medical school secondary essay prompts

Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database

Updating for 2023-2024 as Secondaries Come in!

ProspectiveDoctor has compiled a database of past and current medical school secondary essay prompts from past years to help you get a head start on your secondary applications. Select a school to discover their essay prompts.

Related posts:

• Baylor College of Medicine Secondary Questions
• East Tennessee State James H. Quillen College of Medicine Secondary Questions
• Florida International University College of Medicine Secondary Questions
• Wake Forest School of Medicine Secondary Questions

Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database (2024-2024)

by internationalmedicalaid

Introduction

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

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

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do i have to complete my medical school secondary essays.

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

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

Why do I need to write secondary essays?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are secondary applications free?

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

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

Should I write the “optional” secondary essays?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How long does it take to write a secondary essay?

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

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

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

Can I use the same essay for different schools?

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

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

Can I re-use an experience from my AMCAS?

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

What are the most common secondary essay prompts?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Posts

All Posts  

• Admissions Consulting
• Pre-Medicine

Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School in the US

Wondering how you measure up to other applicants? Check out this comprehensive list of average GPAs and MCAT scores by medical school.

AMCAS Personal Statement Examples (2024)

Why is the AMCAS Personal Statement Important? Every year, thousands of graduates apply to medical school. Some of them have fantastic GPAs and MCAT...

Getting In and Staying In Medical School: The Definitive Guide

Introduction How hard is it to get into medical school? And once you’re there, how hard is medical school? How hard is it to...

8 Tips to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

Here at IMA, we believe in writing strong essays. We provide samples in our medical school guides, and we’ve shown you how to write strong personal...

5 Tips to Strengthen Your AMCAS Work and Activities Section

The Work and Activities section of your AMCAS application is a big part of what admissions committees will look at when deciding whether or not to...

• DO School Admissions
• Medical School Guides

Applying to Medical School: The Differences Between the MD and DO Application Services

Part 1: The Differences Between MDs and DOs If you want to become a medical doctor, there are two different routes you can take....

Apply to Medical School with AACOMAS: The Definitive Guide (2024)

Part 1: Introduction If you want to be a Doctor of Medicine (MD), you’ll apply to medical schools using the American Medical College Application...

Applying to Medical School with AMCAS: The Definitive Guide (2024)

Part 1: Introduction If you’re applying to medical school, chances are you’ve heard a lot of terms (like AMCAS) that you don’t understand. Like...

How Many Medical Schools Should You Apply To? (2024)

How many medical schools should I apply to? It is not easy to get into medical school. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)...

Compelling vs Average Medical School Personal Statement

Did you know that almost 60% of medical school applicants are not accepted every year? Rejection should not worry you as long as you...

Take the Next Step

How to Answer Common Essay Prompts on Medical School Secondary Applications

Coherently emphasize your unique persona, life journey, motivations and alignment with the medical profession.

Writing Med School Secondary Essays

Getty Images

Secondary applications offer a unique canvas to paint a more intricate portrait of your character, experiences and aspirations.

As you begin your medical school application journey, the secondary application phase emerges as a pivotal bridge connecting your premedical background with entrance into graduate medical training. These secondary applications, adorned with an often repetitive tapestry of essays, offer a unique canvas to paint a more intricate portrait of your character, experiences and aspirations.

Here's some advice on the art of answering common essay prompts on med school secondary applications, emphasizing the importance of compelling storytelling throughout your application. 

The Purpose of the Secondary Application  

The secondary application is more than a formality – it's an essential step that adds depth to the on-page persona that admissions committees will assess. It is the last chance you have to make a good impression before an interview is offered, so a subpar performance at this stage may be the last chance you have at admission during this cycle.

This phase allows admissions committees to perceive you in a richer light, beyond mere test scores and accolades. Secondary applications typically comprise a cluster of essays, each allowing you to showcase your unique persona. If written well, they can unveil your motivations, life journey and alignment with the medical profession. 

How to Craft a Compelling Secondary Essay Narrative  

Effective essay crafting relies on authentic storytelling. Your goal is not just to convey information, but to resonate emotionally with the reader.

Begin by dedicating some time to introspection. Reflect on your journey, including its highs, lows and turning points. Weave a narrative tapestry that threads together your experiences, values and aspirations. Focus on using vivid imagery and metaphors to engage the reader, making your essays stand out among the many they will read.

Don’t forget to ensure a coherent flow by structuring your essays logically. Again, introspection and planning – using an outline if helpful – are essential. 

How to Approach Common Secondary Essay Prompts  

The essay prompts you'll encounter may frequently be similar, and the temptation to copy and paste similar responses to many programs is extremely high, particularly when many secondary application requests come back at once.

However, be very wary of canned responses that work for many essay types and many different programs. This can sometimes work well, but can also result in essays that feel forced, with content that doesn’t quite answer the question. These types of essay flaws are remarkably easy to spot by experienced admissions committee reviewers. 

Below are three common secondary application essay prompts and advice on how to approach them.

Common Prompt 1: Why Our Medical School? 

It can be challenging to develop a response to this prompt that feels truly unique. In some way, your response will be similar to other applicants’, but how you weave your background, persona and experiences with the school’s mission and goals is how you can stand out.

To master this, delve into meticulous research about the institution. Go beyond the mission statement and goals. What sorts of programs do they offer? What do they choose to highlight multiple times, in prominent places on their website or on their campus? Understand why they are emphasizing various programs, classes, attributes or resources. 

A school is typically less proud of a simulation lab itself and prouder of what that simulation lab allows them to do. Perhaps they train a large number of procedural specialists or match many graduates into careers in trauma.

Work to comprehend a school’s values, unique offerings and cultural fabric . Then work to articulate how your background and experiences align with these facets, without sounding too repetitive of your primary application materials.

The key is to go beyond the surface – pinpoint specific programs, faculty members or initiatives that resonate with your aspirations and to which you are excited to contribute if accepted. 

