Episode 99. When applying to medical school, programs will send you a set of about 2-5 prompts for essays after they receive your primary application. It is just as important as the primary app when deciding who to interview! Some schools screen applicants and only send secondaries to selected applicants while other schools send secondaries to everyone. The purpose of secondaries is help schools decide if you are a good fit for their incoming class, so it's important to personalize your responses for each school.

Top 10 tips:

  • Start working on essays as soon as you are finished with the primary app. You can look up prompts from past years on sites like Medical School HQ.
  • Keep track of the deadlines for secondaries and prioritize the ones with sooner due dates.
  • Submit as soon as you can. You don't need to wait for the deadline you are given.
  • Pay attention to maximum character counts or word counts. This can differ widely between schools.
  • Be as specific as possible. Schools can tell if you use the same copy-and-paste essay for all the schools you’re applying to.
  • For prompts that ask about your future goals, show that you have interests while also demonstrating that you are open-minded and willing to learn.
  • Use skeletons of essays that you can then personalize for each school to save time.
  • Triple check before submitting that you use the correct school name and location in your essays.
  • Make sure you are answering the questions that is actually being asked; don’t just use the space to talk about what you want.
  • Proofread! Send essays to a mentor or invest in a professional service. (see below)

10 common essay prompts on secondaries:

  • Describe how specific attributes of our mission and core values align with your professional goals and personal attributes.
  • What influenced your decision to apply to our school?
  • Describe a significant challenge you have experienced and share what you learned from the experience.
  • Where do you see yourself in your medical career twenty years from now?
  • What achievement are you most proud of in your life?
  • Please explain how you personally would contribute to diversity at our school.
  • Describe an experience where you interacted with a person from a different background than you.
  • Please describe if and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your preparation for applying to medical school.
  • Please share any information you want us to know about you that is not included in your primary application or in this secondary application.
  • AACOMAS: How did you learn about osteopathic medicine and why is it a good fit for you?

Editing Services and One-on-One Consultation for Pre-Med and Medical Students (CV, personal statement, applications): ⁠https://www.fiverr.com/firstlinepod⁠

First Line is created and hosted by Dr. Aubrey Ann Jackson. Visit First Line’s website where you can view blog posts: ⁠https://poddcaststudios.wixsite.com/firstlinepodcast⁠

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