med 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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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] .

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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?

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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.

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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!

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Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts: The Most Common Questions to Prepare For

Padya Paramita

June 12, 2019

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 to relax. I wouldn’t recommend it, considering your medical school secondary essays are right around the corner. Schools cut off a big portion of the application pool between the secondary and the interview stages, so don’t take the medical school secondary essay prompts lightly!

Although medical schools don’t typically begin sending out secondary applications until early July, you shouldn’t just sit around and start reading a 400-page novel for fun while you wait. Rather, prepare yourself to have common essay topics ready for the minute the prompts are sent out. Below, I’ve outlined the general timeline of secondaries, how to keep yourself organized in the process, the most common medical school secondary essay prompts and how to approach them, recent secondary questions at MD programs, and overall dos and don’ts when writing your medical school secondaries.

How to Prepare for Secondaries: The Basics

Secondary essay prompts are demanding and ask you questions that allow you to reflect on your experiences, career goals in medicine, and challenges that you have overcome. Medical schools want to know why you’re interested in their program and how they might be a good fit for you and vice versa. The number of applicants who receive secondaries varies from school to school. Most schools automatically send out secondaries upon submission of the primary to all applicants, while others ensure students have passed an initial screening and met the GPA and MCAT cutoffs (typically set at a 3.0 GPA and 500 MCAT score) before sending out secondary essays.

First and foremost, you should not put off submitting your secondaries, because your application is not considered complete without them. At most schools, your AMCAS will not even be read until you’ve submitted this portion as well, so don’t delay. Medical schools don’t usually state a deadline for the secondary essays but if they do, absolutely adhere to it, or all your hard work will go to waste.

Second, medical schools view the time you take to turn in your secondaries as a direct reflection of your interest in their program. If there’s no deadline, you should be looking to complete them and send them back within two weeks of receiving them. The two week turnaround time is long enough to be meticulous, but short enough to show eagerness. If you sit around and take over a month to send back your secondaries, don’t expect an interview. But if you take time to think about possible medical school secondary essay prompts and how you might prepare for them in advance, you won’t be scrambling at the last minute.

Secondaries Organization & Game Plan

In order to keep yourself organized and monitor the secondaries for each school, start a spreadsheet. It should detail whether you’ve received the prompt, whether you’ve paid the secondary application fee ($50 or $75, depending on the school), the method to submit, the essay topic(s), and whether you’ve submitted the essays or not. This way, you can keep track of your progress and what remains to be covered for each school, avoiding additional stress during this high pressure period.

The best way to prepare for your secondary essays is to simply start writing about yourself. While there’s no way to figure out the secondary essay prompts in advance for all your schools, you can generate tailored, well-written essays far more easily if you go ahead and tackle traditional essay topics. Medical school secondary essay prompts often follow a general pattern that you can readily get a sense of. The word or character limit for the secondary essays is set by each school, and could range anything from 2000 to 4000 characters.

The secondaries ask for essays about you , so keep in mind your most impressive qualifications, why you want to attend medical school, and how each school might be able to help you achieve your goals. You want to choose topics which bring out the best version of yourself. Remember, the people reading your applications are humans. You don’t want to bore them. You want to stand out as a unique individual in the process. It can come in handy to keep a separate document outlining your reasons for pursuing medicine and the unique opportunities at each medical school that resonate with your passions within the field. This can help you get the ball rolling so you’re ready to conquer medical school secondary essay prompts .

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 answering over seventy medical school secondary essay prompts . 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 which 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 essay prompts to expect, the list above should give you a clearer picture of what to prepare for.

How to Tackle the Most Common Prompts

Now that you’ve seen the classic questions medical schools ask for secondaries, it’s time to analyze how to answer them. Generally, if you look at the pattern of the prompts, admissions committees want to know who you are, why you’re motivated to pursue medicine, and how you would fit in at their school.

To further break down the ways schools specify what they’re looking for, let’s look at some questions based off of the common medical school secondary essay prompts :

“Why This School” Essays

Take a look at the following “why this school” prompts from three different medical schools in 2018, and the way they framed their questions:

• Georgetown University - Why have you chosen to apply to the Georgetown University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (1 page, formatted at your discretion)
• Mayo Clinic - Why are you specifically interested in pursuing your medical education at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine even if you gain acceptances to other highly ranked medical schools? (500 words or less)
• University of Toledo - Briefly describe why you wish to attend medical school at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. As part of this essay, please discuss, if applicable, any personal connection you may have to The University of Toledo, the UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences/former Medical College of Ohio, the city of Toledo, or the region of Northwest Ohio. (300 words)

Success with these questions lies in actually taking the time to do research on your school list. Make sure you know exactly what the programs offer - you’ve applied to the school for a reason. What are the things you like the most about it and how will it help your goals? Emphasize your demonstrated interest in the school as specifically as possible - detail what about the program’s mission appeals to you the most and fits your personality and plans. Finally, make sure you carefully read the entire prompt and answer all parts. While the objective of the questions is the same (to find out why you have chosen the school), each school puts its own unique spin to the question.

In the past, Georgetown has wanted to know how your training as a physician would benefit from a Georgetown education. To tackle this prompt, jot down specialties only Georgetown offers - faculty, courses, research opportunities - which appeal to you. Don’t pick every single thing off the website. Select a special few details relevant to your interests within medicine and talk about how learning from a certain professor, for example, aligns with your goals.

Mayo’s prompt last year was similar, but asked why you would choose them despite acceptances to other top schools. You definitely need to be as specific as possible in your response. Admissions committee members obviously want accepted students to enroll. They want to know that you’re not applying just for the sake of trying to attend a highly ranked school. So this is the time to demonstrate your knowledge of the program and to feature the opportunities you can take advantage of only at Mayo

Toledo’s “why this school” prompt in 2018 wanted to know about personal connections to the school, the city of Toledo, or the entire region of northwestern Ohio. Public medical schools pay special attention to in-state applicants, and love to see candidates convey interest in the regional appeal of the school. Whether you’ve learned fun facts from a relative who’s an alum or you have a strong connection to the food in the area, expressing concrete details about what you love about the medical school’s environment can help admissions committee members gain an added perspective on you.

“How Will You Contribute to Our School” Essays

Check out a couple examples of medical school secondary essay prompts from last year which ask about how you will contribute to MD programs:

• New York University - The Admissions Committee uses a holistic approach to evaluate a wide range of student qualities and life experiences that are complementary to demonstrated academic excellence, strong interpersonal skills and leadership potential. What unique qualities or experiences do you possess that would contribute specifically to the NYU School of Medicine community (2500 characters max)?
• University of Nevada - Describe how your background and future goals will contribute to the mission of the University of Nevada School of Medicine.

To answer the “how will you contribute to our school prompts,” you need to think about the theme of your own application, and the theme of the institution itself.

Your essay could follow an application persona, or a recurrent theme throughout to help you stand out from other applicants. For example, your application persona could be that you are an aspiring surgeon who was motivated to be a doctor after helping victims of a natural disaster. Keeping your persona in mind can help you decide which of your qualifications and experiences to highlight in such an essay. What do you bring to the table that other applicants don’t? What are you passionate about? What parts of medicine excite you?

Admissions committees want to understand how they’ll specifically benefit from your unique contributions. Think about what each school is known for. How does its mission align with what you hope to achieve from an education in medicine? Don’t get carried away, just talk about your perspective.

