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Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database
Home Admissions Consulting • Medical School Guides • Medicine • Pre-Medicine

Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database

by internationalmedicalaid

February 18, 2022

Introduction

A huge part of the medical school admissions process is working diligently on your secondary essay prompts. While the AMCAS application is a piece of work on its own with your personal statement and Work and Activities, medical school secondary essay prompts are just as important. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, we’ve written all about primary and secondary applications. While you only have one primary application for all the medical schools you apply to, you’ll have a secondary application for each school.

Your secondary application is primarily comprised of essay prompts to help the admissions committee get to know you better. They don’t need much more because everything else they need to know is in your primary application.

We’re providing you with every secondary application essay for all the medical schools (both MD and DO) in the United States in this database. While this list is comprehensive and includes the most up-to-date information available, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. Because of this, we strongly recommend contacting the admissions department to ensure that the medical school secondary essays listed are current. Some schools keep the same essay prompts for multiple admissions cycles, but many change up the questions with each admissions cycle.

Here is our complete database of medical school secondary essay prompts.

Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database
ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE (ALBANY, NEW YORK)

Albany Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. If you have previously applied to medical school, but were unsuccessful, what do you believe are the major reasons for not being accepted and what have you done since to overcome these concerns? (1,000 characters)
  2. 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)
  3. If applicable, please use the space below to explain any ways in which your ability to meet the course prerequisite requirements were impacted by COVID-19. (1,000 characters)
  4. Describe yourself: (1,000 characters)
  5. Please explain any inconsistencies in your university, graduate, or professional school academic performance and/or MCAT scores. (1,000 characters)
  6. Has your college or university, graduate or professional school attendance been interrupted for any reason? If yes, please explain. Also, please explain any extended gaps in activity/employment in your post-graduate history. (1,000 characters)
  7. Tell us one thing about yourself that would help the Admissions Committee determine if you should be admitted to our program. (1,000 characters)
  8. 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)
  9. If your school has a Premedical Advisory Committee but you are not using that service, please indicate why:

ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY (BRONX, NEW YORK)

If you answer any of the questions below as “yes”, please explain in up to 3000 characters:

  1. I have taken time off from school between high school and college.
  2. I have taken time off from school during my undergraduate years.
  3. I have taken at least a year off from school since college graduation, including this year that I am applying.
  4. I have taken and received credit for online science core courses (e.g. chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics and mathematics) that were taken prior to the Covid Pandemic (earlier than Spring 2020)
  5. I have applied previously to medical school.
  6. I have submitted an AMCAS application to Einstein previously.
  7. I am/was a graduate student in the Sue Golding Division of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
  8. I was accepted to medical school previously but did not attend.
  9. I was previously enrolled in medical school.
  10. I can attest that I have fulfilled the Albert Einstein College of Medicine COMPETENCIES for admission. If you answered, “no” to the above question, please explain. For example, if you plan to take pre-medical course work in the coming summer, fall, or spring, please list the courses and tell us when and where you will be taking them. If your answer was, “yes,” please write “NA” in the box below. (3000 characters)
  11. I will have a Baccalaureate Degree by the time I matriculate into medical school.
  12. I am presently holding a deferral from another medical / graduate / professional school.
  13. I have received a grade of “F” during my college/graduate school years.
  14. I have received a grade of “D” during my college/graduate school years.
  15. I have received a grade of “W” during my college/graduate school years.
  16. I have received a grade of “I” during my college/graduate school years.
  17. As an undergraduate, I transferred from one college to another.
  18. I have been the recipient of a warning notice for a non-academic issue that did NOT result in a disciplinary action.
  19. I have been subject to a disciplinary action and/or administrative action, expunged or not, while an undergraduate or graduate student.
  20. I currently have disciplinary charges pending.
  21. I have been prohibited or suspended from practicing in a professional capacity because of alleged misconduct.
  22. Please tell us the year Parent/Guardian received their highest academic degree, the name of that degree and the name of the school. If high school or less, please write “high school or less.”
  23. 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.
  24. Please provide your Race as you indicated it on your AMCAS application
  25. Please provide your Ethnicity as you indicated it on your AMCAS application
  26. If you indicated, above, that you will have, “Two individual letters (up to 5 are allowed),” please provide the names, titles and institution of your letter writers; please use a separate line for each. Please note that one letter must be from your major and your second letter from a science faculty member (two science letters from two different faculty members in the same department is acceptable). If this does not apply to you, please write “NA” in the box below.
  27. If you are a Post-Baccalaureate student (not a Master’s Degree student), please indicate whether a letter or statement of “Good Standing” been included in your letter packet? If “yes,” please indicate the name, title and school from which the letter has been submitted. If “no,” please indicate when such a letter or statement will be uploaded to the AMCAS Letter Writer. If this does not apply to you, please write “NA.”
  28. Did you take your last science course more than 5 years ago?
  29. If you have an Undergraduate Pre-Professional Advisory Committee at your college or university, and have chosen NOT to request a letter from that Committee, please tell us why not.
  30. Have you worked in basic or clinical research at Einstein/Montefiore?
  31. Have you participated in an Einstein/Montefiore Pipeline Program during high school, college or after?
  32. If you answered “yes” that you have worked with us here at Einstein/Montefiore, will a letter from an Einstein/Montefiore faculty member be included in your evaluations? Please tell us the name, title and department of the letter writer.
  33. Multiple questions on Family connections to the school
  34. Anything else you would like to share with us? (4000 characters)

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA)

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

750 characters each:

  1. Where do you see yourself in your medical career fifteen to twenty years from now?
  2. Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your AMCAS application or in this secondary application
  3. 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
  4. Please describe if and how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected your preparation for applying to medical school
  5. Describe a patient interaction with the healthcare system. This could be a direct patient observation (in person or virtual) during a shadowing experience, a personal experience within the healthcare system, or a family member or friend who had a memorable interaction within the healthcare system. What did you learn from this experience?
  6. Describe a fulfilling or challenging community service experience and how you grew personally from the experience

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (PHOENIX, ARIZONA)

  1. For re-applicants, 1000 characters to explain how you are a stronger applicant this cycle.
  2. If you were to describe the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix to someone else, what would you share with them? (1000 character limit)
  3. What achievement are you most proud of in your life? What aspect(s) of this achievement will you bring to our medical school? (1000 character limit)
  4. The UA College of Medicine – Phoenix practices Inclusive Excellence, which celebrates the differences, talents, and unique qualities of all individuals. Please describe how you will pursue Inclusive Excellence in your studies while contributing to the collaborative environment at the College of Medicine – Phoenix. (1000 character limit)
  5. Servant Leadership is a Core Value and Attribute we deem essential for our students to possess. To us, it is service to others where one possesses personal humility along with a strong professional will. Describe a time where you have practiced this skill or have seen this in another. What traits were exemplified, and how will you apply these traits to your career in medicine? (1000 character limit)
  6. 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? (OPTIONAL) (1000 character limit)
  7. 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, why College of Medicine – Phoenix, 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. (OPTIONAL) (1000 character limit)

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (TUCSON, ARIZONA)

  1. 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)
  2. Discuss a time in your life in which you have failed at something other than an academic experience. How did you confront the failure and what did you learn from it? Please describe how you typically approach challenges that you face in your life. (Limit: 350 words)
  3. “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.”
  4. Please describe the role(s) you can play in helping the College of Medicine to achieve its mission. (Limit: 350 words)
  5. 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)
  6. Share any disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES — COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS)

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 and complete the two additional AMCAS application essays should review the program details by copying and pasting the following URL into a browser.

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. Applicants may review the program details by copying and pasting the following URL into a browser.

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.

BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (HOUSTON, TEXAS)

Baylor Secondary Essay Prompt

  1. Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat TMDSAS or AMCAS application information. (2000 character limit).

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS)

Boston University Secondary Essay Prompts:

1. Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate degree?*

(Post bac work is NOT considered undergraduate. If attending a post bac program prior to entering medical school, the answer is NO and should be explained.) If you took gap year(s), please use this space to explain what you have been doing prior to applying to medical school. 1400 characters

2. If you have spent more than 4 years as an undergraduate, please explain below. (You may skip this question if you have graduated within 4 years.) 1400 characters

3. Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be of particular interest to us.

For example, have you lived in another country or experienced a culture unlike your own, or worked in a field that contributed to your understanding of people unlike yourself? Or, have you experienced advanced training in any area, including the fields of art, music, or sports? This is an opportunity to describe learning experiences that may not be covered in other areas of this application or your AMCAS application. It is not necessary to write anything in this section. Also use this section to explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational/research/volunteering or employment plans. 2000 characters

4. Why BUSM?

Boston Medical Center is the largest safety net hospital in New England, serving primarily people who are publicly insured, people of color, immigrants, and low-income people in the Greater Boston Area. Why are you specifically interested in beginning your medical education in this environment, and how do you feel that your previous experiences will prepare you for this unique learning environment? 3000 characters

5. Optional Essay:

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. Yes, it’s really optional. 3000 characters

BRODY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY (GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA)

ALL PROMPTS ARE 5000 CHARACTER LIMITS OTHERWISE NOTED

Academic History

1c: If you are a re-applicant, what have you engaged in and/or accomplished to strengthen your candidacy? (If not applicable, please write N/A)

2: If you are not accepted to medical school for the upcoming academic year, what are your plans?

5: Please briefly describe circumstances regarding any courses with a grade less than a B minus, or any course withdrawals. Additionally, please describe the circumstances if you took any required courses as Pass/Fail rather than graded due to COVID-19, including if you had a choice to take as graded or pass/fail and the context of that decision. (If not applicable, please write N/A)

6: If you are currently participating in an academic program, please outline intended coursework for the academic year. (If not applicable, please write N/A)

7: If you do not expect to spend this academic year in school, please explain how you intend to use this time. (If not applicable, please write N/A)

Personal Information

1: Please provide any information regarding hardships that you have overcome. You may wish to include any past achievements, experiences, challenges, family or personal circumstances, interests, etc. that you believe would bring added value and diversity to the learning community at UofSC School of Medicine Greenville.

2: If you are not a South Carolina resident, what relationships, bonds, or other interests or connections do you have to the state? (If not applicable, please write N/A)

3: Is there any additional information you would like the Admissions Committee to consider that has not been previously addressed? (If not applicable, please write N/A)

4: Why have you chosen to apply to UofSC School of Medicine Greenville and how do you think your education at UofSCSOM Greenville will prepare you to become a physician in the future?

Essays

Please address the following questions. Each essay should be 500 words or less (either type or copy and paste into the text box):

Essay 1: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your decision to attend medical school? What did you learn about yourself during this unprecedented pandemic? Comment also on how the pandemic contributed to your understanding of the challenges and rewards of caring for critically ill patients who may themselves represent a risk to your own health as well as that of your family.

Essay 2: How do you define community? What role should physicians have in communities in which we live?

Question 7: Are there any additional aspects of your personal background or identity that you feel are important to share with the Admissions Committee? Examples might include barriers to access educational opportunities; economically disadvantaged status; or identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. 3000 characters

UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (BUFFALO, NEW YORK)

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

Also, 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.

CALIFORNIA NORTHSTATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (ELK GROVE, CALIFORNIA)

Please complete the following essay questions.

1. (Required) Why have you chosen to apply to CNUCOM? (250 words maximum)*

0/1785

2. (Required) 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)

0/1785

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

0/1750

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

0/1785

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

0/1785

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

0/1785

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

0/1785

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

0/1000

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (CLEVELAND, OHIO)

Required Responses For All Applicants:

Greatest Challenge Response: 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, how you handled the uncertainty or stress, 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.

