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Secondary Essay Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Session 242.

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

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

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

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

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

The implications of rolling admissions for medical school

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

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

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

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

Pre-write your secondary essays

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

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

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

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

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

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

[06:18] A Deep Dive into Secondary Essays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Identify what is unique about that school

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

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

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

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

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

Listing extracurriculars for your secondary application

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

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

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

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

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

Links and Other Resources

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

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• 2024 Medical School Secondary Essays Examples

Be Memorable. Claim an interview spot. Get Accepted.

Our team of physician and medical student editors had the pleasure of helping students craft the following medical school secondary essays. 

“Why This School” Essay

Adversity essay, diversity essay, “how will you contribute to our school” essay, “future goals” essay, “academic lapses or breaks” essay, “why d.o.” essay, why are secondaries important, tell us about any specific reason(s) (personal, educational, etc.) why you see yourself here at the wake forest school of medicine..

The ending of the motto of the Moravian church, which has a strong historical connection with Winston-Salem, is “…in all things, love.” This concluding statement is an apt description of how I attempt to live my life. Wake Forest upholds such values of inclusion and love through the Lovefest tradition and programs such as the student-run DEAC Clinic. After working at free clinics in rural areas, I am committed to becoming a physician that will promote systems of care in the community. With my exposure to rural primary care, I want to use the Rural/Underserved Health experience offered to Wake Forest students through the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians to further my understanding and training in this career path. Furthermore, as an extension of working in primary care, I am interested in being a geriatrician. Wake Forest, as one of the best geriatric hospitals in the country, has a curriculum that aligns with my interests. I am confident that through research, service, and patient care, Wake Forest will shape me into a leader of rural health care for the geriatric community.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Wake Forest School of Medicine | Class of 2024

More Examples and Writing Tips for a Convincing  Medical School “Why Us” Essay | Click Here

Describe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life, share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience..

One personal adversity I have overcome is my lack of self-confidence. I was always a quiet child who grew up with two older sisters doing most of the talking. As I aged, I came out my shell to an extent and became more outgoing. I have always struggled in one particular area: public speaking. My passion for medicine grew early as I observed my eldest sister work alongside physicians during her nursing training. However, my shy nature led me to select pre-nursing as my major, since nursing does not require the ability to speak publicly like being a physician often does. I did not truly consider a career as a doctor until my anatomy and physiology professor suggested I do so after recognizing my drive, aptitude, and passion. Even so, it took introspection and time to recognize that I held the potential to become a successful physician.

Over my undergraduate career, I have participated in many group presentations during classes without the benefit of being taught how to successfully prepare. On every occasion, I would become so nervous that I was unable to sleep the entire night prior. By the time I presented, I would be so distracted that I could not think straight, let alone get my point across clearly. This went on until I had the opportunity to participate in a class called Peer Instruction in Laboratory Occupational Training (PILOT), which was an extension of a class that I had succeeded in, Quantitative Biological Methods.

PILOT was designed to expose students to research articles and assist with laboratory techniques and homework. A large part of the grade for the class consisted of teaching a laboratory section of around 40 students for 15 minutes. I almost opted out of the class because of this requirement, but ultimately decided it was a great opportunity to work through my personal fear of public speaking and build my self-confidence.

I set a schedule six weeks ahead of the presentation to begin preparing. A few helpful peers offered advice, telling me that knowing what I wanted to say verbatim was a good way to improve confidence. Thus, I practiced daily until three weeks before the class. I found another tip online: practicing in the actual location of the presentation can help reduce nerves. Subsequently, I approached one of my laboratory teaching assistants and asked if he would let me practice in the laboratory. He was an excellent teaching assistant and took the time to watch me practice and provide feedback.

Ultimately, I felt that I was able to present eloquently and received an excellent grade. Life is full of challenges, and I learned that preparation is key to success. I planned and prepared early, pulled from available resources, and implemented advice from faculty and peers. This experience taught me that I do have the aptitude, strength, and drive to succeed in medical school and overcome any obstacle that I might face. I am eager to embrace more personal growth and realize my full potential as I continue on to medical school.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Nova Southeastern University College Of Osteopathic Medicine | Class of 2024

More Examples and The 6 Steps for Writing the Medical School Adversity Essay | Click Here

“do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of tufts university school of medicine” if yes, briefly explain why..

I am a Muslim, Saudi woman, but I am not the preconceived notions of being close minded, uncultured, or oppressed. I’m a passionate helper, an open-minded extrovert, and a curious explorer of the world. 

Though I grew up attending a school that taught me to be a leader and encouraged competition, and though travelling the world allowed me to explore new cultures, homogeneity was the ‘norm’ everywhere I went until I attended school in the US. George C. Marshall High School showed me how enriching diversity is. There, in a mixture of backgrounds and ethnicities, I was an ‘other’ among many ‘others’. The following year in Nebraska was different, and I experienced the damage of prejudice when I was the only ‘other’. My experiences drove me to work to bring different people together to give back. Years later, at NYU, this personal passion pushed me to create a volunteer tutoring nonprofit organization. 

I believe the ‘other’ in me, with the uncommon background, the unique experiences, and the interesting perspectives, will contribute to the diversity of the student body at Tufts.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Class of 2024

Click here for More Examples and Steps on How to Write an Effective Medical School Diversity Essay

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

From my academic and work experiences, I have frequently worked with people who are different from myself. Working with students and professors from different backgrounds through college helped me appreciate different viewpoints, especially during my bioethics training.  Listening to my classmate, who was a Catholic hospice nurse, explain her differing stance on end-of-life care showed me to appreciate the legitimacy of different opinions. Likewise, I learned from sociology graduate students about the issue of the medicalization of mental illness, which I had not had to consider prior to speaking and working with them. These experiences will help me contribute to the community by enabling me to approach problems from multiple lenses and to listen to and value the input of experts in different fields.

My experiences engaging with different individuals will help me to enrich the community at Virginia Tech. As a tutor, I have been able to work with students of different ages and backgrounds with unique learning goals. For example, my student, Danny, was an adult student taking classes at a community college and had failed his statistics course three times before meeting with me. Even though I had excelled in math classes during school, I was able to listen to his frustrations and identify different ways to help him learn the content and be able to apply it for quizzes and exams. I helped him navigate through the material, and he ended up passing the course comfortably. By working with a wide variety of students like Danny, I have been able to understand the importance of listening actively to individuals’ struggles and unique experiences to learn about how to best help them and I am excited to apply this skill to help future individuals.

In addition to my experiences tutoring, I have been able to interact with individuals different from myself through volunteering. For example, at Judson Park, I volunteered by helping one resident, Ron, participate in art therapy. Ron had suffered two prior strokes and was wheelchair-bound and hemiplegic. I was able to help bring him down to the art room and organize supplies for him. Ron was unique in his needs, which was why he required individualized care to be able to participate in the art therapy. He also struggled with communicating verbally due to deficits from his prior strokes. I adapted by patiently waiting for him to respond at his own pace and looking for body language cues for what he needed at the moment. He was able to make incredible art creations, showing me the resilience of differently abled individuals.

These experiences have shown me the importance of valuing everyone’s unique perspectives and utilizing that consideration and compassion to help others. I can enrich the VTC community by providing this diverse perspective to help my peers and ultimately serve the greater community as a physician.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: University of Virginia School of Medicine | Class of 2024

Need help writing your secondary essays?

After residency, describe the community in which you see yourself practicing medicine..

Currently, I can see myself practicing medicine in a variety of clinical settings: a private specialty care system, a nonprofit medical facility, individual practice, or a different setting. I am open to all of the new experiences that medical school will bring, including exposure to a variety of clinical settings.

