/PhD applicants; however, we need all applicants (MD and MD/PhD) to complete this important essay. If you have already submitted your secondary application without completing this prompt, we have automatically unsubmitted your application so you may add this.

Additionally,

MD applicants must answer questions 1, 2, 4, and 6 while MD/PhD applicants must also answer question 7 in addition to 1, 2, 4, and 6.

Questions 3 and 5 are options but should be answered if you participated in a UMass Chan Medical/Baystate sponsored program and if you are taking/took gap time respectively.

We would like to learn how you developed and demonstrated core professionalism competencies that are required of entering medical students. Please respond to the first prompt (#1; Diversity). Then select three of the other six prompts (#2-#7). Each response should be 150-200 words. Use the text box below for your answer. Separate each of your four responses by writing the competency above/before your response (example: Teamwork - All teams have their struggles, but they can be overcome...).

UMass Chan Medical School strives to be a diverse academic community mindful of the fact that diversity makes our community stronger and benefits the patients we serve. Share your definition of diversity. Describe an example where you contributed to the diversity of a group, team or class. Connect this to how you will contribute to the diversity of the UMass Chan Medical School community. (Diversity)

Describe a time when you have made a decision that was not popular and how you handled this. (Leadership competency)

Describe a time when you were on a team that was dysfunctional in some regard. How did you address the situation? (Teamwork)

Describe a meaningful interaction you have had with a person whom you have helped at work, school or another activity. (Empathy/Compassion)

Have you ever been in the middle of a situation where there was poor communication? What did you do to improve it? (Communication)

Describe a time when you have "thought outside the box" to solve a problem. (Inquiry)

Describe a time when you suffered a setback. How did you respond to this challenge? (Persistence/Grit)

Please discuss any part of your application that you feel requires further explanation. For example, discuss grades or MCAT scores that do not reflect your true ability, and/or a gap in time that is not explained elsewhere in your application. Discuss any impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on your academic, service, extracurricular or employment experiences. If you are reapplying to T.H. Chan SOM, highlight how you have strengthened your application. (250 words)

If you have participated in T.H. Chan SOM or UMass Memorial Health Care, or UMass Chan Medical-Baystate sponsored programs (SEP, Summer Research Program, Worcester Pipeline Collaborative, AHEC, BaccMD, HSPP, Academic Internships, BSEP, Summer Scholars) please describe how these programs helped you decide to apply to T.H. Chan SOM. (200 words)

Why did you apply to T.H. Chan SOM? (200 words)

If you are currently taking a gap year, in what activities are you engaged? (200 words)

Please describe an example of your personal and/or professional experience with and understanding of systemic inequity, exclusion, or lack of representation in health care in the United States. How did you arrive at this understanding? (200 words)

Track specific-questions:

Purch - Please describe how a focus on population health and healthcare disparities will benefit you in your training and/or career. Please limit your response to less than or equal to 500 words.

LEAD@Lahey - Based on your interests and life experiences, please describe how you might be a good fit for the LEAD@Lahey Pathway at UMass Chan Medical School. What unique experiences and perspectives might you bring to the class? Please limit your response to 250 words or less

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Michigan: How to Get In )

Central Michigan University College of Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: 2 weeks from the time of invitation (This information was confirmed with the school.)

Please provide a brief summary of your affiliation with any County selected (there is a list of counties above the text box that you can select from). (250 words)

Describe your motivation for applying to the CMU College of Medicine and your future career in medicine. Finally, describe how your preparation and background will contribute to the mission of the CMU College of Medicine. (1000 words)

[REAPP ONLY]: If you have applied to any medical school in previous cycles, what have you done since your last application to prepare yourself for a career in medicine? If you have not applied to medical school previously, write “N/A” in the box. (500 words)

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Imagine and reflect upon your life and medical career at the time of retirement. What do you envision being your proudest/most significant accomplishment? (500 words)

American society has been reckoning with a variety of systemic injustices throughout its history. Considering your life experiences up to now, share your thoughts and perspectives about this statement using the lens from which you view the world around you. (500 words)

Consider three or four words and/or phrases from your medical school application that you use to describe or characterize yourself. Pick one (or a completely different one) that is underdeveloped to provide additional written narrative to the committee as to why you’ve decided to pursue a career in medicine. (500 words)

Use the space below to reflect upon your COVID-19 public health crisis experiences, challenges, and/or insights. (500 words)

If you could present yourself to the Admissions Committee, what would you want to make sure they knew (or remembered) about you? (500 words)

Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

What steps have you taken or what activities have you engaged in to learn about the DO profession? (300 words)

Tell us about a time when you received difficult feedback and how you responded. (300 words)

What have you done to work with others different from yourself? What have you learned from these experiences? (300 words)

You may provide additional information, not stated elsewhere, you feel may help the Admissions Committee gain a better understanding of your candidacy. This may include major life achievements or explanations of academic or non-academic discrepancies on your application. You may also include interests or work experiences. (500 words)

For reapplicants: What has changed since your last application? (500 words)

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine *

Oakland County has a diverse patient population with a health equity divide that has resulted in a vulnerable group of patients that are underserved. Select an obstacle that primary care physicians face that work in these types of communities and discuss possible solutions. (400 words)

Please select one or more of OUWB's values and describe any experiences (personal, clinical, and/or service) you've had that align to those values. The values of OUWB are Collaboration, Compassion, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Excellence, Professionalism. (400 words)

In clinical bioethics you will learn how we all have to make complex decisions that sometimes do not match our personal beliefs. Accordingly, is it important to do what you believe is right or what you have been instructed to do? How would you approach this dilemma? (400 words)

(Optional) Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your qualifications for medical school that are not already represented in your application materials? For example, if you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation. Note: This space is provided for new information only, not to promote qualifications already highlighted in your other materials. (400 words)

University of Michigan Medical School

Respond to either of the following, depending on which program you are applying to:

MD applicants: How do you hope to impact medicine and improve patient care in the future and why do you need a medical degree to fulfill these goals? (1500 characters)

MSTP applicants: Describe why you are applying to the University of Michigan MSTP. If you are interested in a specific department, program, or area of research for your Ph.D., please provide a brief explanation. We recognize that your interests may change. If relevant, please describe your gap/growth year plans. (1500 characters)

Please describe the impact of your identity and experiences on your growth and development, and how it may impact your career as a physician. (1500 characters)

The University of Michigan Medical School strives to be a place of equity and belonging for diverse patients, learners, and healthcare professionals. Please describe your experience advancing inclusion and how you envision contributing to our community’s mission.

(1500 characters)

Outside of medicine, and beyond what we can read in your application, tell us what you are curious about or what you have chosen to explore. (1500 characters)

Wayne State University School of Medicine *

Please consider the Wayne State University School of Medicine Mission Statement when answering the questions below.

Mission Statement: We will educate a diverse student body in an urban setting and within a culture of inclusion, through high quality education, clinical excellence, pioneering research, local investment in our community and innovative technology, to prepare physician and biomedical scientific leaders to achieve health and wellness for our society.

When reflecting on the roles and responsibilities of a physician, please discuss what motivated your interest? What are potential challenges to pursuing a career in medicine? (1250 characters)

What are the healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities and underserved communities in the United States? Why do these healthcare challenges exist? How would you address them? (1250 characters)

Which of your experiences or activities align with WSU SOM's mission? Please discuss how they align. (1250 characters)

Please answer if you have had a gap (career change, re-applicant, additional education, etc.). A "gap" is defined as a period of time between the end of your undergraduate education and the start of medical school. What activities have you participated in or plan to participate in during this period? How does this relate to your future career in medicine? (1250 characters)

Western Michigan University School of Medicine

Please explain both of the following:

The specific reason(s) you have chosen to apply to WMed and

How you will utilize the unique features of WMed's mission, vision, and curriculum to achieve your career goals. (2000 characters)

Describe how you add to the cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the medical profession and what you bring to the practice of medicine - your values, skills, talents, and life experiences. (2000 characters)

Re-Applicants Only : Describe the changes to your application from previous cycles - include academics, experiences, and/or personal attributes. (2000 characters)

(Optional): Please explain any connection you have to Southwest Michigan. (2000 characters)

(Optional): Is there any additional information not included elsewhere in your application you would like the admissions committee to know?

(2000 characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Minnesota: How to Get In )

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine )

MD Applicants

Why are you specifically interested in pursuing your medical education at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine? Please tell us in a few sentences why you are interested in the top track choice you indicated. (500 words)

Each of us relates to others through characteristics that make up our individual diversity. Tell us how your diversity is reflected not only in your personal and professional activities, but also in your relationship with others, particularly in diverse learning environments. (500 words)

MSTP Applicants

In the space below, write a brief paragraph (max. 500 characters) explaining why you are specifically applying to the Mayo Clinic MD-PhD Program.

University of Minnesota Medical School *

Time-sensitive considerations: "It is strongly recommended that applicants complete the supplemental application within two weeks of receiving the invitation."

1. Which mission are you interested in being considered for? You may only choose one.

General Admission

Rural Health

Indigenous Health

If you selected Rural Health for the mission: The University of Minnesota Medical School is dedicated to educating future physicians who have demonstrated an interest in serving patients and families in rural Minnesota. Reflect on what “rural Minnesota community” means to you. Describe your experience in and ties to rural Minnesota areas. What do you view as the greatest healthcare practice needs in rural Minnesota, and how will your future practice help fill these needs? (1500 characters)

If you selected Indigenous Health for the mission: The University of Minnesota Medical School is dedicated to educating future physicians who have demonstrated an interest in serving Indigenous communities. Describe your experience in and ties to Indigenous communities. What do you view as the greatest healthcare needs in Indigenous communities, and how will your future practice help fill these needs? (1500 characters)

2. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of the University of Minnesota Medical School. Explain how a learning environment that embodies these values is crucial to the education of tomorrow’s physicians. Reflect on how you might contribute to this learning environment. Share specific examples from professional or personal experiences to support your explanation and reflection. (1500 characters)

3. Describe a time when you used critical thinking to solve a problem that you encountered in any realm where you asked questions, gathered information, thought through possible solutions and their alternatives, and evaluated what you did critically. Please include in your discussion what you learned from this experience. (1500 characters)

4. Describe a time when you experienced an obstacle, challenge or failure. How did it affect you? What did you learn? (1500 characters)

5. Why do you want to go to medical school in the state of MN? (Consider the state of Minnesota and its population.) (1500 characters)

6. (Optional) How have your individual experiences and identity shaped who you are and who you will be as a physician? (1500 characters)

7. (Optional) What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? This is an opportunity for you to discuss an aspect of your journey to medicine that you have not already presented in your application. You may also update us with any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS application. (1500 characters)

University of Mississippi School of Medicine

Please discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic affected your academic preparation for medical school or extracurricular opportunities. Please also discuss any other impact of the pandemic that you would like the admissions committee to know. (2500 characters)

Please outline your motivation for pursuing the medical degree. (3000 characters)

William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Statement of Purpose:

The Mission of the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) is to prepare men and women to become osteopathic physicians through an emphasis on primary care, lifelong learning, research and scholarly activities, and service, including osteopathic clinical service, and graduate medical education. Using a community-based training model, the COM will educate and train graduates who are committed to serving the healthcare needs of all individuals, with special attention directed to the medically underserved and diverse populations of the state, region, nation and across the globe. In the space below (not to exceed 500 words) , please explain how your ambitions and career plans will help WCUCOM fulfill this mission.

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Missouri: How to Get In )

A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

What particular qualities do you feel you can bring to KCOM? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)

What specific experience/exposure have you had with osteopathic medicine? How has this influenced your decision to become an osteopathic physician? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less. All information provided in this section must be the original work of the applicant and not from another author.)

Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: "Secondary applications are due within 21 days of your invitation."

Describe a time that you experienced a personal failure. What did you learn from the experience? How did it affect your personal growth? How did you show grit after the failure?

What kinds of things are you not good at? Why? How could this present a challenge in medical school?

Describe a situation in which you believe you or someone else were not treated fairly. How did you respond? What changes did you make or could be made to prevent someone being treated in this way in the future?

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Will you be a full-time student for the 2023-2024 academic year? If you answer No: Please describe your current activities.(1,000 characters)

Do you have a premedical advisor? If you answer yes: How often do you meet?

Do you wish to include any comments to the Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine Admissions Committee (e.g. why you chose to apply to SLU, other extenuating circumstances, etc.)? Please explain (1,000 characters)

Tell us about a time when you were the other: (1,000 characters)

Were you ever the recipient of any action (e.g. dismissal, disqualification, suspension, etc.) by any college for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violations? If you answer yes: Please explain fully. (1,000 characters)

University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine

Why are you interested in attending the University of Missouri School of Medicine? (1200 characters)

How will you add a unique perspective to the medical school and the practice of medicine? (1200 characters)

How will you contribute to an inclusive learning environment at the medical school and the practice of medicine? (2000 characters)

Is there anything that was not fully addressed in your application and/or any additional updates since submitting the AMCAS application? (2000 characters)

(Re-applicant essay): Since your last application attempt how has your application improved? (3000 characters)

University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine

Please describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to becoming a Physician. The questions below will help you get started but do not limit your responses to these considerations:

If you are interested in rural healthcare or in practicing a specialty that meets the needs of underserved rural communities, please describe your interest in this aspect of healthcare.

"How will your diversity/diverse experiences (e.g., gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, veteran status, from rural or underserved community, first generation student status) add to your career in medicine?"