Optional Responses For All Applicants:

  1. COVID-related Disruptions Response: The past year has reflected an unprecedented time in world history, and we are aware that many have experienced significant disruptions in numerous aspects of their lives. Please use the text field below to share with us how you may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including academic, financial, medical disruptions, etc. If medically-related or patient-based experiences were interrupted, tell us how you were able to explore these areas in alternate ways. Please limit your response to 1 page (about 3,500 characters), and leave a blank line between paragraphs.
  2. COVID-related Coursework Response: If you took coursework that was Pass/No Pass due to pandemic disruptions for for 2019-2020 and/or 2020-2021 academic years, please list the courses below.
  3. Gap Year Response: Did you take a gap year(s)? Yes or No. If Yes: If you are taking time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation, please tell us what you are doing during this gap, and why. Please limit your response to no more than 1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs.

University Program (4 yr. MD) Applicants:

Optional:

1. Research Response: One of the four pillars of the Western Reserve2 Curriculum is Research and Scholarship. Although research is not a prerequisite requirement for the University Program, if you have participated in research or another scholarly project, please tell us about it. Describe your experience, including the question you pursued and how you approached it, your results and interpretation of the results, and most importantly, any thoughts about what this experience meant to you. Remember that research is broad-based and can include such projects as a senior capstone or a thesis and can include both medical and non-medically-related investigations. If you have not completed research, please indicate that in the text box below.

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

***Note that if you are applying to both the University Program and the CCLCM, the research response will default to the CCLCM required response.

2. Additional Information Response: Is there any further information that you wish to share with the Admissions Committee that may not be captured in the rest of your application? Please limit your response to 3,500 characters.

CCLCM (5 yr. MD) Applicants:

Essay prompts will not be shared this year. They will be available within the application when applicants receive the secondary application.

MSTP (MD/PhD) Applicants:

There are no additional required essays for MSTP applicants in addition to the challenge essay listed above for all applicants to CWRU.

CHARLES R. DREW UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE (LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA)

Have you experienced any uneven performance in grades and academic achievement? If so, please explain. (Response limited to 800 characters)

If you are currently not a full time student, please list and describe your current activities. (Response limited to 800 characters)

Describe the role you play in your immediate family. (Response limited to 800 characters)

Describe your community and socioeconomic environment. (Response limited to 800 characters)

List the most significant community, public service, and leadership activities you have been involved in over the last six years. (Response limited to 800 characters)

Describe how your experience, your community, and family background impact your understanding of the underserved communities. (Response limited to 800 characters)

Other than healthcare access, what are some of the most important health care issues confronting underserved communities? How would you address them? (Response limited to 800 characters)

Please describe how your experiences and personal attributes contribute to the mission of Charles R Drew University. (Response limited to 800 characters)

Have you ever been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic or parking violation? If the answer is yes, please explain. (Response limited to 800 characters)

Please provide any additional information which will give the Admissions Committee greater insight into you as an applicant. (Response limited to 800 characters)

How did you hear about our program? (Response limited to 800 characters)

CHICAGO MEDICAL SCHOOL — ROSALIND FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE & SCIENCE (NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS)

  1. Please discuss challenges in your journey thus far to medical school. (150 words)
  2. 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)
  3. Create a superhero for your current city, town or municipality. What would they fight? Describe their appearance, name and special powers. (150 words)
  4. What creative/innovative ways have you found to continue to build upon the competencies for entering medical students during the pandemic? (150 words)

CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (CLEVELAND, OHIO)

Required Essay: 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.

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 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? Please limit your response to 300-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs.

If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Optional: Additional Information Essay (University Program Only)

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.

Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

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?

Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Career Essay

How do you see your career ten years from now?

Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

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.

Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Gap Year Essay

If you took a gap year, please describe how you spent that time. Please limit your response to 500 characters, and leave blank lines between paragraphs

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS (NEW YORK, NEW YORK)

  1. Did you work for compensation during college, during the year, or the summer? If so, what did you do? How many hours a week did you work? 300 words.
  2. If you have graduated from college, please briefly summarize what you have done in the interim. 300 words.
  3. Please describe your most meaningful leadership positions. 300 words.
  4. 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.
  5. Is there anything else you would like us to know? 400 words.

For MD/PhD applicants, an additional section asks the following questions:

  1. What academic honors have you received (e.g., prizes, scholarships, fellowships, honor societies)? (5000 words)
  2. What are your major research interests? (20 words)
  3. PhD Goals (5000 words)
  4. Additional Information (5000 words)

COOPER MEDICAL SCHOOL OF ROWAN UNIVERSITY (CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY)

1.Please write a personal mission statement for yourself as a student at CMSRU. How will CMSRU help you fulfill your mission?(1500 characters)

2. Please describe your anticipated educational, employment, volunteer or other activities between completing your AMCAS application and matriculating to medical school.(1500 characters)

3. Describe a challenging situation you faced and what you did to address it.(1500 characters)

4. How has the Covid-19 Pandemic changed your view of medicine?(1500 characters)

CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (OMAHA, NEBRASKA)

  1. Please state your reasons for applying to Creighton University School of Medicine. (2000 characters)
  2. 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)
  3. How has your experiences with diverse populations prepared you for being a future physician? (2000 characters)
  4. 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)
  5. 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. (2000 characters)
  6. If taking a gap year, Please describe your current activities/employment if you are not currently enrolled as a fulltime student. (2000 characters)
  7. At Creighton we are committed to the service of others through non-medical volunteer activities. Please list all your non-medical community service hours post high school. Please list any experiences, including those previously described on your AMCAS application. Include a brief description, dates and number of hours for each event. (300 characters for each activity)

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA)

Supplemental

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

2. Do you have a connection to Northern or Central California? If “yes”, please explain (500 characters; spaces count as a character).

Activities

Please list the activities you would like to be considered in your application to UC Davis. You may use your activities listed in your initial AMCAS application or select/add others that may be relevant to UC Davis. Please only list three.

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

Scholarly Pathways

Are you interested in applying to the Rural-PRIME (Rural Program in Medical Education) Program?

If “Yes” :

a. Please describe how your experiences with rural communities make you a good fit for the Rural-PRIME program (500 characters; spaces count as a character).

b. Describe your future plans to serve a rural underserved community (500 characters; spaces count as a character).

Are you interested in applying to the TEACH-MS (Transforming Education and Community Health for Medical Students) Program?

If “Yes”: Please tell us what experiences have shaped your desire to be a primary care physician in urban underserved communities (500 characters; spaces count as a character).

Are you interested in applying to the ACE-PC (Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care) Program?

If “Yes”: Please tell us what attributes or experiences would make you a good fit for an accelerated program in primary care (500 characters; spaces count as a character).

Are you interested in applying to the REACH (Reimagining Education to Advance central California Health) Program in Medical Education?

If “Yes”: Please tell us about your ties to Central California and what you have done, or plan to do, to make a positive change in Central California (500 characters; spaces count as a character).

Are you interested in applying to ARC-MD (Academic Research Careers for Medical Doctors)?

If “Yes”: The UC Davis School of Medicine has an honors pathway, Academic Research Careers for Medical Doctors (ARC-MD), to encourage the development of the next generation of school of medicine faculty. These faculty will be drawn from diverse backgrounds, many committed to research as a foundational aspect of their career. Tell us about how you could see yourself as a faculty of the future and how biomedical research might play a role in your career development (500 characters; spaces count as a character).

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (IRVINE, CALIFORNIA)

UC Irvine Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. What personal accomplishment are you most proud of and why? (1500 characters, not including spaces)
  2. Please describe to the Admissions Committee a challenge or disappointment you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience. (1500 characters, not including spaces)
  3. (Optional) Do you identify as being part of a marginalized group socioeconomically or in terms of access to quality education or healthcare? If so, please describe how this inequity has impacted you and your community. (1500 characters, not including spaces)
  4. This essay is only for applicants that have already received their baccalaureate degree. Please clarify for the Admissions Committee your activities (school, work, and/or volunteer, travel, etc.) since receiving your undergraduate degree. You may list them in chronological order or you may incorporate them into an essay, stating why you chose particular activities. If you have just received or will receive your undergraduate degree this year, please discuss your plans for current year. (1500 characters, not including spaces)

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MD/PhD-specific Essay Prompts:

  1. What research accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
  2. Please describe to the Admissions Committee a research challenge you have overcome and what you learned from that experience.
  3. What does it mean, to you, to be an MD/PhD?
  4. Please list all posters, manuscripts (published or planned) you would like the Admissions Committee to consider.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA)

UC Riverside Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. The mission of the UCR School of Medicine is to improve the health of the people of California and, especially, to serve Inland Southern California by training a diverse workforce of physicians and by developing innovative research and health care delivery programs that will improve the health of the medically underserved in the region and become models to be emulated throughout the state and nation. What experiences, skills, and abilities will you bring to the class to fulfill this mission? (250 words)
  2. The values of the UCR SOM are integrity, innovation, inclusion, excellence, accountability and respect. Please choose one of the values and tell us how you have personally experienced it or have seen it emulated in a clinical setting. (250 words)
  3. In what type of healthcare setting do you see yourself practicing medicine? (250 words)
  4. Tell us about a personal challenge you have faced in your life thus far and how you demonstrated resilience and grit to overcome it. [Please do not write about studying for or taking the MCAT.] (250 words)
  5. (Optional) If there is anything you would like the committee to consider about your candidacy that is not explained elsewhere in your application, please use this space to tell us. (250 words)

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA)

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

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

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

If you are an out-of-state applicant, please let us know if there are specific reasons for your interest in the UCSD School of Medicine: (1000 characters)

EXPERIENCES

The three experiences you identified as “most meaningful” on your AMCAS Application are listed below.

We would also like to know if you have had any NEW experiences that you would consider among your “most meaningful” (i.e. experiences you’ve had in the time between submitting your application to AMCAS and working on the secondary application).

Adding new experiences is optional. You can add new activities using the fields below. A corresponding letter of recommendation for the new experience is not required. Please enter “N/A” in the “Author of corresponding letter of recommendation” field if you do not have a letter. If you do not have any new activities to add, you can simply click “Save and Continue” at the bottom of the page and this section of the application will be marked as complete. (100 chars)

Possible Career Pathway

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

Please select from one of career pathways listed below. In addition to this selection, please provide a brief description of your future career goals: (400 characters)

  • Academic Medicine (Working as a faculty member at a School of Medicine either as a clinician, a clinician-educator, or a clinician investigator. This could be in any field of medicine)
  • Primary Care and/or work in underserved communities (Working as a general internist, a pediatrician, or a family medicine physician and/or spending the majority of your time working in a community currently underserved by the medical profession)
  • Public Health, administrative leadership in medicine (Pursuing an MPH and/or working for a public health department or organization; working in health care policy; working as a hospital administrator)
  • Specialist in private practice (Working in a private practice or managed care setting as a subspecialist. Examples include cardiologist, infectious disease specialist, obstetrician, orthopedic surgeon, general surgeon, anaesthesiologist, radiologist)
  • Other/undecided

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA)

UC San Francisco Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. Provide additional info below (dates, best way to contact) if you will be out of the country during interview season (Late Sept to February, interviews conducted remotely). (300 characters)
  2. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)
  3. If you are 2021 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (350 words)
  4. Do you identify as being part of a marginalized group socioeconomically or in terms of access to quality education or healthcare? Please describe how this inequity has impacted you and your community. (350 words)

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (ORLANDO, FLORIDA)

For (3.1) here are the more specific instructions; Please list each course you have taken, or are projected to take, in an online environment. We recognize that online courses are evolving and there are several different formats for delivering course content as well as exams. We also understand that there are many variations and we will allow you to use your best judgement with use of the codes we have developed. Our purpose is to gain understanding and in so doing, provide latitude for your answer so as not to be judgmental or punitive in selection of the code. We ask that you provide your answer in a string of 5 fields of information.

(1) The first field of your answer will help us understand course content delivery and examinations. Please start a line with: ALL, if all course content was delivered online and exams were also completed online; start a line with TST, if all course content was delivered online and exams were proctored at a test facility or school; or start a line with CLS, if course content was delivered online, required in-class instruction at least three times and exams were proctored either in-class or in a university testing center.

(2) Next, an abbreviated school name (e.g. UCF).

(3) The course prefix and number (e.g. BIOL101).

(4) The abbreviated course title (e.g. General Biology 1).

