Secondary Essay Prompts

All the Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts from 2020-2021 Cycle

All essay prompts limited to 750 characters.

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

Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application:

Briefly indicate how you would add diversity to our medical school class:

Please describe if and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your preparation for applying to medical school.

Describe an observed patient-physician interaction, what you learned from the experience, and how those lessons will impact your approach to patient care.

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

Provide the name, location, and phone number of your current employer. (200 characters, not including spaces)

Although interests may change, what areas of medicine are you primarily interested in at the current time? (200 characters, not including spaces)

Have you previously applied?

Do you have undergraduate research experience? (Y/N)

Although our primary obligation is to residents of the State of Alabama, we do consider competitive, out-of-state applicants with strong ties to the State of Alabama. Please write a brief essay explaining your ties to the State of Alabama.

Optional Essay (500 Words): 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.

Describe your experience with Community Health Centers or free clincs (500 words or less).

Describe your activities during any gaps longer than 3 months in your college or postgraduate record.
(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.)

Describe your experiences with osteopathic physicians. Have you ever shadowed a DO, if not explain why? Do you have a letter of recommendation from a DO, if not explain why?
(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.)

Describe your understanding of SOMA by answering one of the following questions:

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

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

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

(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.)

Please list any changes or updates to your AACOMAS application. This section may be left blank if your AACOMAS application is complete and accurate.

1. list relatives that are DO’s.

2. Why do you believe AZCOM would provide you with the type of osteopathic medical education you are seeking?

3. Why should AZCOM accept you into this year’s class?

4. upload CV.

If you were to describe the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix to someone else, what would you share with them?

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

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.

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?

Were there any significant disruptions in your academic, volunteer, work, or personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee?

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 and/or academic challenges. Do not repeat any information already mentioned in the primary or secondary applications.

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?
(Limit: 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 the challenges that you face in your life.
(Limit: 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.
(Limit: 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.
(Limit: 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.

LETTER OF STRONG TIES

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.

MD/PhD COMBINED DEGREE APPLICANTS

The College of Medicine offers a combined MD/PhD degree program. Applicants who selected the MD/PhD program in the AMCAS application must complete the two additional AMCAS application essays.

MD/PhD Program | College of Medicine

Complete the MD/PhD program application form on the website and use the Upload Documents section to include this document with your application.

MD/MPH COMBINED DEGREE APPLICANTS

The UAMS College of Medicine offers a combined MD/MPH degree program.

MD/MPH Program | College of Medicine

To apply to this program, please fill out the “Intent to Pursue Combined Degree Form” and use the Upload Documents section to include the document with your application.

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

In the medical profession, you will be exposed to students, faculty, colleagues, and patients of various cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. How has your involvement with diverse populations prepared you for potentially four years in Elk Grove, the greater Sacramento area, and the rest of the Central Valley? (250 words maximum)

What has been your biggest challenge in pursuing medicine? What have you learned as a result? (250 words maximum)

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

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)

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

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

  1. Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life. 800 char

  2. What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? 800 char

  3. What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? 800 char

  4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? Yes 300 char or No

  5. What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? 300 char

  6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. 300 char

  7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. 500 char

  8. Describe your work experience: 4000 char

Question 1: During your career as a physician, you will potentially encounter many obstacles and be required to overcome many challenges. Resilience is a prerequisite for success in medical school and beyond. Describe your experience with a situation that had an unfavorable outcome. How did you react, and how might you have responded differently. What did you learn about yourself? (250 words)

Question 2: Kaiser Permanente is nationally recognized for its achievements in the realm of equity, inclusion, and diversity. How will you contribute to the diversity of Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine? (250 words)

Question 3: Lifelong learning is an essential process for continues professional development in physicians that includes reflection and being open and responsive to constructive feedback. Tell us about an area of intellectual exploration you are passionate about and have sustained over time. What means have you used to explore this area? (250 words)

Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application.

Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment.

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.

Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience?

Optional: The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. 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 sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it.

The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

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

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? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces.

Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (OPTIONAL)Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces 

Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee.

Do you have a connection to Northern or Central California? (Yes or No) If you answered ‘yes’ to having a connection to Northern or Central California, please explain below. If you answered ‘no’ type ‘not applicable’.

Experiences Section

At UC Davis School of Medicine we realize that each applicant brings diversity and perspective from a broad range of experiences. In this section we give you the opportunity to describe in detail the 3 extracurricular activities or experiences that have been most influential in leading you to a career in medicine. We realize that many applicants have identified key experiences in the main application. However, some do not and others identify less than 3. We apologize for any redundancy – feel free to reproduce the comments from your Primary application and expand on them as appropriate.

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

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

Do you have a baccalaureate degree? (Y/N)

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. (1500 char)

PRIME-LC program essays:

Do you wish to be considered for the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community? (Y/N)

Please describe how you have served your community (school, neighborhood, city, etc.) and how these experiences have prepared you for PRIME-LC. (1500 char)

Please describe the reason for your interest to be trained as a physician leader for the Latino community. In addition, explain how you intend to utilize the PRIME-LC specialized training to impact community health and health services for the Latino community. (1500 char)

Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life. (800 char)

What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 char)

What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 char)

Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (300 char to explain if yes)

What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (300 char)

What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (300 char)

Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (500 char)

Section to enter major work experiences, with 4000 char. to explain each experience.

Is there any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? If yes: Please explain. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors: (500 char)

Where do you see yourself post-graduate education? What experiences have led you to this goal? (500 char)

Describe the single MOST important event or non-academic activity in your life and explain why it’s significant.

What activity or accomplishment are you MOST proud of?

What experiences or activities have prepared you to work with medically underserved communities?

Please list any Scholastic Activities that you have been involved with (including honors and awards)

Describe a major problem you have had to deal with at some time in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth.

Is there any specific hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? Please briefly explain below. (Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors.)

What kind of health care setting do you envision yourself working in?

How do you see yourself contributing to the mission of the UCR School of Medicine?

PERSONAL STATEMENT: Your personal statement from the AMCAS application will be used in our admissions process. You do not need to duplicate it here. At your option, you may use this space to provide any further information you may want us to consider in addition to the AMCAS personal statement. THIS IS NOT MANDATORY.

If you click Yes for disadvantaged student -> Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities . Please limit your response to 250 words

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. 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.

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. (OPTIONAL)

Global Health Academic Concentration: 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. (OPTIONAL)

Please describe your interest in the MAS-Clinical Research program. Topics to include are your previous experience with clinical and/or translational research, your role within the research group, and what you envision for a career that includes clinical and/or translational research. A letter of recommendation from the individual supervising your previous experience is helpful but not required. (OPTIONAL)

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

If you are 2018 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (Word Count 400)

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

If you are 2018 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (Word Count 400)

While shadowing a physician, what did the experience do to solidify your desire/ambition to become an osteopathic physician? (500 words)

What was your most memorable community service activity and how did it impact you? (500 words)

What is your specific interest in the osteopathic medicine program at COMP? (500 words)

Describe why you see yourself as a great fit for our school. (500 words)

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

Required Colorado Essay- Please answer both parts in this single essay. Limit the essay to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. If you are a reapplicant, please include information on how your application has changed.

If you are a re-applicant, please explain how you and your application has changed since your previous submission. Limit this response to 1500 Characters.

Urban Track (only if you select this optional track):Please answer each of the questions below separately. This statement should not exceed 4500 characters, including spaces (approximately 750 words). Do not repeat the content from your AMCAS or Colorado Secondary Application essays.

Describe the type of urban community health project that would be of greatest interest to you. Try to be as specific as possible regarding a particular culture or population of patients you are interested in and a topic you would like to study.

Reasons for your interest in the CU-UNITE Urban Underserved track.

If you have had a prior experience in an urban underserved community either volunteer, work-related, and/or personal, describe how this has impacted your decision to apply to this track.

Describe how you plan to incorporate urban underserved health care into your career following completion of your schooling.

You are a student spending your first summer working in an urban-underserved, uninsured community in Denver. You are on a field visit and notice a car that appears to be abandoned, but then on closer observation you notice that there are small children asleep in the back seat wearing dirty clothes with left over fast food on the floor boards. You notice a strong odor of urine and feces coming from the car. A woman is sitting under a tree nearby and is also poorly dressed and unkempt and appears to be in her last trimester of pregnancy. She has visible lesions on her legs and arms. Identify the needs that you see in this family from the perspective of a student working with urban underserved uninsured populations. Please describe how you would attempt to address the needs of this family both in context of their potential health issues and social situation.

Rural Track (only if you select this optional track). Please limit your rural track essay to 1500 characters or less (about 300 words):

Describe your experience in and commitment to rural Colorado and your vision of working as a primary care physician in rural Colorado.

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? (Limit 150 Words)

What area of medicine do you envision yourself working in at the end of your training? What is shaping your vision? (Limit 100 Words)

Is there anything not captured in your application that you would like to share? (Limit 150 Words)

What non-academic advice would you give to your younger self? (150 words)

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, what adjustments would you see as necessary and beneficial to the delivery of health care? (150 words)

Physicians are often called upon to play a leadership role within a healthcare team. Give an example of how you have developed your leadership skills. (150 words)

Discuss an experience you have undertaken outside your comfort zone and detail why you sought out this particular experience. (150 words)

Please limit your responses to 1800 characters, including spaces, for each essay question.

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

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

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? (500 words)

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.

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.

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.

  • 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 2020. (750 characters)

  • 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)

  • What is your most meaningful clinical experience to date, involving direct patient contact? (350 characters)

  • What makes you a unique individual? What challenges have you faced? How will these factors help you contribute to the diversity of the student body at GW? (1000 characters)

What is your specific interest in the MD Program at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why? (2000 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? (1 page, formatted at your discretion)

The Georgetown University School of Medicine strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. Please describe how your personal characteristics or life experiences will contribute to the Georgetown University School of Medicine community and bring educational benefits to our student body. (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)

Have you lived (for three years or more) in communities which are medically underserved, or where the majority of the population is economically and/or educationally disadvantaged?

After residency, do you plan to practice medicine in an underserved or disadvantaged community?

Have you worked (volunteer or paid employment) with medically underserved, economically disadvantaged and/or educationally disadvantaged populations?