“Describe a Challenge You’ve Faced” Essays

Often, medical schools want to know about how you respond to challenges, as shown in the prompts below:

• University of Chicago - Share with us a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. In your response, identify both the coping skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words.
• Harvard University - If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. (4000 characters maximum)
• University of Kansas - Beyond academics (grades and MCATs), describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to address this challenge.

When answering prompts that fall under the “challenge” umbrella, you should do a little bit of self-reflection. The applicants you’re going up against may have faced far greater adversity than you have - whether in the loss of their home or facing prejudice of some kind in society. This type of question may be optional, for example, in the case of Harvard’s 2018 secondaries. But, if the question is not optional, and you’re not sure that you’ve really faced many challenges, do not exaggerate your adversity . Grasping at straws for adversity will backfire and show that you lack perspective.

Medical schools want their classes to be comprised of exceptional individuals, each of whom should bring something different to the class. Instead of telling stories that aren’t yours, focus on challenges you might have faced in a unique passion or avocation. Try talking about an obstacle you faced in your clinical adventures or while leading a project for your work or internship.

Dos and Don’ts

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with what you can expect out of your medical school secondary essay prompts , 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 answering medical school secondary essay prompts , 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!

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 guidelines - word limit, page limit, formatting requirements - 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 answering medical school secondary essay prompts , 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.

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.

Writing about a topic 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.

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.

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 on your medical school secondaries. 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.

Medical school secondary essay prompts offer you the challenge of answering specific questions about yourself and your career interests within a short span of time. But, if you anticipate the kinds of questions headed your way and prepare in advance, with a stroke of luck, you might even have a few first drafts before the secondaries even come out. You’ve got a lot of writing coming up, so the sooner you start working on the common medical school secondary essay prompts , the better. And if you get an interview, and eventually accepted into medical school, the extra effort you put into working on your secondary essays will all be worth it.

General FAQ

Do all applicants get secondaries.

The number of applicants who receive secondaries varies from school to school. Most schools automatically send out secondaries upon submission of the primary to all applicants, while others ensure students have passed an initial screening and met the GPA and MCAT cutoffs.

When is the right time to turn in my secondary essays?

Medical schools view the time you take to turn in your secondaries as a direct reflection of your interest in their program. If there’s no deadline, you should be looking to complete them and send them back within two weeks of receiving them.

What are some common secondary essay prompts?

Some of the most common prompts include: “explain why you wish to attend this particular medical school,” “what diverse or unique element will you bring to this medical school community,” and “if you graduated before you applied, summarize your activities since you graduated.”

How many prompts do I have to answer per school?

Schools often have a range of 2-9 secondary questions for you to answer.

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Stanford Medical School Secondary Essays: Tips & Prompts

• Cracking Med School Admissions

Getting accepted to Stanford School of Medicine is hard. Very hard. Stanford is looking for the next game changers in healthcare. Submitting an OUTSTANDING Stanford secondary application is vital to receiving an interview invite, which ultimately can lead to an acceptance. Read our Stanford Medical School secondary essays tips so you know what to highlight in your Stanford secondaries. 

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team is made of Stanford School of Medicine alumni. We know Stanford Med inside and out.  We have a track record of helping multiple applicants receive acceptances to Stanford School of Medicine year after year. 

While there are many Stanford secondary essays, they are relatively short and will help cover a wide variety of other medical school secondary essays you will have to write. The prompts don’t change too much year over year.  You can definitely pre-write your Stanford secondaries because prompts barely change each year, but this is the least time sensitive school, and we know many students who submit in September and still receive Stanford Interview Invites!

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Stanford Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024

Stanford medical school secondary essay prompts.

• Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background. (E.g., I grew up in New York City, as the 3rd child of a supermarket cashier and a high school principal. I attended Mann High School where my major interests were boxing and drama.) (600 characters max)
• Academic Medicine (Clinical)
• Academic Medicine (Physician Scientist)
• Non-Academic Clinical Practice
• Health Policy
• Health Administration
• Primary Care
• Public Health/Community Health
• Global Health
• How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? (1,000 characters max)
• The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important and/or challenging factors in your background which may include such discussions as the quality of your early education, gender, sexual orientation, any physical challenges, and life or work experiences. Please describe how these factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and may help you to uniquely contribute to the Stanford learning environment. (2,000 characters max)
• Please describe how you have uniquely contributed to a community with which you identify. (1,000 characters max)
• Please describe an experience/situation when you advocated for someone else. (1,000 characters max)
• (Optional) Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1,000 characters max)

Stanford Knight-Hennessey Program Prompts

• State contribution of: employment, family, loans, and scholarships/grants
• Organization Name:
• Dates of Employment (Month, Year): 
• Position/Title: 
• Sector [Nonprofit, Private, Public]:
• Hours/Week:
• Job Type [Full-Time, Part-Time, Intern]:
• Organization’s Activities [150 char]: 
• Your Responsibilities [150 char]: 
• Your Accomplishments 150 char]: 
• Your Challenges [150 char]:
• Reason for Leaving [100 char]: 
• Organization / Activity:
• Dates of Participation:
• Frequency of Participation:
• Did you participate during and/or after college?
• Why did you get involved?
• What did you achieve and/or learn?
• Award / Honor Received:
• Date Received:
• Basis of Selection:
• Why is this award / honor meaningful to you?
• 2 Letters of recommendation
• Short Answer Essay: How will your K-H Scholars experience prepare you to realize your immediate and long-term intentions? [250 words]
• Made somebody proud of you?
• Were most challenged?
• Fell short of expectations?
• Short Answer Essay:  Please tell us eight improbable facts about you  [150 words total]
• Long Essay / Personal Statement: Connect the dots, How have the influences in your life shaped you?  [600 words total]
• Optional Essay:  Has there been a period exceeding three months when you were neither working nor in school since you completed high school/secondary school? Please let us know what you did during the gap period(s). [750 characters]
• Optional essay: One Last Thing/Additional Info [750 characters]

Tips to Answer Stanford Secondaries

Stanford Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance: Questions for Stanford School of Medicine do not vary too much each year. Sometimes, Stanford adds or removes 1 question. This is a good med school secondary to pre-write. However, from our extensive experience, Stanford is not a time-sensitive medical school, so you do not need to rush to submit this secondary. This is usually one of the last secondaries we tell 

Disclaimer: Our knowledge about Stanford University and Stanford School of Medicine are based from our personal experiences. Our views are our own and not of Stanford University’s. Our tips for getting accepted to Stanford are based off of 15+ years of helping premedical students get accepted into Stanford University School of Medicine and other top medical schools. Dr. Mediratta and Dr. Rizal help applicants through editing their AMCAS primary application , editing + strategizing their Stanford secondaries , and preparing intensely for Stanford’s Multiple Mini Interview . We help several applicants get accepted into Stanford each year. If you want our help, contact us  down below or email us at [email protected] .

Stanford Medical School Secondary Essays Tip #1:  First thing’s first. What does Stanford Medical School look for and how do you stand out? Each Stanford Medical School class is extremely diverse, but there are a few common attributes among its medical students (and you should convey these elements on your Stanford secondary essays!):

• Leadership experiences. The Stanford Admissions Committee wants to recruit the next leaders in medicine.
• Desire to improve healthcare through innovation. Innovation can be through new health education programs, artificial intelligence, biomedical research, or any other creative out-of-the-box ideas you have!
• Patient care and clinical experiences. However, it is not enough to mention to the Admissions Committee your various clinical experiences – stories about patients you’ve impacted should relate to how you want to change healthcare.
• How you will contribute to the Stanford community and how Stanford will help you become a leader in healthcare.

