UC San Diego School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

Autobiographical Sketch
This should be a true autobiographical statement. Topics to be included are family, childhood, primary and secondary school years, undergraduate years, and, if applicable, what you’ve done since completing your bachelor’s degree. You should also discuss the motivational factors which led you to a career in medicine including any disadvantages or obstacles which might put your accomplishments into context. A repeat of your AMCAS statement will not be acceptable. (6000 Characters)
Please note: if you are applying to the MD/PhD program, please include why you are specifically interested in seeking MD/PhD training at UCSD.”

PRIME – HEq​
The goals of PRIME – HEq are: To increase the number of clinicians, research scientists, and advocates addressing minority health and health disparities; to create a diverse community of scholars that develop, transmit, and apply new knowledge in minority health and health disparities; and to promote a multidisciplinary community/university partnership to eliminate health disparities. The program utilizes existing opportunities to allow enrollees to obtain a master’s degree emphasizing minority health and health disparities, tailored to student’s interest (MPH, MBA, MAS, MS)
Applicants indicating an interest in PRIME are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in the program.
Please describe your interest in the PRIME-HEq program. Topics to include are longitudinal experiences that you’ve had with underserved communities, including the type of community that you’ve worked with and your level of involvement. Additionally, you should discuss the length of time that you’ve spent working in these communities.”
(Yes/No prompt. If yes, 4800 character box becomes available.)

Global Health Academic Concentration (GHAC)​
Applicants to the USCD School of Medicine may apply for admission to the GHAC. This track is available to five medical students per class per year, and will provide mentored research and clinical experiences in Global Health. The GHAC has four goals:
1) to prepare young physicians to engage with the global community to address health disparities;
2) to provide experiences and training in academic Global Health research;
3) to provide field experiences in Global Health delivery; and
4) to facilitate education about structural and social factors that create and propagate health disparities.
Students in this concentration will undertake an additional curriculum that exposes them to Global Health topics throughout all four years of medical school. This track is appropriate for applicants hoping to pursue an academic medical career in Global Health. Students accepted into the GHAC will be provided with financial support for two international rotations (up to $5000 for both).

Applicants interested in applying for the GHAC are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in this program.

Please describe your interest in Global Health. The term Global Health can have many meanings; for our purposes, we find the definition provided by Koplan et. al. in their 2009 Lancet publication useful: “the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide”. In your essay, be sure to describe any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how Global Health issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine.”
(Yes/No prompt. If yes, 4800 character box becomes available.)

PRIME-TIDE​
Applicants to the USCD School of Medicine may apply for admission to the Program in Medicine – Transforming Indigenous Doctor Education (PRIME-TIDE), which is available to six medical students per class per year. The educational objectives of the PRIME-TIDE are to:
1) teach medical students the appropriate management and treatment of diseases common in AI/AN communities with a focus on culturally sensitive care via a mentored clinical experience in local, regional or national tribally-operated Indian Health Service (IHS) ambulatory clinics;
2) understand the opportunities for community-based research with AI/AN communities through the California Native American Research Center for Health (CA-NARCH);
3) engage in preventive medicine and public health in a tribal healthcare setting; and
4) understand the social, environmental, economic and political issues related to providing healthcare to tribal communities, as well as the limitations/adaptations to the delivery of IHS care.
These objectives will be met by completing didactic coursework, as well as mentored research and clinical experiences.

Please describe your experiences with American Indian and Alaskan Native communities, including the type of community and your level of involvement. Please provide the length of time you spent working in or exposed to these communities. Be sure to detail any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how American Indian and Alaskan Native issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Finally, please delineate how completion of the PRIME-TIDE program will help you obtain your medical education goals.”
(Yes/No prompt. If yes, 4800 character box becomes available.)

Tan Family Scholar Program​
The Tan Family Scholar Program
Applicants to the UC San Diego School of Medicine may also apply for admission to the Tan Family Scholar Program, into which they are selected after being accepted to the School of Medicine. This is an academic concentration available to up to five medical students a year, in which selected medical students are provided support to partake in course work designed to develop specific knowledge about empathy and compassion in medicine, participate in research in this area, and travel internationally for inter-institutional exchanges of knowledge regarding empathy and compassion in medicine.

Please describe your interest in Compassion and Empathy. In your essay, be sure to describe any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how you think your career as a physician would benefit from being in this program.

Applicants interested in being considered for the Tan Family Scholar Program are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in this program.”
(Yes/No prompt. If yes, 4800 character box becomes available.)

Member of a Marginalized Group​
Do you consider yourself to be a member of a group that is marginalized in a way that systemically affects access to quality education or healthcare?
Please describe how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community.
(Yes/No prompt. If yes, 4800 character box becomes available.)

Most Meaningful Experiences (from AMCAS)​
On your AMCAS Application, you were asked to identify your three “most meaningful” experiences. These activities have been auto-filled in your secondary application.
In addition to the information you provided on the AMCAS application, we would like to know if there are any additional activities you would consider among your most meaningful. This may include activities that you’ve already completed but couldn’t include as you were limited to three selections on the AMCAS application, or it may include a new activity that began after your initial AMCAS application was submitted.
Use the “Add” button below to enter a new activity.
This section is optional –you can enter any number of additional experiences including zero. If you have no experiences to add, simply click save and continue and this section will be marked as complete
We would also like to know if a letter of recommendation has been submitted on your behalf by somebody you worked with through this experience. If you do not have a letter from this experience, simply type N/A.
This information allows Admissions Committee members reviewing your application to more readily match your letters to your experiences and thus facilitates the review of your application.”
(Yes/No prompt. If yes, additional basic information and a 100 character box appears. Repeatable.)

Possible Career Pathway​
Some medical school applicants are already focused on pursuing a particular career pathway in medicine. While many students will change from this pathway during medical school, knowing of your potential interests does help us to assign interviewers. Your choice below does not influence how the Admissions Committee selects students to interview.
Please select from one of career pathways listed below. In addition to this selection, please provide a brief description of your future career goals:

• Academic Medicine (Working as a faculty member at a School of Medicine either as a clinician, a clinician-educator, or a clinician investigator. This could be in any field of medicine)
• Primary Care and/or work in underserved communities (Working as a general internist, a pediatrician, or a family medicine physician and/or spending the majority of your time working in a community currently underserved by the medical profession)
• Public Health, administrative leadership in medicine (Pursuing an MPH and/or working for a public health department or organization; working in health care policy; working as a hospital administrator)
• Specialist in private practice (Working in a private practice or managed care setting as a subspecialist. Examples include cardiologist, infectious disease specialist, obstetrician, orthopedic surgeon, general surgeon, anaesthesiologist, radiologist)
• Other/undecided

(Required selection with a 400 character box.)