Please provide below any additional information you believe is important in evaluating your application (e.g. additional coursework, problems with academic record; disadvantaged, etc.)

Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please provide details of your activities/employment for the application year (1200 char)

Tell us why you would like to be admitted to the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU. What makes you a good fit for our College of Medicine? (1600 char)

Tell us about your most meaningful community service experience. How did you grow? What did you learn? What did you enjoy about serving others? (not related to patient care, if none, please write none) (1600 char)

Tell us about your leadership experience(s) and/or key leadership skills. (Organized a fund raiser, club/organization officer role, how do you motivate or influence people, if none, please write none) (1600 char)

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 (if none, please write none) (1600 char)

Diversity means understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences. Describe what uniqueness you would bring to the Schmidt College of Medicine. We are proud to already have a medical school rich in cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity. What values, skills, talents, and life experiences would you add to our culture? (1600 char)

You may have worked during or after college. Having to maintain paid employment can be challenging, yet it can also develop a number of qualities that can help you succeed in medical school, as well as beyond. Tell us about your most meaningful paid employment. What was it about the experience that made it meaningful? What qualities and skills did the job help you develop and strengthen? What traits do you feel you learned while with that employer and/or the work experience? (Experience does not need to be related to patient care, if none, please write none) (1600 char)

As a community Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine has made a commitment to be anti-racist and address systemic racism in education and healthcare (http://med.fau.edu/home/diversity/index.php). Institutionalized racism can be defined as “macro level systems, social forces, institutions, ideologies, and processes that interact with one another to generate and reinforce inequities among racial and ethnic groups.” As a future medical student at FAU, how can you play an active role in addressing and dismantling systemic racism (https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health-equity/racism-and-health)? (1600 char)

One of the values of the Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine is to provide the best medical care for all people. A major challenge for all physicians to provide the best medical care are Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). These can be defined as “conditions in the social, physical, and economic environment in which people are born, live, work, and age.” What will you as a future doctor do to address SDOH? (1600 char)

The character limit for each essay is 1200 (including spaces).

Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you.

Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you?

Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school.

Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation?

Please limit your answers to 500 words per question.

Travel: Indicate your significant travel experiences and include the circumstances. Optional

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

Miscellaneous: Identify any other traits, habits, experiences, interests, etc., that a professor advisor would not normally learn about you. Optional

Parents: Please provide a brief description of your parents. Optional

Siblings: Please provide a brief description of your siblings. Optional

Practice Vision: In what field of medicine do you envision yourself working ten years from now? Optional

ACT/SAT Scores (if any): Please enter your ACT and SAT scores if you have taken these exams. Optional

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 the FSU COM.

In this space, describe your anticipated coursework for the academic year. (2000 char)

Do you have any information that you would like to share with the UCF COM Medical Student Admissions Committee that has not already been addressed in your AMCAS application? You may also use this section to include information about your family, hobbies, and travels, personal interests, interests in the UCF COM, or relationship to Florida, that have not already been discussed in your AMCAS application. (2000 char)

Please provide a short essay to help us understand who you are. This essay should be different from your AMCAS Personal Statement. UCF COM places great value on the broad diversity of our students within the classroom. We believe the diverse characteristics of each individual in the class are important factors in serving the educational missions of this school and of our community. Please discuss any unique, 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. We are also interested on your thoughts about what you can contribute to your class and the medical profession in general. (2000 char)

If you are not a full-time student during this application cycle, in particular at any time between September 2018 and May 2019, 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). Indeed, the late physician, writer and ethicist, Dr. Edmund Pelegrino affirms both the science and art of medicine. But when discussing the nature of the physician/patient relationship he says the following, “The act specific to medicine, that which makes it medicine and thereby distinguishes it from both science and art, is the decision about what is right and good for a particular patient now, with this set of needs, arising out of this particular illness…It is the practical decision, taken in the best interest of a particular person, not in the interest of new knowledge, of society or of the physician.” 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 numerous strategies to equip our students to preserve their own humanity and that of their patients. As students make connections with and get to know their patients, they begin to experience the joy in medical practice. They also have the chance to consider ways that the forces mentioned above can rob a physician of that joy. As they share their stories, they encourage one another to make deliberate choices to preserve what we might call the heart or soul of the profession. Read these reflections from two third year students, one about a memorable encounter with a patient and the patient’s daughter and the second a very moving poem where a student explores the importance of taking time to be quiet and alone despite the busyness of our lives. She also considers the potentially dark consequences of neglecting this important practice. After reading and reflecting upon them, write an essay about what you will do to “never lose the human side of yourself,” treat your future patients as you would a family member, and thereby preserve the soul of medicine. Current Word Count: (250-500 words)

Many hours in medical school are appropriately spent pursuing knowledge and skills needed to practice medicine. Medical students must master an enormous amount of information, synthesize it into a workable understanding of the human body, and then discern the best way to translate such knowledge into decisions with individual patients. However, governing this process are larger philosophical questions such as, “What does it mean to be human?” In his 1748 work, “Man as Machine”, French physician and philosopher Julien Offray de La Mettrie argues that humans are nothing more than complex animals. In contrast, many others would suggest there are psychological, social, emotional and spiritual dimensions to being human that are no less important than the biological, and perhaps even more important. Whatever our answers to these questions, those answers will have an impact on what we think it means to be a healthy human. 

Below are two brief quotations, one from the Greek philosopher Plato and the other from Sir William Osler (1849-1919), widely regarded as one of the fathers of modern medicine. Read and reflect upon them and then choose one for an essay. Please address whether or not you agree with the author, why you do or do not, and how your conclusion might affect the way you practice as a physician. 

“Variability is the law of life, and as no two faces are the same, so no two bodies are alike, and no two individuals react alike and behave alike under the abnormal conditions which we know as disease.” -William Osler

“The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated.” -Plato Current Word Count: (250-500 words)

500 words each

  1. Briefly describe the one clinical experience you have had that has most significantly influenced your decision to study medicine. Do not replicate your AMCAS personal statement.

  2. Why have you selected the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine for your medical education? Please be as specific as possible.

  3. Please provide a chronological list with dates AND a brief description of your clinical experiences/shadowing.

  4. Please provide a chronological list with dates of your community service/volunteering.

  5. Please discuss a situation where you had to use your leadership skills.

  6. Please briefly discuss your research experience.

  7. Please provide a chronological list with dates of your employment.

  8. [OPTIONAL] Please provide a description of any activities involving the FINE ARTS (dance, drama, music, art, photography, etc.)

  9. [OPTIONAL] Please provide a description of any activities involving SPORTS (organized team sports, recreational activities that you play, watch or follow)

  10. [OPTIONAL] Describe your most meaningful involvement in STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS.

  11. [OPTIONAL] Please provide a description of your most memorable TRAVEL experience.

  12. [OPTIONAL] Please provide a description of your HOBBIES and what you do for fun and relaxation. 

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? If yes, please provide specifics as to how your competitiveness was impacted. If no, type “N/A”. (1500 characters)

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

  • Other

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? Optional (1500 characters)

The University of South Florida, 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 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)

If you have chosen the SELECT program or BOTH, please explain how your experiences and career goals match with the mission of the SELECT program. (MD SELECT Program | USF Health) (1500 characters)

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? If yes, please provide specifics as to how your competitiveness was impacted. If no, type “N/A”. (1500 characters)

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

  • Other

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? Optional (1500 characters)

The University of South Florida, 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 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)

If you have chosen the SELECT program or BOTH, please explain how your experiences and career goals match with the mission of the SELECT program. (MD SELECT Program | USF Health) (1500 characters)

200 word limit for each prompt

List your entire curriculum plan for the current academic year. If you are not currently in school, please briefly describe your plans for the coming year.

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

Briefly describe your interest in Emory and the Emory degree program you have selected.

What do you consider to be the role of the physician in the community?

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

Please discuss your primary interest in attending the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. (400 words)

Please describe your motivation for becoming a physician. What contributions do you feel that you could make to the medical profession in the future? (400 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.”

The Admissions Committee regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of our school. The Admissions Committee strongly encourages you to share personal challenges that you have overcome and that are unique to you. These challenges may include the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, region of residence with respect to its health professional needs, ties to MCG, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or life and/or work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. (400 words)

Please describe the geographical area in which you would most likely practice medicine and why. Please include the country, region, state, city and/or town in your response. (400 words)

Please explain any inconsistencies in your academic record. This may include below average course performance, grade trends, MCAT scores, etc. (400 words)

If applicable, indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you have not already addressed in your application. (400 words)

Please explain any disruptions to your medical school application this cycle that the admissions committee should consider, as it relates to COVID-19 (Examples include: academics, volunteer/clinical experiences, personal life, etc.) (400 words)

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 max)

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

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 max)

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 max)

If you wish to, please briefly explain below to the Admissions Committee experiences, attributes or qualifications you believe are unique to you that can add to the diversity of the educational environment at MUSM. (230 words max)

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 max)

Type a statement setting forth the key motivational factors in your decision to apply to Morehouse and any information about yourself you feel would be of interest to the Committee on Admission in the consideration of your application. Please keep the response to about one page.

What percent of your professional time do you anticipate devoting to (Administrative, teaching, patient care, research)? In which size community do you think you would like to practice? (Large metropolitan, small city, large town, small town/rural area/reservation). Briefly, explain the reasons for your selections. (no word limit)

 

  1. How will becoming a John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) educated physician allow you to achieve your long term goals?

  2. Describe a personal experience that demonstrated your resilience.

  3. Describe any personal connection to JABSOM and/or Hawaii and the Pacific that you may have.

  4. (OPTIONAL) 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.

Please discuss challenges in your journey thus far to medical school. (150 words)

Please specially discuss how, if admitted to our program, your admission would contribute to the diversity of the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science community. (150 words)

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. Minimum 100 Words

Social justice in the Jesuit tradition, justice due each person by virtue of their own inherent human dignity, is an essential dimension of education at SSOM. Describe what you have you learned about yourself from your concrete social justice experiences. Explain how you plan to sustain your efforts to advocate for current social justice issues as a medical student and as a physician. Inherent human dignity is an essential dimension of Jesuit education at SSOM. What have you learned from your concrete social justice experiences? How do you plan to sustain your efforts to advocate for current social justice issues as a medical student and as a physician? Minimum 100 Words

Serving underserved and under-resourced communities is an expression of social justice. Describe an impactful experience in working with and for under-resourced communities. Explain what you have you learned about yourself through this service OR what has hindered your efforts to serve others in these environments. Minimum 100 Words

Describe your leadership style. Provide a specific example of how you have applied your leadership style. Minimum 100 Words

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. Minimum 100 Words

*******ANSWER IF APPLICABLE*******
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?

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.

