Getting Started with the "Why Our School" Secondary Essay Prompt

Secondary essay prompts vary, but there are a few that are standard fare like "Why do you want to attend our school?" Here, medical school admissions officers want to be assured you know their institution, are seriously considering it, and will fit in well. In approaching the "why-our-school" question, do your research on the institution and link something specific about you with the school's philosophy, curriculum, patient population, and/or extracurricular programs.

For example, if you were a physics teaching assistant in college, you might link your use of the Socratic method with a school's tutorial-based learning. In that way, you demonstrate knowledge of the school, show you connect well with it, and showcase your distinctive accomplishment.  

The paradox here is that - although you are focusing your essay on one school - because so many institutions have overlapping philosophies, curricula, programs, and objectives - you can oftentimes use the same framework for many different institutions. That's one strategic way to cut down the overwhelming workload that secondary applications present.  As you craft your essay, it's key, however, to know and leverage the names of institution-specific programs like student-run clinics, summer travel scholarships, and/or primary care tracks, for example.

Great Things About Being a Physician

Years ago my physician dad told me that it was important to select a specialty whose bread-and-butter you could still enjoy. For orthopedists, it's back pain. Interestingly, it's probably back pain for us emergency physicians as well!

Along those lines, I devote a reasonable fraction of my blog entries to the downsides of being a physician because I want to ensure that those who are considering a career in medicine understand and can tolerate the more mundane – even negative – aspects of their planned profession before they can't turn back.

I'm very happy, then, in contrast, to use today's blog entry to showcase Medscape's Best Things About Being a Doctor piece. It's interesting how many of the physicians interviewed mention having a "tangible" effect on their patients' lives.

White Coat Investor Scholarship 2024 Applications are Open

Each year the White Coat Investor (WCI) offers a scholarship opportunity to students enrolled in full-time US professional schools for the 2024-5 year. Students must be in good academic standing in eligible professional schools, including medical, dental, law, podiatry, pharmacy, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, and veterinarian, among others. The stated goal of the scholarship is to reduce winning students' indebtedness and to promote financial literacy in professional schools.

The lion's share of the application is an 800 to 1200 word essay in one of two topics: Inspiring Stories or Financial. The deadline is August 31.

For more information please check out this web page.

After You Get In

The AAMC recently published a piece called "Congratulations, you got into medical school! Now what?" in which staff writer Bridget Balch lists seven tips for rising first-year medical students. You can see the article here.

The author makes several suggestions, including leveraging the orientation and embracing the academic challenge, but I would highlight her recommendations to find mentors and prioritize your health.

Identifying strong mentors not only affords you the potential for good letters of recommendation and little-known opportunities, but also doing so can support you when medical school is a terrible grind. Mentors can be especially important role models for women and those in traditionally underrepresented groups. The key is to assert yourself and overcome feelings of insignificance. Many faculty are eager to meet and guide students.

With regard to physical and emotional health, I've written recently and many times in the past about clinician burnout and depression. Medical school can be a time of significant contraction in your life. Make sure to care for yourself physically and seek mental help when needed.

In the meantime, before school starts, take a well-deserved break!