 Write about how you’ve accomplished innovative thinking, leadership, and impact in your community. Write about how you plan on contributing to society through these attributes. Don’t forget to write how Stanford University will help you accomplish these ambitious goals. It is difficult to exude your vision to change healthcare in rather short answers that don’t exactly ask you “how do you want to change healthcare.” Therefore, you should take advantage of the open-ended diversity essay. There’s a lot of strategy for the Stanford Medical School application so contact us if you want help with your Stanford secondaries!

Stanford Medical School Secondary Essays Tip #2: Answer as many questions as possible. Optional questions are NOT optional questions, in our opinions, if you want to stand out through your Stanford Medical School secondary essays. For example, answer  “ Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? ” Your response should fill in the gaps – things you were not able to discuss in your other Stanford Medical School secondary essays. This is a good question to add a patient story and leadership. 

Stanford Medical School Secondary Essays Tip #3: Discuss your vision your change healthcare. When the admissions committee reads your application, it needs to be clear how you will make an impact in medicine. For some people, they will discover a new drug for autoimmune diseases. For other applicants, they may build healthcare programs that improve healthcare disparities. Your vision does not  have to be research-oriented. Have questions about how you can stand out and convey your vision?  Contact us  below. Need editing help on your secondary? We can help you through our  secondary essay packages . This is a popular secondary we help students edit since we graduated from Stanford Med :).

Stanford Medical School Secondary Essays Tip #3: For the Stanford secondaries question, “ Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background ” find something unique about your upbringing, such as studying abroad, jobs you worked, or values your parents taught you. 

Stanford Medical School Secondary Essays Tip #4: For the Stanford secondaries question, “How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine  Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals” and “Please describe your motivation for this practice scenario. Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario? What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path” –> these two questions have to complement each other

• It is extremely important to learn how to write a strong “ Why Stanford Medical Schoo l” essay.
• Read about the Discovery Curriculum
• Choose a specific Scholarly Concentration and clearly explain how the classes and opportunities in the scholarly concentration will help you become an impactful healthcare leader.
• When writing “Why Stanford,” you should also mention other opportunities outside the Scholarly Concentrations. Stanford University School of Medicine is located on the main Stanford University campus, along with the undergraduate departments,  other graduate programs, and other graduate schools (MBA / JD / Master’s). Many Stanford medical school students, including ourselves, took advantage of working on projects with other departments. For example, Dr. Rachel Rizal regularly took classes at the business school. You can write about these interdisciplinary opportunities in your Stanford secondaries.

Stanford Medical School Secondary Essays #5:  For the Stanford secondaries question, “Please describe an experience/ situation when you advocated for someone else,” write a story. Examples of excellent topics include a time when the medical school applicant advocated for a patient or a time when the medical school applicant advocated for an underserved individual. 

Stanford Medical School Secondary Essays #6: If you have a strong interdisciplinary background, apply to the Knight- Hennessy Scholars program.

Common Questions from Medical School Applicants:

• Does Stanford screen for secondaries? To our knowledge, Stanford School of Medicine does not screen to determine whether you receive a secondary or not. The admissions committee wants to hear from everyone and give all applicants an opportunity to submit as strong of an application as possible!
• Does Stanford send secondaries to everyone? Yes, Stanford University School of Medicine sends secondaries to everyone. Therefore, our Cracking Med School Admissions team recommends that you pre-write your secondary essays for Stanford.
• Do I need to strategize my answers for the Stanford secondaries Health Attitudes and Beliefs survey? No! These survey questions are anonymous questions and are not tied to your secondary application submission.
• Is the Stanford secondaries Health Attitudes and Beliefs survey truly anonymous? Yes! The Stanford School of Medicine admissions committee would not say that it’s anonymous and then have a back-door way of finding out your answers. That’s unethical! And the Stanford Admissions committee is anything but unethical. Answer the Stanford secondary application Health Attitudes survey truthfully!

Your medical school application Coaches, Mentors, & Cheerleaders

We Personally Advise Every Student We Work With.

Rachel Rizal, M.D.

Changing the trajectory of people’s lives.

Undergraduate Princeton University, cum laude

Medical School Stanford School of Medicine

Residency Harvard, Emergency Medicine

Awards & Scholarships Fulbright Scholar USA Today Academic First Team Tylenol Scholarship

Rishi Mediratta, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.

Advising students to attend their dream schools.

Undergraduate Johns Hopkins University, Phi Beta Kappa

Residency Stanford, Pediatrics

Awards & Scholarships Marshall Scholar Tylenol Scholarship Global Health Scholar

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Stanford Health Attitudes Survery

We get asked this each year – is the anonymous? Are certain answers better than others? Don’t over think this! This is a personal survey and anonymous, so answer truthfully and don’t stress about this. 

Here are the questions for your reference:

• Physicians should ask patients for their opinions about their illness. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• It is important to know patients’ points of view for the purpose of diagnosis. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Patients may lose confidence in the physician if the physician asks their opinion about their illness or problem. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Understanding patients’ opinions about their illness helps physicians reach correct diagnosis. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• A physician can give excellent care without knowing patients’ opinions about their illnesses or problems. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Understanding patients’ opinions about their illnesses helps physicians provide better care. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• A Physician can give excellent health care without knowing a patients’ understanding of his or her illnesses. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Physicians should ask their patients’ what they believe is the cause of their problem/illness. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• A physician should learn about their patients’ cultural perspective. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Physician can learn from their patients’ perspectives on their illnesses or problems. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Physicians should ask their patients why they think their illness has occurred. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Physicians should ask about how an illness is impacting a patient’s life. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Physicians should make empathic statements about their patients’ illness or problems. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Physicians should ask patients for their feelings about their illness or problems. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree
• Physicians do not need to ask about patients’ personal lives or relationships to provide good health care. Strongly Disagree / Moderately Disagree / Mildly Disagree / Mildly Agree / Moderately Agree / Strongly Agree

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Stanford Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023

• Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background. (E.g., I grew up in New York City, as the 3rd child of a supermarket cashier and a high school principal. I attended Mann High School where my major interests were boxing and drama.)  (600 characters max)
• Please describe any lessons, hardships, challenges or opportunities that resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, describe how these insights have informed your motivations and preparation for medical school in areas of academics, research, employment, volunteer service and/or clinical experiences. (1,000 characters max)
• Please describe which aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Medicine. (2,000 characters max)
• (Optional) Please include anything else that will help our Admissions Committee understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1,000 characters max)

Stanford Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

• Describe in a short paragraph your educational and family background. (600 characters max)
• The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. You are strongly encouraged to share unique attributes of your personal identity, and/ or personally important or challenging factors in your background. Such discussions may include the quality of your early education, gender identity, sexual orientation, any physical challenges, or any other life or work experiences. (2,000 characters max)

Stanford Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020 – 2021

• Please describe any lessons, hardships, challenges, or opportunities that resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Include any impact on your medical school application preparation in the areas of academics, research, employment, volunteer service, and/or clinical experiences. (1,000 characters max)