1. List family members that are DO’s.

2. Why do you believe CCOM would provide you with the type of osteopathic medical education you are seeking?

3. Why should CCOM accept you into this year’s class?

4. Upload CV.

All prompts have a limit of 200 words.

Given the distinctive educational philosophy and integrated curriculum at FSM, describe how your personal characteristics and learning style would fit the institution, and how Feinberg School of Medicine will help you achieve your professional goals.

Describe the steps you take to manage your personal stress when confronted with difficult situations.

Feinberg’s mission is to impact the practice of medicine through discovery and education. With consideration of FSM’s goal to train future leaders in medicine, please describe your career plans and goals. Be as specific as your current thinking will allow.

(if applicable): If you have (or expect to have) a year or more between college graduation and medical school matriculation, describe your activities and/or plans. For REAPPLICANTS: Please also address steps taken to improve your application for medical school.

Everyone has their own narrative. Please provide more detail about how your experiences would enrich the Northwestern community.

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.

Describe personal attributes you possess or life experiences you have had that will enable you to better understand patients with a culture different from your own. Please include your self-reflection on how this experience has changed your insights, beliefs, and/or values. (1000 characters)

Describe a challenging situation in which you did not agree with a directive/rule and how you handled this. (1000 characters)

Reflect on a time in which you personally gained more from an experience than what was expected. (1000 characters)

What do you hope to gain from your Rush Medical College experience that will make you a better/different physician? (1000 characters)

If applicable, describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your application to and/or preparation for medical school. (1000 characters)

SIU School of Medicine uses a holistic approach to identify and select a diverse student body best suited to 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 this mission? Please limit your answer 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

“At the University of Chicago, in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity.”

Our mission statement is an expression of our core purpose and educational philosophy. In particular, it highlights the value we place on diversity since we regard the diversity of entering class as essential for educational excellence. Please write an essay on how you would enhance diversity at Pritzker and advance the Pritzker mission. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words.

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. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words.

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 200 words.

There’s also a prompt asking you to explain why you opted out of having a pre-med committee letter if your school does committee letters.

Describe a stressful situation that you have experienced. Please detail your reaction, how you managed the situation, and what you learned that will help you handle a similar circumstance in the future.

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.

(Simulation; Research in healthcare delivery; Basic science research; Interdisciplinary collaboration; Healthcare disparities; Academic medicine; Global Health; Community Health Urban; Community Health Rural; Innovation Medicine)

Provide a short, 300-500 words, statement on your interest and how you see it influencing your learning.

This school has no secondary essay prompts for the 2020-2021 cycle.

In previous years, have you ever applied to medical school?
If you answered yes to the above question, did you apply to DMU?
If you have previously applied to medical school, how has your application improved? (250 characters)

If you have relatives that are Des Moines alumni, please indicate the individual’s name(s) and degree(s) earned. If no, enter n/a. (optional, 100)

Have you spent time shadowing an alumnus of the Des Moines University DO program? If yes, please include the individual’s name. If no, enter n/a. (optional, 75)

Have you ever been charged, convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) to any infractions, misdemeanors or felonies, or do you currently have any pending legal actions related to such violations? If yes, please provide detailed information. If no, please enter n/a. (optional, 3000)

Do you currently hold or have you previously held a professional license in any field of practice in any state or the District of Columbia (e.g., pharmacy license, chiropractic license, license to practice law, etc.)? If yes, is there currently or has there been any disciplinary actions or investigations against you by any state licensing board? Please describe. If no, enter n/a. (optional, 3000)

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? (3000)

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

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

Describe any unique personal characteristics and obstacles you may have overcome that will contribute to the diversity of, and bring educational benefits to, the entering class. (Required – 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. (Required- max of 15 entries, 175 characters per entry)

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

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. (Optional – 1500 characters)

Select what is your preferred campus location. Please provide a brief explanation for your campus location selection. (1000 characters)

Provide relatively brief (1,000 character maximum) answers to the following questions. Use Notepad or other non-formatting text editors if you would like to copy-paste your answers from drafts prepared elsewhere. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.*

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

If necessary, update the information contained in your AMCAS application. Indicate grades earned, alterations in your proposed course work or graduation time, additions to your extracurricular activities, or other pertinent information.

If there are discrepancies in your application that have not been explained in your personal statement, 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.

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.

If you are no longer a full-time student, briefly describe your current employment, community, medical, and/or educational activities.

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.

For Combined MD/PhD Program Applicants: Do you also want to be considered as an “MD-only” applicant?

*Have you ever been convicted for violation of a regulation or law relating to controlled substances (answer YES or NO)? If yes, provide appropriate explanation(s), including the date(s) of conviction, case number(s), and the jurisdictional court(s) involved.

*Have you ever been convicted of a felony (answer YES or NO)? If yes, provide appropriate explanation(s), including the date(s) of conviction, case number(s), and the jurisdictional court(s) involved.

For OOS only. This is an opportunity to describe more about yourself to the Admissions Committee. The Personal Comments section of the AMCAS application is not an acceptable substitute. In the essay, please address the following points:

Reasons for selecting a medical career;

Things you have done to prepare yourself for a medical education and career;

Personal characteristics and other accomplishments and experiences that you feel help qualify you for the practice of medicine; and,

Why you chose to apply to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Please elaborate on any Kentucky ties: personal, familial, etc.

For everybody:

How would you describe your ability to use unscheduled time during the day for learning?

What competencies and qualities should a physician possess for practice in the 21st century?

Describe the most significant community service activity in which you have participated. How did it affect you?

Describe an experience or situation which made you feel grateful.

In providing patient care, should physicians maintain emotional distance or empathize with patients’ emotional states? As a physician, how would you deal with your own emotions?

Describe a situation in your undergraduate education when you felt alive and engaged in learning.

If you are an out of state student, please explain your interest in attending the University of Louisville School of Medicine: (Maximum of 500 characters)

How well did your high school prepare you for college? (Maximum of 500 characters)

What determined your choice of college(s)? (Maximum of 500 characters)

How do you assess your college record? (Maximum of 500 characters)

Please describe any circumstances adversely affecting your academic performance. (Maximum of 500 characters)

Please discuss your research experience, including any publications and/or curriculum vitae. (Maximum of 500 characters)

Foreign Travel (Maximum of 500 characters)

Interests & Hobbies (Maximum of 500 characters)

Describe any other areas in which you possess interest, expertise or skill. E.g., musicianship of a professional caliber, published writing, language spoken fluently, union level in trades, certification in other professional areas, scouting, etc. (Maximum of 500 characters)

What career(s) would you probably consider if you could not be a physician? (Maximum of 500 characters)

How do you see yourself practicing medicine after residency training? (Please include choice of medical practice and location) (Maximum of 500 characters)

Discuss briefly why you have decided to pursue a M.D. degree program (Maximum of 500 characters)

If you wish, you may attach a letter of reasonable length which contains comments that you feel will enable the Admissions Committee to better assess your qualifications for medical school.

If you are not a Louisiana resident, please describe your connection, if any, to Louisiana. (400 words)

Describe briefly something you have learned about yourself or some positive change you have made as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. (750 words)

Briefly describe the reasons for your interest in Tulane University School of Medicine:
(150 Words)

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 how community service contributed to your education and your passion for medicine?
(150 Words)

List any leadership positions, in clubs or organizations, you may have held:
(100 Words)

Please list your hobbies and major non-academic interests:
(150 Words)

OPTIONAL ESSAYS:

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? These include groups oriented around, but not limited to: ethnicity, race, sexuality, religion, disability, and economic background.
(60 Words)

In what ways did the COVID-19 pandemic alter/interrupt your medical school application?
(No maximum)

Describe your particular interest in the UNE COM and describe any contact you’ve had with our students, alumni, or faculty. If you are related to a UNE COM graduate, please list that persons full name, year of graduation, and relationship to you. (2500)

What is your understanding of the team-based approach to medical education? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach? (2500)

Pick an example of a challenge/difficulty you have encountered that is of a personal, cultural, extra-curricular, or academic nature. What insight have you gained from this event? How will it influence your time at UNE COM and your practice of medicine? (2500)

Tell about a time when you needed to put the interests of another ahead of your own. (2500)

Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (2500 character limit)

Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment. (2500 character 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. (2500 character limit)

Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? (2500 character limit)

Wonder encapsulates a feeling of rapt attention … it draws the observer in. Tell us about a time in recent years that 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? (2500 character limit)

Optional: The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. 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 sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it.

  1. Were there any significant disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider in reviewing your application? (1500 characters)

  2. 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 Character Limit)

  3. 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 Character Limit)

  4. USU strives to be a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. 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 will help you participate effectively in this environment. (1500 Character Limit)

Please describe and explain below any academic problems which you might have had while in college and/or graduate or professional school. Please include withdrawals, incompletes, poor grades, etc. (If you feel that you have not had any academic problems please state that) (1,000 character limit)

If a specific medical school application activity was impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, please describe the activity, the time period during which it was to take place, and any relevant contact information. (1,000 character limit)

Have you done independent research or study? (We are looking for research that you did outside of the course/classroom requirement) (1,000 character limit)

Have there been any gaps in your education from high school to college, while in college, or after college? (1,000 character limit)

Please explain what you will be doing during the 2020-2021 academic year. If you graduated/will graduate in 2020, what are your plans during this gap year? (1,000 character limit)

The following questions have a 1,500 character limit:

Briefly describe your most important exposure to clinical medicine.

Briefly describe your most satisfying experience related to community service.

Without limiting the discussion to your own identity, please describe how you envision contributing to the core values of diversity and inclusion at our School of Medicine, and in the medical profession.

What does it mean to you to enter into a profession?

Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate degree? (1,400 characters)

If you have spent more than 4 years as an undergraduate, please explain below (1,400 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 (2,000 characters).

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 (3,000 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 BUSM Supplemental Application. Most applicants leave this blank (3,000 characters).

If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since graduation.

If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share 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. (4000 char)

The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. (This is an optional essay; the Committee on Admissions will make no judgment based on your decision to provide a statement or not.) (4000 char)

ESSAY FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE HARVARD-MIT DIVISION OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
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). Limit your comments to the equivalent of one page of single-spaced text with a font size of 10 or 12. (4000 char)

Do you wish to include any comments (in addition to those already provided in your AMCAS application) to the Admissions Committee at Tufts University School of Medicine?

Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Include in this explanation if you will be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, etc.

Do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of Tufts University School of Medicine?

Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s).

Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation.) 

You are asked to highlight specific examples of how you developed and demonstrated core professional competencies that are required for entering medical students. Please respond to the first prompt (Diversity). Then select three of the other six prompts. Each response should be 150-200 words.

  • UMass Medical School strives to be a diverse community mindful that diversity makes our community stronger and benefits the patients we serve. Each person in our community brings a unique set of strengths, experiences and perspectives. 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 UMMS community. (Diversity)

    1. Describe a time when you have made a decision that was not popular and how you handled this. (Leadership competency)

    2. Describe a time when you were on a team that was dysfunctional in some regard. How did you address the situation? (Teamwork)

    3. Describe a meaningful interaction you have had with a person whom you have helped at work, school or another activity. (Empathy/Compassion)

    4. Describe a situation where poor communication had a negative impact. What did you do to improve it? (Communication)

    5. Describe a time when you have used your ingenuity to solve a problem. (Inquiry)

    6. 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 UMass SOM, highlight how you have strengthened your application. (250-word limit)

If you have participated in UMass SOM or UMass Memorial Health Care, or UMMS 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 UMass SOM. (200-word limit)

What is your greatest strength? What are you going to contribute to the UMMS community?

If you are currently taking a gap year, in what activities are you engaged? (200-word limit)

Describe your motivation for applying to the CMU College of Medicine. Include how COVID-19 has influenced your future career in medicine. Finally, describe how your preparation and background will contribute to the mission of the CMU College of Medicine.

OPTIONAL: Please tell us how you were able to overcome/adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to your volunteer, work or educational activities

OPTIONAL: 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.

1) Describe a time when you faced a challenging, but important, learning opportunity. Include your approach and resources used to pursue this challenge. What did you learn about yourself and your approach to learning from this experience? What, if anything would you do differently? Please limit your response to 250 words or less

2) Discuss a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone. What were the challenges? What did you learn? Please limit your response to 250 words or less.

3) If you could present yourself to the Committee on Admissions, what would you want to make sure they knew about you? Please limit your response to 250 words or less.

How have your experiences serving others contributed to your personal growth, and how would your experiences contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in our community? (400 words)

Describe your motivation to attend OUWB. (250 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)

Optional: If you are a reapplicant to OUWB, please describe improvements you have made to your current application from previous cycles (please include academics, experiences, and/or personal characteristics). (400 words)

Please describe how the COVID-19 epidemic has impacted your preparation for medical school (positively and/or negatively). (400 words)

We understand this is a particularly stressful time for applicants so we have published our Secondary essay prompts early this cycle to allow more time for reflection. To ensure applicants have plenty of opportunity to share their unique stories and to enhance our holistic review as we shift to virtual interviews, we have also added two additional questions.

Essay 1
Comment on how you hope to impact medicine in the future. If examples are needed, feel free to refer to our eight Paths of Excellence. Do not exceed 1500 characters (about 250 words).

Essay 2
At the University of Michigan Medical School, we are committed to building a superb educational community with students of diverse talents, experiences, opinions, and backgrounds. What would you as an individual bring to our medical school community? Do not exceed 1500 characters (about 250 words).

Essay 3
Tell us something you are passionate about and why. Do not exceed 1500 characters (about 250 words).

Essay 4
Describe your experience in a leadership position, the challenges that presented themselves in that position and what you did to contribute to the success of the team or project. Do not exceed 1500 characters (about 250 words).

Each prompt has a 1,000 character limit.

During the stress of the pandemic, what was the one thing you learned about yourself? How has that affected your outlook on the role of medicine?

Are empathy and sympathy the same? Please discuss their importance in the practice of medicine.

Describe what specific opportunities/resources are offered at Wayne State University School of Medicine that you plan to utilize as a medical student, and why?

Each question has a 2,000 character limit. The questions are:

Essay #1: Describe why you wish to enroll at WMed. You should describe any connection that you have to Southwest Michigan.

Essay #2: Describe what you bring to the practice of medicine – your values, skills, talents, and life experiences – and how you add to the cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the medical profession.

Essay #3: WMed Re-Applicants Only: Describe the changes to your application from previous cycles – include academics, experiences, and/or personal attributes.

Why are you specifically interested in pursuing your medical education at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine even if you gain acceptances to other highly ranked medical schools?

We are all differentiated from or connected to one another by individual inflections that constitute our diversity. Explain how your relationship with your own diversity and to the diversities of others manifests in your personal and professional activities.

Share with us your thoughts about the relevance – or not – of diverse learning environments in which you wish to learn medicine.

Please describe your experiences with intentionally expanding your cultural awareness in an effort to promote acceptance, respect, and inclusivity. (1500 Characters)

Reflect on your background and the impact it has had on developing your own values and attitudes toward others, particularly those with values different than your own. Please include how your values and attitudes will foster a positive learning environment during your training, and benefit your future patients through the practice of medicine. (1500 Characters)

Beyond what you have shared in question two, please share information about important aspects of your personal background or identity as it relates to your desire to pursue medicine. Examples might include, but are not limited to, cultural context, disabilities, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, lived experiences, race/ethnicity, religion or spirituality, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. (This question is not required.)(900-1500)

If you have a specific interest in the study or practice of medicine please share it here. Please include specific experiences that have informed your interest. (This question is not required.) (900-1500)

Please describe a challenging life experience and how you dealt with it. (1500 Characters)

Briefly describe why you are interested in attending the University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities campus. (1500 Characters)

Are you a resident of the state of Minnesota?

If you selected OTHER, please provide a brief explanation as to why.

If you are a non-resident applicant, do you have any special or significant ties to the state of MN? (Non-resident applicants are not required to have ties to MN and this question is not required.)

Please explain any gaps in your education and/or work experiences since high school graduation that are not previously described in your application. (300 characters)

Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor and/or felony?

If YES, you must include a full explanation below.

What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? This is an opportunity for you to discuss or highlight any aspect of your journey to medicine that you may or may not have already presented in your application. Â You may also update us with any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS application. (This question is not required.) (900-1500)

If you are a re-applicant, how has your current application changed or what additional information would you like to highlight for the Admissions Committee? Re-applicant refers to having applied to any medical school in the past. (This question is not required unless you are a re-applicant.) (900-1500)

Please describe your motivation for pursuing the medical degree. (3000 characters)

Please discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic affected your academic preparation for medical school or opportunities for shadowing, volunteering, research, etc. Please also discuss any other impact of the pandemic that you would like the admissions executive committee to know. (2500 characters)

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.)

Please list any changes or updates to your AACOMAS application. This section may be left blank if your AACOMAS application is complete and accurate.

Additional Information Essay. Please describe any element within your candidacy not fully addressed on the AMCAS application that you want the Admissions Committee to consider. 1,200 max characters

MIZZOU Med Essay. Please let us know information regarding how you heard about our school, and any factors (programs, people, mission, geography ect.) that led you to apply. 1,200 max characters

Please discuss (e.g. using specific personal traits, education, life experiences, etc.) 2,000 max characters
– How you will add to the overall diversity of the medical school and the practice of medicine AND
– How you will contribute to an inclusive learning environment at the medical school and the practice of medicine.

Has COVID-19 significantly impacted your 2021 medical school application? (This question is optional, and if your application wasn’t greatly impacted by the pandemic, then don’t feel like you have to answer.) 2,000 max characters.

Will you be a full-time student for the 2020 – 2021 academic year? If not, please describe your current activities. (max 10,000 characters)

Given the disruptions caused by the pandemic, some universities issued P/F grades for Spring Semester 2020. Would you please provide details regarding how your university implemented that policy.
If you wish, you may also add any comment you desire regarding access to letters of recommendation or MCAT challenges you encountered.

Do you wish to include any comments, other than your AMCAS personal statement, to the Admissions Committee? (10,000 characters)

Please describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to becoming a Physician. (250 words)

Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? If yes, Describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2000 characters)

Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3000 characters)

Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? (optional)
Some applicants use this space to describe unique experiences and obstacles such as significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, and/or identification with a particular culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity and/or possibly challenges related to COVID or other issues in preparation for medical school. (3000 characters)

Please state your reasons for applying to Creighton University School of Medicine. (2000 characters)

In Creighton’s Jesuit, Catholic tradition, the mission of the School of Medicine is to improve the human condition with a diverse body of students, faculty and staff who provide excellence in educating students, physicians and the public, advancing knowledge and providing comprehensive patient care. Please describe the role(s) you can play in helping the School or Medicine achieve its mission. (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 describe your current activities/employment if you are not currently enrolled as a fulltime student. (2000 characters)

Why do you want to attend the University of Nebraska College of Medicine? (1000 characters)

All prompts have a 250-word limit.

Describe how your background and future goals will contribute to the mission of the UNLV School of Medicine.

Briefly discuss how you envision yourself contributing to the care of our growing and diverse population in the state of Nevada.

Provide a BRIEF chronological summary of your time since graduating from high school up to the point of applying to medical school.

You are welcome to share with the Admissions Committee any disruptions or impact to your application components, the application process, and/or your personal life due to COVID-19. This field is not required

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.

