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.