In this blog series we will be covering all aspects of Secondary Essays. Stay tuned over the coming weeks for guidance on writing compelling essays that will earn you a coveted interview spot.
Here are some questions you can expect to encounter.
If you will not be enrolled as a full-time student, what will you be doing until matriculation? OR What have you done since graduating from college? You will have mentioned some of this information elsewhere in the application. While you don't have to max out the word or character count, it is important to account for all of your time, especially if you're not working or volunteering full-time. You want to detail exactly what your role entails and your experiences and takeaways.
Now for the "ifs":
If you're working full-time in a non-medical field, that's a-okay. Explain how the work has and will help you build skills that will prepare you for medical school. And plan to volunteer at health events or a free clinic with whatever time you do have. You want to show dedication to the field, even if you must make your money elsewhere.
If you haven't started the role you'll be working in until matriculation, give a detailed description of your duties and what you hope to get out of your experience.
If you have no idea what you'll be doing until matriculation, oh goodness, get one.
If you have some room left in your response, you can include a detail about something fun you're doing or plan to do.
Check out this example; it's perfect for a response with a 150-word limit:
"Since graduating from Private University, I have been a clinical research coordinator at Near-My-Hometown Children's Hospital, working on 10 studies. I will continue in this role until matriculation. Each day, I have patient-facing experiences and regularly explain key study processes in easy-to-understand ways to both children and their families. I hope to work in pediatrics as a physician, so honing this skill is very important to me.
Last year, I collected and analyzed study data for an academic paper on pediatric asthma and was asked to draft a section of it. It will be published this fall in Impressive Kiddo Journal, and I will be credited as a co-author. Pediatric pulmonology is now a special area of interest for me, one I hope to explore in medical school.
Besides this work, on Saturdays this summer, I'll be volunteering at a community farm. Spending time outdoors is my go-to stress reliever."
This answer is loaded with impressive, detailed info about the applicant's activities after college, what they'll do until matriculation, and the relevant skills and goals they've developed. That's the most important stuff for you to include. So, if you don't have any "fun" plans to close the response out, don't sweat it.
Have you applied to our program before? If so, how has your candidacy improved since your last application? This one is self-explanatory. Even if you have no idea why you were rejected last time, you do know that you've gained more clinical or research experience, other work experience, or a Master's degree. You have matured and deepened your interest in medicine. If none of those things are true, then perhaps you should be applying next year instead.