(5) The credit/semester hours for the course (3.0). Here is an example of what your entry should look like: ALL, UCF, BIOL101, General Biology 1, 3.0. Finally, you many add a short comment at the end if there is something that you feel is important for us to know by way of explanation. This would include any courses that were transitioned to online because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO – PRITZKER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS)

Essay Question 1

Please write a short essay about why you are applying to the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words.

Essay Question 2

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.

Optional Additional Information

Please feel free to use this space to convey any additional information that you might wish the Committee to know. For example, if you are not currently completing a degree, please share your planned or current activities for this application cycle. You may also wish to include any impact that COVID-19 has had on your educational, research, or extracurricular plans. We suggest that you limit your text to about 300 words.

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (CINCINNATI, OHIO)

  1. Please explain both of the following: 1) the specific reason(s) you have chosen to apply to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and 2) how you will utilize the unique features of our curriculum, institution, city, and/or our mission to achieve your career goals. (2000 Characters)
  2. Please describe the reasons that you have chosen to specifically apply your skills to the career of a physician and what specific ways your personality, talents, attributes, etc. will contribute to the practice of clinical medicine. (2000 Characters)
  3. 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 Characters)

(Optional) Please explain, if applicable, any ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic specifically and negatively impacted and/or caused significant hardship for your academic performance between the months of March 2020 and September, 2021. (2000 Characters)

(Optional) We understand that all applicants have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please use the space below to describe any personal (ie, non-academic) life-altering experiences or changes to your plans related to the pandemic between March 2020 and September 2021. (2000 Characters)

MD/PhD specifics

  1. Special Considerations Please discuss any challenges, difficulties or setbacks in your journey to applying to medical school you’d like the Admissions Committee to consider when reviewing your application.
  2. * Provide 3 – 5 keywords describing your major research area(s)
  3. *Provide the names of up to 5 MSTP Faculty whose research interests you
  4. * Research Projects:
  5. Please summarize your past research experience(s). Discuss your role and contributions to the project(s). Explain how these experience(s) have prepared you for a career as a physician-scientist. (4000 Characters)
  6. * Qualifications for MD/PHD:
  7. Please discuss your motivation and goals for joining an MD/PhD program. Elaborate on future career plans and how the University of Cincinnati MSTP will help you achieve those goals. (2000 characters)
  8. Research Interests:
  9. Please discuss your research interests and how these align with the research opportunities provided at the University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s. Discuss potential MSTP faculty mentors whose research is of interest to you. (2000 Characters)

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (DENVER, COLORADO)

Colorado Secondary Essay Prompts:

MD Program, (All applicants write this one)

1. The pillars of our curriculum are Leadership, Curiosity, and Commitment. Tell us about how you have embodied one or more of these attributes in your path to medicine thus far. In which of these areas do you see the most opportunity for personal growth and why? Limit this response to 1000 words.

Fort Collins program:

*Please note: MSTP applicants CANNOT apply to these programs.

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

Rural program:

*Please note: MSTP applicants CANNOT apply to these programs.

1. Describe your personal and professional goals in becoming a rural physician. In particular, describe your interest and ability to spend your clinical year in a rural community. You may also include how past experiences living and/or working in a rural area and your ties to or interest in rural Colorado communities aligns with your goals. Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (FARMINGTON, CONNECTICUT)

(1800 characters/each)

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

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

3. Please take a moment to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic directly and personally affected you as it pertains to preparing for medical school. (e.g. MCAT test date delay, financial impact, research/clinical experiences, self-quarantine, etc.).

DARTMOUTH MEDICAL SCHOOL (HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE)

  1. Please indicate your plans for the 2021-2022 academic year. If in school, please list your courses. If working, let us know something about the nature of your job. If your plans or courses change subsequently, you need to inform the Admissions Office by email at Geisel.Admissions@dartmouth.edu.
  2. Please share with us something about yourself that is not addressed elsewhere in your application and which could be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file.
  3. Geisel School of Medicine values social justice and diversity in all its forms. Reflect on a situation where you were the “other”. (250 words)

DAVID GEFFEN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UCLA (LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA)

UCLA (Geffen) Secondary Essay Prompts:

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

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

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

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

C-Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 characters)3. Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as other relevant information. (800 characters)

If you answer yes to this question,

4. Do you identify as being part of a group that has been marginalized (examples include, but are not limited to, LGBTQIA, disabilities, federally recognized tribe) in terms of access to education or healthcare?

then you also have this prompt:

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

DREXEL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA)

  1. If you are a recent graduate, please tell us what you have been doing since graduation. You may answer “Not applicable”. (no limit)
  2. 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)

DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (DURHAM, North Carolina)

Duke Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. 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)
  2. Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define advocacy as you view it. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)
  3. Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you learned/gained from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)
  4. What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (400 words)
  5. Leadership, teamwork, and communication flow synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)
  6. Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)
  7. Potential sources of health inequities include race, gender, education, income, disability, geographic location, and sexual orientation. Moments to Movement (M2M) is Duke’s collective stand against systemic racism and injustice. The name signifies going beyond passive moments of reflection and becoming more active as we build to make lasting change for our patients, their loved ones and each other. Describe your understanding of race and its relationship to inequities in health and health care. (400 words)
  8. 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)

EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY – JAMES H. QUILLEN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE)

  1. What obstacles have you faced gaining experiences important to your medical school application and what were your solutions? (1500 characters)
  2. Social justice, systemic racism, and equity for all have been at the forefront of national conversations. Quillen College of Medicine recognizes that many barriers still exist for persons of color and those from historically underrepresented communities. As a physician you will have opportunities to foster an environment of change for your patients and community. Please share with us your reflections on how your life experiences have impacted the development of your values and attitudes toward others, particularly those with backgrounds or values different from your own. (3000 characters)
  3. Discuss how your attitudes and perceptions will help foster a positive learning environment while in medical school and how they will benefit your future patients through the practice of medicine. (1500 characters)

EASTERN VIRGINIA MEDICAL SCHOOL (NORFOLK, VIRGINIA)

2000 characters max each

  1. Briefly describe your exposure to medicine:
  2. What do you think you will like best about being a physician?
  3. What do you think you will like least about being a physician?
  4. Describe yourself and your medical career as you see it ten years from now:
  5. Please indicate your reasons for applying to EVMS.

EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ATLANTA, GEORGIA)

Emory Secondary Essay Prompts:

1. 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. (200 words).

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

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

4. What do you consider to be the role of the physician in the community? (200 words).

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

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Extra Dual-degree questions:

Optional: Please describe your interest in public health and how you wish to combine this interest with a career in medicine (500 words or less).

Optional: Please describe your interest in bioethics and how you wish to combine this interest with a career in medicine (500 words or less).

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY CHARLES E. SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (BOCA RATON, FLORIDA)

  1. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please provide details of your activities/employment for the application year (1200 char)
  2. 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)
  3. Your AMCAS application should reflect your community service experiences. However, tell us more about your most meaningful community service involvement, particularly an experience that really inspired you. How did your involvement move you? (Experience does not need to be related to patient care) (1600 char)
  4. Good leaders add value to the healthcare profession. They have passion, motivation, conflict resolution skills and integrity, among other attributes and traits. Tell us about your leadership experience(s) and/or key leadership skills. Have you organized a fund raiser, had a club organization/leadership role? How do you motivate or influence people? (1600 char)
  5. Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome an obstacle or were faced by a difficult challenge or decision. What valuable lessons did you learn? How do you think the experience prepared you for a career as a future physician? (1600 char)
  6. Diversity means understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences. Describe what uniqueness you would bring to the Schmidt COM. 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)
  7. 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? (Experience does not need to be related to patient care, if none, please write none) (1600 char)
  8. As a community FAU Schmidt COM has made a commitment to be anti-racist and address systemic racism in education and healthcare. 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? (1600 char)
  9. One of the values of the FAU 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)

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (MIAMI, FLORIDA)

Florida International University Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. 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. (1200 characters)
  2. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you? (1200 characters)
  3. 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 will face in medical school. (1200 characters)
  4. 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?
  5. Optional covid essay (character count?)
  6. Optional academic difficulties essay (1000 characters)

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA)

A. Applicant Profile

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

B. Pre-Medical Course Requirements

Choose YES or NO for each of the courses below that you have completed, are currently enrolled, and/or anticipate completing prior to matriculating to medical school.

English (or other writing intensive course): 6 credit hours

College Mathematics (Statistics is recommended): 6 credit hours

Biology with Lab: 8 credit hours

Organic Chemistry with Lab: 4 credit hours

Physics with Lab: 8 credit hours

Biochemistry (MUST require at least one Organic Chemistry course as a pre-requisite; lab is recommended): 3 credit hours

C. Self-Critical Analysis

Please limit your answer to 500 words per question.

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.

D. Additional Questions

Please answer the following additional questions.

Did you grow up in a rural area?

If yes, please explain: Optional

I hereby declare my intent to participate in the courses and associated activities of the FSU COM. I also authorize the use of my personal data file for continuing longitudinal studies of the FSU COM if all personal identification is removed. Information derived from all test procedures, both cognitive and non-cognitive, will be considered confidential and will be part of the personal data file usable only in aggregate data studies.

Have you ever been charged with a violation of the law which resulted in, or is still pending could result in, probation, community service, a jail sentence, or the revocation or suspension of your driver’s license (including traffic violations which resulted in a fine of $200 or more)?

If yes, please explain: Optional

Have you ever been or are you now under investigation for any academic or legal/conduct problems at any undergraduate or graduate institution?

If yes, please explain: Optional

E. Florida Residency

The Florida State University College of Medicine accepts very few out-of-state applicants. Except under rare circumstances, out of state applicants are considered for admission only if their county of residence is geographically contiguous with the State of Florida, or if they can demonstrate significant ties to the State of Florida.

Is Florida currently your legal State of residence?

If Florida is not currently your legal State of residence, has it ever been your legal state of residence?

If yes, please briefly explain: Optional

If no, please briefly describe any significant ties that you have to the State of Florida (Examples of significant ties include- but are not limited to- attending college within Florida; having close relatives who are residents of Florida; spending substantial amounts of time in Florida): Optional

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA)

Please limit your response to 250-500 words

1. 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.

Please limit your response to 250-500 words

2. 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: 0/500

3. 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: 0/500

FRANK H. NETTER MD SCHOOL OF MEDICINE – QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY (NORTH HAVEN, CONNECTICUT)

Quinnipiac Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. What non-academic advice would you give to your younger self? (150 words)
  2. Describe a situation in which you did not get something you felt you deserved and how you handled it. (150 words)
  3. What is the toughest feedback you have ever received; how did you respond to it and what did you learn from it? (150 words)
  4. Other than work/life balance, what do you believe the biggest challenge you will face as a practicing physician will be and how do you anticipate responding to it? (150 words)
  5. (OPTIONAL) If you were to have a theme song, what would it be and why? (150 words)

And these extra questions in Demographic Information section:

  1. 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)
  2. What area of medicine do you envision yourself working in at the end of your training? What is shaping your vision? (Limit 100 Words)
  3. OPTIONAL Is there anything not captured in your application that you would like to share? (Limit 150 Words)

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES (WASHINGTON, DC)

1. 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 2021. (750 characters)

2. 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)

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

4. 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)

5. 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)am at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why? (2000 characters)

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (WASHINGTON D.C.)

Secondary:

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)

Other Questions:

1. 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)

2. 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)

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL (BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS)

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

2. 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 character maximum)

3. Our interview season runs from mid-September through January. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, leave blank.

HST Essay:

ESSAY FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE HARVARD-MIT DIVISION OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (HST)

Instructions: 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 physician-scientists across the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical and engineering sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches, centered on understanding disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve unmet needs in medicine ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering as they relate to healthcare. 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)

MD/PhD

1. Briefly list your research interests/areas; use keywords only. This information is not binding. (100 character limit)

2. Please list publications, indicating for each whether it is published, submitted/under review, or in preparation

3. For PhD’s in the social sciences only, please complete the following and upload where indicated:

Statement of Purpose:

Describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen program of study at Harvard. What experiences led you to your research ambitions? Concisely state your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Briefly indicate your career objectives. Your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. Health Policy applicants should indicate the concentration(s) and policy area(s) of interest.