I have worked as a medical scribe at the largest non-profit health care provider in Seattle and have also volunteered for a private specialty hospital. Both of these experiences have exposed me to a different type of medical practice, and I have enjoyed both although in different ways. I loved the diversity of patients I encountered at the nonprofit and enjoyed experiencing different clinic visits whether for constipation or throat pain. At the specialty hospital, I was able to encounter unique and rare medical cases that I’ve only read about in books such as spina bifida or hydrocephalus. I was also able to witness the very specialized and personalized care. I am excited to explore the various clinical setting options in medical school and residency, and figure out which environment best suits my strengths and interests!

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Stanford School of Medicine | Class of 2024

Use this space if you’d like to address any identified deficiencies in your application.

When I suddenly lost my father to pancreatic cancer shortly before starting college, I was confused and frustrated about my loss. Although I had dreamt of becoming a doctor since I was a little girl, I was newly unsure of whether medicine was right for me. Because I lacked a tangible goal and motivation, my studies and grades suffered during my first years of college. However, once I began volunteering at the Children’s Hospital during my sophomore year, I developed a renewed sense of appreciation and passion for medicine. I started to care a lot more about school and enjoyed learning again. I began working extremely hard in my classes, and slowly but surely, my GPA rose.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine   | Class of 2024

How do your professional ambitions align with osteopathic medicine?

My professional ambitions have always aligned with a medical career, ever since I observed my childhood hero and oldest sister, Brittany, work alongside physicians as a registered nurse. At the time, I was only eight years old and not yet privy to the nuances of allopathic versus osteopathic medicine.

Throughout my experiences with the medical profession as a patient and mother, I have found myself disappointed with some of the allopathic medical treatments. I have myself been treated pharmaceutically with medications and became non-compliant with my treatment due to side effects. Several years ago, I was diagnosed with herpetic neuralgia. My neurologist prescription Neurontin, which helped with the symptoms but left me in a fog. I found myself questioning whether there could be a better method.

As an undergraduate student, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to a presentation by a doctor of osteopathy from Lake Eerie College of Medicine in Bradenton, FL. The speaker discussed osteopathic medicine, its principles, and manipulative medicine (OMM). He talked about a time when he bumped into an old friend who had been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. His friend’s condition was so severe that he needed a cane to ambulate independently. The D.O. performed OMM for his friend and provided him with a set of exercises to perform daily at home. Ultimately, the friend did not require the surgery his allopathic physician had recommended.

After listening to his presentation, I felt as though I had a breakthrough. I realized that I wholeheartedly supported these principles as the better solution that I had been looking for. With osteopathic medicine, I could practice medicine in a traditional manner while wielding a valuable skill set that could spare patients from invasive surgeries and pharmaceutical therapeutics causing undesired side effects.

Furthermore, while studying for the MCAT a year ago, I developed a constant waxing and waning neck pain that would radiate to my right shoulder and down my arm. This worsened over a period of four weeks, and I took increasing amounts of ibuprofen to calm the symptoms. A good friend of mine is a physical therapist who manipulated my spine and sent me home with instructions for an exercise plan. She also taught me how to self-evaluate my posture, which has been valuable in preventing additional episodes. I was incredibly impressed with the outcome of the treatment that used my own body and its muscles to treat the pain without using pharmaceuticals or leaving me with residual deficits. As such, my personal trust in natural treatments has emphasized to me that osteopathic medicine is the path I am meant to follow. 

The more I learn about osteopathic medicine, the more excited I am to incorporate its principles into my future practice. I am thrilled to learn and practice medicine with a holistic approach to evaluate and treat patients. As a healthcare partner to my future patients, I feel inspired to encourage the implementation of prevention, maintenance, and natural remedies into their treatment plans.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine   | Class of 2024

Why are secondary essays important?

• Schools ask these questions for a specific reason
• It’s your final chance to make a strong impression
• When they’re done right, you will lockdown an interview spot

Join over 1,500 of our accepted med school applicants by using Motivate MD's review service.

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Ansel N., MD,PhD

The ohio state university college of medicine.

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University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Harvard Medical School

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DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

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Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

University of California San Francisco School of Medicine

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Ansel N., MD/PhD

Radiation Oncology Resident Former Medical School: Ohio State

My name is Ansel Nalin. I am a current Radiation Oncology resident at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. I graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine MD/PhD program.

While in medical school, I tutored first- and second-year medical students, helping them review lecture material and prepare for block exams. I taught study strategies to first-year students adjusting to the medical school curriculum. I worked individually with students during board exam preparation. I also led a review course for MD/PhD students prior to taking Step 1. In addition to my role as a tutor, I was also selected by the Ohio State College of Medicine Academic Office staff to serve in a leadership role for two years. In this role I led the team of 40 students on the peer tutoring team. I met weekly with College of Medicine staff to plan academic programs benefitting first- and second-year medical students. Together we organized and managed academic resources for medical students including our peer tutoring programs, group review sessions, and student-led review lectures. I coordinated the tutoring assignments for medical students involved in the program; over 100 students utilized the programs. We oversaw the creation of new student-led anatomy review sessions that were incorporated into the medical school academic program.

While enrolled in the MD/PhD program, I completed my PhD in cancer immunology studying natural killer cell development. I also collaborated on translational research projects seeking to identify new cell-based therapies for cancer. I published multiple papers in high impact journals and had the opportunity to present my work at both local and international conferences. I continue to pursue research that develops immune-based therapies for cancer and plan to pursue a career as a physician-scientist.

I joined the team at Motivate MD to help students achieve their goals in medicine. I have benefitted from the support of many outstanding mentors, and I strive to have a similarly positive impact in helping students succeed. My experiences as a tutor and teaching assistant, in both undergraduate and medical school, have helped me develop excellent skills in communication and mentoring. In addition to my teaching and leadership experience, I have developed specific skills to help students with the application and interview process for medical school and residency programs.

Not only am I familiar with what makes a strong application, I am prepared to help students highlight their strengths in their essays and interviews. I have extensive writing and speaking experience from my graduate studies. I have coached other students in communicating effectively. From my own experience in interviewing for medical school and residency, I can help students gain confidence in their communication skills and clearly express their motivations and goals. As a member of the Motivate MD team, I am passionate about helping students work toward their goal of a successful career in medicine.

I am an OBGYN resident and graduate of the University of Cincinnati. Throughout medical school, I engaged in research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and UCCOM’s OBGYN department. I have a strong background in mentorship. In medical school, I was a part of an organization that would mentor local Cincinnati youths. I was also involved in mentoring medical students in the years below through her medical scholar’s program. I also have a lot of experience editing medical school essays and mentoring my scribes when I was a chief scribe during my gap years. I took two years off prior to applying for medical school. During this time, I completed research at WashU with a neuroimaging lab as a clinical research coordinator and scribed in an emergency department. The medical application process was daunting for me. I went through the process of taking the MCAT multiple times and struggled to figure out where I would be a competitive applicant. I chose to work for Motivate MD to assist students with this intimidating process and help in areas where I felt I was lacking guidance prior to medical school! I am very excited to get the opportunity to work with you!

Jisoo is a medical student at Harvard Medical School. She has a background in neurobiology wet-lab research, and has a strong interest in mentorship, especially of underserved populations. Everyone has a unique journey to medical school, and Jisoo is committed to helping applicants present their own unique journeys in a meaningful and comprehensive manner. She has lots of experience working with individuals that have diverse pathways to medical school and closely collaborates with applicants from the beginning to the end of their application process, providing individualized support for each applicant.

