University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts
These are the secondary application essay prompts for University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page.
about University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Secondary Deadline: December 1, 2024
Secondary Fee: $100
FAP Waiver: Yes
CASPer Required: No
Screens Applications: Yes
Accepts Application Updates: Yes
Mission
Our mission is to improve health for all through:
- Personalized care embracing best clinical practices
- Innovative interdisciplinary research
- Premier clinical and scientific training
- Creative community partnerships
Vision
Through collaboration and innovation, we will be the leader in improving the health of our local and global community.
2024-2025
2. If you choose: I will NOT be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program (e.g., you are on a gap year for educational purposes or employed after the completion of your studies) between August 2024 and July 2025.
In 1000 characters, provide a thorough explanation of all activities planned between now and your matriculation into medical school (Fall 2025). (1000 characters)
3. Cincinnati is a vibrant and multicultural city. You will be exposed to cultures and languages different than your own while living and studying in this city. Given our mission to improve health and well-being through compassionate, patient-centered care, consider an experience in which you collaborated or were exposed to diverse backgrounds that would inform your own vision for patient-centered care. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (2000 characters)
4. Teamwork is important, and each member of a team has a unique role to play. What does ‘teamwork’ mean to you? What teamwork experiences have you had? How do you navigate your role and the role of other team members? (2000 characters)
5. Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee. (This could include explanation of metric trends, institutional actions, legal violations, etc.). Please enter N/A if you have no concerns to report. (2000 characters)
6. What is your specific interest in the UCCOM program? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why? (2000 characters)
7. How has your academic work beyond the traditional pre-medical requirements (i.e., introductory biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and introductory physics) prepared you for medical school and for a career in medicine? Please highlight any service-learning activities that you have done. (2000 characters)
8. Cincinnati Medicine is preparing for a hybrid interview season (both in-person and virtual interviews will be available). Should you be invited to interview with Cincinnati Medicine, we ask that you indicate your interview preference below:
- In Person
- Virtual
- No preference
2023-2024
2: Please share your personal journey to a career in medicine and let us know how the UCCOM values align with your own. (2000 chars)
3: Please explain, if applicable, any ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic specifically and negatively impacted and/or caused significant hardship for your academic performance between the months of March 2020 and September 2022. (2000 chars)
4: We understand that all applicants have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please use the space below to describe any personal (ie, non-academic) life-altering experiences or changes to your plans related to the pandemic between March 2020 and September 2022. (2000 chars)
5: Interview Preference: Explain your interview preference (150 chars)
2022-2023
2. Please describe the reasons that you have chosen to specifically apply your skills to the career of a physician and what specific ways your personality, talents, attributes, etc. will contribute to the practice of clinical medicine. (2000 characters)
3. The University of Cincinnati is highly committed to selecting and cultivating students who can transform the field of medicine through the use of their distinct talents and attributes. Please tell us how you offer “diversity of thought” to our incoming class. Please also consider sharing unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background that represent the diversity that you bring. (2000 characters)
4. (Optional) Please explain, if applicable, any ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic specifically and negatively impacted and/or caused significant hardship for your academic performance between the months of March 2020 and September, 2022. (2000 characters)
5. (Optional) We understand that all applicants have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please use the space below to describe any personal (ie, non-academic) life-altering experiences or changes to your plans related to the pandemic between March 2020 and September 2022. (2000 characters)
2021-2022
2. Please describe the reasons that you have chosen to specifically apply your skills to the career of a physician and what specific ways your personality, talents, attributes, etc. will contribute to the practice of clinical medicine. (2000 Characters)
3. The University of Cincinnati is highly committed to selecting and cultivating students who can transform the field of medicine through the use of their distinct talents and attributes. Please tell us how you offer “diversity of thought” to our incoming class. Please also consider sharing unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background that represent the diversity that you bring. (2000 Characters)
4. (Optional) Please explain, if applicable, any ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic specifically and negatively impacted and/or caused significant hardship for your academic performance between the months of March and September, 2021. (2000 Characters)
5. (Optional) We understand that all applicants have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please use the space below to describe any personal (ie, non-academic) life-altering experiences or changes to your plans related to the pandemic between March 2020 and September 2021. (2000 Characters)
MD/PhD specifics
1. Special Considerations Please discuss any challenges, difficulties or setbacks in your journey to applying to medical school you’d like the Admissions Committee to consider when reviewing your application.
2. * Provide 3 – 5 keywords describing your major research area(s)
3. *Provide the names of up to 5 MSTP Faculty whose research interests you.
4. * Research Projects:
Please summarize your past research experience(s). Discuss your role and contributions to the project(s). Explain how these experience(s) have prepared you for a career as a physician-scientist. (4000 Characters)
5. * Qualifications for MD/PHD:
Please discuss your motivation and goals for joining an MD/PhD program. Elaborate on future career plans and how the University of Cincinnati MSTP will help you achieve those goals. (2000 characters)
6. Research Interests:
Please discuss your research interests and how these align with the research opportunities provided at the University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s.