Washington University School of Medicine *

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Washington University School of Medicine )

Time-sensitive considerations: "We strongly recommend that you complete your Supplemental Application within two weeks of being invited to do so..."

Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3000 characters)

(OPTIONAL) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? Some applicants use this space to describe unique experiences, obstacles, and/or challenges they faced in their journey to medical school. (3000 characters)

Have you been out of school for more than a year? (yes/no) If yes : Describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2000 characters)

Briefly describe the area of research you would like to explore in graduate school (1800 characters)

Creighton University School of Medicine

Please copy and paste essays composed in Word (or any other word processing program) into Notepad and then into the secondary application. This will ensure that the essays paste correctly into the system.

Please state your reasons for applying to Creighton University School of Medicine. (2000 characters)

Being "Women and Men for and with Others" is one of the Jesuit tenets that is critical to CUSOM's mission. How have your values and life experiences aligned with this tenet and reflect how you might to continue to do so while at Creighton? (2000 characters)

Using an example or examples, describe the effect that your experience(s) engaging with disadvantaged and/or underserved populations have had on your own growth and development. Reflect on how this/these experience(s) will impact your career as a future physician. (2000 characters)

Describe how you have dealt with a personal challenge or major obstacle that you have overcome. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. (2000 characters)

Please reflect on your entire application, is there anything you would like to further share with the Admissions Committee? Gap(s) in your education, personal and/or academic challenges, etc. (optional) (2000 characters)

Please describe your current activities/employment if you are not currently enrolled as a full-time student. (2000 characters)

At Creighton we are committed to the service of others through non-medical volunteer activities. Please list all your non-medical community service hours post high school. Please list any experiences, including those previously described on your AMCAS application. Include a brief description, dates and number of hours for each event. (300 characters per activity)

Additional essays if you answer "Yes" to the following:

Will you be applying to the Creighton University School of Medicine MD/PhD program?

A. Please state your reasons for applying to Creighton University School of Medicine MD/PhD program. Within the essay, discuss:

How the degree will enhance your medical career.

Your personal career goals and how your goals relate to the healthcare community and society as a whole. (2000 characters)

B. Please explain your preparation for the MD/PhD program. Within the essay, discuss your significant research experience(s) and technical capabilities. (2000 characters)

Will you be applying to The Arrupe Global Scholars and Partnerships Program? Please note that applying for the Program does not exclude you from our separate regular MD applicant pool.

A: What does global health mean to you and how does it apply to your professional goals? (Reflect on your previous experiences in Global Health or share your future aspirations in this field.) (4000 characters)

B: Discuss how the Arrupe Global Scholars and Partnerships Program will prepare you differently than a traditional MD program for a future in Global Health. (4000 characters)

C: Explain why the additional program year obtaining an MPH degree is valuable for your future goals. (2000 characters)

D: Describe how your personal experiences have shaped your understanding of cultural humility. Explain why cultural humility is important for your future in the field of Global Health or important for physicians working in Global Health. (2000 characters)

E: What aspects of the Arrupe Global Scholars and Partnerships program do you foresee to be the most challenging and how would you respond to those challenges? (2000 characters)

University of Nebraska College of Medicine

If you have been away from full-time academics for more than two years, please explain. (N/A if not applicable) (750 characters)

If you are a re-applicant to the UNMC College of Medicine, how is your application different this year? (N/A if not applicable) (750 characters)

If this is your first application to UNMC, but not your first application to medical school, what is your rationale for applying to UNMC this cycle? (N/A if not applicable) (750 characters)

What is your personal rationale for applying to the UNMC College of Medicine, especially if you are not from Nebraska? (1000 characters)

What are you most proud of in your life? (1500 characters)

Tell us about a time when you have had to overcome adversity. (1500 characters)

Tell us something about yourself that will enhance the UNMC College of Medicine? (1500 characters)

What have you learned from working with people whose background is different from yours? (1500 characters)

Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine

Why are you interested in pursuing this degree at Touro Nevada? (1500 characters)

What award(s) or recognition(s) have you received within the last five years? (1500 characters) (Optional)

What volunteer experience have you had during the last three years? (1500 characters) (Optional)

What research experience have you had during the last three years? (1500 characters) (Optional)

Please tell us about your extracurricular activities or hobbies. (1500 characters) (Optional)

University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Medicine

(REQUIRED) Why are you interested in the Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV and how does your background and future goals contribute to our mission ? (500 words)

(REQUIRED) Briefly discuss how you envision yourself contributing to the care of our growing and diverse population in the state of Nevada. (500 words)

(REQUIRED) Briefly discuss how you define professionalism and how you will demonstrate professionalism in the classroom at the Kerkorian School of Medicine and in clinical training settings in our valley. (500 words)

(REQUIRED) Provide a BRIEF chronological list of your time since graduating from high school up to the point of applying to medical school. Do not write in essay form here. This should simply be a list by years. (250 words)

(OPTIONAL) Applicants who are Nevada Connection are strongly encouraged to share more about their ties to Nevada in this essay. Nevada residents or applicants who are out of state (western region) with no tie to Nevada may also use this box to elaborate on their commitment to Nevada, per our mission, if they would like. (250 words)

(OPTIONAL) Applicants are welcome to share with the Admissions Committee any disruptions or impacts to your application components, the application process, and/or your personal life that may be relevant to your holistic profile. Please also use this area to present any information related to academic and/or MCAT performance that requires further information. (250 words)

(OPTIONAL) If you have any other information you believe is important for the Admissions Committee to consider, please include it here. Do not restate information already in your primary AMCAS application. (250 words)

University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine

Please share why you want to pursue your medical education at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine; describe any connections to Northern Nevada communities; and how you are prepared to contribute to UNR Med’s vision of a Healthy Nevada. (300 words)

Describe a time when you were part of a team that was struggling to meet objectives. How did you react? What would you do differently? What did you take away from this experience that will influence your approach to working on a team in the future? (300 words)

Reflect on and describe an experience where you provided care or service to individuals from populations that commonly experience health care disparities. Discuss what you learned about the socio-cultural or economic factors that affect underserved populations and describe how your interactions with these individuals motivated or prepared you for a future in medicine. (300 words)

Describe a time when you faced a significant life crisis or an academic, personal, or professional failure. How did you respond, what did you learn, and how did the experience influence your future actions? (300 words)

Please share an example of how you have used critical thinking and communication skills to develop a creative or innovative solution to a challenging problem. (300 words)

(Optional) You are invited to provide a brief statement regarding anything not previously addressed or disclosed in your application that you would like considered during the review of your application. If you are a re-applicant to UNR Med, we encourage you to outline any significant changes or new experiences from your previous application. (500 words)

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Dartmouth Medical School )

Please indicate your plans for the 2023-2024 academic year. If in school, please list your courses. If working, let us know something about the nature of your job. If your plans or courses change subsequently, please inform the Admissions Office by email at [email protected] . (no word limit)

Please reflect on your primary application and share something not addressed elsewhere that would be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file. (no word limit)

Please tell us specifically why you are interested in Geisel. (no word limit)

Geisel School of Medicine values social justice and diversity in all its forms. Reflect on a situation where you were the “other.” (250 words)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in New Jersey: How to Get In )

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Please describe your anticipated educational, employment, volunteer, or other activities between completing your AMCAS application and matriculating to medical school. (1500 characters)

Tell us about something that makes you a unique applicant to CMSRU. How will CMSRU help you fulfill your mission? (1500 characters)

Medical school involves hard work and can be stressful at times. Tell us about activities that you use to help maintain a work-life balance and respond to stress. (1500 characters)

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

Why are you interested in attending the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine? (500 words)

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine values social justice and diversity in all its forms. Describe a circumstance where you sought to learn about a culture, group or idea different than your own and how that impacted you. (500 words)

Describe your experience with the field of medicine (or a related field) that has prepared you for advanced study in this area. Specifically, how have your life experiences prepared you to pursue a degree in medicine, including coursework, clinical work, experiences in overcoming adversity, work opportunity, volunteer activities, and/or research experiences? (500 words)

Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Please select the checkbox(es) that most adequately describes your campus and/or curriculum preferences below. Choose one of the following:

Please prepare an essay that explains why you want to participate in the Problem Based Learning Curriculum (PBLC) and why you are a good fit for this curriculum.

Please prepare an essay that explains why you want to participate in the Synergistic Guided Learning Curriculum and why you are a good fit for this curriculum.

How did you learn about osteopathic medicine and why is it a good fit for you?

Explain why you are interested in attending Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Optional: Please describe any significant barriers or challenges you may have overcome in the pursuit of your personal/professional goals.

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Each essay has a 1500-character limit:

We are committed to supporting our NJMS community by enhancing collaboration between students, staff, and faculty, with a dedicated focus on humanism, health equity and social justice. How do you envision yourself contributing to the NJMS community?

We seek students who are respectful, self-aware, humble, resilient, team-oriented, and adaptable. Discuss a personal or professional challenge you have experienced and share insight on what you learned about yourself and how the challenge was resolved.

If you have chosen to pursue any “growth/gap” time prior to applying or prior to your intended matriculation to medical school, please share insight on your decision for growth/gap time.

If you will not be a full-time student between July 2024 and July 2025, please describe in detail your planned activities, including projected time commitment for each activity.

If you are a re-applicant, please share what you have done to enhance your candidacy and re-application?

Please elaborate on challenges not thoroughly addressed anywhere else in your application (Please feel free to address any or all of the following if applicable: Institutional Actions, Academic and/or MCAT inconsistencies, personal challenges).

Please discuss any additional information you feel may help us in our review of your candidacy.

Early Decision Applicants must also answer the following:

Please share why you have decided to apply as an Early Decision applicant, as well as insight on your Motivation for NJMS.

As an Early Decision applicant, how do you intend to enhance your preparation for a successful transition into NJMS over the next year?

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

RWJMS has identified the core values below as critical to our mission and vision. We strive to matriculate learners who embody these values.

R -- Respect, dignity and humanism for the diverse population we serve

W -- Wellness and resilience

J -- Joining learners hand in hand with care delivery

M -- Making patients first with safe, compassionate, high-quality care

S -- Science to advance human health

Please select a RWJMS core value that resonates the most with you. In two paragraphs or less, reflect on one of your experiences to discuss how you have built a foundation for this value and how it will contribute to our community of learners. (No Word Limit)

Discuss a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. Be sure to include the skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. (250 words)

Please feel free to comment on any course grades, GPA trends, or MCAT scores and what you have learned about yourself. (No Word Limit)

Please use this space if you would like to provide additional information to the admissions committee. (No Word Limit)

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine

What draws you to the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine? If admitted, what do you see yourself becoming involved in? (300 words)

If you could strengthen one area of your application, what would it be? What have you done, or what do you plan to do, to address it and improve going forward? (300 words)

University of New Mexico School of Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: "Applicants will be allowed two weeks to complete the Secondary Application from the time they are initially invited."

At the UNM School of Medicine we are committed to building a dynamic, productive and positive learning environment in addition to promoting cross cultural and cross racial understanding among students of diverse talents, experiences, opinions and backgrounds. Describe the effect that your experiences with engaging diversity have had on your own growth and development. Provide an example and describe how it will impact your career in the medical profession. (2000 characters)

There are multiple paths that lead to medical school and many obstacles along the way. Please describe the unique path that has led you to medicine as well as any obstacles or adversity that you had to overcome in achieving this goal. How will this experience affect your career as a physician? (2000 characters)

While providing healthcare as a physician is often a rewarding career, it is also a profession that entails addressing constant challenges. Imagine you are a physician at a local institution and you notice on 18 occasions in the past week, patients were not administered the correct dose of a medication. When looking into it further, you learned that 17/18 cases occurred right after a physician handoff (defined as the process of transferring role and responsibility for providing care from one physician to another). Given this scenario, what are the initial steps you and your institution might take to improve the situation? (2000 characters)

While providing healthcare as a physician is often a rewarding career, it is also a profession that entails addressing constant challenges. What do you see as the most significant issues the medical profession will face in the next 20 years, and what are some potential solutions for these problems? (2000 characters)

Teamwork is integral to training and the career of a physician. This kind of work setting entails addressing constant challenges in task execution, communication etc. What is an issue you have encountered working on a team and how did you address and resolve this issue? (2000 characters)

Please describe how COVID-19 has affected your preparation for applying to medical school. Describe any academic, personal, financial, or professional barriers/disruptions that COVID-19 may have triggered. (2000 characters)

Have you previously submitted an AMCAS application to the University of New Mexico School of Medicine? (Y/N) Please share some of the ways you have improved your application since you last applied. For example, improved MCAT Score, took additional upper level biology courses, increased clinical or volunteer experiences, etc. (200 word limit)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in New York: How to Get In )

Albany Medical College

Describe yourself (1000 characters).

Please explain any inconsistencies in your university, graduate, or professional school academic performance and/or MCAT scores. If the question does not apply to you, please put N/A in the box provided (1000 characters).

Has your college or university, graduate or professional school attendance been interrupted for any reason? If yes, please explain. Also, please explain any extended gaps in activity/employment in your post-graduate history. If the question does not apply to you, please put N/A in the box provided (1000 characters).

Describe a significant challenge that has prepared you for the MD career path (1000 characters).

Please describe your personal experiences with the structural and social determinants of health in your life and community, how they shaped your engagement with medicine and your future ideas for doctoring (1000 characters).