Please see Program Details to determine whether the program to which you are applying requires a writing sample, CV, or other documents. Please follow departmental requirements on type and size of writing sample. Unless noted, writing sample is limited to 20 pages.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (WASHINGTON, DC)

All 250 words or less

1. 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? Please explain/describe briefly:

2. After residency, do you plan to practice medicine in an underserved or disadvantaged community? Please explain/describe briefly:

3. Have you worked (volunteer or paid employment) with medically underserved, economically disadvantaged and/or educationally disadvantaged populations? Please explain/describe briefly:

No character limit

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

There’s also a section to explain any discrepancies with your pre-requisite coursework.

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA – JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (HONOLULU, HAWAII)

*No assigned word limit

A) Describe in detail how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted you. (600 word limit)

B) Describe a personal experience that has demonstrated your resilience. (600 word limit)

C) Describe any personal connection to JABSOM and/or Hawaii and the Pacific that you may have. (600 word limit)

D) If you are a re-applicant to JABSOM, please complete the following additional essay. Describe what efforts you have made to further improve your application to the MD Program. (600 word limit) Optional

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS)

  1. Briefly describe your exposure to medicine.
  2. What do you think you will like best about being a physician?
  3. What do you think you will like least about being a physician?
  4. Describe yourself and your medical career as you see it ten years from now.
  5. Please indicate your reasons for applying to EVMS.

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA ROY J. AND LUCILLE A. CARVER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (IOWA CITY, IOWA)

(1500 characters each)

  1. We understand you may be applying to multiple medical schools. Please explain your reasons for applying to the Carver College of Medicine.
  2. Describe any unique personal characteristics or obstacles you may have overcome that will influence your contribution to a diverse healthcare system.
  3. 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.
  4. If you are a reapplicant to the Carver College of Medicine, how have you strengthened your application?
  5. 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.

JOAN C. EDWARDS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MARSHALL UNIVERSITY (HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA)

Marshall Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. Why did you decide to apply to Marshall? (5000 characters)
  2. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you want to serve or practice medicine? (5000 characters)
  3. If you are not presently attending school, indicate your employment or other plans for the time prior to your planned enrollment in medical school.
  4. 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.

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (BALTIMORE, MARYLAND)

  1. Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (2500 characters)
  2. Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment. (2500 characters)
  3. 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 characters)
  4. Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? (2500 characters)
  5. 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 characters)
  6. 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. (2500 characters)

KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA)

Answer the following prompts in 3-5 sentences:

  1. What is the most fun you’ve had lately?
  2. If you had to give yourself a nickname, what would it be?
  3. If you had enormous wealth, how would you allocate your charitable donations?
  4. Describe a situation in which you didn’t get something you felt you deserved.

Essays

  1. What do you see as the physician’s role in Public Health? Please answer the question in 150 words or less.
  2. Optional: Is there anything else you would like us to know? If yes, please answer the question in 200 words or less.

These are all the normal MD prompts, plus these three:

  1. List of publications and papers submitted including one or two sentences describing your role on each publication.
  2. Please check the fields below in which you have a special interest:
  3. Please provide the names of faculty with whom you would like to meet, if invited for an interview. For each faculty member suggested, provide a sentence or two explaining why you would like to meet that person.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (KANSAS CITY, KANSAS)

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. If you copy-paste more than 1,000 characters into a text box, you will lose your answer when you click the button. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.*

1. 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.

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

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

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

5. 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.

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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

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

11. 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.

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

*13. 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.

*14. 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.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY)

For everybody:

1. Please elaborate on why this is your preferred campus. (750) (Choose which campus you want to go to)

2. What competencies and qualities do you feel a physician should possess? (1500)

3. Describe the most significant community service activity in which you have participated. What did you learn from that experience? (2000)

4.Describe an experience or situation which made you feel grateful? (1500)

5.In providing patient care, should physicians maintain emotional distance or empathize with patients’ emotional state? (1500)

6. It is impossible to have predicted the drastic impact caused by the novel coronavirus identified as COVID-19. Describe the impact you have witnessed of this pandemic on those around you. (1500)

7. Please share unique, personally important, and/or challenging facts in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, or life/work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. (2000)

OOS Prompts:

In the individual assessment of each applicant, the UK College of Medicine prioritizes attributes that reflect our mission. Although not essential, certain applicant characteristics will enhance potential to contribute to the college and to the profession of medicine: Commitment to the State: As a state medical school, the UK College of Medicine gives preference to Kentucky residents, and non-residents who have strong ties to the state, including previous attendance at a Kentucky college or university. Commitment to Underserved Populations: Certain geographic areas (rural counties) and patient populations (non-majority) have challenges in receiving safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable health care. The UK College of Medicine values individuals who have demonstrated interest in serving these areas or populations in the future. Diversity: A diverse educational environment enriches both medical education and patient care. The UK College of Medicine strives for each class to represent the people of the Commonwealth, and therefore considers each applicant’s educational background, life experiences, cultural identity, and socioeconomic background. The University will not discriminate based on race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, or age.

Why have you chosen to apply to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine? (1000 characters)

Please elaborate on personal characteristics and any accomplishments and experiences that you feel help to demonstrate your potential to contribute to the college and to the profession of medicine. (1000 characters)

Please elaborate on any Kentucky ties: personal, familial, etc. (750 characters)

LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (LOMA LINDA, CALIFORNIA)

(275 words max each)

  1. What makes LLUSM particularly attractive to you?
  2. Our medical curriculum integrates a spiritual, ethical, and relational issues from a Christian perspective into the practice of medicine. Weekly chapel services and religion courses are part of this program. Please respond to the above as it relates to your personal educational and career goals.
  3. Loma Linda University is a Seventh-day Adventist institution that has lifestyle expectations that include abstinence from alcohol, nicotine, cannabinoids, and illicit drugs/substances in all forms. Describe any use of these substances within the past year.
  4. What personal attributes make you a desirable candidate for admission to LLUSM?
  5. Identify experiences in your life that illustrate your service to others.
  6. Discuss how your spiritual origins, development, and experiences have influenced and been integrated into your daily life.
  7. Please describe your current involvement (or reason for not being involved) with a church or religious group.
  8. Please enter the name and contact number for your Clergy/Pastor
  9. If you have already graduated, describe your activities since graduation and your planned activities prior to matriculation into medical school.
  10. Explain any impact that COVID-19 or recent events in American society may have had on your educational, research, volunteering or employment plans.

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HSC – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT NEW ORELEANS (NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA)

  1. If you are not a Louisiana resident, please describe your connection, if any, to Louisiana (500 characters)
  2. Briefly describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful. What did you learn from this experience and how can you use it to contribute to the LSU Health Shreveport community? (2000 characters)

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO – STRITCH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS)

(Maximum 500 words)

1. 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

2. 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 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.

Minimum 100 Words

3. 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 learned about yourself through this service OR what has hindered your efforts to serve others in these environments.

Minimum 100 Words

4. Describe your leadership style. Provide a specific example of how you have applied your leadership style.

Minimum 100 Words

5. 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

*******COMPLETE QUESTIONS 6-12 IF APPLICABLE*******

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Are you currently, or have you been, enrolled in any of the following programs? (listed on app portal)

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

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

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY)

Louisville Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. Why are you choosing to apply to the University of Louisville School of Medicine? (500 characters)
  2. How well did your high school prepare you for college? (500 characters)
  3. What determined your choice of college(s)? (500 characters)
  4. How do you assess your college record? (500 characters)
  5. Please describe any circumstances adversely affecting your academic performance while in college. (500 characters)
  6. Describe your most significant personal accomplishments and/or experiences and how these may relate to your potential to contribute to the medical community. (1000 characters)
  7. What has been your most significant contribution to your community, through service or volunteerism? What was its impact on the community and on you? (1000 characters)
  8. How have your cultural experiences shaped the way you see yourself contributing to the medical field and strengthened your ability to provide equitable care for a diverse patient population? (1000 characters)
  9. (Optional) List and describe any additional experiences, interests, hobbies, or skills not included in other areas of your application or that you have completed since submitting your AMCAS application. (500 characters)
  10. How has the pandemic affected the way you view the healthcare system and/or see yourself contributing to the medical field? (1000 characters)
  11. Discuss briefly why you have decided to pursue medicine and how your personal characteristics align with those you believe are most needed by physicians. (500 characters)
  12. Practice after residency: How do you see yourself practicing medicine after residency training? (Please include choice of medical practice and location). (500 characters)

MAYO MEDICAL SCHOOL — MAYO CLINIC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA)

Mayo Clinic, Rochester (Alix) Secondary Essay Prompts: (500 words each max)

  1. Why are you specifically interested in pursuing your medical education at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine? Please tell us in a few sentences why you are interested in the top choice track you indicated.
  2. 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.
  3. Share with us your thoughts about the relevance – or not – of diverse learning environments in which you wish to learn medicine.

MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (AUGUSTA, GEORGIA)

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

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

3) 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.

4) 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.

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

6) 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.)

MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN (MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN)

  1. Explain how your unique background, identity, interests, or talents will contribute to the MCW learning community. (1000 characters)
  2. How will MCW uniquely prepare you for your future goals?(1000 characters)
  3. 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)
  4. The Medical College of Wisconsin is committed to educating health professionals who are dedicated to improving health equity across the diverse populations we serve. Share with us what you have learned or how you have grown through working with or serving people from cultural backgrounds or groups different than your own. How do you believe you can contribute to improving health equity or reducing health disparities as a physician? (2000 characters)

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA – COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA)

No character limit for any question.

  1. What are your medical practice goals?
  2. Describe your employment status since you completed your bachelor’s degree (part-time, full-time, and dates) (only if you have graduated)
  3. In what region of the country do you want to practice medicine? Why?
  4. What areas of medicine are you interested in at this time, or what areas do you plan to pursue?
  5. Do you have any accomplishments or experiences that make you a unique applicant?
  6. Explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational, research, volunteering or employment plans.
  7. We desire to train students and physicians to work with the diverse patients of our state and nation. Please share at least one experience that has impacted your appreciation for diversity and your ability to relate to those who are unlike you. Do share what you learned from the experience as well.

MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE)

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

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.

MERCER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (MACON, GEORGIA)

Mercer Secondary Essay Prompts: (230 words each, maximum)

  1. 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)
  2. Please provide a cell phone number at which you can be contacted in reference to your application. (Required)
  3. Please address any institutional action, including honor code or conduct code violations, from your time as an undergraduate and graduate student. (Required)
  4. 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.
  5. What is your understanding of the practice of rural medicine?
  6. 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.
  7. 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?
  8. 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.
  9. 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.

MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ATLANTA, GEORGIA)

  1. What percent of your professional time do you anticipate devoting to: 1. Administration 2. Teaching 3. Patient Care 4. Research. (999 characters)
  2. Briefly explain the reasons for your selections in the Perceptions of Your Medical Career Section (regarding community size you want to practice in). (999 characters)
  3. If the answer to any part of this section (Personal Data) is ‘Yes’, give specific details below. If the answers are ‘No’, please enter Does not apply: (with respect to optional questions regarding previous med/dental school attendance, dismissals and/or convictions). (999 characters)
  4. Type a brief statement setting forth the key motivational factors in your decision to apply to Morehouse School of Medicine and any information about yourself you feel would be of interest to the Committee of Admissions in the consideration of your application. (999 characters)

MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (NEW YORK, NEW YORK)

  1. What is the toughest feedback you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it? (250 words)
  2. Describe a situation that you have thought to be unfair or unjust, whether towards yourself or towards others. How did you address the situation, if at all? (200 words)
  3. If you are currently not a full time student, please briefly describe the activities you are participating in this academic year. (100 words)
  4. 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)

MD/PhD Secondary Prompts:

  1. Same as MD above
  2. 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)
  3. What are your career goals? Describe which features of the MD/PhD Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai you will leverage to achieve them? (200 words)

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (BALTIMORE, MARYLAND)

The following questions have a 1,000 character limit (some are yes/no questions which then open a new text box)

1. 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)

2. 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.