2020-2021
1. Please explain both of the following: 1) the specific reason(s) you have chosen to apply to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and 2) how you will utilize the unique features of our curriculum, institution, city, and/our mission to achieve your career goals. (2000 Characters)
2. Please describe the reasons that you have chosen to specifically apply your skills to the career of a physician and what specific ways your personality, talents, attributes, etc. will contribute to the practice of clinical medicine. (2000 Characters)
3. The University of Cincinnati is highly committed to selecting and cultivating students who can transform the field of medicine through the use of their distinct talents and attributes. Please tell us how you offer “diversity of thought” to our incoming class. Please also consider sharing unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background that represent the diversity that you bring. (2000 Characters)
4. (Optional) Please explain, if applicable, any ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic specifically and negatively impacted and/or caused significant hardship for your academic performance between the months of March and September, 2020. (2000 Characters)
5. (Optional) We understand that all applicants have been affected by the COVID-19 public health crisis. Please use the space below to describe any specific and significant disruptions you experienced which you would like the Admissions Committee to consider while reviewing your application. (2000 Characters)
2019-2020
All prompts have a 2,000 character limit.
1. Briefly describe what specific resources or opportunities offered by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine you intend to utilize as a medical student and explain how these are consistent with your own interests. Please consider the uniqueness of our opportunities, our institution, our city, or our mission.
2. The University of Cincinnati is highly committed to selecting and cultivating students who can transform the field of medicine through the use of their distinct talents and attributes. Please tell us how you offer “diversity of thought” to our incoming class. Please also consider sharing unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background that represent the diversity that you bring.
2018-2019
- The secondary starts with questions re possible convictions and previous matriculations, with 750 characters each for explanations.
If relevant, explain prior matriculations or encounters with the law. Be honest but try to discuss what you learned from the experience and the circumstances of the mistake you made, without making excuses.
2. If you will not be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program between now and matriculation, provide a thorough explanation of all activities planned between now and your matriculation into medical school (Fall 2019). (1000 characters)
Describe what you will be doing during the year of application if you will not be enrolled in school. Highlight how you will be bettering yourself as a prospective doctor (gaining some tangible skills). Describe the experience you will be gaining. For each experience, explain how this will help 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. 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.
3. Briefly describe what specific resources or opportunities offered by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine you intend to utilize as a medical student and explain how these are consistent with your own interests. Please consider the uniqueness of our opportunities, our institution, our city, and/or our mission. (2000 char)
The first step 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. Outline how these opportunities will help you grow toward your career goals as you envision them. Think about the opportunities the city provides in terms of clinical experience and social experience as well. Be sure to consider the mission statement of the program and other background information detailed here.
4. The University of Cincinnati is highly committed to selecting and cultivating students who can transform the field of medicine through the use of their distinct talents and attributes. Please tell us how you offer “diversity of thought” to our incoming class. Please also consider sharing unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background that represent the diversity that you bring. (2000 char)
Start by brainstorming what is unique about your background. Is it your place of birth, your family, your culture, or you 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 and the diversity of thought within it. Consider the effect you might have on your peers, professors and patients.
2017-2018
1. Briefly describe what specific resources or opportunities offered by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine you intend to utilize as a medical student and explain how these are consistent with your own interests. Please consider the uniqueness of our opportunities, our institution, our city, or our mission. (2000 characters)
2. The University of Cincinnati is highly committed to selecting and cultivating students who can transform the field of medicine through the use of their distinct talents and attributes. Please tell us how you offer “diversity of thought” to our incoming class. Please also consider sharing unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background that represent the diversity that you bring. (2000 characters)
2016-2017
1. Were you ever the recipient of an institutional action (i,e. disciplined, probation, suspended, or dismissed) by any college, university, or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violation, even though such action may not have interrupted your enrollment or required you to withdraw? If yes, please explain fully below. (750 char)
2. Have you ever participated in a pre-conviction program or been convicted of, pled guilty, or no contest to: a felony and/or criminal offense (include information even if charges have been dropped or dismissed)? If yes, please explain below. (1000 char)
3. Have you ever been convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to, any moving traffic violations (moving violations include speeding tickets)? If yes, please explain fully below. (750 char)
4. Have you ever matriculated at or attended any medical school as a candidate for the M.D. degree? If yes, please explain below. (750 char)
5. If you will NOT be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program (e.g., you are completing a gap year) between August 2016 and June 2017, please click the button below. Then, in 1000 characters, provide a thorough explanation of all activities planned between now and your matriculation into medical school (Fall 2017). (1000 char)
6. Briefly describe why you wish to enroll at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. If applicable, please include any personal connection that you have to the University of Cincinnati, our medical school, the Cincinnati area, or our academic health center. (1000 char)
7. If the healthcare profession did not exist and we did not need healthcare providers, what other occupation(s) would you find personally desirable and why? (1500 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.
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