Insider Medical Admissions: Secondary Essays

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Secondary Essays

by Michelle A. Finkel MD, Insider Medical Admissions

I've received several emails asking how to best answer the secondary essay question, "Why do you want to attend our school?"

Medical schools want to be assured that you know their institution, are seriously considering it and will fit in well there. I recommend doing your research on the school and linking something specific about you with the institution.

For example, if you tutored high school students in math, you might link your use of the Socratic method with the school's tutorial-based learning. In that way, you demonstrate a knowledge of the school, show that you connect with it and showcase an accomplishment.

Contact me for secondary essay help.

About Me

Years of candidate selection at Harvard taught me what characteristics comprise a desirable applicant and how even bright candidates make mistakes that undermine their admissions success. I am a practicing Emergency Physician with nine years of experience training medical students, residents and fellows. I won three teaching and mentorship awards while at Harvard. Please see Insider Medical Admissions for the full array of personalized services I offer to clients applying to medical school, residency, fellowship and post baccalaureate programs.

Dr. Finkel thanks David Presser, MD, MPH for his contributions to the content of her blog entries. Dr. Presser is a practicing Emergency Physician who has written several primers for applicants to medical school and Emergency Medicine residency. Dr. Presser is a graduate of Stanford University, UCSF Medical School, the UCLA/Olive View-UCLA Emergency Medicine Residency Program and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Click here for our terms and conditions, which apply to Insider clients and blog readers.