3. Have you done independent research or study? (We are looking for research that you did outside of the course/classroom requirement)

4. Have there been any gaps in your education from high school to college, while in college, or after college?

5. 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?

~Following questions have a 1,500 character limit~

6. Briefly describe your most important exposure to clinical medicine.

7. Briefly describe your most satisfying experience related to community service.

8. 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.

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

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS)

Q1) We would like to learn how you developed and demonstrated core professionalism competencies that are required of entering medical students. Please respond to the first prompt (#1; Diversity). Then select three of the other six prompts (#2-#7). Each response should be 150-200 words. Use the text box below for your answer. Separate each of your four responses by writing the competency above/before your response (example: Teamwork – All teams have their struggles, but they can be overcome…).

  1. UMass Medical School strives to be a diverse academic community mindful of the fact that diversity makes our community stronger and benefits the patients we serve. Share your definition of diversity. Describe an example where you contributed to the diversity of a group, team or class. Connect this to how you will contribute to the diversity of the UMass Medical School community. (Diversity)
  2. Describe a time when you have made a decision that was not popular and how you handled this. (Leadership competency)
  3. Describe a time when you were on a team that was dysfunctional in some regard. How did you address the situation? (Teamwork)
  4. Describe a meaningful interaction you have had with a person whom you have helped at work, school or another activity. (Empathy/Compassion)
  5. Have you ever been in the middle of a situation where there was poor communication? What did you do to improve it? (Communication)
  6. Describe a time when you have “thought outside the box” to solve a problem. (Inquiry)
  7. Describe a time when you suffered a setback. How did you respond to this challenge? (Persistence/Grit)Q2) 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)

Q3) If you have participated in UMass SOM or UMass Memorial Health Care, or UMass Medical-Baystate sponsored programs (SEP, Summer Research Program, Worcester Pipeline Collaborative, AHEC, BaccMD, HSPP, Academic Internships, BSEP, Summer Scholars) please describe how these programs helped you decide to apply to UMass SOM. (200 word limit)

Q4) Why did you apply to UMass SOM? (200 word limit)

Q5) If you are currently taking a gap year, in what activities are you engaged? (200 word limit)

UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY OF NEW JERSEY OF RUTGERS (NEWARK, NEW JERSEY)

  1. We are committed to an environment which fosters collaboration, humanism, equity and social justice. With this in mind, how will you contribute to the NJMS community? (1500 character limit)
  2. 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: (1500 character limit)
  3. If you will not be a full time student between June 2021-August 2022, please describe in detail your planned activities, including projected time commitment for each activity: (1500 character limit)
  4. If you chose to pursue one or more growth years prior to applying to medical school, please share insight on your decision: (1500 character limit)
  5. If you are a re-applicant, please share what you have done to enhance your candidacy and re-application? (1500 character limit)
  6. Please elaborate on challenges not thoroughly addressed anywhere else in your application (Please feel free to address any or all of the following if applicable: impact of COVID, institutional actions, academics, MCAT, personal difficulties, etc.): (1500 character limit)
  7. Please discuss any additional information you feel may help us in our review of your candidacy: (1500 character limit)

UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY OF NEW JERSEY – ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON MEDICAL SCHOOL (PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY)

Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Essay Prompts

  1. More than a year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, what do you believe are major needs in health care and how have your expectations for your role as a doctor changed? (250 words)
  2. Discuss a time you tried to right a perceived wrong, felt moved to speak up for someone, or took a stand against a situation you felt was unjust. (250 words)
  3. Were you, or are you, employed during the school year? If so please let us know the type of work, hours worked, etc. (No word limit)
  4. 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. (No word limit)
  5. If you would like, feel free to explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational/research/volunteering or employment plans. (No word limit)
  6. 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).(No word limit)
  7. 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. (No word limit)

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI – LEONARD M. MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (MIAMI, FLORIDA)

APPLICANT NARRATIVES: (All narrative responses should be less than 500 words each).

  1. What have you done during the recent COVID-19 pandemic that will better prepare you to be a medical student and future physician?
  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. What have you done to help identify, address and correct an issue of systemic discrimination?
  9.  
  10. [OPTIONAL] Provide a description of any activities involving the FINE ARTS (dance, drama, music, art, photography, etc. -[OR]-
  11. [OPTIONAL] Provide a description of any activities involving SPORTS (organized team sports, recreational activities that you play, watch or follow)
  12. [OPTIONAL] Describe your most meaningful involvement in STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS.
  13. [OPTIONAL] Provide a description of your most memorable TRAVEL experience.
  14. [OPTIONAL] Provide a description of your HOBBIES and what you do for fun and relaxation.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICAL SCHOOL (ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN)

SECONDARY APPLICATIONS

All applicants will receive a Secondary Application, regardless of whether they have an MCAT score or not. Please note that the secondary application fee is waived for those approved for the AAMC-Fee Assistance Program.

We recommend keeping the following in mind when completing your Secondary Applications:

1. Write essays about who you are, not what you think Admissions wants to hear.

2. Communicate clearly about what you have found in your life to help you become the person you want to be.

3. Know the school’s mission. Ours is: “To transform health through bold and innovative education, discovery and service.”

4. Know the medical school’s vision for its graduates. Read ours.

M.D. SECONDARY APPLICATION PROMPTS

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).

Please note you do not need to use the entire word count.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MEDICAL SCHOOL (MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA)

Each question has a limit of 1500 characters, except for #9 which has a limit of 900 characters.

1. Tell us about a time when you recovered from a non-academic setback. How did you identify the setback and what steps did you take to recover?

2. Tell us about a time when you played a role in improving a process. How did you identify the areas for improvement and what steps did you take to change the process?

3. Tell us about a time when you observed, personally experienced, or acted with implicit or explicit bias. If you observed or personally experienced implicit or explicit bias what did you do to address this situation or what would you do in the future? If you were implicitly or explicitly biased how did you become aware of this and what did you do to address the situation or what will you do in the future? Through either situation we are interested in what you learned.

4. Please tell us about your identity. How has your identity impacted the development of your values and attitudes toward others, particularly those with values different from 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.

5. Why do you want to go to medical school in the state of MN? (This question seeks to understand why you are interested in the state of MN not the University of Minnesota.)

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

7. If you are not submitting an MCAT score with your application briefly explain why. This question is required of any applicant who will ultimately not include an MCAT score in their application. OPTIONAL

8. 2020 has proven to be unprecedented times and uncharted territory in global health. Please feel free to share with us your thoughts and experiences with navigating Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This could include the barriers you have faced in applying to medical school this cycle, feelings of complicated grief and loss, thoughts on the role of health care professionals, challenges associated with racial health inequities as more Black and Brown people are disproportionately impacted, or other reflections on living through a global pandemic crisis. OPTIONAL

9. Right now is a watershed moment in American history and this country’s reckoning with race, racism, racial injustice, and especially anti-Black hatred. If you feel comfortable, we welcome you to please share with us your reflections on, experiences with, and greatest lessons learned about systemic racism that is receiving international attention with the murders of numerous Black, Indigenous, and People of Color including but not limited to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Vanessa Guillen, Rayshard Brooks, and Elijah McClain. OPTIONAL

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI)

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

2. 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)

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (COLUMBIA, MISSOURI)

1) 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

2) 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

3) 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.

4) 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.

NEW YORK COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE (OLD WESTBURY, NEW YORK)

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.)

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)

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (NEW YORK, NEW YORK)

MD:

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

2. 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.

3. 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 School of Medicine community (2500 characters max)?

4. The ultimate goal of our institution is to produce a population of physicians with a collective desire to improve the health of all segments of our society through outstanding patient care, research and education. In this context, where do you see your future medical career (academic medicine, research, public health, primary care, business/law, etc.) and why? Your answer need not be restricted to one category. If your plans require that you complete a dual degree program, please elaborate here (2500 characters max).

5. Please answer only one of the following three questions (2500 characters max):

○ 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?

MSTP:

Dropdowns to choose 5 faculty with whom you could see yourself working with in the future.

Space to put how many hours of full-time research you’ve done. From the form:

“How many months of full-time research experience have you completed? When estimating this amount, you may convert part-time research into its full-time equivalent. For example, if you conducted part-time research for 1 year for ~50% of the time, this would equal 6 months of full-time research. Please do not include lab experiences associated with a course (e.g., organic chemistry course with lab).”

3 YR MD Tertiary:

The Three-Year MD Pathway provides an accelerated track for a select group of eligible students. All students graduating from the Three-Year MD Pathway will be offered acceptance into the NYU Langone Medical Center residency program they selected at the time of admission by way of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

You can apply to the Three-Year MD Pathway at any time during your initial application to medical school. The application deadline is November 15, 2018 at 11:59 PM EST. That said, your application will only be reviewed by the admissions committee and the residency programs if you are first accepted into the Four-Year MD Pathway.

Please note that we have an additional entry point into the Three-Year MD Pathway. Should you decide you are not ready to enter the pathway at this time, we have provided our matriculated first year medical students with the opportunity to opt into the Three-Year Pathway in available residency programs towards the end of their first year of medical school at NYU.

Finally, we are piloting an addition to our Three-Year MD Pathway for those applicants to medical school who already have a PhD and wish to obtain their MD to facilitate their research endeavors. This Three-Year PhD-MD Pathway is linked to research-focused residency tracks in some of our residency programs and provides unique benefits to those who wish to develop tomorrow’s biomedical discoveries as our future physician scientists.

1.) Please select the residency program you wish to apply to:

2.) Please describe your motivation for pursuing a residency, detailing how past experiences have shaped your desire to pursue this career path. (2500 char)

3.) What do you believe the three most important qualities are that make for not only a successful resident, but ultimately an ideal physician in this field? (2500 char)

NORTHEASTERN OHIO UNIVERSITIES COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY) (ROOTSTOWN, OHIO)

  1. What do you hope to achieve from your experience as a NEOMED student? (5000 characters)

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY – FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS)

1. Given the distinctive educational philosophy and integrated curriculum at FSM, describe how your personal characteristics and learning style would fit the institution. (Limit your response to 200 words)

2. Describe the steps you take to reduce your personal stress when confronted with difficult situations. (Limit your response to 200 words)

3. 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. (Limit your response to 200 words)

4. (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. (Limit your response to 200 words)

5. Everyone has their own narrative. Please provide more detail about your selections above and how you would enrich the Northwestern community. (Limit your response to 200 words)

MSTP

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

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

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

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

Everyone has their own narrative. Please provide more detail about your selections above and how you would enrich the Northwestern community. (200 W)

How do you envision your career after you complete your training, including residency and fellowship? What aspects of your life and career will be most satisfying? What frustrations can you envision in your future career, and how do you hope to handle them? (200 W)

Please describe your current research interest as you plan your research training. (200 W)

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER – COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (OMAHA, NEBRASKA)

Nebraska Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. If you have been away from full-time academics for more than two years, please explain. (N/A if not applicable) (750 characters)
  2. What is your personal rationale for applying to the UNMC College of Medicine? (1,000 characters)
  3. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you professionally and personally? (1,000 characters)
  4. What are you most proud of in your life? (1,500 characters)
  5. Tell us about a time when you had to overcome adversity. (1,500 characters)
  6. Given the lack of shadowing opportunities over the last 18 months, how do you know that you want to be a physician and what the career entails? (1,500 characters)

Re-applicant questions:

  1. If you are a re-applicant to the UNMC College of Medicine, how is your application different this year? (N/A if not applicable) (750 characters)
  2. If this is your first application to UNMC, but not your first application to medical school, what is your rationale for applying to UNMC this cycle? (N/A if not applicable) (750 characters)

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (RENO, NEVADA)

1. 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.