Tell us about a community with which you identify and how you are involved with it (1000 characters).

Is there anything else you would like the admissions committee to know when reviewing your application? If so, please use the space provided (1000 characters).

Describe what aspect of that experience best equips you to make an impact in the medical profession (1000 characters).

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Albert Einstein College of Medicine )

This is a series of questions that only require a response if they apply to you. For each question, you may use up to 3,000 characters to respond.

A. History​

I have taken time off from school between high school and college.

I have taken time off from school during my undergraduate years.

I have taken at least a year off from school since college graduation, including this year that I am applying.

I have taken and received credit for online science core courses (e.g. chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics and mathematics) that were taken prior to the Covid Pandemic (earlier than Spring 2020).

I have applied previously to medical school.

I have submitted an AMCAS application to Einstein previously.

I am/was a graduate student in the Graduate Programs in the Biomedical Sciences of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

I was accepted to medical school previously but did not attend.

I was previously enrolled in medical school.

I can attest that I have fulfilled the Albert Einstein College of Medicine COMPETENCIES (Course Requirements | M.D. Admissions | Albert Einstein College of Medicine) for admission.

I will have a Baccalaureate Degree by the time I matriculate into medical school.

I am presently holding a deferral from another medical / graduate / professional school.

I have received a grade of "F" during my college/graduate school years.

I have received a grade of "D" during my college/graduate school years.

B. History Continued

I have received a grade of "W" during my college/graduate school years.

I have received a grade of "I" during my college/graduate school years.

As an undergraduate, I transferred from one college to another.

I have been the recipient of a warning notice for a non-academic issue that did NOT result in a disciplinary action.

I have been subject to a disciplinary action and/or administrative action, expunged or not, while an undergraduate or graduate student.

I currently have disciplinary charges pending.

I have been prohibited or suspended from practicing in a professional capacity because of alleged misconduct.

[There is a space to include information about parents and their education and addresses.]

If you were employed during the academic year, other than during winter and summer breaks, please write the number of hours you worked per week, and tell us what you did and why you were employed.

Please provide the names of languages you speak (other than English) and indicate the fluency with which you speak them (beginner, moderate, advanced). If none, please write "NA."

C. Letters of Recommendation

Your PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION PACKET will be submitted by (select one):

If you indicated, above, that you will have, "Two individual letters (up to 5 are allowed)," please provide the names, titles and institution of your letter writers; please use a separate line for each. Please note that one letter must be from your MAJOR and your second letter from a science faculty member (two science letters from two different faculty members in the same department is acceptable). If this does not apply to you, please write “NA” in the box below.

If you are a post-Baccalaureate student (not a master’s degree student), a letter or statement of “Good Standing” must be submitted either from your undergraduate college or university, or included in your post-bac letter. Please indicate which of the two applies to you, and the name, title, and school from which the letter has been submitted. If no letter or statement has been submitted, please indicate when such a letter or statement will be uploaded to the AMCAS Letter Writer. If this does not apply to you, please write “NA.”

Did you take your last science course more than 5 years ago?

If you have an Undergraduate Pre-Professional Advisory Committee at your college or university, and have chosen NOT to request a letter from that Committee, please tell us why not.

D. Einstein/Montefiore Work Experience

Have you worked in basic or clinical research at Einstein/Montefiore?

Have you participated in an Einstein/Montefiore Pipeline (Pathway) Program during high school, college or after?

Have you ever volunteered at Einstein/Montefiore in one of our clinical areas, other than research or a Pipeline Program?

If you answered "yes" that you have worked with us here at Einstein/Montefiore, will a letter from an Einstein/Montefiore faculty member be included in your evaluations?

E. Einstein/Montefiore Family Member

Do you have a family member who is a current employee (non-faculty) of an Einstein/Montefiore affiliated hospital?

Do you have a SIBLING who is currently enrolled as an Einstein medical or graduate student?

Do you have a family member who is currently a Faculty member at an Einstein/Montefiore affiliated hospital?

Do you have a family member who is an Einstein Alumnus (MD, MSTP or PhD degree only)? Please do not include names of relatives who have only completed residency training here.

F. Unique Life Experiences

What unique life experiences, personal attributes and/or perspectives will you bring as part of the incoming class? Are there particular challenges or successes that you have encountered? If you do not wish to write anything, please write “NA.”

G. Anything else you’d like to share with us?

Please use this space to tell us anything about yourself that you would like us to know. If you do not wish to write anything, please write “NA.”

Additional prompts MSTP applicants must complete:

In the list below and in the following question, please indicate the field(s) of your prior research experience. Check all that apply.

Please describe briefly the field(s) in which you plan to pursue your future research. We are looking for the big picture, Aging, Neuroscience, Cell Biology, Immunology, etc., not the specific focus. (250 characters)

Please list your previous scientific presentations and abstracts. List all authors, abstract titles, name of meeting, and date of meeting. List each meeting on a separate line. Please do not include the text of the abstract. (9999 characters)

Please list publications on which you are a co-author. List each on a separate line. Include names of all authors, title, journal, year of publication, and volume and page number(s). Please do not list papers that are “in preparation.” (9999 characters)

Please indicate which was your favorite course in college and why. (3000 characters)

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Columbia Medical School )

Have you previously applied to Medical School? (200 characters)

If you took time off from your undergraduate studies, please briefly summarize your reasons for doing so. (250 words)

Did you work for compensation during college (either during the school year or summers)? If so, what did you do? How many hours a week did you work? (300 words)

If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. (300 words)

Please describe your most meaningful leadership positions. (300 words)

Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons values diversity in all its forms. How will your experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician? (300 words)

Is there anything else you would like us to know? (400 words)

Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine

Explain why the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell is a good fit for your medical education journey? (250 words)

“The School of Medicine, in a culture of community, scholarship and innovation, is dedicated to inspiring diverse, promising students to lead and transform medicine for the betterment of humanity.” How do you feel you would contribute to the Zucker School of Medicine’s mission and values and where do you see this taking you in the future? (250 words)

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into the Icahn School of Medicine )

If you are currently not a full-time student, please briefly describe the activities you are participating in this academic year. (100 words)

Were there any adverse circumstances in your premedical preparatory journey including but not limited to recent impact from COVID-19? If yes, please explain. (100 words)

(Optional) If you are committed to a particular community or if there is an important aspect of your identity not addressed elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here. Briefly also explain how such factors may have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. Completing this section is optional. (150 words)

What is the toughest feedback you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it? (250 words)

Describe a situation that you have thought to be unfair or unjust, whether towards yourself or towards others. How did you address the situation, if at all? (200 words)

MD-PhD applicants must also answer the following:

Please tell us why you have chosen to apply to the MD-PhD Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. (250 words)

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: "It is recommended that you complete our Supplemental Application within 10 days from receipt of our email."

Briefly describe the reasons for your campus/site choice and comment on one or two factors that are most important to you in choosing where you wish to pursue your medical education. (1000 characters)

NYITCOM values diversity, equity, and inclusion. How will your background and experiences add to our inclusive culture and how will this focus influence your future role as a physician? (1000 characters)

Describe a challenge you’ve faced and the steps you took to overcome it. (1000 characters)

Describe the community in which you see yourself practicing medicine. (1000 characters)

Have you previously applied to NYITCOM? If yes, what specific steps have you taken to strengthen your credentials for the current application year? (1000 characters)

How and where did you learn about NYITCOM? (250 characters)

New York Medical College

(Suggested Reading: How to Get Into New York Medical College )

If you do not have any family members with a connection to NYMC for any of the below categories you can skip this section.

In this activity please indicate if you have/had a family member (Grandparent, Parent or Sibling) that attended the NYMC School of Medicine.  Applicable to alumni from School of Medicine only. Does not apply to alumni from NYMC-sponsored residency programs, NYMC Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences (GSBMS) or NYMC School of Health Sciences & Practice (SHSP)

In this activity please indicate if you have a family member (Grandparent, Parent or Sibling)  Applicable to full-time faculty at School of Medicine only

In this activity please indicate if you have a family member (Grandparent, Parent or Sibling)  Applicable to full-time employees at School of Medline only.

Please review the NYMC Social Media Policy. If you select YES, we ask that you please briefly explain what has been posted.

Please share any disruptions in your academic, volunteer, work, and/or personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider (300 character limit)

Please review the NYMC Technical Standards on our NYMC.EDU website for Admissions and Enrollment and attest to your understanding of them. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says policies related to student admission to view the link.

Struggling to write your med school essays?

Get our  free  102-page guide to help you with every step:  Get Into Medical School: 6 Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat

New York University Grossman School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into NYU Medical School )

If applicable, please comment on significant fluctuations in your academic record which are not explained elsewhere on your application. (no limit)

If you have taken any time off from your studies, either during or after college, please describe what you have done during this time and your reasons for doing so. (no limit)

The Admissions Committee holistically evaluates a range of student qualities and life experiences that complement demonstrated academic excellence. What unique qualities do you possess that make you uniquely suited to become a physician or physician-scientist? How have your individual lived experiences shaped your core values and desire to be a future leader in our profession? (2500 characters)

Please answer ALL 3 of the following questions (2500 characters):

The most meaningful achievements are often non-academic in nature. Describe the personal accomplishment that makes you most proud. Why is this important to you?

Conflicts arise daily from differences in perspectives, priorities, worldviews and traditions. How do you define respect? Describe a situation in which you found it challenging to remain respectful while facing differences?

Describe a situation in which working with a colleague, family member or friend has been challenging. How did you resolve, if at all, the situation as a team and what did you gain from the experience that will benefit you as a future health care provider?

NYU Grossman School of Medicine strives to provide our students with the option of accelerating their medical educational training. In order to guide our curricular efforts to provide additional opportunities for early career exploration for our students, please select up to three residency specialties that are currently of interest to you. Please note that your selection in no way impacts your admissions decision (i.e., there are no right or wrong selections), that it is not binding in any way, and that you may select “Undecided” if you are unsure of your future career path. (2500 characters)

(CV requirement) Please upload your most recent CV, ensuring the CV includes updated publications, abstracts, and presentations. (PDF format)

MSTP specific questions

1. How many months of full-time research experience have you completed? When estimating this amount, you may convert part-time research into its full-time equivalent. For example, if you conducted part-time research for 1 year for ~50% of the time, this would equal 6 months of full-time research. Please do not include lab experiences associated with a course (e.g., organic chemistry course with lab).

2. What area of research would you like to pursue in your graduate training? (200 words max)

3. Please describe your ideal career. (200 words max)

CV required

New York University Long Island School of Medicine

NYULISOM seeks to admit highly motivated candidates whose experiences and professional goals directly align with our primary care mission and demonstrate a commitment to a future career as a general practitioner in fields of medicine that are anchored in the principles of primary care and address the growing physician workforce shortages in specific medical disciplines.

To advance this mission, acceptance to NYULISOM is paired with the offer of a directed pathway to residency into one of four designated residency programs at NYU Langone Hospital – Long Island. (400 words)

Internal Medicine

Obstetrics & Gynecology

General Surgery

Please indicate the specific residency track for which you wish to be considered and explain the reason(s) for your choice, including those experiences listed on your AMCAS application that have confirmed your decision to pursue this field of medicine in the context of primary care. If applicable, please also discuss any other factors –such as your personal journey, academic interests or activities not listed on your application— that have influenced your choice.

Please provide the response that applies to you (400 words):

If you are still in school, please tell us your planned academic, extracurricular, research, community service and/or work activities for the application cycle.

If you have graduated from college, please tell us what you have been doing since that time up until the present and your reasons for doing so. Please be sure to account for all your time since graduating.

(Optional) Please comment on any significant fluctuations in your academic record or inconsistencies in your MCAT score; if you took a leave of absence for any reason during college; or any application irregularities that you feel would be helpful for the admissions committee to consider when conducting its holistic review of your credentials. (400 words)

(Optional) Please feel free to share any other information that you have not already included in your AMCAS application or secondary responses that you believe would be relevant for the admissions committee to know about. (400 words)

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine

Will you be attending college full-time as of September 15? If no, please describe your activities for the period of September 15 to July 1. (no word count)

What will be your support system while in medical school? (150 words)

Describe what personal, urban experiences prepare you to live and study in New York City. (150 words)

If you had a completed application to the College of Medicine in a prior application cycle, please highlight any changes since your previous application in a list with dates. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below. (150 words)

Why do believe you are a good fit for SUNY Downstate? (300 words)

What is your experience with diversity, health equity and social justice? (300 words)

SUNY Upstate Medical University

If you earned your baccalaureate degree prior to this past June (2023), please provide a brief statement indicating your plans for the upcoming academic year.

Which medical specialty do you currently plan to pursue?

You might consider yourself disadvantaged if you grew up in an area that was medically or underserved or had insufficient access to educational opportunities. Do you consider yourself within this description?

If you answer Yes: please explain your particular circumstances regarding why you consider yourself a disadvantaged applicant.

Upstate Medical University is strongly committed to providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for the patients we serve and all who work at, study at, or visit our campus. In 500 words or less , please answer the following question: As a potential partner in this effort, please describe your commitment to eliminating health inequities, discrimination, or other forms of social injustice.

If you are interested in Primary Care : are you interested in receiving more information about potential scholarship opportunities?

We understand that the COVID-19 crisis disrupted many aspects of our lives. Please share if you had any curricular impacts during this time, for example, change to pass/fail courses or to online coursework or if you anticipate any deficiencies in experiences as a result of COVID-19.

Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine

Will your education be continuous between college and medical school matriculation? (500 words or less)

If NO, please explain what you have done or plan to do during the gap period and why.

If YES, please tell us about your proudest accomplishment to date.

Tell us how your past experiences and/or challenges have defined you (500 words or less)

Please respond to ONE of the following two questions: (500 words or less)

Please describe how you, as a future physician, plan to address the social determinants of health.

What, in your opinion, is the role of a physician in addressing systemic racism and societal injustices?

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

This Personal Statement is different than the essay that had been submitted with your AACOMAS application. Although there is no specified length to this essay, please limit the length of this Personal Statement to the space available on this page. Please discuss how your background, experience or academic program has prepared you for meeting Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Mission, Goals, or Objectives. Consider addressing a few of the following areas:

a) Why Osteopathic Medicine?

b) Have you been exposed to a diverse environment and how did you contribute?

c) How have your academic background and personal experiences prepared you for medical school? or

d) How were you influenced by a shadowing experience?

University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine

In 300 words or fewer, share how you hope to impact medicine at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and in the Western New York community. If you need additional inspiration, please feel free to explore our Well Beyond Curriculum .

In 300 words or fewer, please explain how you would respond to a fellow student who muttered a racist or homophobic statement under their breath in your presence and that of other peers?

In 300 words or fewer, outside of medicine and beyond the details of your application, please share with us what you do for self-care and/or what brings you joy, and why.

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Involvement in community is one of the pillars of the University of Rochester School of Medicine education. Tell us about a community you identify with and how you are involved with it. (200 words)

(Optional) If you previously applied to medical school, briefly describe any experiences you have been part of since your previous application . (200 words)

Additional prompt for MSTP applicants:

Please briefly describe your research interests, and describe how the opportunities at the University of Rochester fit with your goals for graduate training. Please include names of up to five investigators whose research programs interest you. (no word limit)

Weill Cornell Medical College

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Weill Cornell Medical School )

Please write a brief statement giving your reasons for applying to Weill Cornell Medical College. (1525 characters)

Please describe a challenge you faced and how you addressed it. (1525 characters)

If applicable, please tell us about any special circumstances related to COVID-19 that could help us understand you better. (1525 characters)

If you are not attending college during the upcoming (2023-2024) academic year, what are your plans? (1525 characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in North Carolina: How to Get In )

Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine

Briefly describe how your career goals align with the CUSOM Mission

What three qualities will you bring to CUSOM which will enhance the overall climate of our school? How do these qualities align with the CUSOM mission?

Osteopathic medicine parallels allopathic medicine but has distinct principles and practices. Which of these principles and practices are of greatest interest to you and why?

Duke University School of Medicine

This prompt appears before the other questions below:

Share with us your story. This is your opportunity to allow us to know how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. ( 500 Words )

The rest of the questions:

Trust and rapport are essential in your day-to-day interactions with people. How do you cultivate a relationship with a person who may be very different from you? (400 words)

Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)

Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you discovered from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)

What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)

Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or similar experience in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)

Your career in medicine may place increasing demands for your time. While in medical school, how will you balance your educational commitment and your outside interests? (400 words)

For PCLT (Primary Care Leadership Track) applicants:

Community Engagement: PCLT values community engagement. What is your understanding of community engagement and its value? How does community-engagement impact either research or working in a community to improve health outcomes? (250 words)

Why PCLT: What distinguishes you from other applicants to the PCLT program? (250 words)

East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine

When you close your eyes and imagine your professional life 20 years from now, what do you see? (2500 characters, max)

Tell us about a time where you felt that you persisted towards a goal or outcome you wanted even when there where challenges/barriers in the way. How did to you stay motivated to achieve your goal? Describe resources you used to overcome the challenge. (2500 characters, max)

Medical school presents numerous emotional and professional challenges. Please share an instance where you faced a difficult academic situation and explain how you managed the situation. How did you promote your wellness during this situation? (2500 characters, max)

East Carolina University’s motto is Servire- “To Serve.” Tell us about your most meaningful community service project or experience unrelated to patient care. (2500 characters, max)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

Describe an experience where you attempted a task and realized during the process that you were not ready for it. How did this experience impact your approach to trying new things? (250 words)

How will your life experiences foster a positive educational environment and benefit your future patients? (250 words)

Discuss your involvement in a service activity that has impacted your understanding of healthcare and your desire to pursue a career in medicine. (250 words)

What motivates you to apply to the UNC School of Medicine? (200 words)

There is also a reapplicant essay available if you are one.

Wake Forest School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into the Wake Forest School of Medicine )

The National Association of Colleges and Employers defines equity as recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. It is an ongoing process, requiring us to identify and overcome intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures. Consider your abilities, insights, and previous experiences and then tell us about your ability to promote equity. (200 words or less)

Describe a non-academic challenge you have faced and explain how you overcame it. (200 words or less)

From your list of "most meaningful experiences" on the AMCAS application, choose one that has been the most formative in terms of your desire for a career in medicine. Why did that experience have such meaning for you in your decision-making process? (200 words or less)

Please share an experience that demonstrates how you have collaborated with others. (200 words or less)

Describe your future goal(s). Reflect on your past experiences and describe how these experiences will shape your goal(s). (200 words or less)

Tell us about any specific reason(s) (personal, educational, etc.) why you see yourself here at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. (150 words or less)

Please tell us an interesting fact about yourself that a casual acquaintance may find surprising or interesting. (50 words or less)

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Residency History: List each permanent residence starting with your place of birth and number of years at each residence. The last two questions in this section are required.

a. What is your state of current permanent residence? (This would be where your driver’s license is from, what state you pay taxes to, etc…) (Required)

b. List the high school, city, and zip code you graduated from. (Required)

The UND School of Medicine & Health Science gives residency preference in admissions. To be considered for one of our residency preferences, you must answer the questions below. If you do not meet any of our residency preferences, please select "no" on the first question.

a. Do you meet one of the UND SMHS residency preferences?

b. Are you currently a legal resident of North Dakota and graduated from a North Dakota high school?

c. Are you currently a legal resident of North Dakota for five consecutive years or longer at the time of your application to UND SMHS?

d. Are you currently and have you been a resident of North Dakota for more than one but less than five years at the time of your application to UND SMHS?

e. Do ALL the following questions apply to you:

1) A North Dakota high school graduate?

2) A previous legal resident of North Dakota for ten years or more?

3) Your parents are current legal residents of North Dakota?

f. Excluding online degrees, are you, or will be at the time of matriculation, a graduate of a North Dakota college or university?

g. Excluding online degrees, do you have a first-degree family member (mother, father, sibling, child, or spouse) who is a graduate of a North Dakota college or university? List family member and the college or university they attended.

h. Do ALL the following apply to you:

1) You currently are a legal ND resident for less than one year OR you are currently not a resident of ND?

2) Your spouse is currently attending or has been accepted into a ND university or college at the time of your application to UND SMHS?

3) You will be living in ND during the current academic year?

i. Are you a current legal resident of Minnesota and graduated from a high school in Minnesota Red River Valley? List high school and county ( https://med.und.edu/student-affairs-admissions/applicant-eligibility.html )

j. Do ALL the following questions apply to you:

1) A current legal MN resident?

2) You have resided in a MN Red River Valley county for one year or more at the time of your application to UND SMHS?

3) If this applies to you, list county you have resided in for one year or more.

k. Do ALL the following questions apply to you:

1) A current legal MN resident for one year or more at time of your application to UND SMHS?

2) You live outside the Red River Valley area?

l. Do ALL the following questions apply to you:

1) A current legal MN resident for less than one year at time of your application to UND SMHS?

m. Are you a current resident of a WICHE-sending state Wyoming or Montana?

The following question is used to identify applicants for the Indians into Medicine (INMED) Program. For information regarding this program, contact [email protected]. If not applicable proceed to the next Question Set. If applicable answer the following questions below:

1) Are you an enrolled member of a U.S. federally recognized tribe?

2) Do you agree to have your application shared with the Indians Into Medicine office? If you answer no to this question, you will not be reviewed for the INMED program.

Answer questions 4 – 11. Do not leave any questions blank.

The School of Medicine & Health Sciences is a community-based medical school, and because of the unique circumstances of our regional location, we place special emphasis on the unique skills needed to provide care for patients and populations in rural and Native American communities across all competencies. The primary purpose of the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences is to educate physicians and other health professionals for subsequent service in North Dakota and to enhance the quality of life of its people. Other purposes include the discovery of knowledge that benefits the people of this state and enhances the quality of their lives. Please explain the steps you have taken towards, and how you will fulfill different aspects of the school’s mission. (1200 words)

Reflect on personal experiences of resilience and emotional intelligence throughout your life and how this has prepared you in your pursuit of a career in medicine. (1200 characters)

Describe your experiences with diverse populations. Examples include a summary of a volunteer experience, study abroad, employment, self-taught endeavor or a formal course on diversity that includes direct interaction with individuals or groups from socioeconomic disadvantaged, diverse cultures, rural, or other backgrounds. (1200 characters)

Describe your research activity. Examples include the outcome of a formal research experience, course-dependent undergraduate research, thesis, or capstone project. (600 characters)

Describe your creative activity. Examples include the ongoing production of art forms, artistic performance, or other creative efforts, such as photography, painting, musical talents, needlework, cooking, wood-working, building cars, yoga instructor, dancing, theatre performance, writing, gaming etc. (600 characters)

Expand and reflect on medical and/or clinical experience as it relates to the mission of the School of Medicine & Health Sciences. This may include a summary of physician shadowing, clinical observation, community service, volunteer work, and/or employment. Examples include, but are not limited to, work in a clinic, hospital, as a first responder, clinical lab, public health, home health visits, assisted living, nursing home care, youth camps, or relevant military duty. (1200 characters)

Expand and reflect on leadership and team experience. This may include a summary of leadership roles or teamwork in employed positions, extracurricular activities, organizations, volunteer services, or any other leadership or team experiences. (1200 characters)

What are your career plans if you do not ever get admitted to medical school? (600 characters)

If needed, update the information in your AMCAS application (i.e., grades in recent courses, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation, additions to extracurricular activities, unreported legal and institutional infractions, etc.). (600 characters)

Are you currently enrolled in a grant-funded and/or degree-granting postbaccalaureate program and/or advanced degree? If so, what is your timeline for completion? (600 characters)

Have you participated in any of these pathway programs: Scrubs Camp, Med Prep, CLIMB, Summer Institute, Pre-Med Day, etc? Please indicate all that apply. (Radio option)

UND SMHS REAPPLICANTS ONLY: When was your previous application, and, subsequently, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? Note any relevant academic, employment, clinical, and personal experience and/or development. (1200 characters)

Have you read the UND SMHS Standards of Capacity policy ( https://med.und.edu/policies/_files/docs/4.14-standards-of-capacity.pdf ), and are you prepared to meet these standards with or without reasonable accommodations?

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Ohio: How to Get In )

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Greatest Challenge Essay: The admissions committee is interested in gaining more insight into you as a person. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Examples may include a moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity, or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome. Please include how you got through the experience and what you learned about yourself as a result. (2,000 character limit)

Personal Growth: Based on your current maturity and wisdom, reflect upon an experience from the past few years that you would handle differently today. (1,000 character limit)

Cultural Awareness: Many have been reckoning with the impact of systemic injustices on social environments and healthcare equity. Describe a personal experience that has deepened your cultural awareness and humility, and the impact of that learning on how you look at health and healthcare. (1,500 character limit)

Gap Year(s) if applicable: If you are taking time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation, please tell us why you made this decision and what you will be doing or have done during this gap time. (1,000 character limit)

Research/Scholarly Work: One of the four pillars of the Western Reserve2 Curriculum is Research and Scholarship. Although research is not a prerequisite requirement for the University Program, if you have participated in research or other scholarly project (capstone project, honors thesis, etc.), please reflect on the experience, including how you learned from it, what challenged you, and how it may have impacted you educationally and professionally. If you have not completed research or scholarly project, please indicate that in the text box below. (2,500 character limit)

If the details of your project are included elsewhere in your application no need to repeat them here. We are interested in learning what you took away from the experience(s).

If you are applying to both the University Program and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Program, the research response will default to the CCL Program required response.

Additional Information Response: Is there any further information that you wish to share with the Admissions Committee that may not be captured in the rest of your application? (2,000 character limit)

Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (CCLCM, 5 yr. MD) Applicants

Research Essay: Please tell us about ONE research project to which you made a significant contribution. In your essay, describe your role on the project, the hypothesis of your research and whether you contributed to hypothesis generation, why the methods were selected to answer that hypothesis, your results, and interpretation of your results with respect to future findings. In addition, please briefly share your motivation for pursuing this research project and reflect on how this experience affected your future career goals. (3,500 character limit)

Career Essay: What does your ideal career entail fifteen years after medical school graduation? (1,000 character limit)

Gap Year(s) if applicable: If you are taking time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation, please tell us why you made this decision and what you will be doing or have done during this gap. (1,000 character limit)

MSTP (MD/PhD) Applicants

PhD Advisor: What do you look for in a PhD advisor, and who at CWRU would interest you? (800 character limit)

Area of Interest: What is your specific interest in the MSTP at CWRU? (800 character limit)

Gap Year(s) if applicable: If you are taking time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation, please tell us why you made this decision and what you will be doing or have done during this gap time. (1,000 character limit)  

Northeast Ohio Medical University

What do you hope to achieve from your experience as a NEOMED student? (5000 characters, max)

Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

All applicants are required to answer the following question in the form of an essay. There is no specific word count, font or font size required. Please name the file using following format: "last name, first name, required essay."