A

Describe your primary motivation for applying to UNR Med, your most important connection(s) to the state of Nevada and any plans for using your career in medicine to support our vision of a healthy Nevada. (300 words)

Describe a time when you were faced with a significant life crisis, a personal struggle, or an academic or professional failure. How did you respond and how did your experience impact your future actions. (300 words)

Nevada faces health care challenges that include racial and ethnic health disparities, a shortage of physicians in our rural communities, and inadequate medical services for our LGBTQ community and for non-English speakers. Describe how your prior experiences have prepared you to deliver care to underserved patients. (300 words)

Describe and share what you learned from an experience providing direct patient care. (300 words)

Please provide a brief statement regarding anything not previously addressed or disclosed that you would like considered during the review of your application. (500 words)

Please indicate your plans for the upcoming year. (No indicated word count)

Please share something about yourself that is not addressed elsewhere in your application that you feel might be helpful to our Admissions Committee. (No indicated word count)

Geisel School of Medicine values social justice and diversity in all its forms. Reflect on a situation where you were the “other”. (250 words)

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.

1500 character limit on all prompts.

We seek students who are self-aware, resilient and adaptable. Discuss a personal or professional challenge you’ve experienced and how you resolved it. Please include insight on what you learned about yourself as a result:

We are committed to an environment which fosters collaboration, cohesiveness, equity and social justice. With this in mind, how will you contribute to the NJMS community?

If you will not be a full-time student between June 2020-August 2021, please describe in detail your planned activities, including projected time commitment for each activity:

If you chose to pursue one or more gap years prior to applying to medical school, please share insight on your decision:

If you are a re-applicant, what have you done to enhance your re-application?

Please discuss any additional information you feel may help us in our review of your candidacy:

Please elaborate on any academic challenges (including MCAT), institutional actions, and/or personal difficulties not thoroughly addressed anywhere else in your application:

How has COVID 19 impacted your expectations for your medical education experience and your future work as a doctor?

Were you, or are you, employed during the school year? If so please let us know the type of work, hours worked, etc.

If you have taken time off during your undergraduate training or if you have already graduated, please provide information to explain this time by providing a bulleted list of activities or explanation delineated by month/year to month/year.

If you would like, feel free to explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational/research/volunteering or employment plans.

If applicable, please comment on any science grade(s) listed on your application for which you received grades lower than a B. If applicable, please comment if there is a downward trend in your science and/or total grade point average (GPA).

Please let us know how you prepared for your most recent MCAT. If you have taken the MCAT more than once let us know if you prepared differently for prior tests.

If you are applying with a state of legal residence that is not NJ, please indicate your connection to NJ (mark all that apply) and explain this connection: (checkbox and then a box to explain further)

Please indicate if you and/or your parents are/were employed by RWJMS or other connections to Rutgers University.

Have you ever been subjected to disciplinary action by any college or university? Have you ever been charged or convicted of a criminal offense? Are there any disciplinary or criminal charges pending against you? If the answer is yes, please specify the details.

Is there anything you would like to share or anything you would like to clarify on your application?

At the UNM School of Medicine we are committed to building a community of diverse learners that will go on to contribute to the diversity of the medical field. Are there any aspects of your experience that you are most proud of or that you feel you have been unable to highlight with your application materials already submitted? If so, please explain how this will contribute to the diversity of a learning community and your future medical community. (2000 characters)

What do you see as the most important characteristics of a physician? How do you plan to cultivate them during your training? (2000 characters)

While providing healthcare as a physician is often a rewarding career, it is also a profession that entails addressing constant challenges. Identify what you think is the most significant issue the medical profession will face in the next 20 years, and walk us through the process of solving this problem at a local or national level. Explain your reasoning along the way.

Clinical outcomes are often the downstream outcome of broader policies that impact health inequities. What is a public health policy that has impacted the health outcomes of our community for better or worse? (2000 characters)

Please tell us about a situation in which working with a team was challenging. What was your role? What was challenging? How was it handled? What did you learn? (2000 characters)

Please describe how COVID-19 has effected your preparation for applying to medical school. Describe any academic, personal, financial, or professional barriers/disruptions that COVID-19 may have triggered. (2000 characters)

  • The COVID-19 epidemic has changed the landscape of medicine. Please tell us how the COVID-19 epidemic has changed the landscape of medicine from your perspective. (You will have an opportunity to specifically discuss impacts to your coursework/grades in a separate item.) 1,000 characters

  • If you have previously applied to medical school, but were unsuccessful, how have you spent your time since then? (1,000 characters)

  • Describe yourself: (1,000 characters)

  • Please explain any inconsistencies in your university, graduate, or professional school academic performance and/or MCAT scores. (1,000 characters)

  • Has your college or university, graduate or professional school attendance been interrupted for any reason? If yes, please explain. Also, please explain any gaps in your post-graduate history. (1,000 characters)

  • Tell us one thing about yourself that would help the Admissions Committee determine if you should be admitted to our program. (1,000 characters)

EXPERIENCES

  • In the “Work and Activities” section on your AMCAS application, you provided the following list of experiences. Please select the experience that you feel has been the most meaningful in influencing your desire to pursue a career in medicine, explain why, and also describe what aspect of that experience best equips you to make an impact in the medical profession. (1,000 characters)

  • Back to School List

This is a series of yes or no questions. Any ‘yes’ answer requires a brief 100-word explanation.

  • 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.

  • I plan to take time off from school this year while I apply to medical school. (Answer “yes” if you are not a full-time student this year.)

  • I have taken and received credit for online science core courses (e.g. chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics and mathematics).

  • I have applied previously to medical school.

  • I have submitted an AMCAS application to Einstein previously.

  • I am/was a graduate student in the Sue Golding Division 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Please tell us the year Parent/Guardian # 1 received their highest academic degree and the name of that degree. If high school or less, please write “high school or less.”

  • Please tell us the year Parent/Guardian # 2 received their highest academic degree and the name of that degree. If high school or less, please write “high school or less.”

  • Street, City, State and Zip Code of Address for Parent/Guardian # 1

  • Street, City, State and Zip Code of Address for Parent/Guardian # 2

  • 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.

  • Questions about affiliations with Einstein

  • Optional “anything else?” essay (4000 character limit)

Did you work for compensation during college, during the year, or the summer? (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 background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician? (300 words)

Anything else? (300 words)

There are no secondary prompts for this school for the 2020-2021 cycle.

MD:

If you are currently not a full time student, please briefly describe the activities you are participating in this academic year. (100 words)

If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity or a commitment to a particular community, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Aspects might include, but are not limited to significant challenges in or circumstances associated with access to education, living with a disability, socioeconomic factors, immigration status, or identification with a culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. Completing this section is optional. (100 words)

What is the toughest feedback you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it? (250 words)

Please tell us about a situation in which working collaboratively on a team was challenging. What did you do? What did you learn? (200 words)

MD/PhD:

Please describe an influential experience that motivated your decision to become a physician-scientist. (200 words)

What is the toughest feedback you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it? (200 words)

Please tell us about a time when an experiment didn’t go as planned or yielded an unexpected result. How did you approach this challenge and what did you learn? (200 words)

What are your career goals? Which characteristics of the MD/PhD Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai do you believe will help you to achieve them? (200 words)

1. Which NYITCOM campus/site are you interested in attending? (The NYITCOM Admissions Committee reserves the right to recommend the best campus fit for you based upon your complete application.)-select

2. Would you consider attending either campus?

3. 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. (Max. 1000 characters)

4. Describe an experience you have had in interacting/relating with people whose backgrounds are different than your own. What did you learn from it? How did it change your perspective? (Max. 1000 characters)

5. Describe a challenge you’ve faced and the steps you took to overcome it. (Max. 1000 characters)

6. After residency, describe the community in which you see yourself practicing medicine. (Max. 1000 characters)

7. Have you previously applied to NYITCOM?

8. If yes, what specific steps have you taken to strengthen your credentials for the current application year? (Max. 1000 characters)

9. Do you have any immediate family members (ONLY grandparents, parents, brothers/sisters, spouses) who have graduated from NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine?

10. If you do, please provide their name, relationship, and year of graduation from NYITCOM. (Max. 200 characters)

11. How and where did you learn about NYITCOM? (Max. 250 characters)

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you? (300 character limit)

If applicable, please comment on significant fluctuations in your academic record which are not explained elsewhere on your application.

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.

The Admissions Committee uses a holistic approach to evaluate a wide range of student qualities and life experiences that are complementary to demonstrated academic excellence, strong interpersonal skills and leadership potential. What unique qualities or experiences do you possess that would contribute specifically to the NYU Grossman School of Medicine Community?

The ultimate goal of our institution is to produce a population of physicians with a collective desire to improve health of all segments of our society through the outstanding patient care, research and education. In this context, where do you see your future medical career and why? If your plans require that you complete a dual degree program, please elaborate here.

Please answer only one of the following three questions:

  • 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?

In light of the public health emergency that was the COVID-19 pandemic, how do you view your potential role as a frontline healthcare provider?

  1. Are there any periods longer than 3 months, from the time you graduated from high school to now, when you were not employed full time or in college full-time?

  2. If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City, describe what personal, urban experiences prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. If this question does not apply to you, enter “not applicable” in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)

  3. 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. (Limit 150 words)

  4. If you have a specific reason why you wish to attend SUNY Downstate or a medical school in New York City, please explain. If this question does not apply to you, enter “not applicable” in the text box below.

In 500 words or fewer, please explain your reasons for applying to the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine. Please be specific.

In 500 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.

Which medical specialty are you thinking about pursuing at this point? (Please note, answers have a 1500 character limit.)

Please limit your responses to 500 words per question.

Will your education be continuous between college and medical school matriculation?
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.

Describe an obstacle you’ve overcome and how it has defined you.

Optional – Recognizing that applying for the 2021 application cycle was complicated for many reasons, please share any challenges and/or special circumstances that impacted your application, beyond the commonly experienced disruptions. (250 words)

All prompts have a 1500 character limit:

Please write a brief statement giving your reasons for applying to Weill Cornell Medical College.

Please describe a challenge you faced and how you addressed it.