Stanford Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2019 – 2020

• The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. (2,000 characters max)

Stanford Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2018 – 2019

• The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine (2,000 characters max)
• How will Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1,000 characters max)

Stanford Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

• Academic Medicine
• Health Policy/Administration
• Public Health (Community Health, Global Health)
• How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifically the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? (1,000 characters max)
• If you have peer-reviewed publications resulting from scholarly endeavors, please complete a citation for each of your publications in the space below using the following format: Author, Title, Journal, Volume, Pages, and Date of Publication (e.g., searchable on PubMed). Please do not include abstract, conference, or unpublished papers.
• (Optional) Is there anything that we have not specifically asked that you would like for us to know and how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine? (1,000 characters max)

Stanford University School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2016 – 2017

• The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine (2,000 characters max) 

Stanford University School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2015 – 2016

• Private Practice
• Public Health
• Health Care Administration
• If you have peer-reviewed publications resulting from scholarly endeavors, please complete a citation for each of your publications in the space below using the following format: Author, Title, Journal, Volume, Pages, and Date of Publication (e.g. searchable on PubMed). Please do not include abstract, conference, or unpublished papers.

Stanford University School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2014 – 2015

• What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career?
• Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario? What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? (1,000 characters max)

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Secondary Essay Prompts – University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine

Secondary Essay Prompts for the University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine in Riverside, CA.

2019 – 2020

• Describe the single MOST important event or non-academic activity in your life and explain why it’s significant.
• What activity or accomplishment are you MOST proud of?
• What experiences or activities have prepared you to work with medically underserved communities?
• Please list any Scholastic Activities that you have been involved with (including honors and awards)
• Describe a major problem you have had to deal with at some time in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth.
• Is there any specific hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? Please briefly explain below. (Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors.)
• What kind of health care setting do you envision yourself working in?
• How do you see yourself contributing to the mission of the UCR School of Medicine?
• PERSONAL STATEMENT: Your personal statement from the AMCAS application will be used in our admissions process. You do not need to duplicate it here. At your option, you may use this space to provide any further information you may want us to consider in addition to the AMCAS personal statement. THIS IS NOT MANDATORY.
• If you click Yes for disadvantaged student -> Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities . Please limit your response to 250 words

2018 – 2019

All 250 words

• Would you describe yourself as a “disadvantaged candidate”? If yes an new tap opens up: Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities. Please limit your response to 250 words

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine.

2017 – 2018.

• The University of California, Riverside, 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 University of California, Riverside, 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 University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine and how do you think your education at University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (1 page, formatted at your discretion, upload as PDF)
• All of the prompts are 250 word limit

2016 – 2017

MedEdits  advises against using outdated prompts for the current season.

• All essays have 250 word limit

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

University of California, Riverside, 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.

University of California, Riverside, 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

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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

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100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle & High School – 2024

April 15, 2024

Some high school students dream of writing for a living, perhaps pursuing an English major in college, or even attending a creative writing MFA program later on. For other students, creative writing can be useful for school assignments, in English and other subjects, and also for preparing their Common App essays . In a less goal-oriented sense, daily freewriting in a journal can be a healthy life practice for many high schoolers. Not sure where to start? Continue reading for 100 creative writing prompts for middle school and high school students. These middle/high school writing prompts offer inspiration for getting started with writing in a number of genres and styles.

Click here to view the 35 Best Colleges for Creative Writing .

What are Creative Writing Prompts?

Similar to how an academic essay prompt provides a jumping-off point for forming and organizing an argument, creative writing prompts are points of initiation for writing a story, poem, or creative essay. Prompts can be useful for writers of all ages, helping many to get past writer’s block and just start (often one of the most difficult parts of a writing process).

Writing prompts come in a variety of forms. Sometimes they are phrases used to begin sentences. Other times they are questions, more like academic essay prompts Writing prompts can also involve objects such as photographs, or activities such as walking. Below, you will find high school writing prompts that use memories, objects, senses (smell/taste/touch), abstract ideas , and even songs as jumping-off points for creative writing. These prompts can be used to write in a variety of forms, from short stories to creative essays, to poems.

How to use Creative Writing Prompts

Before we get started with the list, are a few tips when using creative writing prompts:

Experiment with different formats : Prose is great, but there’s no need to limit yourself to full sentences, at least at first. A piece of creative writing can begin with a poem, or a dialogue, or even a list. You can always bring it back to prose later if needed.

Interpret the prompt broadly : The point of a creative writing prompt is not to answer it “correctly” or “precisely.” You might begin with the prompt, but then your ideas could take you in a completely different direction. The words in the prompt also don’t need to open your poem or essay, but could appear somewhere in the middle.

Switch up/pile up the prompts : Try using two or three prompts and combine them, or weave between them. Perhaps choose a main prompt, and a different “sub-prompt.” For example, your main prompt might be “write about being in transit from one place to another,” and within that prompt, you might use the prompt to “describe a physical sensation,” and/or one the dialogue prompts.  This could be a fun way to find complexity as you write.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Students (Continued)

Write first, edit later : While you’re first getting started with a prompt, leave the typos and bad grammar. Obsessing over details can take away from your flow of thoughts. You will inevitably make many fixes when you go back through to edit.

Write consistently : It often becomes easier to write when it’s a practice , rather than a once-in-a-while kind of activity. For some, it’s useful to write daily. Others find time to write every few days, or every weekend. Sometimes, a word-count goal can help (100 words a day, 2,000 words a month, etc.). If you set a goal, make sure it’s realistic. Start small and build from there, rather than starting with an unachievable goal and quickly giving up.

100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Teens

Here are some prompts for getting started with your creative writing. These are organized by method, rather than genre, so they can inspire writing in a variety of forms. Pick and choose the ones that work best for you, and enjoy!

Prompts using memories

• Begin each sentence or group of sentences with the phrase, “I remember…”
• Describe a family ritual.
• Choose an event in your life, and write about it from the perspective of someone else who was there.
• Pick a pathway you take on a regular basis (to school, or to a friend’s house). Describe five landmarks that you remember from this pathway.
• Write about your house or apartment using a memory from each room.
• Write an imaginary history of the previous people who lived in your house or apartment.
• Write about an ancestor based on stories you’ve heard from relatives.
• What’s your earliest memory?
• Who was your first friend?
• Write a letter to someone you haven’t seen since childhood.
• Write about yourself now from the perspective of yourself twenty, or eighty, years from now.
• Write about the best month of the year.
• Write about the worst day of the year.
• Rant about something that has always annoyed you.
• Write about the hottest or coldest day you can remember.
• Visualize a fleeting moment in your life and as though it’s a photograph, and time yourself 5 minutes to write every detail you can remember about the scene.
• Draw out a timeline of your life so far. Then choose three years to write about, as though you were writing for a history book.
• Write about a historical event in the first person, as though you remember it.
• Write about a memory of being in transit from one place to another.

Objects and photographs as creative writing prompts

• Describe the first object you see in the room. What importance does it have in your life? What memories do you have with this object? What might it symbolize?
• Pick up an object, and spend some time holding it/examining it. Write about how it looks, feels, and smells. Write about the material that it’s made from.
• Choose a favorite family photograph. What could someone know just by looking at the photograph? What’s secretly happening in the photograph?
• Choose a photograph and tell the story of this photograph from the perspective of someone or something in it.
• Write about a color by describing three objects that are that color.
• Tell the story of a piece of trash.
• Tell the story of a pair of shoes.
• Tell the story of your oldest piece of clothing.