There are philosophical and tangible differences between osteopathic and allopathic medicine. Describe what being an osteopathic physician means to you, and what qualities make a good osteopathic physician. What have you done to gain knowledge and experience of osteopathic medicine?

All applicants are required to answer one of the following three questions in the form of an essay. There is no specific word count, font or font size required. Make sure to include the question itself at the top of your essay. Please name the file using the following format: "last name, first name, selected essay."

Describe the community in which you were nurtured or spent the majority of your early development with respect to its demographics. What core values did you receive and how will these translate into the contributions you hope to make to your community as a medical student and later as a physician?

There are multiple paths that lead to medical school and many obstacles along the way. Please describe the unique path that has led you to medicine as well as any obstacle or adversity that you had to overcome in achieving this goal. How will this experience affect your career as a physician?

What has been your most meaningful life experience (i.e., family situation, clinical or shadowing experience, volunteer experience, etc.) that influenced your decision to pursue medicine?

The Ohio State University College of Medicine

The mission statement of The Ohio State University College of Medicine is to "improve people's lives" through innovation in research, medical education, and patient care. Please describe how your past experiences predict your potential to contribute in two of these three areas. (250 words)

Provide examples of factors contributing to health inequities that exist in the United States. (250 words)

Additional required essays:

Primary Care Track:

Describe your rationale for wanting to pursue an accelerated curriculum in preparation for a career in family medicine.

Community Medicine Track:

Why are you interested in training in a smaller community, and what is the impact you hope to have by training in this setting?

The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences 

The Admissions Committee considers a wide variety of factors in evaluating applicants, including fit between applicants and our program’s mission, goals, and culture. In the essays below, we invite you to share information about yourself with regard to two aspects of our program. We encourage you to provide information and insights that may not be easily gleaned from other aspects of your medical school application. In responding to the essay prompts below, you should interpret the questions to the best of your ability.

One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves cultural competence. The competency involves several distinct domains, including:

Demonstrating knowledge of socio-cultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors;

Showing an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity;

Recognizing and acting on the obligation to inform one's own judgment;

Engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work;

Recognizing and appropriately addressing bias in selves and others;

Interacting effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence   in one of the above domains . (Clearly indicate which of the six domains above that you are responding to.) As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will impact your future contribution to the culture of diversity and inclusion at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences and later in your career as a physician. (600 words)

One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves  resilience and adaptability . This competency involves the ability to tolerate stressful or changing environments or situations and adapt effectively to them. Additional characteristics of this competency are persistence and the ability to recover from setbacks. Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in resilience and adaptability as described above. As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will help you meet new challenges you may face in medical school. (600 words)

(Optional) Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the  corona virus (COVID-19) public health crisis . Possible topics might include, for example: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic; creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis; hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus or quarantine. (You will have an opportunity to specifically discuss impacts to your coursework/grades in a separate item.) (600 words)

We invite you to briefly discuss any other connections you may have to The University of Toledo, the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, the city of Toledo, or the region of Northwest Ohio or to provide additional information about the affiliations you noted above. (300 words)

Please briefly describe what activities you are/have been engaged in during the period between undergraduate school and medical school. (300 words, pops up if you answered "yes" to if you had a gap.)

If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school , we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.) (500 words)

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Have you ever been convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to, any moving traffic violations (moving violations include speeding tickets)? If yes, please explain fully below (include information even if charges were dropped, dismissed, or otherwise mitigated). (750 characters)

If you choose: I will NOT be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program (e.g., you are on a gap year for educational purposes or employed after the completion of your studies) between August 2024 and July 2025.

In 1000 characters, provide a thorough explanation of all activities planned between now and your matriculation into medical school (Fall 2025). (1000 characters)

Cincinnati is a vibrant and multicultural city. You will be exposed to cultures and languages different than your own while living and studying in this city. Given our mission to improve health and well-being through compassionate, patient-centered care, consider an experience in which you collaborated or were exposed to diverse backgrounds that would inform your own vision for patient-centered care. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (2000 characters)

Teamwork is important, and each member of a team has a unique role to play. What does ‘teamwork’ mean to you? What teamwork experiences have you had? How do you navigate your role and the role of other team members? (2000 characters)

Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee. (This could include explanation of metric trends, institutional actions, legal violations, etc.). Please enter N/A if you have no concerns to report. (2000 characters)

What is your specific interest in the UCCOM program? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why? (2000 characters)

How has your academic work beyond the traditional pre-medical requirements (i.e., introductory biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and introductory physics) prepared you for medical school and for a career in medicine? Please highlight any service-learning activities that you have done. (2000 characters)

Cincinnati Medicine is preparing for a hybrid interview season (both in-person and virtual interviews will be available). Should you be invited to interview with Cincinnati Medicine, we ask that you indicate your interview preference below:

No preference

Please provide a brief explanation for your interview preference: (150 characters)

Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

If you earned a medically related certificate/license, how many hours have you worked in that role since earning your certificate/license? If not, please enter N/A. (100 characters)

If there has been a significant economic hardship, please explain the circumstances. If none, please enter N/A. (750 characters)

If your parents are graduates of Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, please list their name(s) and graduation year(s). Enter N/A if your parents are not Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine Alumni. (100 characters)

If you have relatives that are Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine alumni, current students, faculty or staff, please list their name(s). Enter N/A if you do not have relatives that are Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine alumni, current students, faculty or staff. (100 characters)

If you have applied to Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in a previous cycle, please indicate the year(s) of your previous application(s). Enter N/A if this is your first application to Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. (100 characters)

What is the primary reason that you have chosen to apply to the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine? (750 characters)

Are there any specific patient populations that that you desire to serve as a physician? (750 characters)

If there has been or will be a gap in your education, please describe how you have/will use this time. If not, please enter N/A. (750 characters)

If you consider yourself a non-traditional candidate, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (750 characters)

Briefly describe any extenuating circumstances which you believe are pertinent to your application (i.e. Poor grades, withdrawn courses, life events). If none, please enter N/A. (750 characters)

If you have attended any allopathic or osteopathic medical school, as a candidate for an M.D. or D.O., please list the name of the school and explain the reason for separation. Enter N/A if you have not attended any allopathic or osteopathic medical school as a candidate for an M.D. or D.O. (750 characters)

If you are not a current resident of the state of Ohio, please describe your connection to Ohio. If you have no connection to the state of Ohio, please enter N/A. (750 characters)

If you have a connection to Wright State University, please describe your that connection. If you have no connection to Wright State University, please enter N/A. (750 characters)

If you have a connection to the Boonshoft School of Medicine, please describe that connection. If you have no connection to the Boonshoft School of Medicine, please enter N/A. (750 characters)

Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Are you currently enrolled in classes? (Yes/No)

(If not), please describe your current activities (300 words)

Please describe something you deserved but didn’t get and how you felt about it. (300 words)

Optional: Is there any additional information you would like the college to know about you? (500 words)

University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

Main campus required essays, Oklahoma City

Why are you applying to The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine? (Max 250 words)

Do you have family or friends in Oklahoma? Please explain (No word/character limit)

Where else are you applying? (No character limit)

Applicants have two educational track options at the College of Medicine. One is located in Oklahoma City and the other is located in in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Tulsa campus is called the School of Community Medicine (SCM). All applicants interested in the SCM must complete the four additional SCM questions:

Please submit an essay that explains your interest and commitment to Community Medicine. (450 words max)

Please explain how you expect the SCM track to enhance your medical education. (250 words max)

Please enter any additional community or volunteer experience not included on your AMCAS application. (250 words max)

Please highlight any other relevant life experience that you feel might have an impact on your application to the SCM track. (250 words max)

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine

What experience have you had that has given you insight into the patients you hope to eventually serve? (1550 characters)

Tell us about a time you went into a situation completely unprepared. (1550 characters)

Discuss a time in your life that demonstrated your resilience and ability to overcome adversity. (1550 characters)

In 1990, Salovey and Mayer defined emotional intelligence (EI) as “the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions”. The components of EI include self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Briefly describe one example of a time you harnessed your EI to resolve a difficult situation, AND one example of a time your failure to use your EI compounded a difficult situation. What did you learn about yourself in each of these situations? (2050 characters)

Give an example of personal feedback in the last few years that was difficult to receive. How did you respond? (1550 characters)

Please discuss the roles Dignity, Respect and Deference play in how medical teams optimize patient care. (1550 characters)

(Optional) Are there any additional ties to the state of Oregon you wish to share? If yes, use the space below. If no, leave blank. Please note that this does not factor toward your consideration as an Oregon resident or Oregon Heritage. (1550 characters)

(Optional) We know that many of our applicants in the OHSU UME Program may have familial relationships with individuals who are OHSU faculty, residents, staff, or current students who serve as evaluators in our admissions process. We have added this question in hopes to prevent perceived or actual conflicts of interest that can occur when an applicant has a family member (or someone with a similar close personal relationship) they may encounter through the admissions process. If you have any such connections, please list those individuals’ names and departments below. If no, leave blank. (Please note: the OHSU portal won’t actually allow you to click “Submit” if you leave this one blank. Some students have opted to type “N/A” or create a blank space with the space bar.)

Supplemental Information section with additional prompts:

5. Based on your own experiences or the experiences of family and friends, do you believe that the area in which you grew up was adequately served by the available health care professionals? Were there enough physicians, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and other health care service providers and how did that affect your experience and relationship with health care? Please explain. (4000 characters)

7. ["While you were growing up, did you experience any of the following types of adversity?" with options to select the severity of the following adversities: economic, educational, ethnic/cultural, family] Please describe the nature of the adversity and how social, economic, academic, or other circumstances affected you and your opportunities. (4000 characters)

8. We acknowledge that our application is not fully comprehensive. If there is anything additional you would like to let us know about you, please briefly state it here. (550 characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Pennsylvania: How to Get In )

Drexel University College of Medicine

Please discuss all of your current and recent activities and engagements that have prepared you for medical school. Please be sure to include any traditional and/or non-traditional clinical exposures and volunteering experiences that you have done that are not already included in your application. (2000 characters)

Why are you interested in Drexel? Please also explain how you meet various elements of our mission - compassionate care, diversity, spirited inquiry, collaboration, and opportunity. (1500 characters)

Please describe any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your medical or non-medical service experiences, including any circumstances that impacted your engagement in activities, academics, and MCAT that would have helped to prepare you for medical school. (1500 characters)

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

If you are applying to the Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program, please share with the Admissions Committee what primary care and/or psychiatry means to you, and why you believe you are a good fit for the Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program. (1500 characters)

Given Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's unique mission and values, please tell us why you believe you are a good fit for our institution. (1500 characters)

List the five most important attributes you believe a physician should possess. Please choose one that you believe you embody and describe a personal experience that demonstrates this trait. (1500 characters)

Geisinger Commonwealth values diversity, health equity, inclusion, and social justice. Tell us how you will share in this mission. (1500 characters)

If you have previously applied to medical school, please describe your significant experiences between this year’s application and your previous application. If you are not a previous applicant, please type, “N/A” in the response area. (1500 characters)

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

There are no secondary essay prompts for the 2022–2023 cycle.

Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

If not currently enrolled in a full-time academic program, please summate your activities from the time of graduation from your baccalaureate program through the time of this application, as well as your plans between now and your matriculation to medical school. (75 words)

Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee? (75 words)

Explain why you decided to apply to the Penn State College of Medicine. (75 words)

Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (250 words)

Write a short statement describing how you envision using your medical education to advance care for under-represented or marginalized populations. (250 words)

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

PCOM recognizes and affirms the dignity of all members of the PCOM community. Do you self-identify as part of the LGBTQIA community? (Yes/No)

If yes, please use this space to specify your identity within the LGBTQIA community, if you wish. (200 characters, optional)

Have you ever participated in a PCOM-sponsored program for undergraduate, high school or middle school students interested in medicine/health sciences? (Yes/No). If yes, the following questions are required:

Please briefly describe the program. (If possible, include program title, dates attended, grade, etc.) (500 characters)

How did this experience influence your journey toward a career in Osteopathic Medicine? (500 characters)

Have you previously applied to any of PCOM's academic programs at any of our locations? (Yes/No). If yes, the following questions are required:

If you attend or have previously attended any of PCOM's academic programs at any of our locations, please list below the campus, program and terms of enrollment. (500 characters)

Please tell us what you have done since the submission of your last application that improves your candidacy to our DO program(s). (1500 characters)

Use this space if you'd like to address any identified deficiencies in your application. (700 characters)

If you selected to be considered for the Philadelphia location of PCOM, please respond to the following question: What one aspect of the PCOM campus community resonates with your personality and values? (2000 characters)

If you selected to be considered for the South Georgia location of PCOM, please respond to the following question: What one aspect of the PCOM South Georgia campus community resonates with your personality and values? (2000 characters)

Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University

Sidney Kimmel Medical College defines diversity as the richness in human differences . How will your own experiences allow you to contribute to the diversity of the student body and to provide equitable and inclusive care to your future patients? (2500 characters)

Do you have any additional information that hasn't been covered? (4000 characters)

Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine 

There are a handful of yes/no questions, one question in which you’ll select the campus, and essays:

What is the nature of your interest in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine? (2000 characters)

The Admissions Committee would like to know more about you. Katz seeks an engaged student body with a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and interests to enhance the medical school experience for everyone. Please use the space below to describe what makes you unique as an applicant, an obstacle that you had to overcome, or how you will contribute to the Katz community. (2000 characters)

Tell us about your special interest in the campus you selected. (2000 characters)

What are your plans for the current year - June 2024 until June 2025? (2000 characters)

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected all of us. Please use this space to describe to us how you were impacted academically, personally or professionally by COVID-19. (2000 characters)

Have you completed a pathway/pipeline program offered through Katz or another medical school? These types of pathway/pipeline programs include Diversity Scholars, STEP-UP, Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) or other similar programs sponsored by a medical school. (yes/no)

a. Name of Program:

b. Medical School sponsor of the pathway/pipeline program: (Y/N)

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Perelman School of Medicine )

Were there changes to your academic professional and/or personal circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic that you would like to share with the committee? (Y/N) (If yes, 500 characters max.)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, if you were offered an option to continue courses with a standard grading system or switch to Pass/Fail, and you elected Pass/Fail, please describe the reason(s) for your decision here. (500 characters)

Independently of the COVID-19 pandemic, have you taken any online courses for credit? (Y/N) (If yes, list the courses.)

