Category: Medical School Secondary Examples

Loma Linda is one of the more unique medical schools out there. Filling out the school’s secondary will most likely require researching the school’s website for most applicants. Here’s one of my example responses to one of their questions that pretty much forces applicants to do some leg work.

Describe the extent and source of your knowledge of Loma Linda University School of Medicine (LLUSM). (750 characters max)

My knowledge of LLUSM primarily stems from the school’s website and from friends who have applied here in the past. LLUSM seeks to follow in Christ’s footsteps in its desire to heal and teach others in order to “make man whole.” The school teaches medicine from a Seventh-day Adventist, Christian perspective, and strongly encourages students to participate in service-oriented activities, such as international medical mission trips or programs helping underserved communities. An equal value is placed on the importance of education and research. The school emphasizes the holistic–physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual–growth of the student.

Tulane University School of Medicine would not be a bad place to end up for medical school. Providing a good response to the ‘why Tulane’ secondary question is important. If you can’t answer this question, you’ll probably come across like you haven’t done your homework. I provided my response from a couple of years ago as a reference for future applicants.

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

The ability to volunteer at the various student-run clinics at Tulane University School of Medicine (TUSOM) is one reason I applied to the school. I believe working in these clinics–which include the Fleur de Vie NOLA East Clinic, Common Ground Health Clinic, and Ozanam Inn–will not only expand my clinical skill set, but also allow me to help underserved populations. Through these clinics, I can help treat those who are homeless, struggling from drug addiction, and uninsured.

TUSOM’s reputation for fostering a collaborative environment among students also appeals to me. The school’s focus on team-based learning not only allows for much communication and teamwork to occur in the classroom, but also helps students grasp the difficult medical school curriculum. From personal experience, I strongly believe that collaborating with others makes the learning process more efficient.

Creighton usually asks its applicants to describe how they’re going to carry out the school’s mission. It’s a somewhat annoying essay because it’s difficult to reuse one of your other essays here, and it’s usually one of the longer ones. I provided my response below from a couple of years ago.

How will you use your specific attributes and experiences to reinforce the ­Creighton University School of Medicine Mission? (2000 Characters)

Mission: In the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of Creighton University, the mission of the School of Medicine is to improve the human condition with a diverse body of students, faculty, and staff who provide excellence in educating students, physicians and the public, advancing knowledge and providing comprehensive patient care.

My passion for educating others, conducting research, and caring for the “whole person” will allow me to reinforce the mission of Creighton University School of Medicine.

My passion for education began in college and continues to this day. After taking and enjoying science classes in college, I decided to tutor another undergraduate student in the areas of physics, organic chemistry, and physiology. Through these tutoring sessions, I realized how rewarding it felt to help another person gain a deeper understanding of science. As a physician, I hope to continue to educate others by helping patients understand the diseases that afflict them.

In addition to education, I am also passionate about advancing our current level of knowledge through research. When working as an undergraduate researcher, I enjoyed attempting to find solutions to unanswered questions in science, planning out my experiments, and analyzing data to support or refute my hypotheses. I hope to be able to use the analytical and critical thinking skills that I learned from this experience in future research projects as a medical student and physician.

Other experiences in college have shown me the importance of providing patients with comprehensive care. Recently, I watched a friend’s health deteriorate. His social life, ability concentrate and work, and his general outlook on life have all been affected. After seeing how a physical condition can negatively impact so many aspects of a person’s life, I have realized the necessity in caring for the social, psychological, and spiritual well being of a patient, in addition to addressing his or her physical symptoms.

As a physician, I hope to continue to educate others, advance knowledge through research, and provide patients with comprehensive care. Through these three acts, I believe I can make the most impact as a physician.

Analyzing this secondary response

It’s hard to fit three points (science, research, and comprehensive care) into this essay due to the character count. Ideally, though, I would have liked to have gone into more depth on the three points if I could have. Maybe focusing on one point instead of three would have been better.

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences has a number of secondary questions. However, I personally believe the ‘why George Washington’ question is the hardest. This question forces applicants to research the school online, which takes a good amount of time.

I figured I would share my old essay from a couple of years ago when I applied to GW. Here you go:

What is your specific interest in the MD Program at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why? (2000 characters not including spaces)

Although GW offers opportunities, programs, and world-class training for its medical students in many areas, two main features of the MD program especially impress me. In particular, the school’s focus on clinical training and encouragement of the pursuit of academic areas outside of the traditional medical school curriculum allow the school to stand out.

Through the four-year-long Practice of Medicine Course, students at GW receive world-class clinical training and are provided with early clinical exposure. Beginning their first month of medical school, students at GW participate in a clinical apprenticeship, a program which allows students to observe the practice of medicine and practice their clinical skills. Furthermore, students continue their clinical training in a small group setting–through clinical integration sessions–and in various simulated settings. The innovative Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center (CLASS center) particularly allows students to hone their clinical skills, as they practice critical care training, procedures, and crucial skills on human patient simulators. I believe that through this extensive and early exposure to a clinical setting, medical students at GW develop much clinical expertise, technical skills, and knowledge about medicine.