Hi! My name is Rhys (pronounced like “Reese’s Pieces”) and I am a medical student at Yale School of Medicine.

I have upwards of 9 years experience mentoring peers, most recently aiding students through the premedical path at my undergrad. I also have worked as an executive function/planning tutor for Los Angeles area high school and college students. Earlier in college, I worked as a research aide/teaching assistant helping students leverage “writing-to-learn” in order to improve their understanding of complex concepts.

After graduating  Summa Cum Laude  with a Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Engineering and Health Policy from the University of Southern California in 2021, I took a gap year primarily to scribe at a pediatric clinic to boost my clinical experience hours and to continue to work on a philanthropic start-up I co-founded while at USC.

At USC, I had multiple research experiences ranging from biomedical device research in a hybrid wet lab to policy analysis. I also was heavily involved in pro-bono consulting for non-profits and social enterprises.

I have personal experience approaching the common “Why Medicine?” question from a non-traditional angle (engineering major/activities and low clinical hours compared to non-clinical), tying in a non-standard major “X factor” extracurricular into the overall theme of an application, and expressing interest in dual degrees/interdisciplinary medical careers (policy, public health etc).

I look forward to helping you plan for and execute your unique path to medical school!

George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Hi Everyone! My name is Anthu Gnanakumar and I am a medical student at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. I majored in neuroscience and minored in English at the University of Virginia prior to taking a gap year and attending medical school. During my gap year, I worked as a medical assistant (MA) at endocrinology and pediatric primary care practices. I really value the hands-on experience I got through being an MA and would highly recommend taking a gap year if you are at all considering it!

I remember being daunted by the significant uptick in medical school applications during the pandemic and can empathize with the ever-increasing competitiveness of getting into medical school. I have mentored and advised multiple peers and friends from high school and college as they navigated the application process and look forward to extending that mentorship to many of you. It is my hope that we can work together to shape your narrative into meaningful essays and interview responses!

Duke University School of Medicine

Hi all! My name is Arthi and I’m a medical student at Duke. I am originally from New Jersey and went to Duke for undergrad where I was able to discover interests in medical humanities, global health, and peer mentorship. Having previously taught in an art studio, I found ways to engage with medical humanities through storytelling and creative arts with elders with dementia. In medical school, I help run a program that allows admitted patients to share their life story and with cartoon creations to simplify medical diagnoses. I also majored in global health and worked on projects in based in Uganda and India during undergrad that focused on studying how evidence-based interventions actually function in practice. I spent my gap year as a global health research assistant which allowed me to gain experience with all stages of project initiation, management, and dissemination. I’m working towards spending Duke’s MS3 research year engaging with global health implementation research on site. I don’t have any family in medicine so I asked for a lot of advice from upperclassmen and medical students throughout. I was a peer tutor for over 3 years and during my senior year, I started a peer advising program that’s goal was to reach beyond just academics. During that time, I mentored many premed students on course choice, finding research and volunteering experiences, applying to summer program and gap year jobs, MCAT, and building a school list. I continued many of these relationships since graduating and have been able to provide continued support through brainstorming and editing primary and secondary applications, interview prep, and ultimately decision making. One thing I’ve come to learn from my process and that my classmates is that there isn’t one right way to do things and it can be valuable to talk through and understand your priorities and the things that make you the most excited and craft your application around those. I know how stressful and draining each step of the application process can be and I would love the chance to provide some of guidance and support I received at whichever turn you need.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine Admissions Committee Experience

Hi! My name is Kate and I’m a current medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City! I’m originally from Kingsport, Tennessee and attended Clemson University where I completed my undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Applied Health Research. I have many years of experience as an advisor and mentor, mainly through working as study abroad ambassador and as a peer tutor and peer mentor through a Women in Engineering organization at my school. Later in college, I also worked as a teaching assistant for a challenging chemical engineering course in my degree. I also volunteered my time as a tour guide and was able to provide loads of advice and guidance to future students through that role. While finishing my master’s degree at Clemson University, I worked as a scribe at a gastroenterology clinic to boost my clinical experience hours. During this time, I also served as a mentor and health coach for a local volunteer organization with a mission to help people get off of government assistance. At Clemson, I had multiple research experiences ranging from social psychology to OB/GYN clinical research. I was also heavily involved with STEM outreach at local schools, ran a pitch competition, and volunteered as a conversational partner for international students who were learning English. I also spent the summer after I graduated college working at Interlochen Arts Camp as a camp counselor and reigniting my passion for theatre and the arts. I have had a slightly more non-traditional path to medicine (engineering degree/extracurriculars, taking a year to do a master’s, working at an arts camp), and I have a lot of experience in how to best weave together your own unique story in order to stand out to admissions committees. As a current medical student, I now spend my time working as an Admissions Ambassador and serving as a mentor to incoming students. I also currently interview for my medical school and so I can provide a lot of insight as I’ve sat on both sides of the Zoom interview screen. I look forward to helping you put your best foot forward in your applications and interviews for medical school!

Hello! I am a medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons planning to apply into neurology this upcoming fall. I have extensive mentoring and advising experience both prior to medical school, when I served as a peer advisor for my undergraduate institution’s pre-health club, and as a medical student, continuing to advise undergraduates on essay writing, interview preparation, and general application and career advice. I also work as a mentor in the local community, tutoring and advising 8 th grade and high school age students interested in the health sciences. I have significant research and publication experience beginning as an undergraduate and continuing throughout medical school, having published four first-author manuscripts while contributing to multiple others. Prior to medical school, I spent a gap year as a National Institutes of Health Post-baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award fellow, a role in which I studied Alzheimer’s disease proteomics and metabolomics. Currently, my research focus has shifted towards neuroinfectious diseases and contributions of infectious exposures to lifetime dementia risk. In addition to clinical medicine, I have a strong interest in public health and anthropology that informs my research and clinical pursuits. 

Hello! My name is Jessica, and I am a medical student at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. I completed my undergraduate degree in Molecular & Cellular Biology at Johns Hopkins University, along with a minor in Entrepreneurship & Management. At Hopkins, I played on the varsity tennis team, served as a peer tutor, and volunteered at the JHH Sickle Cell Infusion Center. After graduating from college, I took on a full-time position at the Sickle Cell Infusion Center as a clinical research coordinator. I stayed in this role for one gap year, where I ran the largest registry of sickle cell disease patients in the United States, helping to characterize disparities faced in health outcomes and access to care. Since starting medical school, I have become heavily involved in cervical cancer research, volunteering at the Chinese Hospital in downtown San Francisco, and advocating for vulnerable populations. As a first-generation medical student, I understand how overwhelming the application process is and how vital near-peer guidance can be. I’ve helped several applicants through their application writing and interview process, who will all be matriculating to medical school this upcoming fall. I look forward to helping you curate your own story, put your best foot forward, and pursue your dream career!

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July 7, 2022

Keck School of Medicine of USC Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 – 2023]

“For more than a century, the doctors of the Keck School of Medicine of USC have cared for those of us who are most vulnerable. We accomplish this through excellence in research, clinical care and education.”

The Keck School of Medicine of USC is one of the largest teaching centers in the United States, with approximately 186 spots per year. Students rotate through Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Keck Hospital of USC, and Norris Cancer Center.

The admissions committee evaluates applicants on academics, personal motivation, integrity and ethics, reliability, research, extracurriculars, and service commitments. They do not require any specific undergraduate courses, but expect applicants to do well in their chosen major.

