Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page.

about Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine

Secondary Deadline: January 30, 2025
Secondary Fee: $80
FAP Waiver: Yes
CASPer Required: No
Screens Applications: Yes
Accepts Application Updates: Yes

Mission

The mission of the School of Medicine is to provide preeminent education to physicians and scientists in order to improve the quality of health care for humanity. Through innovative, scholarly activity and a diverse educational context, the School seeks to create and apply new knowledge, and to provide and continuously improve systems of medical and science education. Furthermore, it is our mission to develop more effective health care practices to address the needs of the diverse populations we serve, and to provide distinguished leadership in the advancement of medicine and science.

Vision

The VCU School of Medicine will build on its excellence in the basic, clinical and behavioral sciences to improve human health by advancing the prevention and treatment of diseases. Training programs will incorporate commitment to diversity and the advancement of healthcare yielding a quality diverse workforce in a welcoming and accepting environment.

2024-2025

1. Using specific examples, discuss how your mission and values align with those of VCU School of Medicine. (2000 characters)

2. How do you define “grit”, and how have you demonstrated this in the past? (2000 characters)

3. Please briefly explain any lapses in your journey to medicine that are not explained in your application. (2000 characters)

4. Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades. (2000 characters)

5. If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now? (2000 characters)

2023-2024

1. You are approached by a neighbor whom you are friendly with and who knows you are headed to medical school. The neighbor wants your opinion on whether she should have her healthy 3-year-old child vaccinated against COVID. The neighbor is well-researched and thoughtful, bringing up data that suggests limited long-term benefits of vaccination, while pointing to concerning, documented side effects. How would you respond to this dilemma? (Comments are limited to 2000 characters. Research on the topic is encouraged)

2. How do you define “grit”, and how have you demonstrated this in the past? (2000 character limit)

3. Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application.

4. Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades.

5. If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now?

2022-2023

1.The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?

2.Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application.

3.Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades.

4.If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now?

All above prompts have a 2000 character limit.

MD/PhD applicants:

1. Describe your motivation for obtaining a dual degree. (3000 characters)

2. Describe your significant research experience(s) and your role in any publications. (10,000 characters)

3. Describe scientific topics and/or labs at VCU that appeal to your future research aspirations. (1,000 characters)

2021-2022

1) Cultural humility is defined as a “process of reflection and lifelong inquiry which involves self-awareness of personal and cultural biases, as well as, an awareness and sensitivity to significant cultural issues of others.” Please provide an example of a specific time you demonstrated cultural humility with some reflection on the experience. (2000 char)

2) Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application.

3) Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades.

4) If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now?

2020-2021

1. You are living in a world experiencing the ravages of the Corona Virus which has impacted millions of people since December 2019. Please discuss how the COVID 19 pandemic has affected you personally. What have you learned from your experiences? Please discuss what you perceive may have been some realities that others may have experienced. How has COVID 19 experience influenced your desire to become a physician? (2000 characters)

2. Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education; include any in enrollment during your undergraduate education and/or any gaps between undergraduate education and applying to medical school. (example: poor grades, multiple withdraws, health reasons, etc.)

2019-2020

Medicine is a lifelong learning career where new understandings of diseases are constantly changing and new medications are continuously being added, yet motivating patients continues to be a stimulating challenge. Please discuss in 2000 characters or less ways physicians address this issue. You may use resources to answer this question, mention them but foot notes are not necessary.

The crux of this question is how to maintain a career of lifelong learning, which is crucial for success as a physician. Try to describe processes to achieve this and then tie them into your plans as a future physician. There are many ways physicians can continue to learn lifelong. Consider discussing the following points which may be relevant to you:

1. Physicians must maintain an inherent intellectual curiosity for medicine. Describe how you embody this trait.

2. Research is one way to stay at the cutting edge of medicine. Not only will you know what is new in your field and have a deep understanding of existing knowledge, you may add to this body of knowledge.

3. Keeping up on current medical knowledge through reading is key. Physicians ca use medical journals, online resources, and much more.

4. Attending conferences and lectures as well as workshops to expand your skillset even once you are a successful attending physician.

5. If you are interested in academic medicine, staying in this environment for lectures, conferences, and even teaching students will help you continue to learn.

Connect all of these to how you plan to use those strategies to succeed in your career.

2018-2019

The secondary application essay prompts from this medical school application cycle are the same as above.

2017-2018

Imagine that you are a volunteer premed working in a free clinic that serves a large immigrant population. Your duties include taking the patients’ medical history. Today you are working with an elderly patient who does not speak English and the adult son is translating for his mother. You notice that he is answering many of the questions for her without translating. During the conversation, the son tells you that if his mother has cancer he does not want her to know because the news “will kill her”. He says that in his family he speaks for the elderly mother and does not want a translator. How will you approach this situation? (You may seek help to answer this question.)

There’s also a re-applicant essay (if applicable) and fmSTAT essays (if you want to do Family practice):

1. Describe the doctor you want to be and discuss how a career in family medicine will help you achieve that. (2500 characters)

2. Describe your concept of what Family Medicine is and tell us what specific influence led you to this understanding? (2500 characters)

2016-2017

1. Imagine that you are at a social gathering and your neighbor comes over to congratulate you on your acceptance to medical school. She goes on to ask you about your opinion on childhood vaccinations. She is worried about vaccinating her baby because of some of the things that she has read about vaccines. How would you respond to her? (You may use any resources for your answer) (2000 charactersº

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.