Through its unique “Track Programs,” GW also allows its students to obtain a broader healthcare perspective. In particular, the health policy scholarly concentration track at GW appeals to me. During my senior year in college, I enjoyed delivering a presentation on how our former and current health policy affects underrepresented communities. As a medical student at GW, I would be able to continue to pursue my passion for learning about health policy through this track program. Furthermore, the opportunity to work with lawmakers to enact changes in our health care system would be very rewarding.

By attending GW, I would be able to take advantage of its renowned clinical training and track programs. In my opinion, these two aspects of GW would provide me with a solid, clinical foundation as well as the opportunity to explore areas like health policy that are outside of the traditional medical school curriculum. I believe that these unique experiences at GW would help me to develop into a very well-rounded, competent physician.

More notes about the secondary

Remember that you only have so much time to research the school and write this essay, as you probably have 20 other secondaries for different schools to complete as well. My advice is to browse through GW’s website, pick a few things you like about the school, and just start writing.

Here’s another secondary essay example, this time from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Again, this is from a couple of years ago.

I unfortunately didn’t end up getting an interview at Mount Sinai. If I could go back in time, I think I would explain more about what I learned from the experience. Regardless, I still think this might be a helpful essay to look at for those applying.

Please tell us about a situation in which working with others has been challenging. (200 words)

On the first day of physiology lab, our class was divided into lab groups of three people each. The first lab consisted of isolating a sciatic nerve from a frog and later performing experiments on the nerve to obtain information about action potentials.

During the lab, one group member, Emma, insisted on carrying out the dissection and experiments herself despite my other group member’s and my repeated offers to help. After the lab, I asked my other group member, Jessica, if she similarly noticed Emma’s reluctance to let others participate in the experiment. When Jessica acknowledged the problem as well, I decided to speak with Emma about the issue.

The following week at lab, I explained to Emma our predicament. Because Jessica and I had not been able to participate fully in lab, I explained, we struggled to learn the dissection techniques and grasp important physiology concepts. I emphasized that equal contribution of group members would increase efficiency and allow all group members to learn.

Emma apologized, explaining she had simply been unaware of the situation. From this day forward, our group equally divided up laboratory responsibilities. This allowed for increased efficiency and a collaborative working environment.

I wanted to share some of my secondary essays/responses for the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University from a few years ago. This particular secondary asks some questions which force applicants to do their homework on the school. I figured this might be helpful for some applicants out there.

Example Secondary Essay Responses For Temple

What is the nature of your special interest in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine? (2000 characters)

Though many aspects about the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM) motivated me to apply, two features in particular appealed to me: LKSOM’s emphasis on clinical training and the global medicine program.

I believe that LKSOM’s extensive focus on producing students with outstanding clinical skills will best prepare me as a physician. Through the William Maul Measey Institute for Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety (ISC), students can undergo clinical simulations that help them learn procedural skills and aid their clinical decision making process. With the ISC’s help–through the use of virtual reality trainers, standardized patients, and patient instructors–students at LKSOM, in my opinion, can truly hone their clinical skills.

I am also impressed by the opportunities afforded by LKSOM’s global medicine program. As early as the summer following their first year of medical school, students can travel to various areas outside of the United States – such as Asia, Africa, and Central and South America – and work directly with physicians to care for patients and perform research studies. Similarly, during their third and fourth years, students have the opportunity to do their clinical rotations in various medical schools throughout the world. I believe that through this program, students are not only afforded the opportunity to experience and live in another culture, but also gain broad experience with international medical operations. The global medicine program, in my opinion, affords its students much more than simply early clinical experience.

By attending LKSOM and taking advantage of the school’s extensive clinical training and global medicine program, I believe that I will be on my way to becoming a very competent, well-rounded physician.

Describe the nature of your special interest in your first choice ranked Clinical / Regional Campus. (2000 characters)

Though all LKSOM affiliated clinical teaching sites prepare their students well clinically, I believe that conducting my clerkships and sub-internships at the Temple University Health System and Affiliates (TUHSA) will best prepare me for a career in medicine.

Doing clinical rotations at TUHSA in Philadelphia, a historically diverse city, will expose me to a wide variety of medical disorders and simultaneously serve as an avenue to learn about other cultures. As a result of treating patients of varied cultural, economic, and social backgrounds at TUHSA, I believe that I will encounter patients with a range of medical conditions. Additionally, I believe that this diversity will help increase my awareness of other cultures and lifestyles, a quality that will help me to converse and connect with patients who are different than myself when I begin practicing medicine as a fully trained physician.

Undergoing my clinical training at TUHSA will also expose me to advanced patient care and treatment services. TUHSA not only employs world-class surgeons and specialists, but also has access to the latest research innovations. By receiving the guidance of renowned physicians and learning about cutting-edge medical procedures, I believe that I will be well prepared to treat patients in a similar manner in the future.

Staying at TUHSA for my clinical training will also prevent an interruption of my research that I will hopefully be conducting at LKSOM my first year in medical school. Though I am not sure yet of the particular nature of the research, I plan to contribute to the advancement of science during my time at LKSOM.

I look forward to beginning my clinical training at TUHSA. By taking advantage of its diverse patient population, medical research innovations, and world-class physicians, I believe I will be well prepared for a career in medicine.