Common Prompt 2: Diversity  

The "How will you contribute to diversity on campus?" question is a testament to the evolving medical landscape. Embrace your distinct background and be proud to describe how it will allow you to bring a fresh, unique perspective to the campus and the community.

Recognize also that you don’t have to limit yourself to a traditional definition of diversity . You can also share experiences or interests that make you a diverse applicant.

If you have played harp your entire life and feel it speaks to your personality, including attributes that will be beneficial in medicine, write about it with pride. You can be quite sure that your essay is one the reader has not already read 30 times, and that can at times be an advantage in and of itself.

Of course, no matter your topic, look to emphasize how your perspective enriches the educational mosaic, promoting cross-cultural understanding and empathy within the realm of health care. 

Common Prompt 3:  Overcoming Adversity and Demonstrating Resilience  

The "How have you overcome adversity or a challenge?" prompt invites you to display your mental strength and ability to persevere when things get difficult – a sure bet in the medical field. Again, introspection is crucial.

This is not likely to be the place to describe the one time in high school you got a B+, or an argument you’ve had with a roommate. Highlight a significant challenge, narrate its impact on you and expound on your growth journey. 

Do not be shy to include letdowns. A refreshingly honest essay describing rejection from medical school during your first application cycle, and your continued commitment to the long road ahead – including how you have worked to improve as a person and as an aspiring doctor – can be a phenomenal essay if done well.

Make sure to transition to a positive note; don’t seek pity from the reader.

Whatever adversity you choose, remember not to spend too much space describing the actual event. You want to focus most of your energy on discussing the strategies you employed to surmount the obstacle and how the experience honed your resolve and enhanced your ability to excel in the medical sphere. 

Emphasize Your Fit With the Medical School

With all of your secondary essays, be sure to weave a cohesive story together without directly repeating any content in your primary application materials.

Emphasize your fit with each school, and do significant research to discover what type of student they are genuinely interested in attracting to their unique program. Discuss experiences that have shaped you, highlight times when you have demonstrated resilience and remember to take each individual essay seriously.

With strategic introspection and eloquent articulation, these essays will pave the path toward achieving the goals and earning the experiences you have – to this point – only written about.

Medical School Application Mistakes

Tags: medical school , graduate schools , education , students

About Medical School Admissions Doctor

Need a guide through the murky medical school admissions process? Medical School Admissions Doctor offers a roundup of expert and student voices in the field to guide prospective students in their pursuit of a medical education. The blog is currently authored by Dr. Ali Loftizadeh, Dr. Azadeh Salek and Zach Grimmett at Admissions Helpers , a provider of medical school application services; Dr. Renee Marinelli at MedSchoolCoach , a premed and med school admissions consultancy; Dr. Rachel Rizal, co-founder and CEO of the Cracking Med School Admissions consultancy; Dr. Cassie Kosarec at Varsity Tutors , an advertiser with U.S. News & World Report; Dr. Kathleen Franco, a med school emeritus professor and psychiatrist; and Liana Meffert, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine and a writer for Admissions Helpers. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

Popular Stories

Paying for Graduate School

Applying to College

Best Global Universities

Best Colleges

You May Also Like

How to win a fulbright scholarship.

Cole Claybourn and Ilana Kowarski April 26, 2024

What to Ask Law Students and Alumni

Gabriel Kuris April 22, 2024

Find a Strong Human Rights Law Program

Anayat Durrani April 18, 2024

Environmental Health in Medical School

Zach Grimmett April 16, 2024

How to Choose a Law Career Path

Gabriel Kuris April 15, 2024

Questions Women MBA Hopefuls Should Ask

Haley Bartel April 12, 2024

Law Schools With the Highest LSATs

Ilana Kowarski and Cole Claybourn April 11, 2024

MBA Programs That Lead to Good Jobs

Ilana Kowarski and Cole Claybourn April 10, 2024

B-Schools With Racial Diversity

Sarah Wood April 10, 2024

Law Schools That Are Hardest to Get Into

Sarah Wood April 9, 2024

• Medical School Application

Medical School Secondary Essay Examples from Accepted Applicants!

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

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

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

Listen to the blog!

Article Contents 16 min read

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Why Our School?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Diversity Essays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medical School Secondary Essays: "Overcoming Challenges" Prompt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medical School Secondary Essays: "Future Goals" Prompt

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

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

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

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Your Future Goals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medical School Secondary Essays: Tips from Our Experts and Students

1. submit your essays as soon as you can.

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

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

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

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

2. pre-write your med school secondary essays.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

Apple Podcasts

Like our blog? Write for us ! >>

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

Wynne Milhouse

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

BeMo Academic Consulting

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

Get Started Now

Talk to one of our admissions experts

Our site uses cookies. By using our website, you agree with our cookie policy .

FREE Training Webinar:

How to make your secondary essays stand out, (even if you think you don't have extraordinary experiences).

Time Sensitive. Limited Spots Available:

We guarantee your acceptance to med school or you don't pay.

Swipe up to see a great offer!

Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts (2023-2024)

What is Inspira’s Secondary Essay Prompt Database?

A complete list of med school secondary essay prompts designed to help you stay proactive and organized during the 2023-2024 admissions process. 

(Note: We recommend using this resource alongside our free 109-page Medical School Admissions guide )

Medical school secondary essays are the second component of the application process. Each school has its own set of application requirements, whereas the primary application is a single submission sent to multiple schools through AMCAS, TMDSAS, or AACOMAS.

Secondary applications typically consist of a series of questions or essay prompts. While the specific questions may vary from one school to another, they often overlap. If you submitted your primary application in June, you can anticipate receiving secondary applications starting in July and continuing throughout the summer.

However, it's worth noting that not all schools send applications to every applicant. Some schools utilize the application as a screening tool and only extend secondaries to students they wish to further consider for admission.

