Boston University School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

Educational History

1. Did you go on to college directly after high school?* Yes/No. If no, explain (1400 characters)

If you had a gap between high school and college describe the circumstances under which this occurred and what you did during that time. Delineate discrete things you achieved and tie them to a skill you gained or a lesson you learned. This is not common so it is likely that your experience was unique. Use this to your advantage and sell this year as something that made you a stronger person and candidate for medical school.

2. Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate degree?* (Post bac work is NOT considered undergraduate. If attending a post bac program prior to entering medical school, the answer is NO and should be explained.) If you took gap year(s), please use this space to explain what you have been doing prior to applying to medical school. Yes/No. If no, explain: For example, attending post bac or other graduate program, working, traveling, etc. (1400 characters)

If you took time off between undergraduate and medical school, describe the experiences you had during that time. For each experience, explain how this helped you grow and become a better medical school candidate, which is the most important goal of the gap year in the admissions committee’s eyes. Focus on the lessons you learned and skills you gained during the time off. Do not repeat what is in your primary application. This is a key to all secondaries. If you use a prior experience from the AMCAS primary (which can be difficult to avoid given the nature of some secondary questions), try to adopt a new angle or describe a different aspect of the experience than has been presented before. Consider using an anecdote to spice up the answer.

3. If you have spent more than 4 years as an undergraduate, please explain below. (You may skip this question if you have graduated within 4 years.) (1400 characters)

Explain the circumstances of your extra year honestly. If you had a challenging personal circumstance, be honest but not make yourself out to sound like a victim, as this will not reflect well. Try to discuss how the extra year helped you grow personally.

4. Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be of particular interest to us. For example, have you lived in another country or experienced a culture unlike your own, or worked in a field that contributed to your understanding of people unlike yourself? Or, have you experienced advanced training in any area, including the fields of art, music, or sports? This is an opportunity to describe learning experiences that may not be covered in other areas of this application or your AMCAS application. It is not necessary to write anything in this section. (2000 Characters)

This is one of the more unique secondary prompts and not an easy one to answer. The key here is to not repeat the personal statement or primary application. The admissions committee already has all that info, so now you need to bring something new. Remember that this question asks specifically about your educational history. Be creative and consider discussing aspects of learning and training that you received in the alternative fields offered above: art, music and sports.

If having difficulty answering, start with an outline; this is key. Focus on both conventional and unconventional education. Make it creative and true to yourself. Let your voice come out in the writing. In the end, if you can tie things together to create a theme as to why you are a good fit to become a doctor, that would be a great outcome.

Optional
5. Optional Essay: Use the space below to provide additional information you feel will provide us with a comprehensive understanding of your strengths as a candidate for a career in medicine. This should include only information NOT already included in your AMCAS or other sections of the BUSM Supplemental Application. Most applicants leave this blank. (3000 characters)

Do not feel compelled to answer this question as they above prompts have already extensively asked you to cover topics outside the scope of the primary. If there is an important point you can make with this prompt, do so here. Consider talking about a personal role model, professional influences, or other similar concepts which are creative. Discuss how they make you a strong candidate for medical school.

6. Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center Connection: List any personal connection(s) you have at Boston University School of Medicine or Boston Medical Center, or any other part of Boston University. Please provide Name, Department, and Relationship below (2-3 sentences):(200 characters)

List any connections as appropriate.