Senses and observations as creative writing prompts

• Describe a sound you hear in the room or outside. Choose the first sound you notice. What are its qualities? It’s rhythms? What other sounds does it remind you of?
• Describe a physical sensation you feel right now, in as much detail as possible.
• Listen to a conversation and write down a phrase that you hear someone say. Start a free-write with this phrase.
• Write about a food by describing its qualities, but don’t say what it is.
• Describe a flavor (salty, sweet, bitter, etc.) to someone who has never tasted it before.
• Narrate your day through tastes you tasted.
• Narrate your day through sounds you heard.
• Narrate your day through physical sensations you felt.
• Describe in detail the physical process of doing an action you consider simple or mundane, like walking or lying down or chopping vegetables.
• Write about the sensation of doing an action you consider physically demanding or tiring, like running or lifting heavy boxes.
• Describe something that gives you goosebumps.
• Write a story that involves drinking a cold glass of water on a hot day.
• Write a story that involves entering a warm house from a cold snowy day.
• Describe someone’s facial features in as much detail as possible.

Songs, books, and other art

• Choose a song quote, write it down, and free-write from there.
• Choose a song, and write a story in which that song is playing in the car.
• Choose a song, and write to the rhythm of that song.
• Choose a character from a book, and describe an event in your life from the perspective of that character.
• Go to a library and write down 10 book titles that catch your eye. Free-write for 5 minutes beginning with each one.
• Go to a library and open to random book pages, and write down 5 sentences that catch your attention. Use those sentences as prompts and free-write for 5-minutes with each.
• Choose a piece of abstract artwork. Jot down 10 words that come to mind from the painting or drawing, and free-write for 2 minutes based on each word.
• Find a picture of a dramatic Renaissance painting online. Tell a story about what’s going on in the painting that has nothing to do with what the artist intended.
• Write about your day in five acts, like a Shakespearean play. If your day were a play, what would be the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution?
• Narrate a complicated book or film plot using only short sentences.
• Read a short poem. Then write a poem that could be a “sister” or “cousin” of that poem.

Abstract ideas as creative writing prompts

• Write about an experience that demonstrates an abstract idea, such as “love” or “home” or “freedom” or “loss” without ever using the word itself.
• Write a list of ways to say “hello” without actually saying “hello.”
• Write a list of ways to say “I love you” without actually saying “I love you.”
• Do you believe in ghosts? Describe a ghost.
• Invent a mode of time travel.
• Glass half-full/half-empty: Write about an event or situation with a positive outlook. Then write about it with a miserable outlook.
• Free-write beginning with “my religion is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with organized religion as you’d like).
• Free-write beginning with “my gender is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with common ideas of gender as you’d like).
• Write about a person or character that is “good” and one that is “evil.” Then write about the “evil” in the good character and the “good” in the evil character.
• Write like you’re telling a secret.
• Describe a moment of beauty you witnessed. What makes something beautiful?

Prompts for playing with narrative and character

• Begin writing with the phrase, “It all started when…”
• Tell a story from the middle of the most dramatic part.
• Write a story that begins with the ending.
• Begin a story but give it 5 possible endings.
• Write a list of ways to dramatically quit a terrible job.
• Write about a character breaking a social rule or ritual (i.e., walking backwards, sitting on the floor of a restaurant, wearing a ballgown to the grocery store). What are the ramifications?
• You are sent to the principal’s office. Justify your bad behavior.
• Re-write a well-known fairytale but set it in your school.
• Write your own version of the TV show trope where someone gets stuck in an elevator with a stranger, or a secret love interest, or a nemesis.
• Imagine a day where you said everything you were thinking, and write about it.
• Write about a scenario in which you have too much of a good thing.
• Write about a scenario in which money can buy happiness.
• Invent a bank or museum heist.
• Invent a superhero, including an origin story.
• Write using the form of the scientific method (question, hypothesis, test, analyze data conclusion).
• Write using the form of a recipe.

Middle School & High School Creative writing prompts for playing with fact vs. fiction

• Write something you know for sure is true, and then, “but maybe it isn’t.” Then explain why that thing may not be true.
• Write a statement and contradict that statement. Then do it again.
• Draft an email with an outlandish excuse as to why you didn’t do your homework or why you need an extension.
• Write about your morning routine, and make it sound extravagant/luxurious (even if it isn’t).
• You’ve just won an award for doing a very mundane and simple task. Write your acceptance speech.
• Write about a non-athletic event as though it were a sports game.
• Write about the most complicated way to complete a simple task.
• Write a brief history of your life, and exaggerate everything.
• Write about your day, but lie about some things.
• Tell the story of your birth.
• Choose a historical event and write an alternative outcome.
• Write about a day in the life of a famous person in history.
• Read an instructional manual, and change three instructions to include some kind of magical or otherwise impossible element.

Prompts for starting with dialogue

• Write a texting conversation between two friends who haven’t spoken in years.
• Write a texting conversation between two friends who speak every day and know each other better than anyone.
• Watch two people on the street having a conversation, and imagine the conversation they’re having. Write it down.
• Write an overheard conversation behind a closed door that you shouldn’t be listening to.
• Write a conversation between two characters arguing about contradicting memories of what happened.
• You have a difficult decision to make. Write a conversation about it with yourself.
• Write a conversation with a total lack of communication.
• Write a job interview gone badly.

Final Thoughts – Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School 

Hopefully you have found several of these creative writing prompts helpful. Remember that when writing creatively, especially on your own, you can mix, match, and change prompts. For more on writing for high school students, check out the following articles:

• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• 160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics
• 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
• Good Transition Words for Essays
• High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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Maryland Medical Schools—2024-2025 Guide to Acceptance

• By Med School Insiders
• April 10, 2024
• Application by State

Are you considering attending medical school in Maryland? Full of national history, lush forests, pristine lakes, and all the crab cakes you can eat, the state has plenty to offer. But what’s it like to attend medical school in Maryland, and how do you get accepted?

In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about going to medical school in Maryland, including where the medical schools are located, what it’s like to live in Maryland, how to apply, and tips for gaining acceptance to medical schools in Maryland.

Here’s what to expect below.

How Many Medical Schools Are in Maryland?

Maryland medical school locations, the johns hopkins university school of medicine.

• University of Maryland School of Medicine
• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine
• Application Requirements
• Application Deadlines
• Maryland Medical School Secondary Questions
• Visit the City of Baltimore
• Determine What You Can Offer the School
• Build Your Application Narrative

Bottom Line: Is Going to Medical School in Maryland Right for You?

There are three medical schools in Maryland, and all are allopathic schools. Maryland currently has no osteopathic medical schools. However, at the time of this article, the Metrius School of Osteopathic Medicine is seeking accreditation and licensure to open a proposed four-year osteopathic medical school in Hagerstown.

It must also be noted that while there are technically three allopathic medical schools in Maryland, the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at USU is specifically for students who are committed to joining the military. Although you will pay no tuition, you are required to “ complete an active duty service commitment upon graduating : seven years for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and ten years for the Public Health Service.”

List of Medical Schools in Maryland

Allopathic Medical Schools in Maryland (MD)

• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine (USU)

Both the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Maryland School of Medicine are located in Baltimore, Maryland. The campuses are 15-20 minutes away from each other on two opposite sides of the city, but commuting can take as long as 30-45 minutes, depending on traffic.