Have you been nominated for or received an award from any state, regional or national organization? (Y/N) (If yes, list.)

Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation? (Y/N) (If yes, 500 characters max.)

Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application? (Y/N) (If yes, 1000 characters max.)

Did you participate in a pre-medical enrichment or pathway program during your undergraduate studies? (Y/N) (If yes, 1000 characters max.)

The Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) is deeply committed to recruiting a class inclusive of diverse perspectives and experiences; this enriches the instruction we provide, enhances team-based learning, and ensures our students’ preparation to address the health needs of a pluralistic society. How would your life experiences contribute to the student body and how would you contribute to an inclusive atmosphere at PSOM? Please explain and limit your response to 1,000 characters.

We are all navigating through challenging times at home and abroad, and physicians and physician-scientists must contend with many instances of uncertainty. Please describe a time when you faced a situation that was ambiguous, confusing, or uncertain, and how you navigated making a decision without complete information. (3000 characters)

Do you identify as a first-generation college graduate and/or having a low-income background? We recognize that the definition of “low income” can vary based on geographic location, zip code, and size of your household, but there are some factors typically associated with being low-income, such as qualifying for free/reduced lunch in middle/high school, receiving Pell grants or work-study aid during college, qualifying for Medicaid/Social Security benefits, or attending a high school with low per capita funding, Title 1 designation and/or a low percentage of seniors receiving a high school diploma. (Y/N)

Have you or your family experienced economic hardships, regardless of current income status? (Y/N) (If yes, 1000 characters max.)

Have you ever been employed at the University of Pennsylvania Health System or Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and worked with a University of Pennsylvania faculty mentor(s)? If yes, please indicate name, department, phone number of faculty member(s), and start/end dates (Y/N) (If yes, list only; no essay is required.)

Please share your reasons for applying to the Perelman School of Medicine. (1000-character limit)

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

The Three Rivers Curriculum features collaborative team based learning. Therefore, we value your perspective and experience working within teams. Describe a time you worked with others in a collaborative process, challenges encountered and how you overcame these challenges. Discuss any personal growth achieved through the experience. (250 words or less.)

Describe a difficult situation you faced, how you responded to this situation and how this helped shape the person you've become. (250 words or less.)

Respect for others of different backgrounds is integral to the successful practice of medicine, as is an understanding of the social determinants of health. Describe a situation you observed between a patient and the health care system that illustrates the impact of social determinants of health and/or the impact of racism on delivery of care. Describe what you learned from this situation. (250 words or less.)

Optional Essay: If you wish, use this space to tell the UPSOM Admissions Committee anything else about yourself. (250 words or less.)

Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences

List/describe: Academic honors, Research experience/ Publications, Community service/ volunteer work

Explain your interest in graduate studies and your long-range professional plan.

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine 

No secondary essay prompts for this cycle.

Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

(Suggested reading: How to Get into Brown Medical School )

Brown University The Warren Alpert Medical School 

First Question: Do you have significant limitations on your interview availability for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle?

*NOTE: Interviews occur on Thursdays and/or Fridays beginning in mid-September and finishing in February. Please detail any significant limitations on your availability during this time, such as international travel, work or courses. You may use the text box below to explain your limited availability. (if none, leave blank)*

Three Required Essays:

1. Summarize your activities during the 2024-2025 academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 characters)

2. How will your unique attributes, life experiences, and interests add to The Warren Alpert Medical School community?

3. Reflect on a non-academic situation when you had to change course, and how you did so. (3000 characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in South Carolina: How to Get In )

Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine

Please discuss your primary interest in attending the Medical University of South Carolina. (2000 characters)

We desire to train students and physicians to work with the diverse patients of our state and nation. Please share any important aspects of your background, identity, and/or experiences that have impacted your ability to relate to and work with diverse communities and patient populations. (3000 characters)

For re-applicants: If you are a re-applicant, please describe what you have done since last applying (i.e. your activities, involvement, preparedness, etc.) to strengthen your candidacy for medical school. (2000 characters)

For out-of-state applicants: If you are not a legal resident of South Carolina, please describe in detail your strong Close Ties to South Carolina. Close Ties are defined as: (1) Having lived in SC for multiple years, (2) Parents who currently live full-time in SC, (3) Completed the majority of your education in SC (i.e. enrolled in or graduate of an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from a South Carolina institution), (4) and/or Currently living in and/or working in South Carolina. (3000 characters)

University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Columbia

No character limit for any question.

What additional qualifications have you acquired since your last application? (if applicable)

Do you have any other ties to South Carolina that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider? (if applicable)

What are your medical practice goals?

Describe your employment status since you completed your bachelor's degree (part-time, full-time, and dates) (only if you have graduated).

In what region of the country do you want to practice medicine? Why?

What areas of medicine are you interested in at this time, or what areas do you plan to pursue?

Do you have any accomplishments or experiences that make you a unique applicant?

Explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational, research, volunteering, or employment plans.

Working as part of a team is an important aspect of your medical education at our School of Medicine and as a practitioner in the future. Please share at least one experience where you worked as part of a team to accomplish a goal/objective. What was your role as a part of the team and what did you learn from working with others? How did you deal with conflict on the team and/or working with a team member who you disagreed with?

University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville

Please consider sharing experiences, challenges, family or personal circumstances, interests, etc. that you believe would bring added value and unique lived experience to the learning community at USC School of Medicine Greenville. (5000 characters)

If you are not a South Carolina resident, what relationships, bonds, or other interests or connections do you have to the state? (If not applicable, please write N/A) (5000 characters)

Is there any additional information you would like the Admissions Committee to consider that has not been previously addressed? (If not applicable, please write N/A) (5000 characters)

Why have you chosen to apply to USC School of Medicine Greenville and how do you think your education at USCSOM Greenville will prepare you to become a physician in the future? (5000 characters)

At USCSOM Greenville we are committed to Transforming Medicine One Doctor at a Time. Share how, as a physician, you will seek to transform medicine. (5000 characters)

Please describe a personal work, social or educational experience which felt inclusive and welcoming. (5000 characters)

University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine

Given the mission statement of the school, please explain how your experiences and long-term goals would help meet the mission. (1500 characters)

Given the diversity statement of the school, explain how your background and experiences with diversity will bring value to the school. (1500 characters)

Describe how your experiences in health care or social care activities will help you become a good physician. (1500 characters)

Briefly describe a crisis or significant challenge in your life, how you have worked through the crisis or challenge, and what you have learned from this experience. (1500 characters)

What are your career plans in the event that you are not admitted to a medical school this year or after several applications? (1500 characters)

Please use this space to update the information contained on your AMCAS application (i.e. grades in recent courses; alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation; additions to your extracurricular activities) or anything else you want the committee to know. (1500 characters)

For repeat applicants only. Since your last application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? Please note any relevant academic, employment, clinical and personal experience. (1500 characters)

For non-South Dakota residents applying to the regular MD program – please describe your ties to South Dakota. (1500 characters)

Please share and explain any disruptions/hardships in your academic, volunteer, work, and/or personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (5000 characters)

Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the corona virus (COVID-19) public health crisis. Possible topics might include, for example: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic; creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis; how the pandemic has affected your outlook on the role of medicine. (5000 characters)

Knowledge and skill are crucial, but why should a physician be kind? (5000 characters)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Tennessee: How to Get In )

East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine*

Time-sensitive considerations:  (Regarding all information requested in the supplementary application.) "This information, when requested, must be completed within 14 days of the date on which the information was requested."

What makes you interested in Quillen? Discuss your perceptions on how attending Quillen would align with your future goals and your hopes for how it will shape you into the physician you want to become. (1500 characters)

Social justice, systemic racism, and equity for all have been at the forefront of national conversations. Quillen College of Medicine recognizes that many barriers still exist for persons of color and those from historically underrepresented communities. As a physician you will have opportunities to foster an environment of change for your patients and community. Please share with us your reflections on how your life experiences have impacted the development of your values and attitudes toward others, particularly those with backgrounds or values different from your own. (1500 characters)

Applicant choice. Please select only one of the following questions to answer. Be sure to indicate your choice by starting with the number associated with the question: (1500 characters)

There is no doubt that the level of stress brought on by medical schools can impact a student's mental health and emotional well-being. Discuss the ways you plan to manage your own health and well-being during medical school.

Describe an experience you have had during your life that has given you a unique understanding of human suffering and what did you learn from this experience?

Use this space to tell the committee anything else about yourself that you have not had the opportunity to present elsewhere in your application.

Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: "Because we interview and admit on a rolling basis, we strongly encourage applicants to submit their completed application packages at least four weeks prior to the March 15 deadline ."

Please write and ATTACH the short essay addressing ONE of the following questions: (No word count)

Medical school requires a huge commitment in time and energy. How have you prepared for this commitment?

If you are a re-applicant please tell us what you have done to strengthen your application.

Optional: Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know that you haven’t explained on your AACOMAS application? (No word count)

Meharry Medical College School of Medicine *

(Suggested Reading: How to Get Into Meharry Medical College )

Time-sensitive considerations: "The Admissions Committee prefers if the candidate has completed the Supplemental application before their interview ."

Why do you wish to attend Meharry Medical College School of Medicine? (No limit)

Please describe a personal situation of failure, significant challenge, or a major obstacle that you have overcome. Include a description of your coping skills and lessons you learned from that situation. (No limit)

Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University

Time-sensitive considerations: “Applicants are encouraged to return supplemental application materials within 10 days for best consideration.”

Belmont University is committed to five ways of being: hope inspiring, character forming, future shaping, community engaging and bridge building.  Choose one and detail how this way of being impacts your life and future practice.  (2000 characters max)

We believe in building a culture of diversity and inclusion along with the dignity and worth of all people. What do you see as the opportunities and challenges of an increasingly diverse medical community and how are you prepared to flourish?  (2000 characters max)

As a new medical school, our early classes will play a vital role in creating a culture and will be called to thrive in a dynamic and evolving educational environment. Describe a time when you dealt with an ambiguous problem or project, any feedback you received, and what you learned about yourself.  (2000 characters max)

(Reapplicants only) Describe the changes to your application from previous cycles - include academics, experiences, and/or personal attributes.  (2000 characters max)

University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine

Optional essays:

Provide any additional information not previously provided in the personal comments of your AMCAS Primary application. (500 characters)

Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to provide our applicants with an optional essay prompt for this years UTHSC COM secondary application. Please use the text field below to share with us how you may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including academic, financial, medical disruptions, etc. It would also be helpful for us to hear if any of your planned experiences in shadowing, volunteering, research, employment, or other activities were suspended due to the pandemic. (2500 characters)

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (800 words)

Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently? (600 words)

Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words)

Optional: If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (200 words)

Optional: If applicable, please describe how the COVID-19 outbreak affected your pathway to medical school. You may discuss any academic, personal, financial, or professional alterations to your plans. NOTE: Disclosing certain hardships or obstacles that have been faced during this time will not negatively affect an application. (200 words)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Texas: How to Get In )

Baylor College of Medicine 

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into the Baylor College of Medicine )

Questions 1 and 3 are mandatory .

1. In addition to training as a competent physician, please select up to two additional areas of interest from the items below that you may want to pursue during your medical studies. Your responses will have no bearing on applications to joint degrees or special programs to which you might also apply. Options include:

Clinical Research

Healthcare/disparities/medical underserved communities

Academic Medicine

Community Health

Simulation in medical education

Health systems science

What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? (1,000 characters)

2. Are you planning to matriculate into medical school immediately after completing your undergraduate education? If not, please explain what activities and/or careers you have pursued in the time between your college education and your application. (no limit)

(If no) Please explain (no limit) (If yes) No essay needed

3. Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat TMDSAS or AMCAS application information.  This section is mandatory.  Please make sure you submit an essay or your application  will not  be reviewed by the committee. (2,000 characters)

MD/PhD Applicants Additional Prompts:

Please describe your primary research Interests for PhD training. (Limit of 1000 characters)

Why do you think Baylor College of Medicine MD/PhD Program would be a good place for you to train to be a physician scientist? Please provide names of potential Baylor College of Medicine and/or Rice University faculty with whom you would like to work. (Will not limit final research project or mentor selection) (Limit of 1,500 characters)

Tell us about a characteristic(s) that may enable you to interact with people from a wide range of ages, experiences, viewpoints, and backgrounds. (Limit of 1,000 characters)

Published articles, please provide full citations.