A hallmark of USC’s training is their innovative Physician-Citizen-Scholar Curriculum, which emphasizes longitudinal integration of content and experiences in health justice, clinical skills, professional identity formation, health systems science, humanities, ethics, economics, art and law, and scholarship. In the first year students are matched with Longitudinal Learning Communities, which continue throughout their four years. Students also complete a Required Scholarly Project in bench or clinical research, by the end of their four years.

Keck SOM of USC secondary application essay questions

The questions on the Keck secondary are some of the most unique ones out there, and show Keck’s desire to look behind the numbers and see the individual .

Keck SOM short answer questions

The following questions allow the Admissions Committee to become acquainted with you as an individual. Please answer the questions in 3-5 sentences. Each answer must be 65 words or less.

Short answer question #1: What is the most fun you’ve had lately?

Think of a time when you felt yourself living in the moment. It does not have to be a medicine-related activity, which might seem too forced. Good examples are being with a favorite person, having a conversation on a topic you care deeply about, or doing an exciting activity for the first time. It’s a chance to reveal your adventurous, fun-loving, or human side. If you write about travel or sports, think of something unique about that moment that made it special to you. I like to approach this essay by having clients write an entire page, and then look back to see which sentences speak most about who they are at their core.

Short answer question #2: If you had to give yourself a nickname, what would it be?

Think of this question as an opportunity to highlight a personal strength . Are you a great listener? Name yourself after something with big ears. Are you a fun teacher? Think of a professor from literature or the movies. What trait do you have that would be there regardless of your desire to pursue medicine? Remember, there are many different personalities and qualities of excellent doctors, so there is no one way to answer this. Your answer can be serious, but a touch of humor always helps.

Short answer question #3: What are three things you don’t care about at all?

The writers got a little creative with this one, so you can have fun with it too. Remember, they are not asking for things you dislike. Think of things you don’t want to waste your energy or headspace on, e.g. time wasters, money wasters, resource wasters, or anything that seems a bit ridiculous or uninteresting to you. Your answers can be humorous, serious, or a little of both. Try not to come across as overly critical (e.g. don’t disparage another person’s taste in music). Your goal is to leave them thinking about you in a positive mindset. It’s okay to explain your answers or, especially if they are funny, let them speak for themselves.

Short answer question #4: Describe a situation in which you didn’t get something you felt you deserved.

The challenge of this question is to avoid complaining. The key is to show that you have resilience , self-insight and an ability to grow. Think of an unfair thing that happened to you, and then describe how you pushed on (resilience), learned something new about yourself (self-insight), and wound up better off for having had the experience (ability to grow). Most importantly, show that you can recover from setbacks and move forward on a new path.

Short answer question #5: Are you a member of a group that is under-represented in medicine? (Y/N) If yes, which group? How does under-representation affect your community?

Under-represented in medicine is defined by AAMC as “those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population.” Although not in the definition, many would include the LGBTQ+ community in this category. To effectively answer this question, discuss barriers people in your community face when seeking healthcare (financial, cultural, language, others). Have you seen people in your community avoid visiting a doctor, or suffer from preventable illnesses? How will having a physician who understands these barriers improve access to care?

Short answer question #6: Have you previously applied to medical school (M.D. , D.O., international)? (Y/N) If yes, upon reflection, what do you think went wrong?

Hopefully you got feedback on your first application and made efforts to strengthen it. For example, did you retake the MCAT, do a postbac, get more clinical experience, or start a paid research job? It’s not enough just to say that you did these things. You also want to show how you grew and are stronger as a result of the experience. Hint: Avoid blaming external factors for your rejection (my school did not prepare me enough), and try not to place negative labels on yourself (I was lazy). Instead, show that you are a mature person who is able to acknowledge and learn from setbacks. It is the ability to push forward and improve that they are looking for, not the excuses.

Keck SOM essay question #1

What do you see as the physician’s role in Public Health? Please answer the question in 150 words or less.

If physicians only saw patients who walk into their office or ER, but did not share their clinical knowledge with policy makers and program developers, what would happen? Whether your interest is in infectious disease, chronic illness, mental health, injury prevention, health education, or other disciplines, discuss ways in which physicians can have a greater impact. This is not a one size fits all. Ways to contribute might include advocacy, research, education, teaching, and many others. With only 150 words, briefly state your main point, then give 1-2 examples of how you think physicians can play a role. 

150 words is 1-2 paragraphs. You need to be very succinct.

To give you an idea of length, the tip for Essay Question #2 (Optional) is 217 words.

Keck SOM essay question #2 (Optional)

Is there anything else you would like us to know? If yes, please answer the question in 200 words or less.

To answer, or not to answer, that is the question ! Many successful applicants leave the optional essay blank, so don’t worry if you think your application is stronger without it. However, if you feel like there is an important topic or experience you did not get to write about, such as achievements in research, leadership, volunteer work, or something else unique about you that was not described in your primary or Keck’s applications, go for it! They are basically saying, we know we didn’t ask everything, so go ahead and tell us. This is a great place to tell them that Keck is one of your top choices, but be sure to support your claim (you have strong family connections to the area, you speak fluent Spanish, or you hope to work in a specific research lab). You might discuss your desire to take advantage of a unique Keck program (e.g. the Longitudinal Primary Care Community Clinical Experience). Whatever you write about, make sure it is supported by the rest of your application. To make your essay stronger, limit it to one subject. A list of unrelated facts will confuse and bore the reader. You want to leave them with an impression of what makes you interesting and special, so stay on topic and conclude with a message they will remember.

Applying to Keck? Here are some stats:

Keck School of Medicine average MCAT score: 517

Keck School of Medicine average GPA: 3.8

Keck School of Medicine acceptance rate: 4%

U.S. News  ranks Keck #28 for research and #52 for primary care.

Check out the Med School Selectivity Index for more stats.

Has this blog post helped you feel more confident about approaching your USC Keck application? We hope so. It’s our mission to help smart, talented applicants like you gain acceptance to your target schools. With so much at stake, why not hire a consultant whose expertise and personalized guidance can help you make your dream come true? We have several flexible consulting options— click here to get started today !

Keck School of Medicine application timeline 2022-23

Source: Keck School of Medicine website

Dr. Suzi Schweikert has served on the UCSD School of Medicine’s admissions committee and has mentored students in healthcare programs for more than 20 years. She holds a BA in English literature from UCLA, an MD from UCSD, and an MPH from SDSU. Want Suzi to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch with Dr. Suzi Schweikert ..

Related Resources:

• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Med School Essays , a free guide
• 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future
• School-Specific Secondary Essay Tips

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Medical School Secondary Application Prompts

Secondary Essays by School/Program

The Med School Insiders Secondary Application Database is updated for the 2023 application cycle! Medical schools are sorted alphabetically below. 

Each school’s prompts are accompanied by expert tips and strategies to help you craft a more effective secondary application. To take your secondary applications to the next level, take a look at our secondary application packages !

