Rush Medical College Secondary Essay Prompts

1. Describe personal attributes you possess or life experiences you have had that will enable you to better understand patients with a culture different from your own. Please include your self-reflection on how this experience has changed your insights, beliefs, and/or values. (1000 characters)

Rush demonstrates with this question that they really

value diversity and being a champion for diverse populations. First think about what attributes you have that will allow you to effectively deal with diverse people. Consider communication, empathy, leadership as possible traits to discuss. Next, think back to an experiences during which you interacted with cultures other than your own. Perhaps you worked with homeless or underprivileged communities during undergrad. Was there a time during which you had to stand up for someone whom you might not otherwise interact with? Perhaps you spent an extended time abroad and learned a new language or culture. Use an anecdote to discuss the physician role as educator and advocate for the patient. This is a large responsibility for a doctor, to use their knowledge and resources to empower their patients and help them better themselves. Be sure to reflect on how these experiences influenced your beliefs and values, and try to connect this to how you see yourself as a future physician.

2. Describe a challenging situation in which you did not agree with a directive/rule and how you handled this. (1000 characters)

This is a unique question which you will have to answer carefully. Choose a scenario in which you went against the grain, but do not use an example where you blatantly broke a rule which would be morally questionable. Consider a time when a director or boss asked you to do something and instead you thought differently to create a better or more effective solution to the problem. Discuss and experience like this, or one in which you felt you had to break a rule in order to maintain right morals and values. Be sure to discuss how you dealt with the challenge of challenging authority.

3. Reflect on a time in which you personally gained more from an experience than what was expected. (1000 characters)

Consider discussing an experience which was particularly challenging at the time but in retrospect was very formative and important for your growth. Discuss what you gained and what lessons you learned.

4. What do you hope to gain from your Rush Medical College experience that will make you a better/different physician? (1000 characters)

The first strategy to answering this question is to do some research on the program website to understand some of its nuances. Is it very strong in a particular field of research, or perhaps in community clinical work for the underserved? If one of these aspects aligns with your strengths or interests, explain how you are a great fit for this reason. Outline how these opportunities will help you grow toward your career goals as you envision them.