University of Minnesota Duluth Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts
These are the secondary application essay prompts for University of Minnesota Medical School (Duluth). To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page.
About University of Minnesota Medical School (Duluth)
Secondary Deadline: October 30, 2024
Secondary Fee: $100
FAP Waiver: Full Fee Waived
CASPer Required: No
Screens Applications: Yes
Accepts Application Updates: Yes
Mission
The University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus was founded in 1972 with a mission to be a leader in educating physicians dedicated to family medicine, to serve the needs of rural Minnesota and Native American communities.
Vision
To give the best of ourselves to create a Medical School where individuals thrive, collaborations elevate, and the best of medical practice, research and education combine to create a legacy of:
- Excellently trained and compassionate physicians.
- Scientists with the courage and expertise to pursue life-changing discoveries.
- Minnesotans whose lives have been improved through the highest quality of medicine.
2024-2025
1. Which mission are you interested in being considered for? You may only choose one.
- General Admission
- Rural Health
- Indigenous Health
If you selected Rural Health for the mission question:
The University of Minnesota Medical School is dedicated to educating future physicians who have demonstrated an interest in serving patients and families in rural Minnesota. Reflect on what “rural Minnesota community” means to you. Describe your experience in and ties to rural Minnesota areas. What do you view as the greatest healthcare practice needs in rural Minnesota, and how will your future practice help fill these needs? (1500 characters)
If you selected Indigenous Health for the mission question:
The University of Minnesota Medical School is dedicated to educating future physicians who have demonstrated an interest in serving Indigenous communities. Describe your experience in and ties to Indigenous communities. What do you view as the greatest healthcare needs in Indigenous communities, and how will your future practice help fill these needs? (1500 characters)
2. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of the University of Minnesota Medical School. Explain how a learning environment that embodies these values is crucial to the education of tomorrow’s physicians. Reflect on how you might contribute to this learning environment. Share specific examples from professional or personal experiences to support your explanation and reflection. (1500 characters)
3. Describe a time when you used critical thinking to solve a problem that you encountered in any realm where you asked questions, gathered information, thought through possible solutions and their alternatives, and evaluated what you did critically. Please include in your discussion what you learned from this experience. (1500 characters)
4. Describe a time when you experienced an obstacle, challenge or failure. How did it affect you? What did you learn? (1500 characters)
5. Why do you want to go to medical school in the state of MN? (Consider the state of Minnesota and its population.) (1500 characters)
6. (Optional) How have your individual experiences and identity shaped who you are and who you will be as a physician? (1500 characters)
7. (Optional) What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? This is an opportunity for you to discuss an aspect of your journey to medicine that you have not already presented in your application. You may also update us with any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS application. (1500 characters)
2023-2024
2. How have your individual experiences and identity shaped who you are and who you will be as a physician?
3. Describe a time when you used critical thinking to solve a problem that you encountered in any realm where you asked questions, gathered information, thought through possible solutions and their alternatives, and evaluated what you did critically. Please include in your discussion what you learned from this experience.
4. (Optional) Any other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? This is an opportunity for you to discuss an aspect of your journey to medicine that you have not already presented in your application. You may also update us with any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS application.
Note: The primary mission of the UMN Medical School, Duluth Campus is to educate physicians dedicated to serving rural Minnesota or Native American communities. Only complete the Rural and/or Indigenous Health questions if your application presents a strong commitment to these communities. Most candidates accepted within the context of the Duluth Campus mission will be placed on that campus.
5. (Optional) The University of Minnesota Medical School is dedicated to educating future physicians who have demonstrated an interest in serving patients and families in rural Minnesota. Reflect on what “rural Minnesota community” means to you. Describe your experience in and ties to rural Minnesota areas. What do you view as the greatest healthcare practice needs in rural Minnesota, and how will your future practice help fill these needs?
6. (Optional) The University of Minnesota Medical School is dedicated to educating future physicians who have demonstrated an interest in serving Indigenous communities. Describe your experience in and ties to Indigenous communities. What do you view as the greatest healthcare needs in Indigenous communities, and how will your future practice help fill these needs?
2022-2023
1. Our physicians pride themselves on giving outstanding care to patients, while looking for better and more equitable ways to do so. As you think about being a future physician and advocate for patients, describe a time when you advocated for someone or something. What did you learn from this situation?
2. Describe a time when you experienced an obstacle, challenge or failure. How did it affect you? What did you learn?
3. Describe a time when you personally experienced, observed, or acted with explicit bias. What did you learn about yourself and the experience?
4. Our families and communities tend to shape our individual worlds and perceptions. Think about the communities that you are an active part of, whether it be a cultural group, family, religious group, neighborhood, etc. Describe the world that you are most comfortable in and how it has shaped who you are. How will this impact your future as a physician and the patients you will serve?
5. Why do you want to go to medical school in the state of MN? (Consider the state of Minnesota and its population.)
6. The COVID-19 pandemic has created innumerable challenges, loss, and uncharted territory in public health. Describe your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with navigating COVID-19. Please tell us what impact, if any, this has had on your path to medical school.
7. The University of Minnesota Medical School is committed to building an anti-racist community. Please share your reflections on, experiences with, and greatest lessons learned about systemic racism. (Consider this country’s history, racism, racial injustice, anti-black racism, and the impact of the murder of Mr. George Floyd on the Minnesota/Twin Cities community).
8. How will your unique attributes (religion, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ideology, intellectual heritage, and/or experiences) add to the overall diversity of the University of Minnesota Medical School community?
9. What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? This is an opportunity for you to discuss an aspect of your journey to medicine that you have not already presented in your application. You may also update us with any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS application. (Optional; 900 character maximum)
2021-2022
1. In what ways do you fit the goals of the Duluth medical school program?
2. How familiar are you with life in a rural setting or American Indian community?
3. What are some of the professional and personal advantages and disadvantages of a rural family medicine practice?
4. How have you familiarized yourself with the field of medicine?
5. How have your volunteer experiences influenced your life goals?
6. Briefly describe your career plans in the event that you do not attend medical school.
7. Have you ever struggled with being honest and compassionate at the same time? Describe the situation, the struggles and, if there was one, the resolution.
8. Describe an experience you have had working in a team (other than a sports team), what role you played, and your comfort level with that role.
9. What does lifelong learning mean to you?
10. What are your recreational and leisure activities?
11. Medical school can be stressful. What coping skills have you used in the past to deal with stressful situations?
12. Please use this space to update the information contained in your AMCAS application. Indicate grades earned, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation dates, additions to your extracurricular activities, and anything else you feel the Committee should know.
13. Please describe what you are currently doing. If you have already graduated please indicate what you have been doing since graduation and what your plans are for the coming year.
14. FOR REAPPLICANTS ONLY: What have you done to improve your application to medical school?
15. State Ties
2020-2021
2019-2020
2018-2019
The secondary application essay prompts from this medical school application cycle are the same as above.
2017-2018
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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