Plans for the 2023-2024 academic year description (Limit of 1,000 characters)

Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

What do you like or dislike most about the area you are from (your hometown or where you graduated high school)? (800 characters)

Describe a moment when you failed to accomplish a task or let yourself down. How did you grow from this experience? (800 characters)

What do you consider the role of physicians in medically underserved Texas communities? (800 characters)

Sam Houston State University's Motto is "The Measure of a Life is its Service." What is the most significant service contribution that you have made? (800 characters)

Why do you want to pursue osteopathic medicine at SHSU-COM? What about osteopathic medical education interests you? (800 Characters)

Are you a Texas resident? [Yes or No]

Please share anything you would like to mention to the SHSU-COM Admissions Committee about yourself to strengthen your application. (500 characters)

TCU School of Medicine

Prompt 1 (300 words, max)

The Burnett School of Medicine defines empathic scholars with these eight traits: Compassion, Teachability, Altruism, Insight, Humility, Collaboration, Integrity, & Respect.

Which trait do you think you embody most and how will that be valuable to patient care?

Which trait might you need to improve upon? How will you improve in this area and how will this be of value in your role as a physician?

Prompt 2 (300 words, max)

Characteristics of an aspiring MD

Describe any personal qualities and/or lived experiences that add context to your application that shape who you are as an individual and aspiring healthcare leader.

Texas A&M University College of Medicine

As a physician, you never know what type of patient you will serve. From your past experiences, please describe or highlight factors or situations that demonstrate your ability to work with individuals from multicultural communities. (3500 characters max)

The Texas A&M School of Medicine embraces the Aggie Core Values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity and Selfless Service. Please elaborate on personal characteristics, values, accomplishments and/or any experiences that you feel will help to demonstrate your potential to contribute to the school and to the profession of medicine. (3500 characters max)

Describe any circumstances indicative of some hardship, such as, but not limited to, financial difficulties, personal or family illness, a medical condition, a death in the immediate family or educational disadvantage not mentioned in your primary application essays. What strategies have you used to address these circumstances? (3500 characters max)

OPTIONAL QUESTION (Note: This question is not really “optional” as you cannot leave it blank.) : List the area (or areas) of medicine that appeals to you and briefly explain. (Limit your explanation to 50 words or 250 characters total) Do not leave blank. If not applicable, please so indicate. (50 words or 250 characters max)

EnMed (Engineering Medicine) Program prompts

How did you hear about the EnMed program? (250 words)

How will the Engineering Medicine program meet your career goals and aspirations in ways that a traditional MD program would not? (250 words)

List the knowledge and skills you have participated in outside the classroom, then describe how these have prepared you to create innovative medical technologies. (250 words)

List the knowledge and skills you have acquired inside the classroom, then describe how these have prepared you to create innovative medical technologies. (250 words)

At the end of your career, what do you want to have accomplished in order to consider yourself successful? (250 words)

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine

The mission of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine is to provide an outstanding education and development opportunities for a diverse group of students, residents, faculty, and staff; advance knowledge through innovation and research; and serve the needs of our socially and culturally diverse communities and region.” Recognizing the components of this mission and that PLFSOM is located on the US/Mexico border, please describe why you are interested in applying to our school. (300 words or less)

The Foster SOM student honor code states “In my capacity as a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso School of Medicine medical student, I will uphold the dignity of the medical profession. I will, to the best of my ability, avoid actions which might result in harm to my patients. I will protect the dignity of my patients and the deceased, and will protect their confidential information in accordance with the prevailing standards of medical practice. I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will enter into professional relationships with my colleagues, teachers, and other health care professionals in a manner that is respectful and reflective of the high standards and expectations of my profession. I will not tolerate violations of this Code by others and will report such violations to the appropriate authorities.” Please describe past experiences or personal attributes that reflect your affinity with this honor code. (300 words or less)

Please describe any unique personal experiences or disadvantage (educational, financial or otherwise) and their significance to you in your pursuit of a medical degree. (300 words or less)

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine – Lubbock

Areas of Interest:

Select the area(s) of interest that you have experience or related activities with (please check all that apply). For each selected area, please list your experience and/or activities; completed, current or planned. There is a 150 word limit for each selected area:

Practice in an underserved area and/or work with an underserved population

Rural/Border health

Medical Research/Academics

Other (please describe below)

Supplemental Information:

Have you experienced any road bumps in your academic career? (low academic performance, dropping, retaking, or failing courses, etc.) If yes, please explain your circumstance. (250 words or less)

Please share any lessons learned during your academic journey. For example, a time a goal of yours was deterred and maybe even halted, how did you handle that situation? (250 words or less)

If you are applying to a dual degree program, please rank them in order of preference.

Are you applying to our MD & E program?

Describe your motivation to pursue this program at TTUHSC, be sure to include how you expect to benefit from our program.

How do you anticipate this program making you a more efficient caregiver?

Please list the highest-level math/chemistry/physics course you have taken or are currently taking.

What projects have you been involved in that require programming and or machine languages? What languages do you prefer?

Are you applying to FMAT?

What motivates you to participate in the FMAT program? (200 words or less)

What experiences have you had that would prepare you for this intensive program? (200 words or less)

What, in your opinion, distinguishes Family Medicine from other medical specialties? (200 words or less)

Have you experienced any hardship or adversity, personally or professionally?

If yes, please share your experience with us. (200 words or less)

Please tell us about your favorite recreational/leisure activities. (100 words or less)

Please share with us your ideal practice. For example: Where would you practice? Who would your patients be? What would your specialty be? (100 word limit)

Do you consider yourself from West Texas or as having West Texas ties?

If yes, what town or county did you reside in, or what other factors would you cite? (100 words or less)

Do you consider yourself to be first generation? If yes, please explain your reasoning (Examples of Definition: both of your parents are born outside of the USA, both of your parents have education or a degree outside of the USA, both of your parents do not have an education higher than high school).

If yes, please explain your reasoning. (100 words or less)

Have you ever participated in any TTUHSC special programs? Check all that apply.

University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine

Explain your understanding of osteopathic medicine and your interest in pursuing this pathway to becoming a physician. (200 words)

UIWSOM is the first faith-based school of osteopathic medicine in Texas and mission-driven. How will you contribute to the UIWSOM by fulfilling this mission? (200 words)

Please describe your preparation for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Include any tools you may have used to prepare, length of study time, practice exams, etc. (200 words)

(Answer if applicable.) If you are reapplying to UIWSOM, what have you done to strengthen your application since you last applied? (200 words)

Are you a current or former student of the University of the Incarnate Word who falls in one of the categories below?

a) Current MBS student

b) Previous UIWSOM MBS student

c) Current UIW undergraduate student in Direct Admit program

University of Houston College of Medicine

(a) Yes or no questions with 300 characters to explain each experience:

I have prior experience in a primary care setting.

I have prior experience in a medical practice or social service for an underserved area.

I have prior experience in community or public health

(b) Describe the setting (urban/inner city; suburban; rural); your role and responsibilities; and approximate date range for any of the experiences you indicated in the previous section. If you answered (N) to the category, enter “N/A” or leave the box blank for that category.

Primary Care: (300 character limit)

Medical or Social service for underserved area: (300 character limit)

Community or Public Health: (300 character limit)

Describe any employment, family or other obligations that impacted your education that are NOT already indicated in your TMDSAS application. (750 characters, optional)

Describe up to 3 of your activities/life experiences that align with our mission. Explain how they might demonstrate a commitment to underserved communities. The examples you select must be included in TMDSAS primary application. Go to the UH College of Medicine mission for more information. (1500 characters)

University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

OSTEOPATHIC KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES, AND/OR RELATIONSHIPS Please address each topic in a separate paragraph:

What experiences and/or relationships have motivated you toward a career in osteopathic medicine? (2,000 characters including spaces)

ACADEMIC HISTORY

A. If you attended more than two colleges/universities, explain why. Community colleges are not needed. (1,000 characters including spaces)

B. If applicable, please update the information contained on your TMDSAS application. Indicate any additional grades earned, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation date, additions to your extracurricular activities, name change, or anything else you feel the Admissions Committee should know. (1,000 characters including spaces)

ADDITIONAL EVALUATIONS (Optional)

An additional evaluation letter may be submitted directly to UNTHSC Office of Admissions by the evaluator. A letter from an osteopathic physician is highly recommended. Please indicate the name of the evaluator and whether or not they are a D.O.

SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

-Did you live in a single parent household?

If yes, number of years/months:

Number of Years:

Number of Months:

-Do you consider yourself financially disadvantaged?

If yes, please explain. (1,000 character limit including spaces)

-Do you consider yourself educationally disadvantaged?

OPTIONAL ESSAY

One of the values of the University of North Texas System is Courageous Integrity which means one should model exceptional standards and act in the best interest of our community. These behaviors include:

Build trust through consistent actions that are honest, transparent, and authentic

Provide, accept, and support open and constructive feedback

Hold yourself and others accountable for decisions, behaviors, actions, and results

Please select a specific instance where you have demonstrated Courageous Integrity and describe how this is indicative of your character (2,000 character limit)

University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School 

In an effort to give a greater number of applicants the opportunity to present themselves to Dell Med’s admissions team, the school uses a unique video secondary application. If selected for further consideration, the applicant receives an email invitation with details on how to prepare and submit the video through a free online portal. The secondary application consists of questions that address specific aspects of the school’s mission. In a two-minute response for each question, the candidate speaks to how their experiences will help them contribute to this work. The priority deadline for the secondary application is Dec. 15 ; application will be reviewed only after the secondary is submitted.

Candidates who feel they would represent themselves better in a written format are given the opportunity to request a written version of the secondary application.

(Note: Candidates do not receive the same set of questions.)

University of Texas Long School of Medicine at San Antonio 

Long School of Medicine does not employ a written secondary application. However, all applicants who are invited to interview are also invited to complete a standard one-way video interview.

University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine

Part A. Choose two of the following prompts to respond to (300 words maximum each):

Describe a time when you learned in a team. How will this experience help you as a medical student?

Describe a time when you made a mistake. How did you acknowledge it, respond, and remediate the situation?

Scientific inquiry is important for being a physician. Define a time when you engaged in scientific inquiry and how do you think it would help you be a better physician?

What attributes do you look for in your physician(s)? Which of these attributes do you need to develop? How will you develop them?

Do you have any work experience and if so, how do you think those skills will help you as a physician?

John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch serves patients throughout Texas, focusing on Galveston County and the Gulf Coast Region. Are there particular characteristics of our school and/or the Galveston area in terms of location, history, or other attributes that make you especially interested in matriculating here?

Part B. The other component will be asynchronous video responses to two questions. Once invited to complete the supplemental application, applicants will receive a link to complete this portion through SparkHire .

University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston 

Please discuss one of the following (2500 character limit):

A challenging situation or obstacle you have faced in the past

Any academic road bumps in your academic career (low academic performance, failing courses, dropping/retaking of courses) In your response, be sure you include answers to the following:

Why was it challenging?

How did you handle it?

Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently?

What did you learn?

Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. What did you learn from this experience and how have you applied this learning to your work and/or life? (2500 character limit)

From what you understand about the rigors of medical school, what do you think will be the biggest challenge for you? How do you think you are prepared for these challenges? (2500 character limit)

What hesitations or reservations, if any, do you have about joining the medical profession? (2500 character limit)

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine

Part 1 (2 required essays)

1. Engaging with the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) communities is a core part of our mission. Please share how you might contribute to this aspect of our mission. ( 1500 words or less ) 2. Why are you interested in UTRGV SOM? ( 500 words or less max; bullet points are acceptable). Optional Essay 1. Please describe any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your medical or non-medical service experiences, including any circumstances that impacted your engagement in activities, academics, and MCAT that would have helped to prepare you for medical school. ( 1500 words or less )

Learning Experiences ​

Part 2: REQUIRED [VIDEO problem-solving Response] Submit a 2-minute video that responds to two of the values listed below.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine prepares future physicians in accordance with the following values: patient advocacy, community focus, cultural awareness, collaborative leadership style, and lifelong problem solving. Select TWO (2) of these values and discuss what you have done in the past that resonates with them. How will you support and strengthen these two values when you practice medicine?

University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

Describe a group project or activity that you are most proud of. Consider the following in your response: What aspect makes you most proud? How was it accomplished? How did you deal with disagreement or conflict in the group? How did you get fellow group members to embrace a position or view your perspective? (2500 characters)

Describe a time that you have witnessed someone acting unethically or dishonestly or an experienced behavior of harassment or discrimination. What did you do? Describe your reaction, is there anything you might do differently now in retrospect? (2500 characters)

Describe an interaction or experience that has made you more sensitive or appreciative of cultural differences, and/or how you have committed yourself to understanding and aiding in the pursuit of equity and inclusion in your academic, professional or personal life. (2500 characters)

Have you engaged in any public service activities for a duration of one year or greater in length (examples: Military, Peace Corps, Teach for America, etc.). Yes or No? If so, please describe the experience and impact on your personal and professional development. (2500 characters) (Optional)

Please explain any academic discrepancies or extenuating circumstances that you feel the Admissions Committee should know. (2500 characters) (Optional)

University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine

Our mission is to improve the quality of life and reduce health disparities in our rural East Texas region. Please indicate (select one) your connection to East Texas as outlined in our county map and explain below: (250 words)

I have direct ties to the East Texas region (born, graduated high school, community college, undergraduate, etc.)