Purpose of Medical School Secondary Essays

Med school secondary essays offer an opportunity to showcase how your aspirations and principles align with the school you wish to attend. They also allow you to demonstrate how you can contribute to their program as a student. These essays help schools ensure that you are a fit for their program and provide insights about you beyond what is covered in your AMCAS work and activities section. 

If you're looking for tips and insights on composing effective responses for medical school secondary essays, check out our guide. This resource will offer guidance to help your application stand out!

Common Med School Secondary Prompts

Below are 5 common prompts you will likely find in your secondaries:

• Describe yourself…
• Why did you choose to apply to our program? / Why are you a great fit for our school?
• The mission of our school is ___. How would you help us fulfill this mission?
• Where do you see your medical career ___ years from now?
• Discuss a time in your life in which you failed. What did you learn?

Wondering How We Can Help You?

Med school application support.

Our start-to-finish medical application consulting is meant to supercharge your ability to get accepted at the country’s most competitive medical schools.

Early Candidacy Prep

Through our pre-health advising, we help you pick the right courses, plan MCAT prep, participate in the right extracurriculars, and get the right clinical experience you need for med school applications.

Schedule a free 20-minute consultation to speak with one of our admissions experts today

Add Project Key Words

Everything You Need to Know About Medical School Secondary Essays

Padya Paramita

June 21, 2021

You’ve uploaded your transcript, MCAT score, extracurricular information, personal statement, and finally clicked the submit button on the AMCAS . You might want to use the next couple of weeks off to relax. But, you’ll have to wait a few more months for that nap, because the medical school application grind is far from over. After hitting the submit button on the AMCAS, your secondaries will slowly start rolling in. So, before you decide to start checking things off your bucket list, it’s time to prepare for your medical school secondary essays .

Although medical schools don’t typically begin sending out secondary applications until early July, you shouldn’t just sit around doing nothing. Rather, prepare yourself to have common essay topics ready for the minute the prompts are sent out. To help your preparation for medical school secondary essays , I’ve outlined the basics of the secondary timeline, the most common prompts alongside a few dos and don’ts to help gear you for the process.

Medical School Secondary Essays: The Timeline

Turnaround from primary to secondaries.

The timeline for medical school secondary essays is just as important as actually sitting down to answer the essay prompts themselves. If you submit the AMCAS immediately after it opens (as you should), you can expect secondaries around early July. Most medical schools don’t set deadlines for secondary essays. The ones who do usually set them for November. Some, however, give you a deadline based on when you receive the secondaries, for example within two weeks or a month upon receipt.  

Depending on the medical school, your secondary essays will start rolling in either a few weeks after you’ve submitted the primary application or once the school checks to ensure that you’ve met their cutoff scores (typically set low at a 3.0 GPA and 500 MCAT score). To be clear: most schools do not read your application until your secondaries have been submitted. The faster you submit the AMCAS, the quicker your verification will be completed, followed by the arrival of your secondaries. The sequence continues: the faster you finish your secondaries, the quicker and more likely you are to receive interview invitations. It is no exaggeration to say that the timing of your medical school secondary essays will shape your chances of being accepted into any medical school.

Obviously, you want to increase your chances of getting admitted and should apply to around 25-30 schools. But what this also means is that you could have four or five secondary essays coming in from each program—some schools have no secondaries, while others have up to nine. When the secondaries from the schools on your list pour into your inbox one by one, it can naturally feel overwhelming. Finding the perfect balance between timeliness and high quality is not easy. But we’re here to help.

How Long Should You Take?

It’s important to remember that your every move counts. Medical school admissions committee members will indeed be paying attention to the time you’ve taken to turn in your secondaries, so approach them very carefully. If you take a month to turn in your responses, they will think they’re low priority and will hesitate to extend an interview invite to a student who is unlikely to attend the school if offered acceptance.

Remember that med schools admit students on a rolling basis. If you take your sweet time, adcoms will already have started reading applications and making decisions about which applicants they want to call for interviews. The longer you wait to turn in your secondaries, the further back you fall in the pile. And the less likely your chances.   

A helpful rule-of-thumb to follow for medical school secondary essays is to return your responses within two weeks of the date you received them. The two-week turnaround time is long enough to carefully write and edit your essay, but short enough to show your enthusiasm for the school.

While two weeks is ideal, if you’re drowning under a lot of secondary essays, you may have to pick and choose which schools you want to take more time with. So, how do you know which of your schools and secondary essays to prioritize?

The Impact of Secondaries on Your Medical School Timeline

Since the medical school application process is rolling, spots at schools get filled up on a first-come first-serve basis. As time passes in the application cycle, your chances of acceptance grow even slimmer because more and more students are given precious interview slots on top of more students submitting their primary applications before the AMCAS closes. As overbearing as the burden of completing almost 70 essays can get, you must try hard not to lose focus and prioritize making each day count in the application process. One misstep or slowing down at any stage could leave you behind the rest of the applicant pool. The secondary turn-in timeline is no different. The longer you take to submit your secondary essays, the further you push back your own timeline, and other students’ chances will climb over yours. 

Instead, keep yourself strictly on track. As soon as you submit the primary application, start writing responses to the common prompts such as “why this program?” or “what will you contribute to our school?” That way, by the time a school sends you their prompts, you’ll be ready, and will only need to adjust or edit your responses slightly, according to the different ways the questions are phrased.

If you stick to the two-week submission schedule and write strong essays that tell unique stories and are edited with finesse, medical schools are more likely to appreciate your hard work. 

Examples of Common Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts

You should put approximately 25-30 medical schools on your list to stay on the safer side of the intensely competitive medical school admissions process. Schools often have a range of 2-9 secondary questions for you to answer. Take a moment to do the math. This means that you could end up writing over seventy medical school secondary essays . You only had to write one personal statement in the primary, so the number of essays you have to write for the secondary stage can seem like a massive mountain to climb. 