Baltimore is the largest and most populous city in Maryland by far, with a population of 558,000. The next highest is Columbia, with a population of 107,000. The F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at USU is located in Bethesda, which only has a population of 66,000.

It’s important to note that the crime rates in Baltimore are some of the highest in the country. But while that may be what the city is known for, just like any large city, there are pockets of more dangerous areas as well as many safe areas. We’ll cover what it’s like to live and study in Baltimore later in this guide. Jump to the Visit the City of Baltimore section to learn more.

Baltimore not only offers an extreme diversity of patient population and medical indications, it’s also home to a wide range of young professionals. It’s also not far away from Philadelphia, New York, or D.C., so conferences and activities in those areas are easily accessible.

Baltimore is easily traversable, but you may need a car. It offers a relatively low cost of living when compared to Philadelphia, DC, Boston, or New York, and rent is relatively inexpensive. It’s also possible for students to buy houses in the area.

The Insider contributor for this article bought a house in Baltimore and describes it as one of the best financial decisions he ever made. His house is just a few blocks from UMSOM, and Johns Hopkins students have the ability to do the same.

UMSOM offers housing grants to students and faculty to help subsidize the cost of living in the area. If you’re a USU student, that campus is in Bethesda, and housing there is more expensive.

While many students are in-state, Maryland attracts a great deal of out-of-state students, many of whom end up choosing to live in Maryland, as the state itself has an excellent education system, making it a nice place to raise a family, and plentiful opportunities, as the NIH and FDA are nearby.

The state of Maryland also has a large alumni network due to the age of the medical institutions.

How Much Is Medical School Tuition in Maryland?

So, how much does medical school cost in Maryland?

Maryland Tuition Costs (2023 Data From MSAR)

View the most recent AAMC tuition data .

• Additional fees not included.

Along with your tuition and additional fees, there is also the cost of medical school applications to consider. These can add up across exam fees, primary fees, secondary fees, study resources, and interview travel costs. Learn more: How Much Do Med School Applications Cost? The Full Price Analyzed .

There are also a number of other costs to factor into your decision making, including transportation, housing, events, food, and exercise. Unfortunately, Maryland has the 7th highest cost of living in the US.

While the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at USU charges no tuition, you must complete 7 years of active military service or 10 years of Public Health Service upon graduation.

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine was founded in 1893.

The Johns Hopkins Medicine mission statement is as follows:

The mission of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine is to educate medical students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in accordance with the highest professional standards; to prepare clinicians to practice patient-centered medicine of the highest standard; and to identify and answer fundamental questions in the mechanisms, prevention, and treatment of disease in health care delivery and in the basic sciences.

Median Academic Scores of Matriculants:

• Median GPA: 3.96
• Median MCAT: 521

As you can see from the statistics, admission into Johns Hopkins Medicine is quite competitive. The institution has an admit rate of 6.3%.

Johns Hopkins University was the nation’s first research university, and true to this legacy, it is the leading US academic institution in total research and development spending. In 2021, the university performed $3.181 billion in medical, science, and engineering research.

The School of Medicine itself received $566.9 million in NIH funding in 2022 , the fifth highest amount among US medical schools. Over 2000 NIH-funded faculty members welcome medical students to participate in mentored research projects. So if you’re interested in research, Johns Hopkins Medicine certainly has the resources.

Johns Hopkins Medicine has 6 academic and community hospitals, four suburban healthcare and surgery centers, and over 40 patient care locations, so med students have many different options when it comes to where they will spend their clinical rotations.

Generally, Hopkins serves East Baltimore and UMSOM serves West Baltimore, so there are kind of two different territories.

It should be noted that Hopkins is deeper into the city than UMSOM, so getting there requires driving through the city or going through a tunnel that charges a toll.

In-State vs. Out-of-State Applicants

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine accepts both in-state and out-of-state applicants.

In 2023, Hopkins had 392 in-state applicants and 5197 out-of-state applicants.

Hopkins does not give a preference to in-state or out-of-state applicants.

The University of Maryland School of Medicine

The University of Maryland School of Medicine was founded in 1807, making it the first public and fifth oldest medical school in the US. It was also the first medical school in the country to begin a residency training program.

• Median GPA: 3.86
• Median MCAT: 514

UMSOM recently launched its renaissance curriculum , which is a 1.5 year preclinical curriculum designed to give students more time to be exposed to different specialties during their clinical rotations. For example, emergency medicine and anesthesiology are now required core rotations, which allows students to become exposed to these specialties earlier in their medical education.

The curriculum is also now fully pass/fail. Research and clinical volunteering requirements are highly prioritized, as the administration makes an active effort to help their students make their residency application more competitive.

What makes UMSOM unique is the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center , one of the top trauma centers in the country, which provides students with excellent exposure training. Every student on their surgical rotation does one week of shock trauma. If you’re interested in surgery or critical care, it’s a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with this environment early on.

Research opportunities are also abundant. There are many cross-school collaborations with Maryland and Hopkins, and many departments are quite productive, including the Center for Vaccine Development, the Institute for Genome Sciences, and the Department of Neuroscience, where much of the faculty is engaged with some very cutting-edge research.

UMSOM offers many diverse rotation sites. For instance, if a student wants more practice working in a community setting, there are plenty of OB/GYN, family medicine, and psychiatry practices where they can gain that exposure. There are also sites in the city where UMSOM students rotate, such as Mercy Medical Center, which is a community medical center that is well-run, efficient, and clean since it’s essentially a new building.

Additionally, students also have the opportunity to work at the main hospital, where they can experience higher acuity and more complex cases. It ultimately depends on what you value.

Another bonus is that all professional schools are located on the same campus, such as nursing, pharmacy, law, dental, and medicine. Many of the facilities, such as the gym and some of the community areas, are shared, which helps promote interprofessional collaboration. The campus facilities are largely new, well-lit, and easily accessible.

UMSOM accepts both in-state and out-of-state applicants; however, they give a strong preference to in-state (resident) applicants. The average ratio for their freshmen class is 75% Maryland residents and 25% non-residents.

In 2023, UMSOM had 1017 in-state applicants and 4446 out-of-state applicants.

As you can see from the statistics and from UMSOM’s own website, the institution gives a major preference to in-state applicants.

The USU F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine was established in 1972 and named for the Louisiana Congressman who championed its creation. Known as “America’s Medical School,” the School of Medicine at USU doesn’t have a mission statement per se, but they do have a motto and four core values:

“Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way.”

Core Values:

We respect our students, staff, faculty, patients, and diversity. Those privileged to hold positions of authority must never use their power over others to demean, harass, or exploit.

We don’t lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do. Our patients expect us to be honest with them; so do our classmates, professors, and colleagues.

We are committed to ensuring that students, faculty, staff, contractors, and campus guests are safe from physical harm, threats, and other behavior intended to coerce, demean, or intimidate.

We demand excellence in military medicine and public health during periods of peace and war in the classroom, military hospital, laboratory, or battalion aid station on the other side of the world. Nothing less is acceptable.

