Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts

1. If you have participated in any program(s) affiliated with NJMS (i.e. summer programs, research, high school programs, internships, volunteering, graduate school, etc.), please indicate below. Please provide name(s) and date(s) of program participation:

This question is relatively self-explanatory and requires prior involvement with Rutgers NJMS to be answered. If you do have this experience, list it and include the role you played and one line about a skill you gained or lesson learned from that experience.

2. If you have any relatives currently enrolled or who have graduated from NJMS please provide name(s), relationship to you and graduation year in the space provided below:

Answer as appropriate based on any prior connections.

3. If you have any other connections to NJMS, or Rutgers University, please provide details below:

Answer as appropriate based on any prior connections.

4. If you previously applied to NJMS through AMCAS or an accelerated program, please provide the following: Program name(s) and Application year(s):

Answer as appropriate based on any prior applications.

5. Please indicate below if you previously met with either Dr. Heinrich or Ms. Rivero (prior to July 1, 2018). With whom did you meet and date(s):

Dr. George F. Heinrich is the Associate Dean for Admissions at Rutgers NJMS.
Mercedes Rivero, M.S. is the Assistant Dean for Admissions at Rutgers NJMS.
List any prior meetings as appropriate based on previous applications.

6. NJMS recognizes the importance of diversity in the medical profession. We understand that the applicant pool is multidimensional and as such we would like to learn more about you:
How do you self-identify Racially
How do you self-identify Ethnically
How do you self-identify Culturally

Be sure to respond to all 3 components of this prompt. Consider how they make you unique and help define you as a person. Brainstorm how these traits affect your personal values and influence your desire to be a physician. Consider how these traits will help you interface with diverse populations which is a crucial skill for any physician. It may be helpful to use examples/anecdotes from the past or describe individuals or experiences which have been particularly influential and formative for you.

7. Integrity is a core value at NJMS. Please share your thoughts on Integrity. Additionally, we seek students who are self-aware, resilient and adaptable. Discuss a personal or professional challenge you have experienced and how you resolved it.

There are two components to this question, so be sure to answer them both adequately. First, consider what integrity means to you. How does this play into being an effective medical student, resident and physician. Speak honestly about your thoughts and values. Perhaps describe an individual who is a role model for you and demonstrates these ideals. Next consider a time when you encountered a particular challenge personally of professionally. It may have been a challenge within yourself to achieve higher or push through an obstacle. Perhaps it was a challenge to resolve a dispute with a colleague. Describe how you overcame this challenge, what traits that required and what lessons you learned. Try to bring out the traits they describe in the prompt: self-awareness, resilience, and adaptability.

8. NJMS is committed to fostering a collaborative and cohesive environment. With this in mind, how will you contribute to our medical school community?

The first strategy to answering this question is doing 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. Second, brainstorm what is unique about your background. Is it your place of birth, your family, your culture, or your path to medicine. Also consider prior adversity you have had to overcome and how that has shaped your values. Consider 1-2 of these experiences and weave a story about them which show your unique characteristics. Specifically answer how this can contribute to your medical school class; consider the effect you might have on your peers, professors and patients.

9. Please discuss any additional information you feel may help us in our review of your candidacy. Feel free to elaborate on any gaps (educational or experiences), discrepancies in academic history, institutional actions, etc.

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. 

If there is an inconsistency or issue within your application which you feel the need to explain, do so honestly and directly. Do not make excuses or make yourself out as a victim. Be sure to take responsibility but also explain how you improved thereafter and what you learned from the experience. Spin it as a positive which you grew from.