I have indirect ties to the East Texas Region (family members, in-laws, visited East Texas frequently, attended summer camp in East Texas, etc.)

I have ties to a rural region with similar characteristics to the East Texas region (size, demographics, health disparities, etc.)

I do not have ties to the East Texas region; however, I’m interested in practicing in this area after graduation.

I do not have ties to the East Texas region but am still interested in attending the UT Tyler School of Medicine.

Are you a reapplicant? Yes/No

Are you a reapplicant to UT Tyler SOM? Yes/No

If yes, What have you done between the last application cycle to make your application stronger? (no character limit)

The mission of the UT Tyler SOM is fourfold:

Community Engagement: Embed the School of Medicine within East Texas, focusing on communication, responsiveness, inclusion, and community. The School of Medicine in East Texas, and everything we do will be in partnership with our communities.

Education: Recruit, support, and develop a diverse and representative healthcare and research

workforce from East Texas, focused on reducing health disparities in East Texas.

Research: Develop an array of biomedical, clinical, preventive, translational and population-based

research programs focused on understanding and eliminating health disparities in East Texas.

Clinical: Expand access to top-quality healthcare in the local communities of East Texas by developing and implementing innovative healthcare systems and leveraging existing infrastructure and programs.

Why are you interested in applying to UT Tyler’s SOM? (500 Words)

Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Please include how you got through the experience and what you learned about yourself as a result. Examples may include: moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity; or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome. (500 Words)

Optional question (highly recommend): Please use this space to share with the committee any additional information that may help us evaluate your candidacy that is not addressed elsewhere in the application. (500 Words)f selected for the class.

Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine

Record a short video (maximum 8 minutes) that answers the following questions:

Who are you?

What is your passion?

What does service mean to you?

Tell us about a physician you admire/want to emulate?

Why Noorda-COM?

University of Utah School of Medicine 

SFESOM Essay​

What motivates you to pursue and complete your medical education at the SFESOM mission-driven, medical doctor program ? (300 words)

Healthcare Needs Essay​

Describe how access to healthcare has impacted you, your community, and/or communities you have served. What might be some viable solutions? (300 words)

Additional essay for applicants to the Pathways in Health Care Program

Please share more about your experience in the Pathway program(s) and how these experience(s) have helped you prepare for medical school

RUUTE Scholars questions:

According to your experiences, what does rural and underserved mean to you? (500 words)

How would participation in RUUTE help you fulfill your career aspirations? (150 words)

Why do you believe this program will be a good fit for you? (150 words)

Population Health Program questions:

Please share your interest in the Population Health Program (no word count given)

What are your career interests and future professional goals? (no word count given)

Please describe how you have demonstrated commitment to Population Health concepts during your academic and professional experiences: (no word count given)

What does Population Health mean to you and how do you plan on implementing it into your future education and professional career? (no word count given)

University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine

The Larner College of Medicine curriculum emphasizes active in-person participation and peer co-learning which translates into strong clinical practice. This relies on individual students preparing for, and being actively involved in, participatory class sessions. Please share your thoughts on the suitability of active learning for you. You may use any of the points below to guide your response. (400 words)

Navigating a group learning process.

Personal contributions to such a learning environment and areas of growth.

The value of balancing your learning with the teaching of your classmates.

Any potential challenges to this approach to learning.

The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont recognizes that diversity extends beyond chosen and unchosen identities and encompasses an individual’s entire experiences. Diverse environments can promote growth and provide an opportunity for reflection. Reflect on a time you learned something from someone or a group of people who are unlike yourself and how that challenged your preconceptions or biases. How will this experience influence your behavior in the future? (400 words)

The Larner College of Medicine has core values that are reflected in our professionalism statement. How has your understanding of what professionalism means evolved over time? Reflect on a personal experience that contributed to your understanding of your own core values. (300 words)

What unique opportunities at Larner College of Medicine would be meaningful to you in your education and how do these align with your larger goal of becoming a physician? (250 words)

(Optional) Use this space to share any information, not presented elsewhere, that will clarify any aspect of your application. If you are a reapplicant, you may choose to share what you have done since your previous application. (250 words)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Virginia: How to Get In )

Eastern Virginia Medical School *

Time-sensitive considerations: 30 days from the date of invitation (This information was confirmed with the school.)

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Eastern Virginia Medical School )

Briefly describe your exposure to medicine. (2000 characters)

What do you think you will like best about being a physician? (2000 characters)

What do you think you will like least about being a physician? (2000 characters)

Describe yourself and your medical career as you see it ten years from now. (2000 characters)

Please indicate your reasons for applying to EVMS. (2000 characters)

(Optional) EVMS is dedicated to inclusivity and supporting patients and students from diverse backgrounds. Feel free to share your personal experience or ties to communities from diverse backgrounds. Please explain in detail if you wish to respond. Some examples include but are not limited to race/ethnicity, culture, LGBTQ+, differently-abled/disabled, etc. (2000 characters)

(Optional) If you would like to discuss how race has personally affected your life, through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise, feel free to share your experiences, obstacles overcome, and how this impacted your education and road to applying to medical school. (3000 characters)

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Describe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life, share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience. (500 words)

Professionalism and respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance in medical school and as a physician. What three professional qualities do you believe a Student Doctor must demonstrate and describe how you will demonstrate these qualities as a medical student at VCOM? (500 words)

How do your professional ambitions align with osteopathic medicine? (500 words)

What influenced your decision to apply to VCOM? (e.g., personal or medical experiences; influences of friends/family/physicians/mentors; etc.) (500 words)

Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, as a faith-based institution, exists to develop excellent osteopathic physicians in a Christian environment who will impact the world by becoming leaders in the practice of medicine and servants of their fellow man. In 250-500 words, please describe how your personal faith, beliefs, or values will allow you to contribute to LUCOM's mission to develop patient-centered physicians for the osteopathic medical profession.

In under 300 words, how do you hope to impact your community as an osteopathic physician?

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations:  "The supplemental application should be submitted within 60 days of supplemental granted notification by 6 pm."

You are approached by a neighbor whom you are friendly with and who knows you are headed to medical school. The neighbor wants your opinion on whether she should have her healthy 3-year-old child vaccinated against COVID. The neighbor is well-researched and thoughtful, bringing up data that suggests limited long-term benefits of vaccination, while pointing to concerning, documented side effects. How would you respond to this dilemma? (Comments are limited to 2,000 characters. Research on the topic is encouraged)

How do you define “grit”, and how have you demonstrated this in the past? (2,000 character limit)

Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application. (2,000 character limit)

Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades. (2,000 character limit)

If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now?

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute

Describe how AI could affect the integrity of medical professionals. (400 words)

What can a recovering addict who didn't finish high school teach their physician? (400 words)

Discuss a recent time when you were wrong. What made you change your mind and what did you do about it? (400 words)

Who is your role model, and why? (400 words)

University of Virginia School of Medicine

Please briefly describe how the pandemic impacted your ability to pursue experiences like clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service.

Please list any and all future activities in clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service that you plan to pursue in the upcoming year.

Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 word limit)

What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you. (350 word limit)

Tell us about a challenge or obstacle you experienced. How did you manage it? (350 word limit)

(Suggested reading: Medical Schools in Washington State: How to Get In )

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Describe personal experiences that have shaped your desire to attend an osteopathic medical school that focuses on addressing rural and/or medically underserved populations and diversity, equity, and inclusion in health care. (One page)

Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

How will you contribute to the mission and vision of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine? Support your response with your experiences and/or attributes. (300 words)

What experiences have you had with rural and/or underserved communities/populations? What have you learned from these experiences? (300 words)

Describe your connections to Washington communities and your interests in practicing medicine in Washington. (300 words)

How have you built your resilience? (300 words)

Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics or experiences that would add to the educational environment for your classmates. (300 words)

If you are a re-applicant to WSU College of Medicine, describe what you have done since last applying to strengthen your candidacy for our medical school. If you are not a re-applicant to the College of Medicine, please leave blank. (300 words)

University of Washington School of Medicine

Note: Applicants must complete a Washington state residency questionnaire for review before the school will send a secondary application.

1. The UWSOM aims to build a diverse class of students to enrich the field of medicine. What perspectives, identities, and/or qualities would you bring? (250 words)

2. What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them? (250 words)

3. How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or people you have worked with? (250 words)

4. Demonstrated competency? - Social sciences, Humanities or "Human Condition"?

Entering medical students should understand the social forces that shape the health of the individuals and communities they will serve. This includes understanding how social contextual factors and policy operate at the community and national level to impact the health of individuals. Students should be familiar with disparities in health currently present in society and their underlying etiologies. Candidates seeking acceptance to UWSOM can establish competency in this area through course work in the social sciences, humanities or related interdisciplinary fields such as public health or ethnic and gender studies, clinical and/or population health research, service learning, lived experience or a combination of thereof. Examples of social science/humanities coursework to consider: Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Psychology, Religion, History, Philosophy, Literature.?

Describe your competency by explaining how you have explored and come to understand issues in the social sciences and humanities as they relate to the practice of medicine. (250 words)

Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine 

Please note: we received these directly from an individual at Marshall, and we know there is a discrepancy between the word count and the character count mentioned for #3. As of July 22, 2024, the space allows 250 characters, so perhaps they will update this question.

Why did you decide to apply to Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine? (5000 characters)

Describe a challenging experience and how it impacted your personal growth. (750 characters)

Please provide below any additional information you believe is important in evaluating your application (e.g. additional coursework, problems with academic record, disadvantaged, etc.) Please indicate, yes or no and then explain/describe briefly in 250 words or less. (optional; 250 characters)

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician? (500 characters)

What advantage do you see in attending WVSOM over other medical schools? (500 characters)

Describe an ethically challenging situation you have been in, and how you respond? (500 characters)

What do you feel it will take for you to succeed in medical school? (500 characters)

Describe a situation in work, volunteer activities, or organizations where you demonstrated your ability to work well with others. (500 characters)

What experiences (living, working or visiting) have you had in rural areas? (500 characters)

West Virginia University School of Medicine *

Time-sensitive considerations: 2 weeks from the invitation date (This information was confirmed with the school.)

Why do you want to attend WVU SOM? How did you first hear about WVU SOM, and why do you feel you would be a good fit? (150 words)

Describe a time when you advocated for someone, other than a relative or friend, who had a different background from your own. (150 words)

How do you see yourself serving the state of West Virginia if accepted? (150 words)

Which one of the AAMC Interpersonal or Intrapersonal Core Competencies is your strongest, and why? How will this competency enhance your ability to be an outstanding physician? (150 words)

What would be the six-word title of your memoir? You are allowed only six words here. You may have the opportunity to explain your answer if you are invited for an interview.

Medical College of Wisconsin

Explain how your unique background, identity, interests, or talents will contribute to the MCW learning community. (1000 characters)

How will MCW uniquely prepare you for your future goals? (1000 characters)

Recount a time when you made a decision you regret. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? (2000 characters)

The Medical College of Wisconsin is committed to educating health professionals who are dedicated to improving health equity across the diverse populations we serve. Share with us what you have learned or how you have grown through working with or serving people from cultural backgrounds or groups different than your own. How do you believe you can contribute to improving health equity or reducing health disparities as a physician? (2000 characters)

Additional Demographic Checkboxes

If you choose one (or multiple), you will have up to 2,000 characters to elaborate.

I identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA) community.

I am the first person in my immediate family to attend college (excluding siblings).

I was born or grew up in a rural community.

I am a military veteran (including active duty and those transitioning to civilian life).

I come from an economically disadvantaged background.

I attended an underperforming elementary, middle, or high school.

My primary language is NOT English.

I have overcome a significant hardship.

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

The Admissions Committee is committed to holistic, mission-aligned evaluation of all applicants. Review our institution’s mission . Using specific examples, discuss how and why you believe you are a good fit for the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. (500 words max.)

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of UWSMPH and crucial to the education of tomorrow’s physicians. Reflect on how you would embody these values in your education or practice. (250 words max.)

Integrity, accountability, and compassion are UWSMPH core values. Pick one of these and reflect on your lived experience with it. (250 words max.)

Many inequities exist at the intersection between health outcomes and historical, societal, economic, or other systemic factors. Choose a broader issue or policy that impacts health outcomes where you believe change is needed to advance health equity. Discuss the role you hope to play as a physician in addressing this issue. (250 words max.)

(OPTIONAL) If germane to your overall application, please share in a brief paragraph how COVID-19 impacted your application in any of the following domains:

Personal Life

Topics to address might include the public health lessons and health care insights learned from the pandemic, creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis, or any hardships (economic, health, or other) you faced due to the virus or its mitigation efforts (e.g. social distancing, quarantine).

Required Essay for Re-applicants to UW-Madison : Individuals who are reapplying are required to submit a statement indicating what has changed since the previous application to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health MD or MD/PhD program (e.g., additional academic work, new letters of recommendation, work and volunteer experience, life changes, etc.) (500 words)

Medical School Personal Statement Ultimate Guide (Examples Included)

Medical School Secondary Essays: The Complete Guide (Examples Included)

AMCAS Work and Activities Ultimate Guide (Examples Included)