University of Minnesota- Twin Cities Secondary Essay Prompts
(If you have updated prompts, please submit them at updatesecondaries.com)
Prompts have been updated June 2023. (Older essays, if available are below)
Prompts:
Required
- Our physicians pride themselves on giving outstanding care to patients, while looking for better and more equitable ways to do so. As you think about being a future physician and advocate for patients, describe a time when you advocated for someone or something. What did you learn from this situation? (1500 characters)
- Describe a time when you experienced an obstacle, challenge or failure. How did it affect you? What did you learn? (1500 characters)
- Describe a time when you personally experienced, observed, or acted with explicit bias. What did you learn about yourself and the experience? (1500 characters)
- Our families and communities tend to shape our individual worlds and perceptions. Think about the communities that you are an active part of, whether it be a cultural group, family, religious group, neighborhood, etc. Describe the world that you are most comfortable in and how it has shaped who you are. How will this impact your future as a physician and the patients you will serve? (1500 characters)
- Why do you want to go to medical school in the state of MN? (Consider the state of Minnesota and its population.) (1500 characters)
- The COVID-19 pandemic has created innumerable challenges, loss, and uncharted territory in public health. Describe your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with navigating COVID-19. Please tell us what impact, if any, this has had on your path to medical school. (1500 characters)
- The University of Minnesota Medical School is committed to building an anti-racist community. Please share your reflections on, experiences with, and greatest lessons learned about systemic racism. (Consider this country’s history, racism, racial injustice, anti-black racism, and the impact of the murder of Mr. George Floyd on the Minnesota/Twin Cities community). (1500 characters)
- How will your unique attributes (religion, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ideology, intellectual heritage, and/or experiences) add to the overall diversity of the University of Minnesota Medical School community? (1500 characters)
Optional
- What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? This is an opportunity for you to discuss an aspect of your journey to medicine that you have not already presented in your application. You may also update us with any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS application. (900 characters)
Required for students pursuing the Indigenous Health Pathway.
- Indigenous Health Pathway
The University of Minnesota Medical School is dedicated to educating future physicians who have demonstrated an interest in serving Indigenous communities.
1) Describe your experience in and ties to Indigenous communities, including your familiarity with life in an Indigenous community or your Indigenous community.
2) What do you view as the greatest healthcare needs in Indigenous communities? Describe your future practice and how you will help fill these needs as a future physician.
3) List each city or town you’ve lived in, starting with your place of birth and indicating which is your hometown. We define hometown as the place you lived the longest between birth and age 18. You are limited to listing 15 residences. If you need to include more, please contact the Office of Admissions for assistance. Please use only numbers in the population field.
Required for students pursuing the Rural Health Pathway.
- Rural Health Pathway
The University of Minnesota Medical School is dedicated to educating future physicians who have demonstrated an interest in serving patients and families in rural Minnesota.
1) Tell us how you define the term “rural community” as it applies to Minnesota.
2) Describe your experience in and ties to rural Minnesota areas, including your familiarity with life in a rural Minnesota setting.
3) What do you view as the greatest healthcare practice needs in rural Minnesota communities? Describe your future practice and how you will help fill these needs as a future physician.
4) List each city or town you’ve lived in, starting with your place of birth and indicating which is your hometown. We define hometown as the place you lived the longest between birth and age 18. You are limited to listing 15 residences. If you need to include more, please contact the Office of Admissions for assistance. Please use only numbers in the population field.
Required for students pursuing the Urban Communities Pathway.
- Urban Communities Pathway
The University of Minnesota Medical School trains a culturally aware workforce qualified to meet the needs of the diverse populations we serve. Tell us why you are interested in engaging and/or working with urban underserved communities, and describe any experiences you have had serving underserved communities.
Required for students pursuing the 2SLGBTQIA+ Pathway.
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Pathway
The University of Minnesota Medical School is committed to dismantling the health disparities affecting Minnesota’s 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Describe your experiences engaging and/or working with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and explain why 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusive health care is important.
Required for students pursuing the Immigrant/Refugee/Global Health Pathway.
- Immigrant/Refugee/Global Health Pathway
The University of Minnesota Medical School strives to have our community better reflect the broad identities of our state. Describe your interest and/or experience engaging or working with refugee, immigrant, and global health communities. How do their experiences differ from the traditionally underserved and how will your experience prepare you to serve our refugee, immigrant, and global populations?