2. 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?

3. 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.

4. Describe and share what you learned from an experience providing direct patient care.

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (LAS VEGAS, NEVADA)

Each question has a 250 word limit.

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

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

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

4. 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

5. 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.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO)

1. 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)

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

3. 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.

4. 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)

5. 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)

6. 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)

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA – CHAPEL HILL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA)

1. Give an example of how you made a difference in someone’s life and explain what this experience taught you about yourself. (500 words)

2. What motivates you to apply to UNC School of Medicine? (500 words)

3. 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? (500 words)

4. Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the COVD-19 public health crisis. Possible topics might include: 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, and/or quarantine. (750 words)

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES (GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA)

  1. “The School of Medicine & Health Sciences is a community-based medical school, and because of the unique circumstances of our regional location, we place special emphasis on the unique skills needed to provide care for patients and populations in rural and Native American communities across all competencies. The primary purpose of the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences is to educate physicians and other health professionals for subsequent service in North Dakota and to enhance the quality of life of its people. Other purposes include the discovery of knowledge that benefits the people of this state and enhances the quality of their lives.” Please explain the steps you have taken towards, and how you will fulfill different aspects the school’s mission.
  2. Reflect on personal experiences of resilience and emotional intelligence throughout your life and how this has prepared you in your pursuit of a career in medicine.
  3. Describe your experiences with diverse populations. Examples include a summary of a volunteer experience, study abroad, employment, self-taught endeavor or a formal course on diversity that includes direct interaction with individuals or groups from socio-economic disadvantaged, diverse cultures, rural, or other backgrounds.
  4. Describe your research activity. Examples include the outcome of a formal research experience, course-dependent undergraduate research, thesis, or capstone project.
  5. Describe your creative activity. Examples include the outcome of a creative activity, capstone project, senior recital, performance, debate, product creation or any other major production or installation.
  6. 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.
  7. Expand and reflect on leadership and team experience. This may include a summary of leadership roles or teamwork in employed positions, extracurricular activities, organizations, volunteer services, or any other leadership or team experiences.
  8. What are your career plans if you do not ever get admitted to medical school?
  9. UND SMHS REAPPLICANTS ONLY: When was your previous application, and, subsequently, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? Note any relevant academic, employment, clinical, and personal experience.

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY WILLIAM BEAUMONT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ROCHESTER, MICHIGAN)

1. 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)

2. Describe your motivation to attend OUWB. (250 words)

3. 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)

4. 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)

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

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (COLUMBUS, OHIO)

*REQUIRED ESSAYS FOR THOSE APPLYING TO 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)
  • 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. (250 words or less)

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED ESSAYS ONLY FOR THOSE APPLYING TO THE PRIMARY CARE TRACK:

  • How do you feel ready to choose a career in family medicine? Please provide any examples of exposure and/or experiences not already mentioned in your application. (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

  • We understand students were affected academically over the past year. Many schools allowed or mandated pass/fail coursework for the Spring 2020 term and beyond. If you have taken pre-requisite courses pass/fail after Spring 2020 please provide details so we can better understand your situation. (250 words or less)

OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (PORTLAND, OREGON)

  1. What experience have you had that has given you insight into the patients you hope to eventually serve? 1550 characters
  2. Other than work-life balance, what will be your greatest challenge in becoming a physician? 1550 characters
  3. Discuss a time in your life that demonstrated your resilience. 1550 characters
  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. 2050 characters
  5. Give an example of personal feedback in the last few years that was difficult to receive. How did you respond? 1550 characters
  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. 1550 characters
  7. (optional) Adversity essay when you select degrees of adversity you’ve faced. Just says “please describe the nature of the adversity” 4000 character limit.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA)

It’s all biographic checkboxes unless you’re applying to the Tulsa track.

Tulsa SCM track only:

  1. Please submit an essay (450 words or less) that explains your interest and commitment to Community Medicine.
  2. Please explain (in 250 words or less) how you expect the SCM track to enhance your medical education.
  3. Please enter any additional community or volunteer experience not included on your AMCAS application. (no word limit)
  4. Please enter any other relevant life experience that you feel might have an impact on your application to the SCM track. (no word limit)

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA)

Penn State Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. If not currently enrolled in a full-time academic program, please summate your activities from the time of graduation from your baccalaureate program through the time of this application, as well as your plans between now and your matriculation to medical school. (Maximum 75 words)
  2. Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee? (Maximum 75 words)
  3. Explain why you decided to apply to the Penn State College of Medicine. (Maximum 75 words)
  4. Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (Maximum 250 words)
  5. Write a short statement describing how you envision using your medical education to advance care for under-represented or marginalized populations. (Maximum 250 words)

PONCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (PONCE, PUERTO RICO)

List/describe:

Academic honors

Research experience/ Publications

Community service/ volunteer work

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

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, (PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA)

1. 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.

2. 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)

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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.)

Yes/No – Please explain and limit your response to 1,000 characters.

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

9. 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

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

11. Anonymous sexual and gender identification questions for diversity data

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA)

  1. Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)
  2. 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.)
  3. 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.)

RUSH MEDICAL COLLEGE OF RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS)

  1. 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)
  2. Describe a challenging situation in which you did not agree with a directive/rule and how you handled this. (1000 characters)
  3. Reflect on a time in which you personally gained more from an experience than what was expected. (1000 characters)
  4. What do you hope to gain from your Rush Medical College experience that will make you a better/different physician? (1000 characters)
  5. If applicable, describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your application to and/or preparation for medical school. (1000 characters)
  6. Use this space to provide additional information you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your application (Optional, also 1000 characters)

SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI)

  1. Will you be a full-time student for the 2021 – 2022 academic year? If no, please describe your current activities… (max 1,000 characters)
  2. 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? If you wish, you may also add any comment you desire regarding access to letters of recommendation or MCAT challenges you encountered. (max 1,000 characters)
  3. What does social justice mean to you? (max 1,000 characters)
  4. Describe briefly any experiences and/or skills that have made you more sensitive or appreciative of other cultures or the human condition. (max 1,000 characters)
  5. Do you wish to include any comments, other than your AMCAS personal statement, to the Admissions Committee? (Yes or No – if yes, max 1,000 characters)

SANFORD SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA (SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA)

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?

STONY BROOK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER (STONY BROOK, NEW YORK)

  1. Will your education be continuous between college and medical school matriculation? (If no, you have 500 words)
  2. Describe an obstacle you’ve overcome and how it defined you (500 words)
  3. Respond to one (500 words):
  4. Please describe how you, as a future physician, plan to address the social determinants of health. –OR–
  5. What, in your opinion, is the role of a physician in addressing systemic racism and societal injustices?

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS)

Essay question #1: 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.

Essay question #2: 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.

Essay question #3: 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

STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (STANFORD, CALIFORNIA)

1. 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 which may include such discussions as the quality of your early education, gender, sexual orientation, any physical challenges, and life or work experiences. Please describe how these factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and may help you to uniquely contribute to the Stanford learning environment. (2000 c)

2. 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? (1000 c)

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

4. Please describe any lessons, hardships, challenges, or opportunities that resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Include any impact on your medical school application preparation in the areas of academics, research, employment, volunteer service, and/or clinical experiences. (1000 c)

5. Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (OPTIONAL) (1000 c)

SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER – COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (BROOKLYN, NEW YORK)

  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? If yes, please describe your activities. (No word count listed)
  2. Will you be attending college full-time as of September 15? If no, please describe your activities for the period of September 15 to July 1. (No word count listed)
  3. What will be your support system while in medical school? (Limit 150 words)
  4. 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. If this question does not apply to you, enter “not applicable” in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)
  5. 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)
  6. 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. (No word count listed)
  7. What in your current/future activity/activities have/will contribute to diversity, health equity and social justice? (No word count listed)

SUNY UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (SYRACUSE, NEW YORK)

SUNY Upstate Secondary Essay Prompts:

  1. If you earned your baccalaureate degree prior to this past June, please indicate your plans for the upcoming academic year (1800 character limit)
  2. Which medical specialty are you thinking about pursuing at this point? (1800 character limit.)
  3. We understand that the COVID-19 crisis in Spring 2020 disrupted many aspects of our lives. Please share if you had any curricular impacts during this time, for example, change to pass/fail courses or to online coursework or if you anticipate any deficiencies in experiences as a result of COVID-19. (1800 character limit)
  4. Are there any areas of weakness in your application that you would like to clarify for the Admissions Committee? If yes, please describe. (1800 character limit)
  5. Upstate Medical University is strongly committed to providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for the patients we serve and all who work at, study at, or visit our campus. As a potential partner in this effort, please describe your commitment to eliminating health inequities, discrimination, or other forms of social injustice. (500 words)

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (MOBILE, ALABAMA)

Out-of-State Applicants

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 maximum

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.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (TAMPA, FLORIDA)

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)

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

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

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

Please choose one of the following options. For more information, copy and paste the corresponding URL which will bring you to a new webpage. You can find more information on the programs here: Educational Programs | USF Health Please select the MD program for which you would like to be considered.

  • Core program
  • SELECT program
  • Core and SELECT Program

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)

LEWIS KATZ SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY (PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA)

(Each 2000 characters max including spaces)

  1. What is the nature of your interest in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine?
  2. 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.
  3. Tell us about your special interest in the campus you selected.
  4. What are your plans for the current year – June 2021 until June 2022?
  5. The Coronavirus pandemic has affected all of us.*Please use this space to describe to us how you were impacted academically, personally or professionally by COVID-19.
  6. Please use this space to describe to us how you were impacted academically, personally or professionally by COVID-19.

TEXAS A&M HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER – COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS)

  1. 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).
  2. 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).
  3. 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).
  4. OPTIONAL QUESTION: 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.

DIFFERENT/EXTRA QUESTIONS FOR A&M EnMed 2021-2022 (NOT the same as last year’s)

  1. How did you hear about the EnMed program? (100 words MAX)
  2. Explain your interest in the EnMed medical education program: (250 words MAX)
  3. How will the EnMed medical education meet your goals and interests in ways that a traditional MD-only program would not? (150 words MAX)
  4. What creative, engineering, innovation, or entrepreneurship related activities have you participated in outside the classroom? Describe how these have prepared you to create innovative medical technologies. (150 words MAX)
  5. What knowledge, skills, and experiences have you acquired inside the classroom during your education that are most relevant to EnMed? (150 words MAX)
  6. What role do you envision yourself taking in the process of creating and translating new medical technologies during your future medical career? (150 words MAX)
  7. If you do not have an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering or computer science, what knowledge, skills, experiences, or other preparation do you have that will contribute to your success in the EnMed medical education program, and in your future career as a Physicianeer? (250 words MAX)

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HSC – PAUL L. FOSTER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (EL PASO, TEXAS)

  1. 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)
  2. 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)
  3. 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 HSC SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (LUBBOCK, TEXAS)

Areas of Interest:

1. Select your area(s) of interest (please check all that apply). For each selected area, please list related activities; completed, current or planned.

“Please indicate the area(s) of medicine you are interested in and briefly describe your significant activitiesfor each respective interest in the available text box.”

There is a 100 word limit for each selected area:

  • Practicing in an underserved area
  • Rural health
  • Medical Research
  • Medical Academics
  • Primary Care
  • Border Health
  • Other (please describe below)

Supplemental Information:

1. Have you experienced any road bumps in your academic career? (low academic performance, dropping, retaking, or failing courses, etc.)

