How to Answer Secondary Prompts Specific To Osteopathy

If you’re applying to osteopathic medical schools, several of them will ask you why you’re interested in osteopathic medicine in the secondary essays.

How should you go about answering this question?

Do your research about osteopathic medicine

What is osteopathic medicine? Understand where it came from and why it’s different. How do osteopathic schools see their role in medical education?

You will hear about the osteopathic philosophy and holistic medicine. However, holistic medicine is not owned solely by osteopathic physicians. 

Don’t just focus on holistic medicine

All good physicians practice holistically, whether DO or MD. So dig deeper when you’re talking about why you’re interested in osteopathic medicine

As you’re looking into the osteopathic philosophy, don’t just regurgitate it. 

Really dig into what it means. What are those core tenets of the osteopathic philosophy? Then try to tie that back into who you are as a person.

If the osteopathic philosophy is treating the mind, body, and spirit, and you really resonate with the spiritual side of things because you’re a yoga teacher or you’re really into meditation, then focus on that. 

You don’t just want to give a vague answer about holistic medicine that has no connection to your actual specific experiences and passions.

Connect osteopathic medicine back to your own experience

Don’t just regurgitate what you’ve heard, read, or researched. Really reflect on your journey, your experiences, your traits, your skills, and what you’ve done throughout your life. 

Tie those together with what you think the osteopathic philosophy is and how you resonate with it.

That will give you a more substantive answer that is actually authentic and personal to you.