If applicable, please tell us about any special circumstances related to COVID-19 that could help us understand you better. (Optional)

If you are not attending college during the upcoming (2020-2021) academic year, what are your plans? (Optional)

Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (500 words)

In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. (optional) (200 words)

Describe a situation where you have chosen to advocate for someone who is different from yourself. What does advocacy mean to you and how has your advocacy developed? What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)

Success can arise from failure. What have you gained from your failed experiences and how does this translate in your current way of thinking? (400 words)

What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (400 words)

Leadership, teamwork, and communication operate synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and member of a team? What attributes do you possess as a leader and how will you apply them every day? (400 words)

Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience either enhances or perfects critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. Why is research or critical thinking important to your future career? (400 words)

Describe your understanding of race and its relationship to inequities in health and health care? (400 words)

How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society? (400 words)

Please complete this section using the prompt given. Your essay should be limited to 300-500 words and it is strongly recommended that you not copy and paste your AMCAS application essay.

Reflect on your reasons for desiring to study medicine, your future professional aspirations, your most significant clinical experience, and also your most meaningful non-medical experience. (300-500 words) (optional)

The Covid19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on everyday life across the world. From your perspective, reflect upon what you have learned or experienced during this time and how will this impact you going forward. (300-500 words)

Each prompt has a 1,000 character limit.

Describe a situation or an experience, you’ve had when you were unsuccessful. Tell us what you learned from this experience.

Give an example of how you made a difference in someone’s life and explain what this experience taught you about yourself.

What motivates you to apply to UNC School of Medicine?

UNC School of Medicine values diversity and inclusion across the institution. We believe that education and professional development are enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe how your background and/or experiences would contribute to the UNC SOM community?

Essay 1: We seek to train physicians who can connect with diverse patient populations with whom they may not share a similar background. Tell us about an experience that has broadened your own worldview or enhanced your ability to understand those unlike yourself. (200 words or less)

Essay 2: Describe a non-academic challenge you have faced and explain how you overcame it. (200 words or less)

Essay 3: 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? How did it prepare you for a career in medicine? (200 words or less)

Essay 4: Tell us about any specific reason(s) (personal, educational, etc.) why you see yourself here at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. (200 words or less)

Essay 5: Please tell us an interesting fact about yourself that a casual acquaintance may find surprising or interesting. (50 words or less)

Optional Prompts

Prompt 1: Have you previously applied to any MD programs during a previous admissions cycle? (yes/no)

Prompt 2: Please describe if you have made any significant changes or improvements to your previous application. (If selected yes)

Prompt 3: If you have received a C+ grade or lower in any coursework, please explain.

Answer each in 600 or less words.

The primary purpose of the UND SMHS is to educate physicians and other health professionals for subsequent service in North Dakota and to enhance the quality of life of its people.” Given the purpose of the School, please explain how you will fulfill this mission.

Reflect on personal experiences of resilience and emotional intelligence throughout life and how has this prepared you in your pursuit of medicine.

Describe your experiences with diverse populations. Examples include a summary of a volunteer experience, study abroad, employment, or a formal course on diversity that includes direct interaction with individuals or groups from socio-economic, cultural, geographic, rural, or other backgrounds different from your own.

Describe your research or creative activity. Examples include the outcome of a formal research experience, course-dependent undergraduate research, thesis, capstone, senior recital, performance, debate, product creation or any other major production or installation.

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.

What are your career plans if you do not ever get admitted to medical school?

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. Please limit your response to 1 page (about 3,500 characters), and leave a blank line between paragraphs.

If you were working on a small group project and you thought that another student wasn’t carrying his/her load, how would you handle it? Please limit your response to 300-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs.

Please limit your response to 1 page (about 3,500 characters), and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 3,500 character recommendation is exceeded, your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required: Research: Please describe the hypothesis of your research, why the methods were selected to answer that hypothesis, your results and interpretation of your results with respect to future findings. If you have not participated in research or scholarly work, please indicate so in the text area below.

Required Essay: Small Group Essay: If you were working on a small group project and you thought that another student wasn’t carrying his/her load, how would you handle it? (300-1000 characters, leave a blank line between paragraphs) 

Optional: Additional Information Essay Is there any further information that you wish to share with the Admissions Committee? This optional response will only be considered by the University Program.

Required for College Program: Areas of Improvement Essay: Each year our students target for themselves areas of improvement. Other than the acquisition of new knowledge, what personal area do you think you have that could use strengthening? Design a plan as to how you could improve it.(500-1000 characters, leave a blank line between paragraphs)

Required for College Program: Criticism and Feedback Essay: Tell us about a time when you received unexpected criticism or negative feedback. How did you react? What did you do? (500-1000 characters,  leave a blank line between paragraphs)

Required for College Program: Career Essay: How do you see your career ten years from now? (500-1000 characters, leave a blank line between paragraphs)

Required for College Program: Teaching Essay: When were you challenged to teach, coach, or mentor others to learn a new skill or improve an old one? Please describe how it went and what you learned from the experience. (500-1000 characters, leave a blank line between paragraphs)

Required for College Program: Gap Year Essay: If you took a gap year, please describe how you spent that time. (500 characters)

Please complete a brief personal statement of 5,000 characters or fewer addressing the question below:

What do you hope to achieve from your experience as a NEOMED student?

Describe a situation where you chose to advocate for someone who is different from yourself.

What does advocacy mean to you and how has your advocacy developed?

How do you see it linked to your role as a physician/leader?

What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate?

All applicants are required to answer one of the following three questions in the form of a short essay, 250 words maximum. Make sure to include the question itself at the top of your essay; this will not count toward the 250 words. Please name the file using the following format: “last name, first name, selected essay”.

1. 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?

2. 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?

3. Part of OU-HCOM’s mission is to embrace diversity and public service and improve the health and wellbeing of underserved populations. Describe what that means to you and how you would contribute to that mission as a student and as a future physician.

Please submit a short essay (500 words or fewer) describing how this path would support your career goals. Please name this file using the following format: “last name, first name, dual degree essay”.

Campus Statement, Cleveland: Tell us about an experience or experiences that has/have prepared you to enter family medicine and how you feel you will impact your community in or around Cleveland, Akron or Northeast Ohio.

Campus Statement, Dublin: Tell us about an experience or experiences that has/have prepared you to enter family medicine and how you feel you will impact your community in or around Dublin, Columbus, or Central Ohio.

REQUIRED ESSAYS for those applying to the Regular M.D., M.D./PhD, and the Primary Care Track:

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 or less).

The OSU COM Admissions vision statement states that the admissions committee will assemble a class that displays “diversity in background and thought”. Why is “diversity in background and thought” a desirable characteristic for a medical school’s student body? (250 words or less)

REQUIRED ESSAYS only for those applying to the Primary Care Track:

Describe past experiences that have shaped your decision to choose a Family Medicine specific accelerated training track. (250 words or less).

Health is Primary” is a communications campaign to advocate for the values of family medicine, demonstrate the benefits of primary care, and engage patients in our healthcare system. The aim is to build a primary care system that reflects the values of family medicine, puts patients at the center of their care, and improves the health of all Americans. How do you plan to reflect the values of Family Medicine in your future career? (250 words or less)

OPTIONAL ESSAY for those applying to the Regular M.D., M.D./PhD, and the Primary Care Track:

The OSUCOM Admissions Committee understands that everyone may have been impacted by the COVID 19 public health crisis. Please use the space below to communicate anything you would like to share with the admissions committee related to the pandemic. 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; or hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus or quarantine.

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. (500 words)

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)

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:

  1. Demonstrating knowledge of socio-cultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors;

  2. Showing an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity;

  3. Recognizing and acting on the obligation to inform one’s own judgment;

  4. Engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work;

  5. Recognizing and appropriately addressing bias in selves and others;

  6. 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. (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)

The application begins with multiple questions regarding possible convictions and previous matriculations, with 750 characters each for explanations.

If you will not be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program between now and matriculation, provide a thorough explanation of all activities planned between now and your matriculation into medical school (Fall 2019). (1000 characters)

Briefly describe what specific resources or opportunities offered by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine you intend to utilize as a medical student and explain how these are consistent with your own interests. Please consider the uniqueness of our opportunities, our institution, our city, and/or our mission. (2000 char)

The University of Cincinnati is highly committed to selecting and cultivating students who can transform the field of medicine through the use of their distinct talents and attributes. Please tell us how you offer “diversity of thought” to our incoming class. Please also consider sharing unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background that represent the diversity that you bring. (2000 char)

Licenses/Certifications

If you have earned a medically related certificate/license, please select one of the following. Chose “other” for certificates/licenses not listed and explain this selection on the question that follows. Chose “none of the above” if you have not earned a medically related certificate(s)/license(s).

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)

Socioeconomic Background

Did you have a financial need in college that required you to take out educational loans?

Did you or your family overcome a significant economic hardship?

If there has been a significant economic hardship, please explain the circumstances. If none, please enter N/A. (500 Characters)

If you had paid employment during the summers after matriculating (entering) college, how many summers did you work?

Which of the following best describes the summer you worked the most hours?

If you had paid employment during the academic year after matriculating (entering) college, how many academic years of college did you work?

Which of the following best describes the academic year you worked the most hours?

Family Background

Were you raised in a single-parent household?

Are either of your parents a graduate of Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine?

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)

Are any of your relatives Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine alumni, current students, faculty or staff?

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)

Application Background

Is this your first medical school application cycle?

Have you applied to Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in a previous cycle?

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)

Short Answer Questions

Has there been/will there be a gap between achieving your bachelor’s degree and expected matriculation into medical school?

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. (500 Characters)

Would you describe yourself as a non-traditional candidate for medical school?

If you consider yourself a non-traditional candidate, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (500 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. (500 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. (500 Characters)

Do you have a connection to any of the following? Please select all that are applicable

If you indicated that you have connections to Ohio, Wright State University or Boonshoft School of Medicine, please explain. If none, please enter N/A. (500 Characters)

Briefly describe any effect the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has had on your application (i.e. delayed MCAT, withdrawn courses, online coursework, pass/fail grading, etc.). If none, please enter N/A. (500 Characters)

Who is the most important person/most influential person in your life?

What is something OSU does not know about you?

If you took gap year, what were you up to?

SCM track essay questions:

Please submit an essay (450 words or less) that explains your interest and commitment to Community Medicine.

Please explain (in 250 words or less) how you expect the SCM track to enhance your medical education.

Please enter any additional community or volunteer experience not included on your AMCAS application.

Please highlight any other relevant life experience that you feel might have an impact on your application to the SCM track.