A B C D E F G H I J   L M N O P   R S T U V W   Y

Albany Medical College (Albany, NY)

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University (Bronx, NY)

Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX)

Boston University School of Medicine (Boston, MA)

Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (Greenville, NC)

Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School (Providence, RI)

California Northstate University College of Medicine (Elk Grove, CA)

California University of Science and Medicine (Colton, CA)

Carle Illinois College of Medicine (Urbana, IL)

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (Cleveland, OH)

Central Michigan University College of Medicine (Mount Pleasant, MI)

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (Los Angeles, CA)

Chicago Medical School – Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science (North Chicago, IL)

Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (Cleveland, OH)

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York, NY)

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (Camden, NJ)

Creighton University School of Medicine (Omaha, NE )

CUNY School of Medicine (New York, NY )

Dartmouth Medical School (Hanover, NH)

Drexel University College of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA)

Duke University School of Medicine (Durham, NC)

East Tennessee State University – James H. Quillen College of Medicine (Johnson City, TN)

Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk, VA)

Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta, GA)

Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine (Boca Raton, FL)

Florida International University College of Medicine (Miami, FL)

Florida State University College of Medicine (Tallahassee, FL)

Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine – Quinnipiac University (North Haven, CT)

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Scranton, PA)

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (Washington, DC)

Georgetown University School of Medicine (Washington, DC )

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (Nutley, NJ)

Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)

Hofstra University Zucker School of Medicine (Hempstead, NY)

Howard University College of Medicine (Washington, DC )

Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, IN)

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD)

Loma Linda University School of Medicine (Loma Linda, CA)

Louisiana State University HSC – School of Medicine at New Orleans (New Orleans, LA)

Louisiana State University HSC – School of Medicine in Shreveport (Shreveport, LA)

Loyola University Chicago – Stritch School of Medicine (Maywood, IL)

Marshall University – Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine

Mayo Clinic School of Medicine – Minnesota (Rochester, MN)

Mayo Clinic School of Medicine – Arizona (Scottsdale, AZ)

Medical College of Georgia – School of Medicine (Augusta, GA)

Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee, WI)

Medical University of South Carolina – College of Medicine (Charleston, SC)

Meharry Medical College (Nashville, TN)

Mercer University School of Medicine (Macon, GA)

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (East Lansing, MI)

Morehouse School of Medicine (Atlanta, GA)

Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine (New York, NY)

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (Old Westbury, NY)

New York Medical College School of Medicine (Valhalla, NY)

New York University School of Medicine (New York, NY)

Northeastern Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) (Rootstown, OH)

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Chicago, IL)

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (Rochester, MI)

Ohio State University College of Medicine (Columbus, OH)

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (Portland, OR)

Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine (Hershey, PA)

Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) (Ponce, Puerto Rico)

Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, IL)

Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School (Newark, NJ)

Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (Piscataway, NJ)

Saint Louis University School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO)

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (Caguas, Puerto Rico)

Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota (Sioux Falls, SD)

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (Springfield, IL)

Stony Brook School of Medicine at University Medical Center (Stony Brook, NY)

Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford, CA)

SUNY Downstate Medical Center – College of Medicine (Brooklyn, NY)

SUNY Upstate Medical University – College of Medicine (Syracuse, NY)

Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA)

Texas A & M Health Science Center – College of Medicine (College Station, TX)

Texas Tech University HSC – Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (El Paso, TX)

Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine (Lubbock, TX)

Thomas Jefferson University — Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Philadelphia, PA)

Tufts University School of Medicine (Boston, MA)

Tulane University School of Medicine (New Orleans, LA)

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences – F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine (Bethesda, MD)

Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine (Bayamon, Puerto Rico)

University at Buffalo – School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Buffalo, NY)

University of Alabama School of Medicine (Birmingham, AL)

University of Arizona College of Medicine (Phoenix, AZ)

University of Arizona College of Medicine (Tucson, AZ)

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences – College of Medicine (Little Rock, AR)

University of California Davis School of Medicine (Sacramento, CA)

University of California Irvine School of Medicine (Irvine, CA)

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA David Geffen) (Los Angeles, CA)

University of California Riverside School of Medicine (Riverside, CA)

University of California San Diego School of Medicine (San Diego, CA)

University of California San Francisco School of Medicine (San Francisco, CA)

University of Central Florida College of Medicine (Orlando, FL)

University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (Chicago, IL)

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (Cincinnati, OH)

University of Colorado School of Medicine (Denver, CO)

University of Connecticut School of Medicine (Farmington, CT)

University of Florida College of Medicine (Gainesville, FL)

University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (Honolulu, HI)

University of Illinois College of Medicine (Chicago, IL)

University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine (Iowa City, IA)

University of Kansas School of Medicine (Kansas City, KS)

University of Kentucky College of Medicine (Lexington, KY)

University of Louisville School of Medicine (Louisville, KY)

University of Maryland School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD)

University of Massachusetts School of Medicine (Worcester, MA)

University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine (Miami, FL)

University of Michigan Medical School (Ann Arbor, MI)

University of Minnesota Medical School – Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN)

University of Minnesota Medical School – Duluth (Duluth, MN)

University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine (Jackson, MS)

University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine (Kansas City, MO)

University of Missouri–Columbia School of Medicine (Columbia, MO)

University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine (Omaha, NE)

University of Nevada–Reno School of Medicine (Reno, NV)

University of Nevada–Las Vegas School of Medicine (Las Vegas, NV)

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (Albuquerque, NM)

University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill School of Medicine (Chapel Hill, NC)

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (Grand Forks, ND)

University of Oklahoma College of Medicine (Oklahoma City, OK)

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA)

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Pittsburgh, PA)

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (Rochester, NY)

University of South Alabama College of Medicine (Mobile, AL)

University of South Florida (USF) Morsani College of Medicine (Tampa, FL)

University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine (Los Angeles, CA)

University of Tennessee HSC College of Medicine (Memphis, TN)

University of Texas Austin Dell Medical School (Austin, TX)

University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Medicine (Galveston, TX)

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine (Edinburg, TX)

University of Texas Houston McGovern Medical School (Houston, TX)

University of Texas San Antonio School of Medicine (San Antonio, TX)

University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical School (Dallas, TX)

University of Toledo College of Medicine (Toledo, OH)

University of Utah School of Medicine (Salt Lake City, UT)

University of Virginia School of Medicine (Charlottesville, VA)

University of Vermont College of Medicine (Burlington, VT)

University of Washington School of Medicine (Seattle, WA)

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (Madison, WI)

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (Nashville, TN)

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (Richmond, VA)

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (Roanoke, VA)

Wake Forest University School of Medicine – Bowman Gray Campus (Winston-Salem, NC)

Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine (Spokane, WA)

Washington University in St. Louis – School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO)

Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit, MI)

Weill Cornell Medicine Medical College (Manhattan, NY)

West Virginia University School of Medicine (Morgantown, WV)

Western Michigan University School of Medicine (Kalamazoo, MI)

Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine (Dayton, OH)

Yale University School of Medicine (New Haven, CT)

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• Medical School Secondary Essays

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Examples

Learning by observation is one of the most effective ways to study, so reading Harvard Medical School secondary essay examples in 2024 will sharpen your application, and let you write your own essays with confidence.

Essay writing is a difficult skill to master, so start by reading up on how to write a college essay . Understanding acquired knowledge is easier, however, if you can see what the application of that knowledge looks like. To that end, reading secondary essays will help you glean how to go from a prompt, through good essay writing methods, to the best practices in what a final essay will look like. By thinking about writing in those terms, you will strengthen your own work immensely.

Most medical schools in the US ask for you to write medical school secondary essays , and Harvard Medical School is no exception. They have both required and optional prompts, and this article will take a look at all of them, giving you sample essays for each.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Listen to the blog!

Article Contents 13 min read

Harvard medical school secondary essay example for prompt #1.

On average, how many hours per week did you devote to employment during the academic year

I dedicated as many hours as I could afford while keeping to a vigorous academic schedule. At the same time, I took off only as few hours as I could in order to make rent.

Life is a demanding experience, and mine is no exception. I have found that careful planning and time budgeting helps to keep me on track, working hard, but with enough downtime to prevent burnout.

I held down a part-time job at a hardware store that offered me between 20 and 30 hours per week. I was more often working 30 hours than 20. I respected the store owner very much, and wanted to show my appreciation for being given the job.