The good news is, there will be some overlap in the kinds of prompts among the schools. That said, you should expect each school’s essays to need quite a bit of tweaking to adjust to specific prompts. And don’t expect to be able to reuse every essay you write! But preparing for typical prompts is a strategic starting point. Listed below are a number of secondary essay prompts that are common among many medical schools:

• Explain why you wish to attend this particular medical school.
• What diverse or unique element will you bring to this medical school community?
• If you graduated before you applied, summarize your activities since you graduated
• Describe a challenge you overcame or a time when you faced an ethical dilemma and how you learned and grew from that experience.
• Who is the most influential person in your life and why?
• Describe a meaningful leadership position.
• What are your goals as a physician?
• What research or independent academic work have you completed, and what did you accomplish or learn?
• What do you think is the role of a physician in a community?
• Describe a humbling experience and what you learned from it.
• Elaborate on an area of interest outside of medicine (e.g., hobbies)
• Describe the characteristics that make you who you are. How will they impact your success as a medical student and physician?
• From the list of activities and experiences listed in your AMCAS application, please select one that has most impacted your decision to enter medicine.
• Is there any other information you would like to share with the admissions committee?

Medical schools often send some combination of these prompts, or similar questions relating to your identity, meaningful experiences, or goals. So even if you don’t know exactly which medical school secondary essays to expect, the list above should give you a clearer picture of what to prepare for. 

Dos and Don’ts of Medical School Secondary Essays

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with what you can expect out of your medical school secondary essays , it’s time to go over some dos and don’ts to make sure you avoid common mistakes and stay on track to write standout secondaries.

• Think about your primary application - When writing medical school secondary essays , it’s important that what you wrote in your primary application stays in the front of your mind. You definitely should not repeat experiences that you already outlined in your personal statement or activities list. But, if there’s something you didn’t get to talk about in-depth—such as an important part of your cultural background or an impressive research internship, this is the place to write about it!
• Answer what the question is asking - Too many people get caught up in what they want to say and completely fail to answer the question. A lot of medical school secondary essays will have similar prompts, with very slight differences. For example, one school might ask “What makes you diverse,” while another asks “What makes you diverse? How has this influenced your life?” Although they are basically asking the same thing, double-check that you are answering all questions. This is why it’s important that you first read the question and highlight all keywords and phrases. Understand what the school wants to know when writing your medical school secondary essays , and outline your essay accordingly. Make sure your answer directly responds to the question and doesn’t take any significant detours.
• Ensure that you’ve followed all directions - A good place to start the secondary process is to read the prompts very carefully. Identify the task at hand and ask yourself: what is the question really asking? You can treat the task as a to-do list, and elaborate on each point on the list to form an outline of your essay. Look through the prompt guideline—word limit, page limit, formatting requirement—and ensure you stick to them. You might be reusing bits and pieces from one school’s essay for another. That’s okay. But make sure you’ve edited it to fully answer the latter school’s question and formatting requirements. If admissions committees see that you haven’t completed all parts of the prompt, or that you’ve crossed the limit or format guidelines, it’s an automatic red flag. You will not receive an interview if you fail to meet schools’ instructions. It might seem like a minor thing, but such mistakes definitely happen, especially when you’re writing so many applications.
• Leave yourself plenty of time to edit - You must appear professional on your medical school application, and secondaries are an important part of that. Once you’ve finished writing your essays, edit them as much as possible. There will be a lot of essays to go through and you’ll be under a time crunch, but you need to read and reread them to ensure quality. Make sure you avoid run-on sentences and that you’ve made each word count. Careless errors such as grammatical or spelling mistakes will not reflect well on you
• Think strategically - The medical school application process is notoriously cutthroat. You have to pick and choose your battles. When writing medical school secondary essays , you should not answer all your reach schools first. You should focus on the schools you’re most likely to attend in order to demonstrate interest, but don’t be too ambitious. Check to see which of the schools on your list—especially schools you’re more likely to get into—have secondary prompts that can be easily answered with solid responses that you have already prepared. You definitely want to be smart in the balance of submitting secondaries both promptly and strategically. 
• DON’T Provide mixed messages - Remember, you need to keep your primary application in mind when filling out your secondaries. If some bit of information in your secondary application doesn’t match what you’ve already said in your primary application, admissions committees will notice. Don’t write something in your essays that contradicts what you’ve stated as a value or credential previously.
• DON’T Exaggerate - Writing about something you can’t speak in depth about might lead to trouble on multiple fronts. If you do so in your essay and you’re asked about it in an interview, you will be in trouble. In a similar vein, you shouldn’t highlight something that was a minimal experience. You will be competing against brilliant students who have versatile stories to tell. Talking about a minor burn you got three years ago might not be a great way to fill up the space allotted for your secondaries.
• DON’T Write about a high school experience - You’re an adult now. You’ve gone through years of life experiences that have greatly impacted your motivation to become a doctor. Unless it was something extremely formative and absolutely integral for your medical school application, don’t waste your secondaries reliving your high school glory days.
• DON’T Use flowery language - This is not a poetry competition and neither are you studying for the SAT. There’s no need to be pretentious and show off your vocabulary in your medical school secondary essays . While it’s good to mix up your word usage and not repeat, don’t go all out with the metaphors or thesaurus.com. Admissions committees want to know more about you and what you’ll bring to their program. Don’t take the attention away from the story by adding too many long words that ultimately don’t make sense.
• DON’T Repeat yourself - The admissions committee already has your AMCAS application. Repetition will not help you at all! If you basically reiterate what you said in the personal statement during your medical school secondary essays, admissions officers will be bored and unimpressed. Instead, you need to provide new information. That doesn’t mean that you cannot talk about the same activities or experiences—you certainly can. It means that you need to discuss another angle of each particular experience. For example, if you previously talked about the ways shadowing at a hospital changed your engagement with patients, maybe you could now discuss how your shadowing experience influenced which type of medicine you would like to pursue, such as pediatrics or epidemiology. Your admissions officers should constantly learn new things about you.