• Median GPA: 3.84
• Median MCAT: 512

The USU F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine says 20% of active military doctors are USU graduates, 20% are first generation college graduates, and the institution holds a 93% board certification rate. The USU School of Medicine’s curriculum, the Molecules to Military Medicine (M2MM) , includes over 500 hours of military-unique training, and specialized training in areas like disaster response, cross-cultural medicine, leadership and interdisciplinary teamwork, trauma training, and tropical medicine.

The USU accepts civilians and active duty personnel. All students who are accepted pay no tuition and are sworn in as officers into one of the four uniformed services before they arrive for their first semester.

They also earn the full salary and benefits of a junior ranking officer while attending the program. After they graduate, they will complete an active duty service commitment: 7 years for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and 10 years for the Public Health Service.

The USU F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine accepts both in-state and out-of-state applicants. In 2023, USU had 197 in-state applicants and 2319 out-of-state applicants. Only 11% of matriculants were in-state.

How to Apply to Maryland Medical Schools

To apply to a medical school in Maryland, you will use the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS ), the AAMC’s centralized medical school application processing service. It’s the primary application method for first-year entering classes for the vast majority of medical schools in the US.

You only need to submit one set of application materials to AMCAS, regardless of how many schools you want to apply to. The service handles the rest.

Here’s what you need to know about applying to medical school in Maryland.

1 | Application Requirements

Your primary application is composed of several essential components—all of which are vital to your acceptance.

A successful application is made up of your college transcripts, a high GPA and MCAT score, strong letters of recommendation, a narrative-driven personal statement, and a Work and Activities section that displays longitudinal commitment as well as a variety of different interests. Making each piece of your application as persuasive as possible requires a major time investment—one that begins long before you actually apply to medical school.

At the time of this article, no medical school in Maryland requires either the Casper test or PREview . However, the USU School of Medicine does recommend its applicants take PREview.

The AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam is a situational judgment test composed of a series of hypothetical scenarios that students may face in medical school. It’s designed to evaluate a premed’s awareness of effective and ineffective professional behaviors.

Read our comprehensive PREview guide to learn more: AAMC PREview Prep—Everything You Need to Know .

Since most medical schools charge applicants a fee to submit a secondary application, you will likely receive secondaries from many or all of the schools you applied to two to four weeks after submitting your primary application. Unlike the primary application, you will submit your secondaries directly to each of the Maryland medical schools you received them from. Secondaries should be completed within 2 weeks of receiving them.

If you pique the interest of an admissions committee, you could receive an invitation to interview at the school at any point between the end of August and the spring of the following year.

Learn more about the complete application process: How to Get Into Medical School: AMCAS Application Process .

2 | Application Deadlines

The AMCAS application opens during the first week of May for the following academic year’s medical school class, but submissions do not open until the end of May or early June, giving you a month to prepare your application. This means if you plan to start medical school in the fall of 2025, you’ll need to start the application process in the spring of 2024.

However, it is crucial to understand that the technical deadlines provided by AMCAS are just that—technical. You must submit your application long before the technical deadlines, as every week or month you delay your application interferes with your chance of acceptance.

Applying as soon as submissions open is critical to your success. The reason for this is that medical schools evaluate applications as soon as they are received through a process called rolling admissions .

Applicants who submit their application early secure the first secondaries and interview spots.

Schools only have so many interview spots available, so chances of acceptance decrease the longer you procrastinate and delay your application. This also goes for your secondary applications.

Once you submit your secondaries, you’ll begin to receive invitations to interview. Interview season for medical schools in Maryland, and med schools across the country, begins in September and can run through March of the following year.

Since medical schools start sending out acceptances as they interview candidates, delaying any aspect of your application could result in someone with qualifications similar to your own receiving an acceptance in your place.

Stay on top of each of your medical school application deadlines with our comprehensive Medical School Application Timeline and Monthly Schedule . (Updated every application cycle.)

Maryland Medical School Secondary Application Questions

Generally speaking, medical schools send secondaries to every applicant who meets minimum requirements. This is because secondaries help schools get to know applicants better, and the institutions make money off of secondary fees.

However, the USU School of Medicine does not charge any fee for secondaries .

Aim to complete your secondary applications within 2 weeks of receiving them for every school you apply to, as any delays will negatively impact your chance of acceptance. To efficiently complete each secondary application and maintain quality responses, plan your answers in advance.

Typically, secondary questions are quite similar from one school to the next, and schools often reuse their questions from one year to the next. This means you can write responses in advance and also recycle many of your answers.

However, be sure to tailor your answers to each specific school as much as possible. This will help you stand out from other cookie cutter applicants who only take a brief glance at a school’s website before applying.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

The secondary application for the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine costs $100.

The following questions were asked for the 2023-2024 application cycle, and they were nearly exactly the same for the previous 2022-2023 cycle and each preceding cycle. However, the first two optional questions are new for this cycle.

1. Optional: If you have already received your bachelor’s degree, please describe what you have been doing since graduation, and your plans for the upcoming year. (2000 characters)

2. Optional: If you interrupted your college education for a semester or longer, please describe what you did during that time. (2000 characters)

3. Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (2500 characters)

4. Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment. (2500 characters)

5. Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician. (2500 characters)

6. Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? (2500 characters)

7. Wonder encapsulates a feeling of rapt attention … it draws the observer in. Tell us about a time in recent years that you experienced wonder in your everyday life. Although experiences related to your clinical or research work may be the first to come to mind, we encourage you to think of an experience that is unrelated to medicine or science. What did you learn from that experience? (2500 characters)

8. Optional: The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it. (2500 characters)

University of Maryland School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

The secondary application for the University of Maryland School of Medicine costs $80. The following questions were asked for the 2023-2024 application cycle and were largely similar to the previous cycle.

1. How would you describe your cultural background? (optional, 1000 characters)

2. Describe here the reason why you are specifically interested in attending the University of Maryland School of Medicine. (1000 characters)

3. Have you previously met or attended/seen a presentation by a University of Maryland School of Medicine Admissions staff member at an open house, college fair, conference, school visit, etc.? If yes, please explain. (1000 characters)

4. Aside from summer and holiday breaks, have there been any pauses or delays in your education semesters between high school and college, during college, or after college? If yes, please explain (1000 characters)

5. Please describe what you will be doing during the 2023-2024 academic year. If you graduated/will graduate in 2023, what are your plans for the coming year until you matriculate to medical school? (1000 characters)

6. If you’ve experienced academic challenges while in college and/or graduate or professional school, please describe and explain below. Please be sure to include withdrawals, incompletes, poor grades, etc. (Optional, 1000 characters)

7. Briefly describe your most meaningful exposure to clinical medicine. (1500 char)

8. Briefly describe your most satisfying experience related to community service. (1500 characters)

9. Without limiting the discussion to your own identity, please describe how you envision contributing to the values of equity and inclusivity at our School of Medicine, and in the medical profession. (1500 characters)

10. What does it mean to you to enter into a profession? (1500 characters)

MSTP Prompts:

Please indicate the MD/PhD program you are most interested in (drop-down menu).

Why are you applying to the MD/PhD Program at the UMSOM? (2500 char)

Please list the name(s) of your MD/PhD letter of recommendation writers who can focus on your research potential. (2500 char)

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

The secondary application for the USU F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine is free. The following questions were asked for the 2023-2024 application cycle and were largely similar to the previous cycle.

