David Geffen (UCLA) School of Medicine Secondary Application

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Secondary Essay Prompts

(If you have updated prompts, please submit them at updatesecondaries.com)

Prompts have been updated April 2023. (Older essays, if available are below)

Prompts:

Required

At the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, students are provided with curriculum and experiences enabling them to become an “Outstanding Physician, AND…,” dedicating themselves to important societal missions. What missions do you want to embrace? What have you done toward your missions?
Respond to the following and indicate how these areas of experience have impacted your progress toward your future career goals in relation to becoming an “Outstanding Physician, AND…”. A-Describe your most unique leadership, entrepreneurial, or creative activity.
B-Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful.
C-Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor.
Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as other relevant information.
Did you experience or are you anticipating time between graduating from college and matriculating into medical school? If yes; Describe the activities in which you participated or are planning to participate. Examples include additional schooling, employment, or caring for a loved one.

Optional

Do you identify as being part of a group that has been marginalized (examples include, but are not limited to, LGBTQIA, disabilities, federally recognized tribe) in terms of access to education or healthcare? If yes; Describe how this inequity has impacted you or your community and how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community.

Prime:

Each prompt has a 2,000 character limit

What is the most important social issue confronting the health of disadvantaged communities and what would be your first steps to address this issue?
In what way will graduating from UCLA PRIME and obtaining a master’s degree enhance your career in health care or health services for disadvantaged communities? (If you are considering a specific master’s degree (e.g. MPP, MPH, MBA, etc.), please incorporate your graduate degree plans or aspirations into your answer)
Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities.
What are your greatest strengths and your greatest challenges as you approach medical school?
What is your most memorable experience as it relates to working with vulnerable populations?

Primary Deadline: October 1, 2021
Secondary Deadline:Unknown (Try to turn your secondaries around within two weeks after receiving)
Secondary Fee: $95
FAP Waiver: Full Fee Waiver
CASPer Required: No
VITA Required: Yes
Screens Applications: Yes
Accepts Application Updates: No

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Mission:

To improve health and healthcare, UCLA will:

Create world leaders in health and science

Discover the basis for health and cures for disease

Optimize health through community partnerships

Heal humankind one patient at a time

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Values:

Excellence and Integrity

Discovery and Innovation

Service and Respect

Teamwork and Compassion

Former Prompts (before 23-24 cycle)

Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life. (800 char)
What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 char)
What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 char)
Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (300 char to explain if yes) | How to Write About Your Gap Years in Secondary Essays
What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (300 char)
What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (300 char)
Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (500 char) | How to Write About Your Obstacles, Challenges, and Problems in your Secondary Essays
Section to enter major work experiences, with 4000 char. to explain each experience.
Is there any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? If yes: Please explain. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors: (500 char)
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal? (500 char) | How To Answer Secondary Prompts About The Future