Writing all of the medical school secondary essays can initially feel like an impossible task. But if you follow all the instructions, convey a story that you haven’t told in your AMCAS application, and turn in a well-polished essay, you can hope to impress admissions committees and take one step closer to that dream of becoming a doctor. 

Tags : secondary application , medical school secondary essay prompts , medical school secondary essays , Writing Secondary Essays for Medical School , medical school secondaries

Schedule a free consultation

to find out how we can help you get accepted.

Application Academy closes this week! Sign up and save now!

LISTEN FOR FREE

RECENT POSTS

The Importance of Authenticity in Medical School Applications

Pioneering Medicine as a First-Generation Latina Student

Finding Balance and Peace on the Medical Journey with Dr. Wendy Lau

© Medical School Headquarters - All Rights Reserved. | Affiliate Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Website by MAP

Click here to see consultants who can help you with Casper and interview prep!

• February 24, 2024

Elevating Your Medical School Application: The Ultimate Guide to Secondary Essays

AcceptedTogether Consultants

We are admissions consultants dedicated to helping you get into your dream school

• Medical School

Recent Posts

Amcas: 5 critical points to make you stand out, aacomas: 6 important steps to stand out, 3 critical tips for the amcas work and activities section, tmdsas application: a 6 point comprehensive guide, 6 important tips for the amcas personal statement (amcas ps).

Introduction

Understanding the Purpose of Secondary Essays

– The Specific Role of Secondary Essays in Medical School Applications

-How Secondary Essays Differ From Primary Applications

– Frequently Asked Questions About Secondary Essays

Identifying Common Themes in Secondary Essay Prompts

-The “Why our school?” Question

-Cultural Competency and Its Relevance

-Addressing “Overcoming Challenges” 

-Discussing “Future Goals”

Navigating Academic Lapses or Breaks

-Addressing Gap Years in Your Secondary Essays

-Demonstrating Growth and Learning During Breaks

Strategies for Effective Secondary Essays

– Timeliness in Submitting Secondaries

– Understanding the Number and Scope of Secondaries Required by Each School

– Planning Your Secondaries Without Exact Prompts

Crafting a Standout Secondary Essay

-Building on Your Primary Application: Strengthening Your Narrative

-Showcasing Your Fit: Aligning with the School’s Mission

-Fine-tuning Your Essay: The Importance of Editing and Review

INTRODUCTION 

Navigating the labyrinth of medical school applications is no easy task. As you juggle GPAs, MCAT scores, and primary applications, you may find yourself confronting an often underestimated but crucial component of the process: the secondary essay. While the primary application showcases your academic prowess and general experience, the secondary essay delves deeper, offering medical schools a window into your unique journey, values, and compatibility with their program.

This important tool in your medical school application arsenal requires careful handling. Crafting a compelling secondary essay for some medical schools involves more than a demonstration of your academic accomplishments; it’s an artful balance of personal narrative, future aspirations, and a dash of persuasion. This is your opportunity to let admissions committees know why you are not just another aspiring medical professional, but a future physician with a distinct voice and a dream that aligns seamlessly with their mission.

Whether you’re discussing a personal challenge, portraying your cultural competency, or illustrating your fit with a particular school, each word you inscribe adds color to your application, transforming you from a list of grades and scores to a vibrant, three-dimensional candidate. With strategic planning, thoughtful reflection, and a little creativity, the secondary essay can become your secret weapon in getting the acceptance letter. 

In the demanding journey to medical school, the secondary essay often gets overshadowed by other application components. However, understanding its purpose and the pivotal role it plays in admissions is key to crafting an application that resonates with the admission committee.

The Specific Role of Secondary Essays in Medical School Applications

The primary function of secondary essays in medical school applications is to showcase your unique character and motivations that extend beyond academic achievements. While your GPA and MCAT score demonstrate your intellectual aptitude, the secondary essay allows the admissions team to connect with you on a personal level. These essays are an opportunity to spotlight your journey, your obstacles, and the lessons learned along the way. They also serve to highlight your understanding of the medical profession and your commitment to the school’s specific mission. 

Crafting a powerful secondary essay is more than just answering a question; it’s about constructing a narrative that underlines your dedication, resilience, and suitability for the medical profession. From discussing a significant challenge to showcasing your cultural competency, these essays offer a platform to prove your readiness for the rigors of medical school and your potential contribution to the field.

How Secondary Essays Differ From Primary Applications

The key difference between primary applications and secondary essays lies in their focus. While primary applications broadly outline your qualifications and experiences, secondary essays dive deeper into the particulars. They aim to unveil the person behind the test scores and grades, giving insight into your character, values, and aspirations. 

In contrast to the more general questions in primary applications, secondary essays tend to be school-specific, asking you to connect your goals and experiences with the mission and values of the institution. These prompts can range from exploring your understanding of a school’s specific approach to healthcare, such as community-focused care, to your plans of utilizing their unique resources or programs. 

Through your secondary essay, you have the chance to demonstrate why you are a fit for medical school in general and why you are a perfect match for their particular program. To do this effectively,you must have a well-researched understanding of the school’s ethos, curriculum, and community initiatives.

Frequently Asked Questions About Secondary Essays

There are a number of frequently asked questions about secondary essays. One of the most common is about timing. While there isn’t a hard and fast rule, it’s recommended to submit your secondary essays within two weeks of receiving them. This shows your keen interest and commitment to the school. 

Another common query relates to the number of essays required. The number can vary from one school to another, with some schools requiring just one or two essays while others might require up to ten. It’s advisable to check the specific requirements of your chosen schools well in advance. 

Another popular question is about what happens if you miss the deadline. This could significantly impact your application, as it may be interpreted as a lack of dedication. Most schools prefer to see a commitment to their institution, which is demonstrated by submitting your secondary essays promptly and of high quality. 