Question 1 – What experience have you had that has given you insight into the patients you hope to eventually serve?

Question 2 – Other than work-life balance, what will be your greatest challenge in becoming a physician?

Question 3 – Discuss a time in your life that demonstrated your resilience.

Question 4 – Please describe your path through the OHSU UME Admissions Recommended Premedical Competencies, with special attention to experiences that are not reflected in your transcript. Do not include specific grades or test scores in your response. AAMC’s Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students & OHSU Recommended Prerequisites

Question 5 – Give an example of personal feedback in the last few years that was difficult to receive. How did you respond?

Question 6 – Please discuss how your personal experience demonstrates the ability to overcome adversity and contributes to diversity in the provision of healthcare. Please include any insight into the diversity that you would bring to OHSU School of Medicine and the profession of medicine in the context of OHSU’s definition of diversity: Diversity at OHSU requires creating and sustaining a community of inclusion. We honor, respect, embrace and value the unique contributions and perspectives of all employees, patients, students, volunteers and our local and global communities. Diversity may include age, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. We respect diversity of thought, ideas and more. Diversity maximizes our true potential for creativity, innovation, quality patient care, educational excellence and outstanding service.

If you are a recent graduate, please tell us what you have been doing since graduation. You may answer “Not applicable”. (no limit)

What else do you feel is important for us to know about you? You can use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application. You can also talk about how COVID -19 impacted you. For example, it may have caused disruptions or changes in your plans. If there is something you would like to share regarding how this event impacted you, share that information here. (500 word limit)

  1. Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee?

(Maximum 75 words)

  1. Explain why you decided to apply to the Penn State College of Medicine.

(Maximum 75 words)

  1. Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting.

(Maximum 250 words)

  1. Write a short statement describing how you envision using your medical education to advance care for under-represented or marginalized populations.

(Maximum 250 words)

University Park Program, If yes, please briefly describe (maximum 250 words) a past experience where you were immersed in a situation in which you needed to adapt, collaborate, and grow as an individual and a team member in order to succeed.

Were there changes to your academic work and/or personal circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic that you would like to share with the committee? Y/N
If Y, Please describe these changes during this time in 500 characters or less

If you were offered an option to continue courses with a standard grading system or switch to Pass/Fail, and you chose Pass/Fail, please describe the reason(s) for your decision here. (500 Char)

Have you taken any online courses for credit? (not due to the COVID-19 pandemic) (lets you list the courses)

Have you been nominated for or received an award from any state, regional or national organization? (allows you to list them)

Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation? If so explain in 500 characters or less

Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application? If so, explain in 1,000 characters or less

Are there any special, unique, personal, or challenging aspects of your personal background or circumstances that you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions, not addressed elsewhere (siblings/relatives at Penn, applying as a couple, educational environment, culture, ethnicity, etc.) Please explain and limit your response to 1,000 characters.

Have you or your family experienced economic hardships? Y/N then 1,000 characters again

Have you been employed at the University of Pennsylvania Health System or Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and worked with a Penn faculty mentor? If yes, please indicate name, department, phone number of faculty, and start/end dates

Please explain your reasons for applying to the Perelman School of Medicine and limit your response to 1,000 characters.

Do you have any relatives who attend or who graduated from any PCOM location? If yes, select relationship.
Please provide the name(s), class year(s) (if known), degree(s) (if known) and relationship(s) of all relatives who attend or graduated from any PCOM location. (200 characters)

Are you a native English speaker? (if no, additional selections)

Have you previously applied to any of PCOM’s academic programs at any of our locations?

If yes, Please tell us what you have done since the submissions of your last application that improves your candidacy to our DO program. (1500 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 (Philadelphia) 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 community resonates with your personality and values? (2000 characters)

Optional: Use this space if you’d like to address any identified deficiencies in your application. (700 characters)

Do you have any additional information that hasn’t been covered? (4000 characters)

There is a 2,000 character limit per essay question, including spaces:

What is the nature of your interest in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine?

How do you plan on contributing to the Lewis Katz School of Medicine Community?
LKSOM 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 LKSOM community. 

Tell us about your special interest in the campus you selected.

What are your plans for the current year – June 2020 until June 2021?

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected all of us in one way or another.
Please use this space to describe to us how you were impacted academically, personally or professionally by COVID-19.

Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

UPSOM is committed to building a diverse and talented community that will train physicians in delivering culturally competent, person-centered care, and promoting a supportive, collaborative learning environment. To achieve this, we want our fellow students to recognize health disparities and advocate for health equity. We are interested in combating all forms of systemic barriers, and would like to hear your thoughts on opposing specifically: systemic racism, anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, and misogyny. How will you contribute? (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

Please write about anything else you would like to add to your application, or anything you would like to emphasize to the Admissions Committee. Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

List/describe: Academic honors, Research experience/ Publications, Community service/ volunteer work

Explain your interest in graduate studies and your long-range professional plan.

This school has no secondary prompts for the 2020-2021 cycle.

Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine

This school has no secondary prompts for the 2020-2021 cycle.

This school has no secondary prompts for the 2020-2021 cycle.

Do you have significant limitations on your interview availability for the 2019-2020 admissions cycle?

Summarize your activities during the 2019-2020 academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 characters)

How will your unique attributes (e.g., cultural or socioeconomic background, lifestyle, work experiences) add to the overall diversity of the Alpert Medical School community? (2000 characters)

What are your aspirations for your medical practice? Fast-forward to 15 years in the future: where do you imagine yourself? (3000 characters)

What are your medical practice goals? (2000 characters)

If it has been more than six months since you completed your bachelor’s degree, please describe your employment status since that time (part-time, full-time, and dates). (2000 characters)

In what region of the country do you want to practice medicine? Why? (2000 characters)

What areas of medicine are you interested in at this time, or what areas do you plan to pursue? (2000 characters)

Do you have any accomplishments or experiences that make you a unique applicant? (2000 characters)

This school has no secondary prompts for the 2020-2021 cycle.

This school has no secondary prompts for the 2020-2021 cycle.

Given the mission statement of the school, please explain how your experiences and long term goals would help meet the mission.

Given the diversity statement of the school, explain how your background and experiences with diversity will bring value to the school.

Describe how your experiences in health care or social care activities will help you become a good physician.

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.

What are your career plans in the event that you are not admitted to a medical school this year or after several applications?

The AMCAS application is not designed to capture unique, special, or unusual circumstances. With this in mind, what other information would help the Admissions Committee obtain a more comprehensive picture of your candidacy? Examples of issues that a candidate might address include, but are by no means limited to, such topics as:

If there have been breaks in your school attendance since high school, or if you ever carried less than a full-time course load in college, or if you took more than four years to finish college, what did you choose to do with the time and why?

What endeavors other than medicine have you abandoned or postponed in order to pursue your current path, and how did you make those decisions?

Why would you be a good fit for Quillen?

These are just examples. You may address any topic that you want the admissions committee to consider. However, please remember that the task is to expand thoughtfully upon the AMCAS application, not to repeat it. The information provided should, to the greatest extent possible, not duplicate information found elsewhere in the AMCAS application and must be limited to 5000 characters.

1) Required: Please write and ATTACH the short essay addressing ONE of the following questions:

Medical school requires a huge commitment in time and energy. How have you prepared for this commitment?

OR

If you are a re-applicant please tell us what you have done to strengthen your application.

2) Optional: Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know that you haven’t explained on your AACOMAS application?

Why do you wish to attend Meharry Medical College, School of new yMedicine?

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 about yourself from that situation.

This school has no secondary prompts for the 2020-2021 cycle.

Please discuss a challenging situation or obstacle you have faced in the past. Why was it challenging? How did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently? What did you learn? (500 words)

Write a brief autobiography. As completely and precisely as possible, give a picture of yourself, your family, and events you consider important to you. In doing so, identify the values that are of greatest importance to you. If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (1200 words)

If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be, doing since graduating from your undergrad institution. (2000 characters)

Is becoming a physician a second career for you? If so, what was your first career choice? (2000 characters)

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 AMCAS application information. (2000 characters)

Describe briefly any experiences and/or skills that have made you more sensitive or appreciative of other cultures or the human condition. (3500 character maximum).

The Texas A&M College of Medicine embraces the Aggie Core Values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity and Selfless Service. Briefly discuss what activities demonstrate best that you would be a good custodian of these core values. (3500 character maximum).

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; OR describe any key academic, personal, or financial barriers that COVID-19 may have posed on you or your immediate family. (Do not leave blank. If not applicable, please so indicate. The character limit on this essay is 3500).

OPTIONAL: List the area (or areas) of medicine that appeals to you and briefly explain. (Limit your explanation to 50 words or 250 characters for each area of interest you list.) Do not leave blank. If not applicable, please so indicate.

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 is responsible for providing primary health care to 108 counties of West Texas. We are interested in hearing about the areas of medicine that interest you.

Please indicate the area(s) of medicine you are interested in and briefly describe your significant activities for each respective interest in the available text box in100 words or less each.

  • FMAT

  • Practicing in an underserved area

  • Rural health

  •  Medical Research

  • Medical Academics

  • Primary Care

  • Border Health

  • Public Health

  • Other (Please describe)

Supplemental Information

Have you experienced any road bumps in your academic career? (Low academic performance, dropping, retaking, or failing courses, etc.) (Yes/No)

What do you like or dislike most about the area you are from; your hometown? (300 words or less)

Please describe what you would see as the “ideal” practice for you. (Where, what type of practice – clinic, hospital, specialty, who would be your patients, etc.). (300 words or less)

If you are applying to a dual degree program, please briefly describe your motivation to pursue this program and any other pertinent information. (e.g. research interests, steps taken to prepare yourself) (350 words or less) [Options are MD/MBA, MD/MPH, MD/PhD, MD/JD, or None of the above]

Have you experienced any hardship or adversity, personally or professionally? (Yes/No)

Are you applying to FMAT? (Yes/No)

Please tell us about your favorite recreational/leisure activities (300 words or less).

