Florida International University Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for Florida International 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 Florida International University College of Medicine

Secondary Deadline: January 15, 2025
Secondary Fee: $30
FAP Waiver: Yes
CASPer Required: No
Screens Applications: Yes
Accepts Application Updates: Yes

Mission

By providing an environment enhanced by diversity, clinical innovation and research, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine prepares socially accountable, community-based physicians, scientists, and health professionals who are uniquely qualified to transform the health of patients and communities.

Vision

Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine is a national leader in transforming the health of communities through its purposeful integration of education, research and clinical care.

Values

Scholarship
Innovation
Inclusion
Integrity
Service

2024-2025

1. Miami is a vibrant and multicultural, multilingual city. You will be exposed to cultures and languages different than your own while living and studying in this city. Please explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked, or were exposed to backgrounds that were different than your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you.(1200 characters)

2. Why did you choose to apply to FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine?(1200 characters)

3. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced. If you sought guidance, support, or resources, describe how it helped you? Focus on what you learned about yourself and how you think it will help you face new challenges.(1200 characters)

4. What do you think will be the most rewarding and challenging part of practicing medicine in the future?(1200 characters)

5. Use this area to explain any exception to the prerequisites at your institution (1000 characters)

6. Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals (1000 characters)

2023-2024

Primary Activity/Employment
1. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school. (1000 characters)

2. If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be doing since graduating from your undergrad institution. (1000 characters)

Supplemental Essays
1. Miami is a vibrant and multicultural, multilingual city. You will be exposed to cultures and languages different than your own while living and studying in this city. Please explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked, or were exposed to diverse backgrounds. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (1200 characters)

2. Why did you choose to apply to FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine? (1200 characters)

3. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. Describe any support system you had at your disposal and how you utilized these resources. (1200 characters)

4. If you are accepted into medical school, how do you envision your lifestyle will change, and what challenges may await? Similarly, what do you think will be the most rewarding and difficult part of practicing medicine in the future? (1200 characters)

5. Use this area to explain any exception to the prerequisites at your institution. (OPTIONAL, 1000 characters)

6. Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals. (OPTIONAL, 1000 characters)

COVID-19
1. Please share any disruptions and/or challenges you have experienced this application year as a direct result of COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider in conjunction with your application. The following are some examples of topics for consideration, but are not limited to: academic preparations; extracurricular activities and/or experiences; personal and/or professional opportunities; or lessons and insights gained as a result of COVID-19. (1000 characters)

For those who are not Florida residents, the following prompt will appear:

1.Please describe any connection to FIU, FIU HWCOM, or South Florida.

2022-2023

1. Are you a reapplicant to medical school? If yes, please explain how your application has improved since the last time you applied and/or what you have learned from the experience. (1000 characters)

2. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school. (600 characters)

3. If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be doing since graduating from your undergraduate institution. (600 characters)

Prerequisites and Academic Record
1. Use this area to explain any exception to the prerequisites at your institution. (1000 characters)

2. Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals. (1000 characters)

Supplemental Essays
You must answer all 4 essays. (1200 character limit for each essay)

2. Why did you choose to apply to FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine?

Additional questions:
5. Please share any disruptions and/or challenges you have experienced this application year as a direct result of COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider in conjunction with your application. The following are some examples of topics for consideration, but are not limited to: academic preparations; extracurricular activities and/or experiences; personal and/or professional opportunities; or lessons and insights gained as a result of COVID-19. (1000 characters)

6. If you are NOT a Florida resident, please describe any connection to FIU, FIU HWCOM, or South Florida. (600 characters)

2021-2022

The character limit for each essay is 1200 (including spaces).

1. Explain in detail 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.

2. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you?

3. Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school.

4. Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation?

2020-2021

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

2019-2020

1. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school. Character limit 600 (including spaces)

3. Provide any additional information that you wish the Admission Committee to consider regarding your application. Character limit 1000 (including spaces)

4. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you? Character limit 1200 (including spaces)

5. Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation? Character limit 1200 (including spaces)

6. Explain in detail 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. Character limit 1200 (including spaces)

7. Explain a situation in which you have received criticism. What was the criticism and how did you respond to it? Character limit 1200 (including spaces)

8. Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. Character limit 1200 (including spaces)

2018-2019

1. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you? (1200 char)

2. Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation? (1200 char)

3. Explain in detail 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. (1200 char)

4. Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. (1200 char)

2017-2018

1. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you? (1200 char)

2. What attributes do you believe are essential to be successful within the medical profession? Of these attributes, which do you possess and how have you demonstrated these in the past? (1200 char)

3. Explain in detail 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. (1200 char)

4. Explain a situation in which you have received criticism. What was the criticism and how did you respond to it? (1200 char)

2016-2017

1. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, please describe how your personal characteristics and values make you a suitable candidate for medicine. How will you contribute to the student body? (1200 char)

2. Describe how you have handled a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you face possible challenges in medical school. (1200 char)

3. Explain in detail 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. (1200 char)

4. Were you ever surprised by criticism you received? If so, what was the criticism and how did you respond to it?(1200 char)

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.