Understanding the purpose and significance of secondary essays in your medical school application is the first step towards crafting a narrative that paints a comprehensive picture of your candidacy, revealing not just a future doctor, but a future leader and innovator in the healthcare field.

In the intricate labyrinth of medical school applications, decoding secondary essay prompts may seem like a challenge. By identifying recurring themes in these prompts, you can strategically prepare your responses to effectively articulate your suitability for a medical career.

The “Why our school?” Question

The “Why our school?” query is one of the most common themes in secondary essay prompts. This question provides the admissions committee with insight into how you resonate with their school’s mission, values, and program specifics. It’s crucial that your response reflects a genuine understanding and alignment with their ethos.

Your answer should reveal a well-researched understanding of the school’s unique features, whether it be their cutting-edge research opportunities, community-focused healthcare programs, or distinctive curriculum. Your goal is to clearly express why you’re a perfect fit for their school and how their resources align with your career aspirations. A tailored response emphasizing your alignment with the institution’s mission is more likely to impress than a generic statement.

Cultural Competency and Its Relevance

Cultural competency is another common theme within secondary essay prompts. Given the global nature of healthcare and the increasing diversity of patient populations, demonstrating your ability to navigate different cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles is vital.

When addressing cultural competency in your secondary essay, consider examples from your personal or professional life where you’ve dealt with diverse groups or managed cultural barriers. Discuss your learnings from these experiences and how they have prepared you to be a more compassionate and effective healthcare provider.

Addressing “Overcoming Challenges”

The theme of “overcoming challenges” is frequently included in secondary essay prompts. Admissions committees are interested in understanding how you react in the face of adversity, as it’s a reflection of your resilience, a trait essential for a demanding career in medicine.

Addressing this theme, focus on a situation where you faced significant adversity, how you approached it, and most importantly, what you learned from it. The emphasis should be on growth and resilience rather than the hardship itself. This gives the admissions committee an insight into your problem-solving abilities and your potential to deal with the rigorous demands of medical school and beyond.

Discussing “Future Goals”

Another recurring theme in secondary essays is “future goals”. Here, you’re expected to  describe your career ambitions clearly and how the specific medical school can help you achieve them.

While discussing future goals, remember to strike a balance between being specific and being flexible. For instance, while you may have a strong interest in oncology now, it’s important to acknowledge the diverse range of experiences that medical school can offer, and that your interest could evolve. Always link your future goals to the specific opportunities the school offers, thereby demonstrating that your plans align with their academic mission.

In summary, a well-crafted secondary essay is an opportunity to express your fit for a specific medical school and the profession at large. By recognizing common themes and understanding how to address them, you’re able to stand out in the competitive medical school application process.

At first glance, academic lapses or breaks might seem like obstacles on your journey to medical school. However, with a strategic approach and well-crafted secondary essay, these seemingly negative points can be turned into areas of growth, learning, and resilience, painting a powerful picture of your medical school candidacy.

Addressing A Gap Year/Gap Years in Your Secondary Essays

The concept of taking a gap year is becoming increasingly common among prospective medical school students. Gap years can provide you with experiences and skills that can ultimately strengthen your application, provided they are communicated effectively in your secondary essay.

When addressing a gap year, honesty and clarity are crucial. Whether you spent your time traveling, volunteering, conducting research, or working, it’s important to articulate why you chose to take a gap year, what you did during this time, and how these experiences have contributed to your personal and professional development. Avoid negative language, focusing instead on the skills acquired, insights gained, and how these experiences have solidified your commitment to a career in medicine.

Remember, medical schools are not just looking for students who have excelled academically; they are looking for well-rounded individuals with diverse experiences and life skills. A gap year can demonstrate your initiative, maturity, and ability to step out of your comfort zone, all of which are valued in the medical profession.

Demonstrating Growth and Learning During Breaks

Apart from gap years, there might be other breaks or lapses in your academic career. Rather than shying away from discussing these periods, it’s crucial to address them head-on in your secondary essays. Whether it be a health issue, personal circumstances, or a decision to pursue other interests, every break has the potential to show your resilience, adaptability, and capacity for growth.

When discussing academic breaks, the focus should be on what you’ve learned from the experience and how you’ve grown during this period. Did you develop new skills? Did you gain a different perspective? Perhaps, you discovered a new area of interest or further cemented your commitment to medicine. Be candid about the circumstances, but place a greater emphasis on your learnings and how they’ve made you a stronger candidate for medical school.

In conclusion, academic lapses or breaks are not red flags in your application if they’re addressed effectively. By focusing on the skills and experiences you’ve gained, your secondary essay can transform these periods into compelling narratives of growth and perseverance, making you stand out in the competitive medical school application process.

Crafting a compelling secondary essay can feel like a daunting task, but it’s an essential component of your medical school application. By strategically approaching this process, you can increase your chances of leaving a lasting impression and making you stand out. 

Timeliness in Submitting Secondaries

In the fast-paced and competitive world of medical school applications, time is of the essence. It’s no different when it comes to secondary essays. Medical schools employ a rolling admissions process, meaning the sooner you submit your secondary essays, the sooner your application can be reviewed.

Being prompt can demonstrate your interest and commitment to the medical school, giving you an edge in the application process. To ensure timeliness, start working on your secondary essays as soon as you receive the prompts. Aim to submit them within two weeks of receipt while ensuring that the quality of your writing is not compromised. While speed is important, it should not overshadow the need for a thoughtful, well-written secondary essay.

Understanding the Number and Scope of Secondaries Required by Each School

Each medical school has its unique requirements for secondary essays, varying in the number and nature of prompts. Understanding these requirements is crucial to tailor your responses effectively. 

