Central Michigan University Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for Central Michigan University College of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page.

About central Michigan University

Secondary Deadline: December 3, 2024
Secondary Fee: $100
FAP Waiver: Yes
CASPer Required: Optional
Screens Applications: Yes
Accepts Application Updates: Yes

Mission

The CMU College of Medicine will prepare diverse, culturally competent physicians focused on improving access to high-quality healthcare in Michigan with an emphasis on rural and medically underserved regions. Our graduates will aspire to excellence in providing patient-centered and evidence-based care to their patients and their communities. We will engage physicians in leading healthcare transformation, lifelong learning, and team-based education.

Vision

We will facilitate the transformation of health care in Central and Northern Michigan through:
Delivering innovative programs in medical education.
Preparing our learners to incorporate CMU College of Medicine values into their daily lives.
Promoting inter-professionalism and team-based approaches in progressive health care.
Creating team-based educational opportunities and programs.
Creating an inclusive environment supportive of lifelong learning for our graduates, faculty, staff, and partners.
Supporting and serving community educational needs across the continuum of medical education.

Values

Integrity
Respect
Empathy
Inclusiveness
Social Responsibility
Excellence
Innovation

2024-2025

1. Describe your motivation for applying to the CMU College of Medicine and your future career in medicine. Finally, describe how your preparation and background will contribute to the mission of the CMU College of Medicine. (1000 words)

2. If you have applied to any medical school in previous cycles, what have you done since your last application to prepare yourself for a career in medicine? If you have not applied to medical school previously, write “N/A” in the box. (1000 words)

3. Please provide a brief summary of your affiliation with any County (you will be given a list of counties to choose from within the application portal) selected (250 words)

4. If applicable, describe any activities you have participated in since degree completion (no word limit mentioned, not required. This question only appears if you answer that you are NOT currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in the “Biographic Data” portion of the the application.)

2023-2024

1. Please provide a brief summary of your affiliation with any County selected (there is a list of counties above the text box that you can select from) (250 words).

2. Describe your motivation for applying to the CMU College of Medicine and your future career in medicine. Finally, describe how your preparation and background will contribute to the mission of the CMU College of Medicine. (1000 words)

3. [REAPP ONLY]: If you have applied to any medical school in previous cycles, what have you done since your last application to prepare yourself for a career in medicine? If you have not applied to medical school previously, write “N/A” in the box. (500 words)

2022-2023

2. [REAPP ONLY]: If you have applied to any medical school in previous cycles, what have you done since your last application to prepare yourself for a career in medicine? If you have not applied to medical school previously, write “N/A” in the box.

Both 1000 word count max

3. For Residents: Please provide a brief summary of your affiliation with any County selected (listed above): 250 words max.

The biographic section also asks different biographic questions with 400 characters to answer for each one you select “yes.”

2021-2022

1. Describe your motivation for applying to the CMU College of Medicine. Include how COVID-19 has influenced your future career in medicine. Finally, describe how your preparation and background will contribute to the mission of the CMU College of Medicine. (1500 word limit)

2. [OPTIONAL]: Please tell us how you were able to overcome/adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to your volunteer, work or educational activities. (1000 word limit)

3. [REAPP ONLY]: If you have applied to any medical school in previous cycles, what have you done since your last application to prepare yourself for a career in medicine? If you have not applied to medical school previously, write “N/A” in the box. (500 word limit)

2020-2021

The secondary application essay prompts from this medical school application cycle are the same as above.

2019-2020

1. Describe your motivation for applying to the CMU College of Medicine. Include how your motivation has influenced your preparation for your future career in medicine. Finally, describe how your preparation and background will contribute to the mission of the CMU College of Medicine. (1500 word limit)

3. And then a space for gap year activities (250 words) and a space to explain your affiliation with a Michigan county in which you’ve lived (250 words)

2018-2019

1. The AAMC has developed 15 core competencies for entering medical students. You can see the list HERE . Which two competencies are your biggest strengths as an applicant? (400 words)

The AAMC site linked above has competencies in the following categories:

1 | Interpersonal
2 | Intrapersonal
3 | Thinking and reasoning
4 | Science

Choose the category and the competency which fits your skills the best. I would recommend choosing a competency in categories #1-3, rather than #4. All medical students are expected to gain abilities in scientific knowledge during medical school. This is neither unique nor something that cannot be learned throughout training. Rather, competencies #1-3 are predicated more on personal characteristics and skills. Choose that which represents you the best. Discuss why this is a particular for you and provide concrete examples why and how. Do not repeat your primary application, and consider using a new anecdote.

2. Please tell us about the most important volunteer experience you have had. What have you learned from this experience about service? (400 words)

Consider past experiences which are non-medical in nature, such as volunteer work with children or homeless populations. Using a non-medical experience may allow you to focus on humanism and compassion which is a universal virtue, not specific to medicine. Focus on how this has made you a more empathetic and compassionate person, which will help you help your future patients. Be sure to answer what this has taught you about the importance of service and how that will inform your future role as a physician.

2017-2018

1. Tell us about a time when you have been an outsider and felt uncomfortable (500 words)

2. What are two essential skills needed for success in medical school? (500 words)

3. [REAPPLICANT ONLY]: If you have applied to any medical school in previous cycles, what have you done since your last application to prepare yourself for a career in medicine? If you have not applied to medical school previously, write “N/A” in the box. (500 words)

2016-2017

1. Please tell us why you are interested in attending the CMU College of Medicine? (maximum 250 words)

2. What is the value of giving back to your community as a physician? Is the role of a physician more important than others in the community? (maximum 250 words)

3. Describe an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds, different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (maximum 500 words)

4. Tell us one thing about yourself that would help the Admissions Committee determine if you should be admitted to our program. (maximum 250 words)

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.