Primary Deadline: Usually around Nov 15th
Secondary Deadline: Usually around Nov 15th
Secondary Fee: $100
FAP Waiver: Full Fee Waived
Casper Required: No
PREview Required:
Screens Applications: No
Accepts Application Updates: No
University of Minnesota Medical School Mission:
To combine our scientific and clinical strengths to deliver the best in innovative, accountable, compassionate care to our patients and to impact the field of medicine for all.
University of Minnesota Medical School Vision:
To give the best of ourselves to create a Medical School where individuals thrive, collaborations elevate, and the best of medical practice, research and education combine to create a legacy of:
- Excellently trained and compassionate physicians.
- Scientists with the courage and expertise to pursue life-changing discoveries.
- Minnesotans whose lives have been improved through the highest quality of medicine.
Older Essays:
- Please describe your experiences with intentionally expanding your cultural awareness in an effort to promote acceptance, respect, and inclusivity (1500 Characters).
- Reflect on your background and the impact it has had on developing your own values and attitudes toward others, particularly those with values different than your own. Please include how your values and attitudes will foster a positive learning environment during your training, and benefit your future patients through the practice of medicine (1500 Characters).
- Beyond what you have shared in question two, please share information about important aspects of your personal background or identity as it relates to your desire to pursue medicine. Examples might include, but are not limited to, cultural context, disabilities, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, lived experiences, race/ethnicity, religion or spirituality, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status (Optional/1500 Characters).
How to Write About Diversity in Your Secondary Essays - If you have a specific interest in the study or practice of medicine please share it here. Please include specific experiences that have informed your interest (Optional/1500 Characters).
How to Answer Secondary Prompts About Specialties - Please describe a challenging life experience and how you dealt with it (1500 Characters).
How to Write About Your Obstacles, Challenges, and Problems in your Secondary Essays - Briefly describe why you are interested in attending the University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities campus (1500 Characters).
How to Answer Secondary Prompts about “Why Us” - If you are a non-resident applicant, do you have any special or significant ties to the state of MN? (Non-resident applicants are not required to have ties to MN and this question is not required.)
- Please explain any gaps in your education and/or work experiences since high school graduation that are not previously described in your application (300 Characters).
How to Write About Your Gap Years in Secondary Essays - What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? This is an opportunity for you to discuss or highlight any aspect of your journey to medicine that you may or may not have already presented in your application. You may also update us any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS application. (Optional/1500 Characters).
- If you are a re-applicant, how has your current application changed or what additional information would you like to highlight for the Admissions Committee? Re-applicant refers to having applied to any medical school in the past (Optional/1500 Characters).
How to Write About Being a Reapplicant in Secondary Essays
Former Prompts (before 23-24 cycle)
- Describe your academic journey. Include information about the courses you selected, your major and why you selected them. What challenges and victories did you experience? If you have an advanced degree or completed post-bacc work, why did you decide to pursue those? How have your academic pursuits prepared you for medical school? 1500 characters | How to Write About Your Obstacles, Challenges, and Problems in your Secondary Essays
- Tell us about a time when you recovered from a non-academic setback. How did you identify the setback and what steps did you take to recover? 1500 characters
- Please answer one or more of the following questions:
a) Tell us about a time when you were given too much work. How did you handle the situation?
b) Tell us about a time when you played a role in improving a process. How did you identify the areas for improvement and what steps did you take to change the process?
c) Tell us about a time when you were expected to adhere to deadlines. What strategies did you use to meet the deadline(s)?
1500 characters - Tell us about a time when you observed, personally experienced, or acted with implicit or explicit bias. If you observed or personally experienced implicit or explicit bias what did you do to address this situation or what would you do in the future? If you were implicitly or explicitly biased how did you become aware of this and what did you do to address the situation or what will you do in the future? Through either situation we are interested in what you learned. (This question is not required.) 1500 characters
- People have multiple identities. Please tell us about your identity. How has your identity impacted the development of your values and attitudes toward others, particularly those with values different from your own? Please include how your values and attitudes will foster a positive learning environment during your training, and benefit your future patients through the practice of medicine. 1500 characters | How to Answer “Why Should We Accept You?” in Your Secondaries
- Tell us about a time when you developed a creative approach to solving a problem or addressing an issue? (This question is not required.) 1500 characters
- Why do you want to go to medical school in MN? 1500 characters | How to Answer Secondary Prompts about “Why Us”
- What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? This is an opportunity for you to discuss an aspect of your journey to medicine that you have not have already presented in your application. You may also update us with any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS application. (This question is not required.) 1500 characters | How to Write About Red Flags in Your Secondary Essays
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