Invest time in researching each medical school’s specific needs for secondary essays but also do a lot of self-reflection about your values. Some schools might have a few straightforward questions, while others might present more complex prompts requiring deeper reflection. Some may even offer optional essays, providing an extra opportunity to showcase your qualities and commitment to medicine.

By understanding the scope of what each school expects, you can align your secondary essays with their particular values and expectations, thereby increasing your chances of a favorable outcome.

Planning Your Secondaries Without Exact Prompts

While it’s ideal to have the exact prompts in hand before you start writing, it’s not always possible due to the unpredictable nature of the application process. However, don’t let this uncertainty paralyze you. 

Drawing from past prompts and common themes can help you plan your secondary essays. Reflect on your experiences, lessons learned, and future aspirations in the context of these themes. This preparation will help you respond more quickly and effectively when you receive the actual prompts.

In conclusion, a successful secondary essay requires strategic planning, a clear understanding of each school’s requirements, and timeliness in submission. By focusing on these key areas, your secondary essay can truly enhance your medical school application, showcasing your unique experiences and dedication to the field of medicine.

Understanding how to create an impressive secondary essay is essential in the medical school application process. With the right approach, you can leverage this opportunity to further strengthen your application and leave a lasting impression.

Building on Your Primary Application: Strengthening Your Narrative

The secondary essay is not an isolated piece; it should weave seamlessly into your primary application’s narrative. This gives you the chance to elaborate on critical points in your primary application and bring attention to areas you may have glossed over initially. The secondary essay provides an additional platform to further outline your passion, commitment, and suitability for medical school. You can even discuss your motivations for medicine in a more profound and unique manner, strengthening your overall narrative.

Showcasing Your Fit: Aligning with the School’s Mission

One of the essential aspects of a secondary essay is demonstrating how you align with the medical school’s mission and values. Medical schools aim to admit students who will become excellent doctors, contributing positively to their community and profession. Thus, it is crucial to research the school’s values, culture, and academic offerings to understand what they seek in their students. Then, frame your experiences, interests, and future plans to match these elements, showcasing that you are an excellent fit.

Fine-tuning Your Essay: The Importance of Editing and Review

Finally, putting together a secondary essay is not just about writing; it’s equally about revising, refining, and making sure your narrative is clear, compelling, and error-free. Make use of available resources like essay editing tools, peer reviews, and mentor feedback to refine your essays. This can help you eliminate any grammatical errors, enhance the clarity of your argument, and ensure that your tone resonates with the target audience, in this case, the medical school admission committees.

Creating a well-rounded and engaging secondary essay is no small feat, but the investment of time and effort can significantly boost your chances of admission. By following these strategies, you can create an impressive and persuasive secondary essay that stands out in the competitive landscape of medical school admissions.

Check out our database of medical students/resident physicians who can help you achieve the 4th quartile by clicking below:

Navigating the medical school application process can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to mastering the intricacies of the secondary essay. This essential piece of your application serves as a crucial platform for you to highlight your strengths, align yourself with the mission of the school, and present a compelling narrative about your journey and future aspirations in the field of medicine.

To create an exceptional secondary essay, it’s critical to understand its purpose, identify common themes in the prompts, and strategize effectively for timely submission. It’s also essential to tackle any challenges or gaps in your academic journey with honesty and maturity, showcasing your ability to learn and grow from experiences. 

Remember, the most standout secondary essays are not just well-written but also demonstrate a clear understanding of the school’s values, highlighting the applicant’s fit and potential contribution to the institution. Moreover, they reflect a cohesive narrative that builds on the primary application and enhances the candidate’s profile.

By applying the strategies discussed in this article, you can turn your secondary essay from a daunting hurdle into a powerful tool that elevates your medical school application. Remember, the journey to medical school is a marathon, not a sprint, and every part of your application, including the secondary essay, plays a pivotal role in crossing the finish line successfully. Good luck with your application journey!

1. What are secondary essays for medical school?

   Secondary essays for medical school serve a unique purpose. They offer applicants a chance to provide the admissions committee with more detailed insight into their character, experiences, and aspirations, thereby complementing the primary application.

2. How long should a medical school secondary essay be?

   The length of a medical school secondary essay can vary, but most schools prefer concise, focused essays. While there is no exact word limit provided in the inserted chunks, keeping the essay to about 500 words or less would be generally advisable.

3. Does everyone get secondaries?

   Not all applicants are sent secondary applications. Some medical schools screen applicants before sending secondaries. However, the specifics can vary between schools, and the inserted chunks do not provide further details.

4. How do you make a secondary essay stand out?

   To make a secondary essay stand out, ensure that it is tailored to each specific school’s mission and values. Show how you fit into their program by providing clear examples and narratives that build on your primary application. Also, make sure to edit and review your essay thoroughly.

5. How late is too late for secondaries?

   Timeliness is crucial when submitting secondary essays. While there is no concrete deadline mentioned in the inserted chunks, it’s generally recommended to submit secondaries as soon as possible after receiving them, while ensuring the quality of your responses.

6. Do secondaries have to be perfect?

   While perfection may not be possible, it’s crucial that secondary essays are of high quality. They need to be well-structured, free of errors, and provide compelling narratives that build upon the primary application.

7. Can you get secondaries without MCAT scores?

    While MCAT scores are a key component of the medical school application, the inserted chunks do not specify if schools send secondary applications without receiving these scores. The process may vary between schools.

Related Popular Posts

[email protected]

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Application Writing Guide
• Interview Preparation Guide
• Interview Questions Database
• Financial Assistance

Copyright AcceptedTogether Inc. © 2023. All rights reserved.

YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS STARTS HERE

Find a dedicated consultant to help with applications, personal statements, interviews, Casper, and more!

Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page .

about Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine

Secondary Deadline : January 15, 2024 Secondary Fee : $85 FAP Waiver : Full Fee Waived CASPer Required : Yes Screens Applications:  No Accepts Application Updates:  Yes/Portal

Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University is dedicated to excellence in education, research and patient care, achieved by faculty, staff and learners who represent and serve our diverse society.