Spare time was often spent back at the lab – my true passion this last semester – so even when I wasn’t officially there, I was still there.

My typical week, by hours:

Working at Jim’s Hardware               30 hours/week

Class hours                                         20 hours/week

Studying hours                                   15 hours/week

Lab hours                                           20 hours/week

Exercise                                              5 or 6 hours/week

Learn everything you need to know about med school secondary essays in our video:

If you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation.

This essay has a limit of 4,000 characters

It felt like I was opening up forever, as the summer often does, but somewhere down inside, I knew that I had no time to waste. The time between my last semester and my next semester would be a crucial, tightly-timed period in which I had to study hard, gain experiences, and save money for the next phase of my life.

I had a job lined up, lucky enough to have had at a paid internship in a laboratory. Over the months between my graduation and now we have been looking at vitamin capsules, tablets, and chewable gels. We were essentially trying to find out a better way to make these things so that people can derive more benefit from them by ensuring more of the vital ingredients get absorbed properly into whomever is using them.

Although I was mostly there to assist and follow orders, I nevertheless got to observe the meticulous processes of a professional lab environment. I shared in the frustrations of early experiments’ results, the process of advancing ideas and making progress, and the thrill of actually arriving at some useful – or, potentially-useful – results.

When I wasn’t at the laboratory working, I was looking to my volunteer hours.

My uncle is a hospital administrator, and set me up with a couple of doctors to shadow. One of these doctors, Dr. Stevens, is a psychiatrist – an area of specialization which I enjoy very much. Although confidentiality prevented me from following him on certain aspects of his job, I nevertheless got to learn a lot from him. He was very patient, friendly, and answered my myriad questions – even giving me his personal email address so I could learn more. I wasn’t shy about taking advantage of this, and have been back-and-forth with him, asking questions and getting to know my preferred area of medicine.

I said, “Hi,” a lot, too, as I found myself back at the hospital a lot of other times. I enjoyed my time there immensely, and sought other ways of volunteering to assist. Most of my volunteer hours weren’t as clinical as shadowing, but I still got to spend time helping patients and staff. My primary area where I volunteered was helping with older patients, and I was often an arm to lean on for exercise, or an eye to read a book, or sometimes just an ear to hear a patient who needed company.

Home time was spent studying, pouring over MCAT preparation materials and working hard to get my numbers up. I was eager to get ahead last year, and actually arranged to take the MCAT. I was under-prepared, and did not receive a score that I thought reflected my potential. So, for the past months, I have been studying to hold myself to a higher standard. The next time I take the test, I know I won’t disappoint myself again.

Of course, there was down-time as well. I couldn’t work all the time, and my particular favorite pastime is music. Study breaks often consisted of grabbing my guitar from beside my bed, running scales, singing along a bit, and just enjoying the feeling of playing. I have no illusions about becoming some rock star someday. I’m not the best guitar player in the world, but I’m not really trying to be. I love the instrument, and I love getting better at it; I’ve always enjoyed challenging myself. It’s a wonderful way to relax.

I believe that relaxation is very important. We can’t work all the time – it isn’t healthy – and there are many ways to enjoy life. My great fortune, is that I got to spend my time since graduation in many different ways that I enjoy life: not just with music, but with helping, healing people, and diving into the medical arts.

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.

One day, I will become a cliché: an old man lecturing his grandchildren on how, when he was a boy, he used to have to really work just to get to school. My family live well off the beaten path, and my round trip just to get to school was three and a half hours. Some of it was uphill, and some of it was by foot, and I had to get up very early to walk to the bus stop on time.

We moved when I was very little, refugees from overseas, my parents barely speaking English, and me speaking nothing at all – I was only just one year old. We moved from a country we were told does not exist, but which we call Tibet.

My father is a farmer and my mother is a school teacher, which came in handy while we tried to figure out education, since she could handle some of the load. We moved in with my uncle, who had immigrated before us, and he had a small farm out in the bush in Pennsylvania.

The life I knew was one of isolated calm, which kind of works when you’re growing up Buddhist. I never felt particularly isolated, because I had a loving family around me, but my first several years as a child were spent in a forest-farm sanctuary. Every now and then we’d drive the almost two hours to town to pick up something we couldn’t grow, make, forage, or build for ourselves.

When I hit school age, my parents decided I couldn’t just be taught at home. Despite my mother’s background in education, they knew that I would lose out on social interaction and linguistic ability. They were right. In fact, I already was behind my classmates.

I don’t remember much of kindergarten, or grade one, but I do know that I was in the middle of more people than I had seen in my life, yet I still felt isolated. We spoke little English at home, and so I had a difficult time communicating with my classmates at first. My progress was slow; at home, my mother made an effort to continue to speak English with me, to give me practice, but my father had poor English skills, and my uncle had just enough English to buy a few things in town on those rare trips out.

Perhaps this is what prompted the second move. When I was around ten or eleven years old, my parents finally took us from our isolated spot and moved into a rural village – just a little town, but it felt to me like a metropolis. Mom’s English had improved with mine; she really did put in a lot of effort. She had acquired a job as a teacher, and so she and I would drive to school together. My father dropped us off in a car my uncle gave them – so old and used that I think it ran on prayer as much as gasoline.

Even at the time, I know my father was uncomfortable with my mother being the primary breadwinner in the family. Or perhaps it was that he was feeling more isolated than ever, living away from his country and now his brother.

My family’s circumstances have given me some unique perspectives. I have spent so much of my life feeling alone or cut off that it doesn’t really bother me. I can sit in solitude. I have become quiet patient as a result. That solitude has made me deeply appreciate what it means to have friends, however, and though I do not have many friends, I love them all dearly.

It would be easy to become cynical and think of myself as an outsider – a refugee is always a little in transit – with language barriers, physical distance between myself and large groups of people, and a cultural heritage that doesn’t match anybody around me; there are very few Buddhists in rural Pennsylvania. But I do not think of myself as an outsider at all. Rather, my perspective is that we are all, in our own ways, outsiders. We all have inner thoughts, and the isolation of our minds keeps us all to ourselves, in one way or another. The joy here, however, is the realization that that makes none of us outsiders. If we all understand isolation, we all need connection. I feel I am connected to my roots, my heritage, my family, my friends, and my people – who are, of course, everyone.

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

My mom has asthma, so when the COVID-19 virus hit my family, working its way from one family member to another, what would happen to mom became an all-consuming thought in my mind. The sight of mom’s asthma medication used to seem totally innocuous. Now, that little “puffer” is changed to a harbinger of doom.

More than that, though, the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to change everything about the world. It changed trips to the grocery store, how we say hello to friends, how we think of jobs, and how politics permeates everything.

I never thought of myself as a political person prior to the pandemic. I thought of myself as a fairly neutral person, right down to my professional aspirations. Being a doctor isn’t a political thing; they heal and they help all people, so how could being a physician be political?

Despite my full vaccination, despite the booster shots, my family still contracted the virus. I still believe in vaccination, but a lot of people don’t. A lot of people found themselves doubting the medical professionals who were risking their lives trying to keep people healthy and cure the ones who weren’t.

My perception of healthcare and healthcare professionals changed – radically – and I have absolutely begun to see these professions as political. COVID changed that, too, and for me it struck home with such intensity, lying in my bed, coming down with symptoms, developing a mild anxiety about whether I’d be able to smell flowers or taste food in a month’s time, and hearing my mom wheeze downstairs.

Do you know how silencing a wheeze can be, in those quiet moments?