1. Medicine and Officership are time-honored professions that unite at “America’s Medical School” in rewarding and challenging ways. What are your thoughts and impressions about serving as a uniformed medical corps officer, and why do you want to pursue this career path? (1500 Characters)

2. The Uniformed Services University features a unique curriculum that prepares students to care for those in harm’s way. Please describe what in your research about our school and its values attracts you to our institution’s mission and approach. (1500 Characters)

3. Our Admissions Committee assembles classes of students with a wide range of backgrounds, skills, experiences, and talents. Please describe how a special quality or experience of yours has informed your ability to participate well in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.(1500 Characters)

4. (optional) Were there any significant disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider in reviewing your application? (1500 Characters)

5. (optional) You may use this field to enter any information that you would like to share that was not provided on your AMCAS application. (2000 characters)

For any other school you’re curious about, check out our Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database .

Tips for Acceptance at Maryland Medical Schools

1 | Visit the City of Baltimore

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Maryland School of Medicine are both located in Baltimore, and provided you do not want to join the military, it’s likely these schools you’ll be applying to.

It’s vital you visit the city of Baltimore and explore each campus to understand whether or not you could live there for the next four years of your life.

It’s important to note that the crime rates in Baltimore are some of the highest in the country, and it consistently ranks on top 10 lists of the most violent cities in the United States . The chances of becoming a victim of violent crime are 1 in 64 , and the chances of becoming a victim of property crime are 1 in 30. Baltimore’s crime rates are not as high as New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago, but that said, it also has a much smaller population than those cities. However, 2023 saw a historic drop in homicides .

This isn’t meant to scare you away. There are many beautiful, safe places in Baltimore. That said, if you’re moving there from a smaller town where everyone leaves their doors unlocked and you can go anywhere without a worry, moving to Baltimore will certainly be a transition.

In any large city, you need to be more aware of yourself and your belongings and be aware of any unsafe places you might not want to venture through alone at night.

There’s certainly still a lot to love about Baltimore. The city  is packed with museums and landmarks, such as the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, the Baltimore Maritime Museum, and Baltimore Museum of Art. It also has a number of cultural events, arts and music festivals, and a dynamic culinary scene, so there is plenty to do in your downtime.

2 | Determine What You Can Offer the School

Your medical education is a two-way street. What can you offer the medical school? Why will you make a good fit? To determine what you have to offer, you must learn more about each school to better grasp the type of candidate they are looking for.

Think beyond superficial traits to deeply understand how you will help the school reach its goals. How have you tangibly lived the school’s values? These are the types of insights that interviewers and admissions committees are looking for.

It’s also essential to determine if the school is a good fit for you. You might like a school on paper or by name, but that’s not enough. Dig deeper than MSAR data by reaching out to current and former students to understand what their experience has been like. What’s the vibe? What research opportunities do they offer? Are there professors you’re excited to study under? What’s the teaching style of the school?

You must be able to speak to what you have to offer the school and why the institution is a perfect fit for you. This is why it’s so vital to do extensive research on each school you apply to, especially your top choice schools.

3 | Build Your Application Narrative

While academic qualifications are critical, a story is much more intriguing and easier to remember than dry facts. Each piece of your application must complement the other and demonstrate why you want to become a doctor and dedicate your life to medicine. A cohesive narrative will persuade admissions committees to look deeper.

Adcoms have your CV. Since they already know your qualifications, you don’t have to repeat them in your personal statement or other essays. Your focus must be on the moments and people in your life who have led you to medicine and made you who are today.

What story do you want to tell? What do you need admissions committees to know about you? Once you know this, weave that thread throughout your application with unique anecdotes and examples from your past. But remember not to repeat yourself. If you detail a story in your personal statement, don’t repeat it in another essay. Each piece of your application should build upon the other with fresh insights.

Crafting a cohesive and compelling narrative is no mean feat—it takes a major investment of time, so don’t put it off. What key moments in your life have defined you and crystallized your ambition to pursue medicine? How has adversity made you more resilient?

Learn more: How to Develop a Cohesive Narrative for Medical School Applications .

Each medical school in Maryland offers significant and unique opportunities and extensive resources—particularly Johns Hopkins. If you’re excited to work with a diverse patient population and gain experience in a great deal of different learning environments, going to medical school in Maryland could be right for you.

However, what matters most is whether or not you enjoy the community and environment that you’ll call home for the next four years of your life.

Pros of Attending Medical School in Maryland

• A diverse patient population in the city of Baltimore and surrounding areas.
• Proximity to top hospitals and research centers with many other hospitals in the city to give a diversity of training experiences.
• At the University Maryland, the presence of multiple other advanced degree programs on the same campus, allowing for the opportunity to meet students in other professions or take courses from other specialties.
• Baltimore is a charming small city with a reasonable cost of living. It has many neighborhoods with character, good restaurants, and fun activities.
• Baltimore isn’t a large city, so it is very walkable and easily drivable. It has a close proximity to the harbor and water, which provides a relaxing ambiance and scenery for restaurants.
• Baltimore is home to plenty of young professionals (graduate students, medical students, nursing students, etc.,) given the several undergraduate campuses in the surrounding areas, such as the undergraduate Hopkins and MICA campus in North Baltimore, the University of Maryland in West Baltimore, and Johns Hopkins in East Baltimore.
• Baltimore is close to D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City.
• The BWI airport is just a few minutes outside the city and offers a number of direct flights around the US.
• Maryland is close to good nature spots and hikes in Western MD and VA.
• Baltimore holds large stadium arenas in the city center, such as Baltimore Orioles/Camden Yards, Baltimore Ravens/M&T stadium, which is adjacent to TopGolf, and a casino.
• Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has the same tuition rates for both in-state and out-of-state students.
• Crab cakes!

Cons of Attending Medical School in Maryland

• Baltimore has poor public transit. The metro only has a few stops and city buses are unreliable, so generally, you need to have a car.
• Some areas of Baltimore are unsafe or have significant crime, so you need to be particular about where you choose to live and be cognizant of your surroundings in certain areas.
• The traffic going across east/west can be irritating at particular times; some highly trafficked roads are not well-maintained.
• If you’re not living in a secured apartment complex, packages can be stolen.
• The University of Maryland School of Medicine aims to only accept 25% of out-of-state applicants.

Research each medical school in Maryland deeply. Do you align with the teaching styles, goals, and values of each school? Are you excited to live in Baltimore or Bethesda?

Medical school is four or more years of your life, so choosing a location you’ll feel comfortable and be able to thrive in is of the utmost importance. But if you love sports, blue crabs, fishing, and being close to other major US cities, Maryland could be right for you.

Learn more: How to Decide Which Medical Schools to Apply to (12 Important Factors) .

What Adcoms Are Looking for

No matter which state you apply to, admissions committees are looking for diverse, mature, enthusiastic, and well-rounded students who will positively impact the student population of their school. Taking a cookie-cutter approach and simply checking off boxes is not enough to get you noticed.

Med School Insiders can help you develop a stand out application that will get you noticed by Maryland medical schools, as well as any schools at the top of your list. We have a wide range of services to suit your individual needs, from one-on-one guidance to application editing to mock interviews .

Our services are tailored to meet the needs of each student because we understand that every applicant is unique. Learn more about our comprehensive medical school application packages .

Sign up for our newsletter and follow our blog for the latest medical school application news, guides, and study strategies.

Thank you to Thank you to Dr. Albert Zhou , University of Maryland School of Medicine graduate, for being our Insider contributor for this guide.

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