(All prompts have a 2,000 character limit):

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

The first strategy to answering this question is doing some research on the program website to understand some of its nuances. Is it very strong in a particular field of research, or perhaps in community clinical work for the underserved? If one of these aspects aligns with your strengths or interests, explain how you are a great fit for this reason. Be aware of the missions statement of the school and tie your strengths into that. The mission statement is as follows:

The School provides: – Education that is patient-centered, instilling in learners the School’s ethic of human service and lifelong learning – Research that advances and integrates basic and clinical science – Patient care that is administered with compassion and understanding, utilizing contemporary knowledge and techniques

2. How do you plan on contributing to the Lewis Katz School of Medicine Community?*LKSOM seeks an engaged student body with a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and interests to enhance the medical school experience for everyone. Please use the space below to describe what makes you unique as an applicant, an obstacle that you had to overcome, or how you will contribute to the LKSOM community. 

Brainstorm what is unique about your background. Is it your place of birth, your family, your culture, or your path to medicine? Also consider prior adversity you have had to overcome and how that has shaped your values. Consider 1-2 of these experiences and weave a story about them which show your unique characteristics. Specifically answer how this can contribute to your medical school class; consider the effect you might have on your peers, professors and patients.

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

**There are 2 campuses: 1. North Philadelphia and 2. St. Luke’s campus in Bethlehem, PA. The one you select is the one where you will be considered for admission.**

The following link to the Temple LKSOM website describes the options students have for different regional and clinical campuses for their training. Discuss your preference and why. Do some research on the differences in location between populations served, strengths of the hospitals, etc. and make an informed decision.

4. What are your plans for the current year – June 2022 until June 2023? 

This question requires having a plan in place for the application year. Be honest and describe what your goals are. Make sure you include something medically related that will help you grow and prepare to become a physician: reading and learning, some volunteer work, a research project, another professional job. It does not have to be grand, but some connection the medical field is probably prudent. Feel free to be honest with other pursuits for personal growth in other areas.

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

The secondary application essay prompts from this medical school application cycle are the same as above.

1. What is the nature of your interest in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine? Note: 2,000 character limit per essay question.

2. How do you plan on contributing to the Lewis Katz School of Medicine Community?LKSOM seeks an engaged student body with a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and interests to enhance the medical school experience for everyone. Please use the space below to describe what makes you unique as an applicant, an obstacle that you had to overcome, or how you will contribute to the LKSOM community. Note: 2,000 character limit per essay question.

3. Tell us why you selected your first choice ranked Clinical/Regional Campus.* Note: 2,000 character limit per essay question.

4. What are your plans for the current year – June 2017 until June 2018?* Note: 2,000 character limit per essay question.

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

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

3. Describe the nature of your special interest in your first choice ranked Clinical / Regional Campus.

4. What are your plans for the current year – June 2016 until June 2017?

*2,000 character limit for all

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.

We're here to help

The secondary application is just as important as the primary. We'll make sure you get it right.

Join the Insider Newsletter

Receive regular exclusive MSI content, news, and updates! No spam. One-click unsubscribe.

Customer Note Premed Preclinical Med Student Clinical Med Student

You have Successfully Subscribed!

• Secondary Essay Prompts

Secondary Essay Prompts – Tufts University School of Medicine

Secondary Essay Prompts for the Tufts University School of Medicine

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MD.

2019 – 2020

• Do you wish to include any comments (in addition to those already provided in your AMCAS application) to the Admissions Committee at Tufts University School of Medicine?
• Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Include in this explanation if you will be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, etc.
• Do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of Tufts University School of Medicine?
• Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s).
• Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation.)
• Limit 1000 characters

2018 – 2019

• Do you wish to include any comments (in addition to those already provided in your AMCAS application) to the Admissions Committee at Tufts University School of Medicine? (1000 characters)
• Do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of Tufts University School of Medicine? (1000 characters)
• Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s). (1000 characters)
• Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation.) (1000 characters)

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the Tufts University School of Medicine.

2017 – 2018.

• The Tufts University School of Medicine strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. Please describe how your personal characteristics or life experiences will contribute to the Tufts University School of Medicine community and bring educational benefits to our student body. (1000 characters)
• Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 characters)
• Why have you chosen to apply to the Tufts University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Tufts University School of Medicine will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (1 page, formatted at your discretion, upload as PDF)

There is also a prerequisite section which asks to show which classes you have completed.

2016 – 2017

MedEdits advises against using outdated prompts for the current season.

• Please explain briefly (Response limit of 1000 characters). Do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of Tufts University School of Medicine? Please explain briefly (Response limit 1000 characters).
• Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s). Please explain briefly (Response limit 1000 characters).
• Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation). Please explain briefly (Response limit 1000 characters).

Secondary essay webcast with Dr. Jessica Freedman, founder and president of MedEdits Medical Admissions.   Read more about Dr. Freedman.

Tufts University School of Medicine

Topics covered in this presentation:

• When should I submit my secondary essays?
• Pay attention to the word/character limits.
• Can I recycle secondary essay prompts for multiple schools?
• Identify topics that you left out of your primary application.
• And, much more.

Tufts University School of Medicine Admissions Requirements

Learn more about this school:

Secondary Essay Prompts for Other Schools

Do you want to see secondary essay prompts for other medical schools?

Select a school below:

Secondary Essay Prompts By School

*Data collected from MSAR 2022-2023, 2022 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book, and institution website.

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on each medical school’s website. MedEdits does not guarantee it’s accuracy or authenticity.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Secondary Essay Prompts – Baylor College of Medicine

Secondary Essay Prompts – University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine

Secondary Essay Prompts – University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

Secondary Essay Prompts – Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Secondary Essay Prompts – Mayo Medical School, Rochester, MN

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Website Disclaimer
• Terms and Conditions
• MedEdits Privacy Policy