I recovered from the coronavirus fairly quickly – zonked out for about twenty-four hours before bouncing back – but by the time I was over it, my mom was developing symptoms, and hers were bad. They were very bad, as a matter of fact, and I knew that the asthma was always going to be there to make this a tough fight.

My dad, my sister, and I all got lucky; we were out of harm’s way by the time mom hit the nadir. We were isolating and scared.

What can you do with all of that going on and nowhere to escape to? I had school – doing virtual classes – but I couldn’t go to work and I found it hard to concentrate. I became a caretaker. I had the experience, after all, and although I am not a doctor yet, I knew that I had a certain knowledge base that I had been developing for exactly this purpose: to help heal.

So, I did what I could – we all did, my dad, my sister, and me – and mom pulled through. It took her almost a full week, but she came back from the edge.

So much for asthma, but what about politics?

When I got back to in-person classes, I was talking to some friends about the experience. We had been in touch, of course, but I was sharing it with them again, getting it out, like I was releasing the last week, and in the middle of it, another classmate – a boy by the name of Stuart – injected himself into the conversation, running his mouth about how COVID vaccines were a useless conspiracy and that the virus itself was practically mythological.

I am proud to say that I have only punched Stuart’s lights out in my mind. I have done it a dozen times, but I am proud to say that I never let it leak out into real life. In fact, I did the opposite of my angry, reactionary impulses, and asked Stuart why he thought the way he did, and what I should read to be better informed.

This opened up a dialogue between myself and Stuart, one which I continued for the rest of the semester at school. I challenged him, and he challenged me sometimes. I don’t think I have fully convinced my new friend about the truth of the pandemic, but he’s a lot closer.

COVID-19 taught me about patience, about doing what I can, about perseverance, and about how to pull through with my family and friends – the importance of a good support network. It gave me an aspirational goal for my work in the medical field: to save and heal people, like my mom, but also to keep open dialogues with people like Stuart.

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Example for Prompt #5

The interview season for the 20XX-20XX cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 20XX. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank.

During the second week of September, and until the first week of October, I have decided to undertake a tremendous opportunity. My family, on my father’s side, comes from Portugal. He is Azorean, and this summer he is returning to the Azores for a time to help as a doctor.

My father is an MD, and immigrating years ago with the dream of becoming a doctor in America. He fulfilled that dream, and along the way, he met my mother. She was studying English Literature at Yale at the same time he was studying medicine.

Our family have made frequent trips to the Azores over the years; my father wanted me to be in touch with where we come from. I have grown to love them as a second home, these islands of tranquility, with tomato-growing soil, and the Holy Ghost Festival.

The last few years, however, we have not found the time. Life has been busy, complicated, and not terribly conducive to travel. But my father recently accepted a call from a friend to come over for a few months and help as a physician.

I am going for a short time to shadow my father. So, from September 12 th until October 3 rd , I will be saying hello again to old friends, learning by watching my father, and getting back in touch with the tomato-growing soil of the Azores.

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Technically, yes. If no limit is imposed, you can write as you please. However, you should consider some factors in how long to make your essay.

First, as a general rule, the limit for your essays should be about 1,000 words. You could go a little more, but that’s a reasonable length for an application essay. You want to give yourself enough room to say what you need to say, but not so long that you will bore your reader and make your application tedious.

Second, consider the topic asked for. If the topic is very specific and covers a small subject, it’s okay to let your essay be a little shorter.

Third, check out the other essays’ lengths. Two of the Harvard Secondary essay prompts have a limit of 4,000 characters. The others have no stated limit. You probably shouldn’t exceed 4,000 characters on the essays without official limits, since that seems to be a length that Harvard has deemed reasonable.

Lastly, a little advice from Shakespeare: “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Better to say what you mean, say it well, and say it quickly than to add nothing to your ideas but ink and air.

Best practice is to write all optional essays to take every opportunity you have. You have a chance to shine out and rise to the top of the pile with every action you take, so you should take those actions.

Speaking specifically to the Harvard Secondary prompts above, prompt no.5 is certainly truly optional. It is based on the empirical fact of whether or not you have a schedule conflict. If you have no conflict, you have no essay, and don’t need to write it.

Prompt no.4 provides you an opportunity to speak to your interaction with a world-enveloping health issue. There is room here to stand out, so take it. Even though the committee are not grading these essays, your response here can still cause them to think favorably of you, or give you a subconscious “edge”.

Prompt no.3 applies to specific personal experiences, but such a wide range is given that most students will be able to speak to one category, or something like those categories. Again, another opportunity to add to your personal story and relatability is a good opportunity to take. If you can, write this essay.

Ten to fifteen percent short will put you close to the limit and allow you the room to say what you need to say.

Your first goal should be to answer each essay in a way that shows your best attributes to the admissions board. Effectively show your skills, experiences, qualities like perseverance or leadership, personal growth, and passion for the medical field.

Your essay should have an introduction paragraph, a body, and a conclusion. So, that format and structure will necessarily use up most of the word count, if you are following it properly.

Not really. You don’t require things like references, but you should still follow standard essay writing format, with an introductory paragraph, a supporting and expanding body, and a conclusion.

Give your essay an attention-grabbing opening sentence, and close it off by wrapping up what you talked about throughout the essay.

Following each prompt is paramount. Essay number three is explicitly about your personal background and challenges you’ve faced, so that is your subject matter.

But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t highlight certain elements, or choose more advantageous stories.

Whichever school you’re writing for – in this case, Harvard – go find their mission statement. What qualities is in that? Harvard says that they are looking to educate “students and student-leaders". If they value students and student-leaders, they value leadership. They value a search for knowledge, just as two examples.

Every school will be looking for perseverance, leadership skills, teamwork skills, personal growth, ethical responsibility, and any experiences you have had with healthcare, even in peripheral ways, whether professional or volunteer.

Take a couple weeks to get them write. The key to writing – any kind of writing – isn't the first draft, it’s the edits you make.

Read your essay over and make changes. Ask yourself if the paragraph order is perfect, if the sentences are well-written – not overly verbose, not too simple – and if you have used every opportunity to highlight your best qualities.

Take a few passes at it before coming to the final draft, at which point you can triple-check the spelling and grammar, and make sure you are within the character or word limits.

If they are applicable, yes. You might need to do some edits, of course, but if two – or more – schools have essays addressing your experiences with diversity, you will probably find that you can use material in both essays.

A note on editing, however: check and check again that there is nothing in the essay that applies to one school while writing to the other. Don’t reference a mission statement that belongs to another academic institution, for instance. It’s easy to miss those things, so read your essay carefully to avoid a dreadful, embarrassing misstep.

They are neither the be-all and end-all of the matter, nor are they inconsequential.

All you have to do is put yourself in the shoes of an essay reader – a member of the admissions committee – and imagine that you read one application with good essays and impeccable grammar and another application with good essays and bad grammar. Who do you choose?

Poor spelling might affect a subconscious perception of you, as an applicant, as well.

Of course, if one or two small errors get left in, it’s not the end of the world. It’s unlikely that a strong application will be rejected on that basis alone. Still, don’t risk it; edit carefully, and get somebody else to proofread, if possible.

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Secondary Medical School Application Essays: How to Shine

Emphasizing fit and showing authenticity help medical school secondary essays stand out, experts say.

Tips for Secondary Med School Essays

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One of best pieces of advice when writing an application essay is to be authentic.

Key Takeaways

• Secondary medical school essays should highlight why an applicant is a good fit.
• Applicants should submit the essays early without compromising quality.
• It's important to be authentic in essay responses.

After receiving primary applications, most medical schools ask applicants to complete a secondary application, which typically includes additional essay questions. While primary essay prompts ask why you're pursuing medicine, medical school secondary essays focus on you and how you fit with a specific school.

