Blog Archives

“Why Our School” Secondary Essay: How to Get Started

Secondary essay prompts vary, but there are a few that are standard fare. See my recent blog entry for guidance on the familiar “diversity essay.” “Why do you want to attend our school?” is also a common topic pre-meds will encounter.

Medical school admissions officers want to be assured that you know their institution, are seriously considering it, and will fit in well there. In approaching the “why-our-school” question, do your research on the institution and link something specific about you with the school’s philosophy, curriculum, patient population, and/or extracurricular programs.

For instance, if you were a teaching assistant for chemistry in college, you might link your use of the Socratic method with a school’s tutorial-based learning. In that way, you demonstrate knowledge of the school, show that you connect well with it, and showcase your accomplishment.  

The paradox here is that – although you are theoretically focusing your essay on one school – because so many institutions have overlapping philosophies, curricula, and objectives – you can oftentimes use the same essay framework for many different schools.

That’s one strategic way to cut down the overwhelming workload that secondary applications present.

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Secondary Essays: The Diversity Prompt

I’ve had several questions recently on how to approach secondary essays, so I’ll address some common prompts over the next month or so in this blog.

In considering your strategy and content for the diversity prompt, I’d recommend you ask yourself the following question:

What ethnic, religious, racial, gender, language, socioeconomic, or sexual orientation aspects of me, my family, or my experience make me distinctive?

Please note that experience is part of the question I have posed. An applicant I mentored a few years back wrote to me concerned that she did not fit into a minority category and thus, could not answer the prompt effectively. I suggested she consider an experience that targeted the prompt’s theme, and she wrote a strong essay about her successful efforts to increase diversity during sorority rush. When I applied to medical school, I crafted one of my secondary essays on my experience hearing Spike Lee speak on my college campus. 

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

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Medical School Help: What are the Next Steps Once the AMCAS is In?

Once you’ve submitted your AMCAS, what can you do next to best prepare for what’s to come in the medical school admissions process?

Here are a few tips:

1. Start drafting secondary essays. Even if you haven’t yet received the prompts, you can begin to craft responses to common themes like “how would you add diversity to our school?” and “describe an extracurricular activity that might be of interest to the committee.” Good writing takes time, but if you wait for the onslaught of secondary applications, you won’t be able to impart your essays with your highest quality effort.

2. Get a head start on preparing for the medical school interview. Practice, practice, practice. Start mocking up answers to interview questions so that you distinguish yourself.

3. Consider what you want. Do some soul searching to determine what you are really seeking geographically, philosophically, and educationally. You want to make considered decisions when the time comes.

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Medical School Applications are at their Highest Level Ever

In 2021, medical school applications from first-time candidates increased a startling 18%. More than 62,000 students applied to medical school in 2021, compared to approximately 53,000 the year prior. It’s unclear what caused such a large jump: It’s possible the pandemic was not a factor and that many students had planned to apply prior to COVID-19’s emergence. After all, it takes many years of planning to have a ready candidacy. Or perhaps individuals may have been inspired by healthcare workers’ dedication during the beginning of the pandemic. Interestingly, there was a significant increase in applications from Black and Hispanic students, which is encouraging.

With increasing numbers of candidates, medical schools will be more selective about which applicants they accept. Perhaps some students will consider physician assistant training as an alternative, however, enrollment there is up as well.

Take a look at this short piece by Dr. Thomas Cook, the Program Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency at Prisma Health in Columbia, for more analysis.

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Choose the Right Category for your AMCAS Experiences

AMCAS provides 18 categories in which you can classify your experiences. They are:

Artistic Endeavors
Community Service/Volunteer – Not Medical/Clinical
Community Service/Volunteer – Medical/Clinical
Conferences Attended
Extracurricular Activities
Hobbies
Honors/Awards/Recognitions
Intercollegiate Athletics
Leadership – Not listed elsewhere
Military Service
Other
Paid Employment – Medical/Clinical
Paid Employment – Not Medical/Clinical
Physician Shadowing/Clinical Observation
Presentations/Posters
Publications
Research/Lab
Teaching/Tutoring/Teaching Assistant  

Sometimes an activity matches two categories. When that happens, lean on the clinical classificiation, if applicable. (For example, if your activity is both Leadership and Community Service – Medical/ Clinical, choose the latter.) If clinical is not relevant, then choose the category in which you have the fewest activities.

A client who came to me as a re-applicant a few years back told me that a school from which she was rejected indicated that they had not counted a clearly clinical activity as clinical because she had classified it differently. So be sure you consider the categories deliberately in crafting your AMCAS.  

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

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