1.1 If yes, please explain your circumstance. (250 words or less)

2. Please share any lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that you would like the admissions committee to consider – either regarding yourself or your community – about any or all of the topics below? (300 words or less)

  • Disruptions in your academic, volunteer, work, community and or personal life.
  • Creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis.
  • Hardships you may have faced as a result of isolation, quarantine or illness3. 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) (Note that if you select more than one program in this section you will be required to rank them in order of importance. 200 words or less)

4. Are you applying to our MD & E program?

4.1 Please list the highest-level math/chemistry/physics course you have taken or are currently taking.

4.2 What programming language are you most comfortable using?

4.3 Describe your motivation to pursue this program, be sure to include how you expect to benefit from this program.

4.4 How do you anticipate this program making you a more efficient caregiver?

5. Are you applying to FMAT?

5.1. What motivates you to participate in the FMAT program? (200 words or less)

5.2. What experiences have you had that would prepare you for this intensive program? (200 words or less)

5.3. What, in your opinion, distinguishes Family Medicine from other medical specialties? (200 words or less)

6. Have you experienced any hardship or adversity; personally or professionally?

6.1 If yes, please share your experience with us. (200 words or less)

7. Please tell us about your favorite recreational/leisure activities. (200 words or less)

8. Do you consider yourself from West Texas or as having West Texas ties?

8.1 If yes, what town or county did you reside in, or what other factors would you cite? (100 words or less)

9. Have you participated in any special programs offered by a medical school to help prepare yourself for medical school and a career in medicine?

9.1. If yes, what was the name of the program and where was this program hosted (sponsoring school)? (100 words or less)

THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY — JEFFERSON MEDICAL COLLEGE (SIDNEY KIMMEL MEDICAL COLLEGE) (PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA)

  1. Describe how the pandemic has affected your educational, work, or research plans? What has your own experience informed you about the challenges of providing equitable and inclusive care to future patients? (2500 Characters)
  2. Do you have any additional information that hasn’t been covered? (4000 characters)

TUFTS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS)

Tufts Secondary Essay Prompts

  1. Additional Comments (1000 characters)
  2. Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Include in this explanation if you will be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, etc. (1000 characters)
  3. Do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of Tufts University School of Medicine? (1000 characters)
  4. Given how the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the world this year, please contextualize how your experiences have been affected which might include your personal, professional and educational journey. (1000 characters)
  5. We understand that many applicants encounter academic hardships along the way. Please comment on any academic difficulties that you have encountered since completing high school (grades and MCAT scores) and that you believe might adversely affect your likelihood of medical school acceptance. We believe that such difficulties offer an opportunity for growth and would appreciate learning how your experiences have affected your approach to academics. If you have not encountered any difficulties, you may answer ‘No’. (1000 characters)

TULANE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA)

  1. Briefly describe the reasons for your interest in Tulane University School of Medicine. (150 words)
  2. 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)
  3. Please list any leadership positions, in clubs or organizations, you may have held. (100 words)
  4. Please list your hobbies and major non-academic interests. (150 words)
  5. [Optional] Tulane University School of Medicine values the diversity of its patients, faculty, staff, and students. Do you identify with a particular group that you believe is underrepresented among medical professionals? These include groups oriented around, but not limited to: ethnicity, race, sexuality, religion, disability, and economic background. (60 words)
  6. [Optional] In what ways did the COVID-19 pandemic alter/interrupt your medical school application? (no limit)

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL) (AUSTIN, TEXAS)

Dell Med does not use a written secondary application, but will screen applicants and offer those they are interested in an invitation to complete a video-response secondary.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL SCHOOL AT HOUSTON (HOUSTON, TEXAS)

UT Houston (McGovern) Secondary Essay Prompts:

Question 1:

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 course, 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?

Question 2:

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?

Question 3:

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

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SMC AT DALLAS – SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL SCHOOL (DALLAS, TEXAS)

  1. Describe a group project or activity that you are most proud of. Consider the following in your response: What aspect makes you most proud? How was it accomplished? How did you deal with disagreement or conflict in the group? How did you get fellow group members to embrace a position or view your perspective? 2500 Characters
  2. 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 Characters
  3. Describe an interaction or experience that has made you more sensitive or appreciative of cultural differences, and/or how you have committed yourself to understanding and aiding in the pursuit of equity and inclusion in your academic, professional or personal life. 2500 Characters
  4. 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 Characters
  5. Please explain any academic discrepancies or extenuating circumstances that you feel the Admissions Committee should know. (Optional) 2500 Characters

UTSW MSTP Secondary Prompts (500 characters each)

  1. Describe the type of research you are currently most interested in pursuing for your PhD training. You can be general or specific (e.g., genetics, biochemistry, Alzheimer’s disease, rational drug design, etc.)
  2. If you wish, please describe major hardships or adversity you have overcome to reach this point in your life (if none, please state “none”).
  3. List names of up to five UT Southwestern faculty whose research is of particular interest to you (refer to www.utsouthwestern.edu/labs for more information).
  4. Why are you interested in MD/PhD training at UT Southwestern in particular?

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (EDINBURG, TEXAS)

  1. List three adjectives that characterize the community in which you grew up.
  2. Briefly describe the community you anticipate practicing medicine in post-residency. (100-word max)
  3. 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)
  4. 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)
  5. DESCRIBE EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD UNRELATED TO SCIENCE OR MEDICINE.

PART 1: Required

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

Below are the instructions for the VIDEO

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?

Now more instructions for the final 2 essays:

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 (please put N/A in the text box for the 2 questions you chose not to answer before you submit)

  • 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)

UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (TOLEDO, OHIO)

Essays

1. One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves cultural competence. The competency involves several distinct domains, including:

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

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

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

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

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

f. 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. Max word count: 600

2. One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves resilience and adaptability. This competency involves the ability to tolerate stressful or changing environments or situations and adapt effectively to them. Additional characteristics of this competency are persistence and the ability to recover from setbacks.

Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in resilience and adaptability as described above. As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will help you meet new challenges you may face in medical school. Max word count: 600

3. (Optional) Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the coronavirus (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). Max word count: 600

Affiliations and Experiences

1. 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. Max word count: 500

2. Will one or more years have passed between your graduation from college/university (bachelor’s degree) and your expected matriculation to medical school? YES/NO

If ‘YES’, please briefly describe what activities you are/have been engaged in during the period between undergraduate and medical school. Max word count: 300

3. Are you a re-applicant to the MD program at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences?

If you indicated ‘YES,’: Please briefly describe how your application has changed since applying previously to our program. Max word count: 300

4. 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.) Max word count: 500

UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES – F. EDWARD HEBERT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (BETHESDA, MARYLAND)

1. 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)

2. 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)

3. 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)

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE)

We understand the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a particularly stressful time for many applicants. To allow applicants more time for reflection when completing our secondary application, we are publishing our secondary application essay prompts in advance. Please note that the MSTP and MIDP programs may have additional essay prompts for you to respond to.

  1. Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (800 words)
  2. Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently? (600 words)
  3. Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words)
  4. Optional: If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (200 words)
  5. Optional: If applicable, please describe how the COVID-19 outbreak affected your pathway to medical school. You may discuss any academic, personal, financial, or professional alterations to your plans. NOTE: Disclosing certain hardships or obstacles that have been faced during this time will not negatively affect an application. (200 words)

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (RICHMOND, VIRGINIA)

  1. Cultural humility is defined as a “process of reflection and lifelong inquiry which involves self-awareness of personal and cultural biases, as well as, an awareness and sensitivity to significant cultural issues of others.” Please provide an example of a specific time you demonstrated cultural humility with some reflection on the experience. (2000 char)
  2. Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application.
  3. Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades.
  4. If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now?

VIRGINIA TECH CARILION SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ROANOKE, VIRGINIA)

(600 words each)

  1. 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.
  2. Explain how interactions with people who are different from you have shaped your world view and relate how you would enrich the VTC community.
  3. Describe three aspects of VTCSOM and how those align with your philosophy of medicine.
  4. Please describe a research passion: If funding were no object, what scientific study would you design? Please also describe a non-research passion.

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA)

(all have a limit of 350 words or less):

1. 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?

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

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

For MSTP applicants, there is also a fourth essay of 350 words or less with the following prompt:

Below, please briefly discuss:

a) the areas of biomedical research that interest you the most and why.

b) the discovery in your laboratory experience that excited you the most and why.

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (BURLINGTON, VERMONT)

  1. 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. (max 500 words)
  2. 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. (max 500 words)
  3. Please use this box to describe how the COVID19 pandemic may have adversely impacted your application. (Optional)(Max 150 words)
  4. Additional Comments (Optional)(max 300 words)

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE – BOWMAN GRAY CAMPUS (WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA)

  1. We seek to train physicians who can connect with diverse patient populations with whom they may not share a similar background. Tell us one experience that enhanced your ability to understand those unlike yourself and what you learned from it. (200 words or less)
  2. Describe a non-academic challenge you have faced and explain how you overcame it. (200 words or less)
  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? (200 words or less)
  4. Tell us about any specific reason(s) (personal, educational, etc.) why you see yourself here at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. (150 words or less)
  5. Please tell us an interesting fact about yourself that a casual acquaintance may find surprising or interesting. (50 words or less)
  6. If there is anything specific that you would like for us to know regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected you and your application you may do so here.(200 words or less.) (Please note that this is optional. Also, please do not repeat any information provided in your previous required responses.)

THE WARREN ALPERT MEDICAL SCHOOL OF BROWN UNIVERSITY (PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND)

  1. Summarize your activities during the 2021-2022 academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 characters)
  2. 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)
  3. What are your aspirations for your medical practice? Fast-forward to 15 years in the future: where do you imagine yourself? (3000 characters)

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY ELSON S. FLOYD COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (SPOKANE, WASHINGTON)

Please respond to each essay below (each <300 words):

1. 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.

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

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

4. How have you built your resilience?

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. “Please share any disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider (not required). “

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI)

  1. 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)
  2. Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3000 characters)
  3. (OPTIONAL) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? 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)

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (DETROIT, MICHIGAN)

(1250 characters each essay)

  1. What characteristics and qualities are necessary for successful leadership? Do you think all physicians should be leaders? Please discuss your reasons.
  2. During the pandemic we frequently encounter information gaps. Discuss one such gap and how you went about gathering and using the information you found. How has that affected your outlook on the role of medicine?
  3. Which of your experiences or activities align with WSU SOM’s mission? Please discuss how.
  4. Please answer if you have had a gap between completion of your undergraduate degree and applying to medical school (career change, re-applicant, etc.) What have you done during the interval since graduation or your previous application? How does that experience or activity relate to your future career in medicine? Please mark N/A if this does not apply to you.
  5. If you are NOT a US citizen or Canadian citizen, please list any US visas. Please note, non-Canadian international applicants are only eligible for admission if they have completed a degree at Wayne State University. International applicants are NOT eligible for federal student financial aid and must provide proof of funding prior to matriculation.

5b. If you are NOT a US citizen or Canadian citizen, upload a copy of current US visa(s), including Permanent Residency card (Green card).

WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE (MANHATTAN, New York)

  1. Please write a brief statement giving your reasons for applying to Weill Cornell Medical College. (1525 characters)
  2. Please describe a challenge you faced and how you addressed it. (1525 characters)
  3. If applicable, please tell us about any special circumstances related to COVID-19 that could help us understand you better. (1525 characters)
  4. If you are not attending college during the upcoming (2021-2022) academic year, what are your plans? (Optional) (1525)

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA)

  1. Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine?
  2. 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.
  3. Describe a time when you worked closely and successfully with another person who had a background different from your own.
  4. 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.
  5. Every accepted student to the Class of 2026 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?

All have a word count max of 150.

There is also an optional question on how the pandemic adversely affected your application. Max word count of 100.

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN)

“Please answer the three essay questions. You will be limited to 2000 characters for each essay question. This section is not timed. You may want to work on your responses offline in a word processor and then paste your responses in the answer box. If you are reapplying, please replace your previous essays with an updated response. DO NOT BE CONCERNED WITH WORD WRAPPING AND PARAGRAPH SPACING

  1. Describe why you wish to enroll at WMed. You should describe any connection you have to southwest Michigan.
  2. Describe what you bring to the practice of medicine – your values, skills, talents, life experiences – and how you add to the cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the medical profession.
  3. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world in an unprecedented way. If COVID-19 impacted you, your academic plan, or your planned experiences, and you have not noted elsewhere, please detail below.
  4. WMed Re-Applicants Only: Describe the changes to your application from previous cycles – include academics, experiences, and/or personal attributes.”

WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY – BOONSHOFT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (DAYTON, OHIO)

  1. 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).
  2. 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)
  3. Did you have a financial need in college that required you to take out educational loans?
  4. Did you or your family overcome a significant economic hardship?
  5. If there has been a significant economic hardship, please explain the circumstances. If none, please enter N/A. (500 Characters)
  6. If you had paid employment during the summers after matriculating (entering) college, how many summers did you work?
  7. Which of the following best describes the summer you worked the most hours?
  8. If you had paid employment during the academic year after matriculating (entering) college, how many academic years of college did you work?
  9. Which of the following best describes the academic year you worked the most hours?
  10. Were you raised in a single-parent household?
  11. Are either of your parents a graduate of Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine?
  12. 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)
  13. Are any of your relatives Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine alumni, current students, faculty or staff.
  14. 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)
  15. Is this your first medical school application cycle?
  16. Have you applied to Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in a previous cycle?
  17. 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)
  18. Has there been/will there be a gap between achieving your bachelor’s degree and expected matriculation into medical school?
  19. 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)
  20. Would you describe yourself as a non-traditional candidate for medical school?
  21. If you consider yourself a non-traditional candidate, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (500 Characters)
  22. 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)
  23. 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)
  24. Do you have a connection to any of the following? Please select all that are applicable
  25. 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)
  26. 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)

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF MEDICINE / ALASKA WWAMI

Autobiographical statement

Autobiographical statement that includes (250-word limit):

  • The origin and development of your motivation to be a physician
  • Your prior experiences in healthcare
  • Steps taken to explore a career in medicine
  • Your eventual goals as a physician
  • 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 more about who you are in addition to being someone who wants to be a physician.

Additional essays

4 additional short essays (250-word limit each)

  • How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician?
  • What perspectives or experiences do you bring that would enrich the class?
  • What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them?
  • How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you have worked with?

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

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH (MADISON, WISCONSIN)

(4 Optional Essays)

  1. 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.)
  2. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of UWSMPH. Explain how a learning environment that embodies these values is crucial to the education of tomorrow’s physicians. Reflect on how you might contribute to this mission. (250 words max.)
  3. Recently, the United States has seen several incidents that have brought more focus to the intersection of patient care, public health and systemic racism. Choose one area/issue where you believe change is needed. Discuss what role you will play in addressing this as a health professional. (250 words max.)
  4. 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).

YALE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT)

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

Required Essay 1:

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

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

MD applicants: Please answer either one of the following questions

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

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

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

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

Please limit your response to 500 words.

additional MD/PhD essay:

Write a statement (approximately 500 words) concerning:

● Your reasons for wishing to undertake the combined MD/PhD program, rather than the MD program alone.

● The specific PhD program that you propose to follow at Yale.

● The strengths of that Yale graduate program and its faculty as they relate to your career goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to complete my medical school secondary essays?

The answer to this question is entirely dependent on the school. There will be a deadline listed on the application, so look closely for it. Some schools only give you a couple of weeks, while others allow up to a month or longer to answer the prompts.

We highly recommend submitting your medical school secondary essay prompts within two weeks, even if a month is allowed. How quickly you respond tells the admissions committee how much you care. But it can take time to brainstorm how you want to respond to a medical school secondary essay, which is why many students look up secondary writing prompts long before writing the essays.

Why do I need to write secondary essays?

Your personal statement should feel like enough, right? After all, it’s long, and you spent weeks writing it and perfecting it. And paired with your complete AMCAS application, you’ve provided a lot of information.

But that information is all generalized. The purpose of your medical school secondary essays is to help the admissions committee get to know you beyond your application. Sure, you volunteered at your local children’s hospital, but why? What was your purpose? Why did you want to work with children? Did that experience influence your desire to become a pediatrician?

There’s so much more to you as a person than your AMCAS application shows. Writing personalized medical school secondary essay prompts will help you stand out from the crowd and show the admissions committee why they should admit you.

I applied to 20 schools. How do I write up to 100 essays in two weeks?!

The secret to submitting essays in that two-week time frame is to begin your essays long before receiving your secondary applications. You see, it takes AMCAS up to a month to process your application, and it can take a couple of weeks for individual medical schools to send you the secondary essay.

Instead of anxiously waiting for six weeks for your secondaries, you can get busy creating outlines and working on the first drafts of your essays. Start by reaching out to the schools you’ve applied to in order to ensure you have the correct secondary essays. You’ll impress them with your drive and set yourself up for success.

Then, write your essays. You can write the same essays for different schools. For example, if you talk about overcoming a difficult challenge, you can change a few details and tailor them to each school. Many schools have the classic adversity question. Don’t feel like you have to write an entirely new essay for each school! Medical schools don’t compare the essays you write for them to the essays you’ve written for the other schools to which you’ve applied.

By the time your medical school secondary essays arrive, you’ll be well on your way to submitting them within two weeks.

I applied to 20 schools. Will I receive 20 secondary applications?

This entirely depends on the schools to which you’ve applied. Some schools automatically send medical school secondary essay prompts to every applicant. Other schools use the secondary application as part of their vetting process. Not receiving an application could mean you weren’t selected for the current admissions cycle. You can apply again next year if you really want to attend that school.

If you’re unsure whether an application is late or isn’t coming, visit that school’s website. They should tell you whether they automatically send out secondaries in the section for prospective students / applicants.

Does not receiving a secondary essay mean I’ve been rejected?

Nope. You haven’t been officially rejected from a medical school until you’ve received a rejection letter. If you don’t receive the medical school secondary essays, this might seem confusing. But nothing is stopping them from pulling out your application and sending you your secondary application later on. They might choose other applicants over you but then have a few seats left for the next incoming class. They want to fill those spots, so you’re now being considered. Of course, it’s up to you if you want to be a school’s second choice, but that’s not the point. You haven’t been rejected until you’ve received a rejection letter

Are secondary applications free?

Unfortunately not. You’ll pay an application fee for each secondary application you submit. Most schools charge an application fee to cover the cost of processing your application. Most of the time, that fee ranges from $50 to $100.

The exception is if your AMCAS application fee is waived due to financial hardship. If you can prove to AMCAS that you can’t afford to pay for your application, most medical schools will honor that and waive their fees.

Should I write the “optional” secondary essays?

This depends on the question. Some schools will ask you to explain any gaps in your education. If you don’t have any gaps, you don’t need to answer the question. But if you read a question like, “If there is anything else you’d like to admissions committee to know, you may include it here,” you should write it.

Even though the essay is “optional,” your response (or lack thereof) will be used to evaluate you and determine whether to invite you to an interview. You can explain an issue on your application, a gap in your education (if there’s not a separate question for that), an experience that helped shape you, etc. Simply put, we recommend writing optional essays.

But please don’t write an essay just to write it. There should be substance to your essay. Writing something weak and un-meaningful will hurt your application instead of helping you impress the admissions committee.

I have a lot to say. How do I stay within my word count?

This can be challenging! But we have a solution for you. Simply format your essay with the following format, and then write the least amount that you can for each section.

  1. Introduction: Start with a meaningful sentence that catches the reader’s attention.
  2. Body: Describe three experiences to respond to the prompt.
  3. Show what your experience was like. Don’t tell. Describe what the weather was like instead of saying it was hot. “Even though it was over 100 degrees outside and I couldn’t stop sweating, I thoroughly enjoyed…” is stronger than “It was hot outside, but I thoroughly enjoyed….”
  4. Conclusion: Tie your experiences back to the essay prompt. Include enough details to flesh out your essay, but leave room for the admissions committee to get to know you better.

Reach out to us if you’re having a hard time with one of your essays. Our medical school admissions consulting includes support for your medical school secondary essay prompts. We can help you nail down what’s important, so you can remove what can be left out. We promise it’s possible to stay within your word count!

How long does it take to write a secondary essay?

If you’ve been writing essays for years, it won’t take you very long. But if writing isn’t your strength, it could take you a while. But don’t panic. Many medical school secondary essay prompts are only 250 to 500 words long. If you have five to write for one school, that’s only 2,500 words. That might seem like a lot, but that’s better than five 2,500-word essays!

We recommend writing all your essays within two weeks. The latest you should start writing your essays is when you submit your AMCAS. This will give you enough time to submit all your essays on time.

Nothing is stopping you from writing multiple essays at once or writing essays for different schools simultaneously. You’ll find your flow and what works best for you as you write.

Can I use the same essay for different schools?

Yes. You don’t need to worry about plagiarizing yourself. But make sure you carefully read the essay prompt first. The essay might not be asking the same question. It’s essential to provide an answer on par with the question being asked.

If you use the same essay twice, tailor it to each school. Change a few details to make it original. Submitting the same essay word for word is never a good idea.

Can I re-use an experience from my AMCAS?

We know it’s tough to keep all your content fresh, but it’s imperative to try. Many secondary applications prohibit re-using an experience you’ve already listed. Ideally, you should have enough experiences to talk about something new each time. One way to accomplish this is only to discuss one experience per essay. You might have several experiences that work well in response to an essay prompt. But picking one will save the other experiences for other essays. If you genuinely can’t think of something to write about, reach out to us. We can help you brainstorm essay topics.

What are the most common secondary essay prompts?

The essays topics we most often see include diversity, adversity, future goals, educational gaps and program choice.

What if I have gaps in my education? How do I explain what happened?

We understand being nervous about answering this question, especially if you just had a bad semester. Maybe your mental health was suffering from COVID, and you just couldn’t handle online classes. That could make you feel inadequate for medical school, when in reality, it just means that you do better with classroom settings and interpersonal communication.

We recommend taking anything negative and sharing what you learned from it and how it will help you in the future with your education or career. Creating a positive spin on a negative experience will show your ability to work through challenging circumstances while keeping your head up. Just make sure you’re honest in your answers and that you’re taking responsibility for your actions.

Help! I don’t know what I want to specialize in!

That’s totally fine. Most medical school applicants don’t know what they want to study. And many who think they know change their course of study as they progress in their education. If you have an idea of what you want to study, you should include that interest in your essays. But if you don’t know, just focus on why medicine matters to you. Include what interests you. Share what you want to learn.

Maybe you want to work with underserved populations or in a rural area. Perhaps you want your MD / PhD, so you can split your time between medicine and research. You should include these things, even if you can’t include all the details. Admissions committees will understand that the details will evolve as you progress in your education.

I’ve never faced a significant challenge before. How do I write an adversity essay?

Some applicants will have faced far greater struggles than others. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can’t write about a minor challenge. What’s inconsequential to you could be significant to someone else, and vice versa. If the adversity you faced helped forge your path in medicine, you should absolutely write about it. Write about genuine experiences that have helped you pursue medicine. That’s what the admissions committee wants to see.

Are you overwhelmed with writing your medical school secondary essays? We understand. Applying to medical school involves a ton of writing. If you were an English undergrad, you might have things under control. But otherwise, it’s natural to need help. And while friends and family can be helpful, sometimes you need a professional set of eyes to review your application and help you improve your essays.

International Medical Aid offers medical school admissions consulting, including support for your medical school secondary essays. We can help you brainstorm topics for essay prompts. We can help you create an outline, revise your essay, and proofread it before submitting it. The only thing we can’t do is write it for you.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need help with your essays! It’s what we’re here for you. Let International Medical Aid help you succeed.

About IMA

International Medical Aid provides global internship opportunities for students and clinicians who are looking to broaden their horizons and experience healthcare on an international level. These program participants have the unique opportunity to shadow healthcare providers as they treat individuals who live in remote and underserved areas and who don’t have easy access to medical attention. International Medical Aid also provides medical school admissions consulting to individuals applying to medical school and PA school programs. We review primary and secondary applications, offer guidance for personal statements and essays, and conduct mock interviews to prepare you for the admissions committees that will interview you before accepting you into their programs. IMA is here to provide the tools you need to help further your career and expand your opportunities in healthcare.

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