Do you consider yourself from West Texas or as having West Texas ties? (Yes/No)

Have you participated in any special programs offered by a medical school to help prepare yourself for medical school and a career in medicine? (Yes/No)

In an effort to give a greater number of applicants the opportunity to present themselves to the selection committee in their own voice, Dell Medical School utilizes a unique video secondary application. Applicants selected for the Full Review will be sent an invitation to complete the video secondary application. This invitation e-mail will include a link to the application portal, as well as instructions on how to prepare for the interview. There is no fee for completing the video secondary which consists of 3 short questions. Candidates will have two minutes to record their responses to each question. These questions address specific attributes related to the mission of Dell Medical School and give the candidate an opportunity to highlight how they feel their experiences complement this mission

Describe, as best you can, your vision for your future in terms of where you want to live and how you want to practice medicine. Is there any particular area or specialty that appeals to you? (300 word limit)

Describe, if relevant, circumstances in your life that represent a hardship (e.g. financial difficulties, illness, educational disadvantage). How have these circumstances impacted you, and how do you believe they will impact your practice of medicine? (300 word limit)

Describe your experience(s) working in teams and articulate the impact of this experience on you. In particular, how did you manage any disagreements or conflicts that arose in the process? (300 word limit)

Please discuss one of the following:

  • 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)

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?

What would you like to contribute and be remembered for in medicine?

List three adjectives that characterize the community in which you grew up.

Briefly describe the community you anticipate practicing medicine in post-residency. (100-word max)

In the event you are accepted to two or more medical schools, what factors would be most important in determining which school would be the “best fit” for you. (150-word max)

The UTRGV SOM educates future physicians with the following values in mind: Patient Advocacy, Community-Focus, Cultural Awareness, Collaborative Leadership Style, Lifelong Problem Solving. Choose TWO (2) of these values and explain their importance to you and how they integrate with each other. Please explain how this integration will impact your medical school education. (300-word max)

Describe a situation in which you interacted with individuals who were different from you. (150 words)

Mission at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School Of Medicine (UTRGV SOM) is to educate a diverse group of medical students and future biomedical scientists; to develop physicians who will serve across all disciplines of medicine; bring hope to patients and communities by advancing biomedical knowledge through research. Our goal is to provide a forward-thinking medical education experience dedicated to scientific, evidence-based, patient-centered medicine to serve all communities, including those underserved. Submit a 2-minute video that answers one of the questions below. To submit a video of your response, please upload the video to YouTube as either Public or Unlisted. Do not upload it as Private. Enter the URL of the uploaded video into the text box below.

  • Our Mission at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School Of Medicine (UTRGV SOM) is to educate a diverse group of medical students and future biomedical scientists; to develop physicians who will serve across all disciplines of medicine; bring hope to patients and communities by advancing biomedical knowledge through research. Our goal is to provide a forward-thinking medical education experience dedicated to scientific, evidence-based, patient-centered medicine to serve all communities, including those underserved. How does your background and/or experiences align with UTRGV SOM Mission?

  • Becoming a physician is a very hard and a “life-long” learning career. What and when was the instant that you knew this was going to be your chosen career and why?

PART 2: Select 2 out of the 4. Briefly describe the experience, state the circumstances of the experience (why you participated), what you learned about yourself through that experience.

A community service experience. (150 words)

A position of responsibility/authority in which others depended on you for direction. (150 words)

A creative endeavor (anything that required you to be creative in your approach, such as fine arts, computer programming, web design, writing, etc. (150 words)

We are all experiencing life under a pandemic – COVID-19. As an aspiring physician, please tell us three (3) things you would do to educate and assist your community with relevant COVID-19 information. (150 words)

This school has no secondary essay prompts for the 2020-2021 cycle.

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 character limit)

Describe a time that you have witnessed someone acting unethically or dishonestly, or an experienced behavior of harassment or discrimination. Consider the following in your response: What did you do? What made the situation difficult for you personally? Describe your reaction and what you might do differently now in retrospect. (2500 character limit)

Describe an example of a very difficult assignment, task, or situation that you did not think you could accomplish. Consider the following in your response: How did you approach it? If you were tempted to quit, why did or didn’t you? What made you stay the course despite obstacles? What did you learn from the experience?
Current Character Count: 0 /2500

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. (Optional) (2500 character limit)

Please explain any academic discrepancies or extenuating circumstances that you feel the Admissions Committee should know. (Optional) (2500 character limit)

For non-Utah residents: “Explain why you chose to apply to the University of Utah School of Medicine. Please indicate if you have a connection to the state of Utah.” Keep answer to 1000 characters.

If you are interested in becoming a RUUTE Scholar, a 3300 character essay answering – What does rural and underserved mean to you?

This optional essay allows you the opportunity to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted you. You may use this space to reflect upon your experiences during this time period. Keep the answer to 1500 characters.

If you are a reapplicant: “Explain what you have done to strengthen your application. 500 characters.

If you marked that you will not be enrolled in courses from 2020-2021 explain your activities. 1000 characters.

Please reflect on a difficult and challenging non-academic experience you have faced. Include a description of the stressful event, how you dealt with it, and what you have learned about others and yourself through this process.

The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont recognizes that diversity extends beyond chosen and unchosen identities and encompasses the entirety of an individual’s experiences. Reflect on a time you learned something from someone or a group of people who are unlike yourself.

Please describe how the COVID-19 pandemic may have adversely impacted your application. (Optional)

Additional Comments (Optional)

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 the 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)

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.

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?

How do your professional ambitions align with osteopathic medicine?

What influenced your decision to apply to VCOM? (e.g., personal or medical experiences; influences of friends/family/physicians/mentors; etc.)

In the event you submitted an application to VCOM last year, what improvements have you made to your application?

If you have not completed all the prerequisite coursework, please state how you intend on completing it prior to matriculation.

Have you had any lapse of 2 years or greater in taking full time college-level coursework?

You are living in a world experiencing the ravages of the Coronavirus which has impacted millions of people since December 2019. Please discuss how the COVID 19 pandemic has affected you personally. What have you learned from your experiences? Please discuss what you perceive may have been some realities that others may have experienced. How has COVID 19 experience influenced your desire to become a physician? (2000 characters)

Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education; include any in enrollment during your undergraduate education and/or any gaps between undergraduate education and applying to medical school. (For example – poor grades, multiple withdraws, health reasons, etc.)

Tell us about constructive criticism you have received, or a personal challenge you have experienced, that you found particularly impactful. Please describe how that experience has advanced your development as a future physician thought leader.

Explain how interactions with people who are different from you have shaped your world view and relate how you would enrich the VTC community.

Describe three aspects of VTCSOM and how those align with your philosophy of medicine.

If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry.

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?

How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine?

Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it?

Please respond to each essay below in under 300 words:

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.

What experiences have you had with rural and/or underserved communities/populations? What have you learned from these experiences?

Describe your connections to Washington communities and your interests in practicing medicine in Washington.

How have you built your resilience?

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.

If you are a re-applicant to WSU ESFCOM, describe what you have done since last applying to strengthen your candidacy for our medical school. If you are not a re-applicant to WSU ESFCOM, please leave blank.

Please share any disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider (optional).

An autobiographical statement which should include (250 word limit):

1. the origin and development of your motivation to be a physician

2. your prior experiences in health care

3. steps taken to explore a career in medicine

4. your eventual goals as a physician

5. personal attributes that would make you a good physician

Please do not repeat what you wrote in your AMCAS Personal Comments (this will already be on file with our office). If you have already covered all of the above topics in your AMCAS application, use this space to let the Admissions Committee know who you are in addition to being someone who wants to be a physician.

How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician? (250 words)

What perspectives or experiences do you bring that would enrich the class? (250 words)

What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them? (250 words)

How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you have worked with? (250 words)

For re-applicants: From your most recent application until now, how have you strengthened your application? (250 words)

Why did you decide to apply to Marshall? (5000 characters)

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you want to serve or practice medicine? (5000 characters)

If you are not presently attending school, indicate your employment or other plans for the time prior to your planned enrollment in medical school.

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.

Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician?

What advantage do you see in attending WVSOM over other medical schools?

Describe an ethically challenging situation you have been in, and how you responded.

What do you feel it will take for you to succeed in medical school?

Optional brief comments about your study habits

Describe a situation in work, volunteer activities, or organizations where you demonstrated your ability to work well with others.

What experiences (living, working or visiting) have you had in rural areas?

The maximum word count for all prompts should be 150 words.

Mandatory Prompts:

Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine?

The mission statement of our School mentions that we prepare our learners to be “resilient.” However, every incoming student is expected to already have some degree of resilience as described in AAMC Pre-Professional Competencies. Please describe how you have demonstrated resilience and adaptability.

Please Choose Two:
Tell us one unique fact about yourself.

What is your theme song and why?

Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia.

Every accepted student to the Class of 2025 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them?

Explain how your unique background, identity, interests, or talents will contribute to the MCW learning community and how MCW will uniquely prepare you for your future goals.(2000 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)

Describe your motivation for pursuing a primary care focused, community-based medical education program. Focus on how an MCW regional campus educational experience will prepare you for your unique future career in medicine. Include the influence of key experiences with rural or medically under-served communities.(2000 characters)

Describe the community in which you envision yourself ultimately living and practicing medicine. Address the benefits and challenges of life in your specified community.(2000 characters)

For MSTP:

Please describe the research that you would like to do as an MSTP student at the University of Wisconsin to prepare you for a career as a researcher and leader in medicine. This may include specific scientists, laboratories, facilities or programs. (Limit response to 500 words.)

Optional Essays For All:

In a paragraph (200-300 words), please share how COVID-19 impacted your application in the following domains:

  • Academic

  • Volunteer

  • Research

  • Work

  • 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).

The Admissions Committee takes many factors into consideration when reviewing your application. A successful applicant is frequently one who communicates what makes them exceptional and why they will become an outstanding physician. You are invited but not required to provide additional information in this essay. Some applicants tell us about hardships and challenges that they have faced in their lives and how these experiences have helped them become caring and compassionate individuals. Other applicants use this space to emphasize a particular passion they have related to their future career in medicine. If you are not a resident of Wisconsin, you may want to tell us why you are interested in the University of Wisconsin or about a special connection that you may have to our state or people who live here. Our goal is to gain insight into you as a unique applicant. You may include anything in this essay that you feel is relevant. (Limit response to 500 words.)

Reapplicants:

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.). Please limit your response to 500 words.