Secondary essay prompts vary by school, but they're generally designed to help med schools learn about you at a deeper level. They may ask you to reflect on what makes you who you are, a time when you worked with a population different than yourself, an occasion where you asked for help or a time when you worked in a team. They may ask how you spent a gap year before applying to medical school or what you did after your undergraduate degree.

"What we are trying to figure out is if this is a candidate that can fulfill the premedical competencies and whether they are mission-aligned," says Dr. Wendy Jackson, associate dean for admissions at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine . “Can they help fulfill the needs that our institution is trying to deliver?”

A lot rides on these essays, but keeping a few best practices in mind can make the process less daunting.

Emphasize Fit

The first thing medical schools look for is whether an applicant will be a good fit for the school’s mission, Jackson says.

“I would challenge someone who is completing a secondary application to understand the mission of the school and envision how they are going to contribute to that,” she says. “The vast majority of schools are going to ask why you chose their institution, so you need to be prepared to answer that.”

Some secondary essay questions are optional, but experts recommend answering them even though they're extra work. For example, the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Tennessee asks applicants what makes them interested in the school.

“We just want to see if they’re a good fit for us and that they’ve done a little bit of homework about Vanderbilt," says Jennifer Kimble, director of admissions at Vanderbilt's medical school. "We want to make sure that the students we admit are going to be happy with their Vanderbilt experience.”

Avoid focusing on what you’re going to gain from the school – schools are really asking how you'll be an asset to the program.

"It’s almost like if you’re trying to date someone and you tell them, ‘Here’s what I’m going to get from this relationship,’ without saying, ‘We’re better off together,’” says Shirag Shemmassian, founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting. “You have to sell the idea that you’re bettering one another and how you’re better together than apart. I think students often miss that latter component."

Don't Procrastinate

The medical school application process is often compared to a marathon, but the final steps may feel like a sprint. Applicants typically receive secondary application requests in late June, and in some cases schools want those back within a matter of weeks. Others set deadlines months down the road.

Either way, because of rolling admissions , it's best to send essays in as early as possible without compromising quality, Shemmassian says.

The earlier an applicant submits materials, the less competition they typically face, experts say. For example, Vanderbilt receives nearly 7,000 applications per year. Of those, roughly 600 applicants will be asked to interview and around 260 will be offered admission for 96 spots.

"At the beginning of the cycle, our calendar is wide open and we’re very open to who we bring in for an interview," Kimble says. "Down the road when we only have 30 seats left, it’s highly selective who those candidates are that get those coveted 30 interview spots that are left over."

Prewrite Essays

Applicants won't know the specific language of secondary essay prompts until schools send them, but in many cases, essay prompts are similar year to year and the previous year's prompts are often published on a school's admissions website, experts say. Some schools may change or tweak questions, but you can generally get a head start by prewriting essays based on previous prompts.

"As the new ones come out, you can modify as needed," Shemmassian says. "I would say that about 70% to 80% of prompts will remain the same or similar. If they change, you can usually adapt an essay you’ve written for another school."

Secondary essays vary in length and number. Vanderbilt requires applicants to submit an 800-word essay and two 600-word essays. Some schools may require close to 10 secondary essays. Shemmassian says this is significantly more writing than applicants are used to, so budgeting time is crucial.

But applicants should take care when prewriting essays and make sure each is tailored to the specific school with the correct school name, experts say. Jackson says she's read plenty of essays where applicants included the wrong school name and it cost them.

“You may think you can save time by cutting and pasting or taking half of a previously written essay response and making a modification,” Jackson says. “Be careful, because the questions vary from institution to institution.”

Experts say applicants often neglect to fully read prompts in their haste to complete answers. Though there's a time crunch, it's vital to thoroughly read the prompt and answer the question fully without grammatical or spelling errors.

“That seems kind of silly, but I think we can get going down a road when we’re writing and feel like we’ve completed and written something well but look back and never really have a response to the true question being asked," Jackson says.

Be Authentic

Medical school applicants tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves to write something that schools haven't read before, Kimble says. Given that med schools sift through thousands of applicants a year, "we’ve read all sorts of scenarios in life, so take that pressure and put it on the shelf," she says. "That’s not a concern for us. We aren’t looking for something that’s totally innovative."

Experts say schools are mostly looking for authenticity and an organic, genuine tone. The tone "can make or break an applicant," Jackson says.

It may be tempting, especially given time constraints, to rely on outside help – such as ChatGPT or other AI-powered software – to write essays. While some professors and admissions officers have embraced AI to help automate certain processes, Kimble says she strongly discourages med school applicants from using AI to help with secondary essays.

"We had an (application) that you could clearly see was not written by a human voice," she says. "It sounded very computer generated, so we ended up passing on the candidate just because we want to hear their story in their own words."

A Secondary Essay Example

Shemmassian compiles more than 1,000 sample secondary essays each year, using prompts from more than 150 medical schools in various states, and offers them to paying clients. The excerpted example below, created by Shemmassian's team and used with their permission, shows what he considers to be a successful diversity-themed essay in response to a Yale University School of Medicine prompt that asks applicants to reflect on how their background and experiences contribute to the school's focus on diversity and how it will inform their future role as a doctor.

As a child, one of my favorite times of the year was the summer, when I would travel to Yemen… at least until I turned twelve. Suddenly, the traditional and, in my Yemeni American view, restrictive laws for women, applied to me. Perhaps the most representative of these laws was having to cover my hair with a scarf-like garment. Staying true to my values, I decided against returning to Yemen, thereby losing a vital connection to my culture. However, this estrangement did not inhibit my growth.

The 500-word response continues with how the applicant met a Yemeni student who grew up in France and was barred from wearing a headscarf due to a school uniform policy. Where the applicant saw the headscarf as restrictive, the other student saw it as a connection to her roots. The applicant describes how although the same object held different meanings to two people from the same background, she used that to appreciate different perspectives and to advocate for a woman's right to express herself.

Later that year, I applied this lesson in perspective to my work as a clinical coordinator, when a patient walked into the office and handed me a piece of paper explaining she only spoke Arabic...By thinking critically while vernacularly translating the doctor’s advice, I was directly involved in the process of her medical care. Because of my experience in exploring the multi-cultural barriers I faced alongside the Yemeni French student who cherished her headscarf, I spent time talking to this Yemeni patient about the barriers she had faced in receiving care.

This experience motivated me to help overcome cultural healthcare barriers and disparities, showcasing my devotion to equitable treatment by creating a new protocol within the clinic where I work. Now, when scheduling patients over the phone, we ask if they have any language preferences, and we have a series of scripts we can use during each patient’s treatment.

The applicant then drives home why she believes she's a good fit for the school.

My background and experiences will contribute to Yale School of Medicine’s diversity and inform my future role as a physician by creating a student organization that holds informational workshops, utilizing my unique experiences to connect with Yale’s diverse patient population, and working to address healthcare disparities as a future physician. I envision these informational workshops would operate in the Haven Free Clinic patient waiting rooms to empower all patients, regardless of their background.

This essay is successful because it does more than tell essay readers about the applicant's background, Shemmassian says. It shows how the applicant grew "into a more compassionate and culturally humble future physician who will help patients overcome health care barriers."

"Strong diversity essays will always show admissions committees how a unique trait or life experience will help them become a better physician," he says. "This essay is especially successful because the applicant connects their experiences and what they’ve learned because of them to the Yale School of Medicine itself. This is an applicant who is already thinking deeply about not just what they can get out of medical school but how they can contribute to the values and mission of the school they attend."

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