Founded in 1888, the University of Minnesota (UMN) Medical School has spent more than 135 years advancing medicine through education, research, and patient-centered care. With campuses in Duluth, St. Cloud, and the Twin Cities, the school offers students access to diverse clinical opportunities across urban and rural settings. Its MD curriculum emphasizes active learning, early patient interaction, and leadership development, preparing students to thrive on cross-disciplinary teams in today’s complex healthcare environment. Flexible program options – including the Medical Scientist Training Program, simulation-based learning, and strong research opportunities – ensure that graduates are well prepared for competitive residencies and lifelong professional growth.

UMN Med School looks for students who are curious, service driven, and committed to improving healthcare through leadership, compassion, and discovery. Successful applicants demonstrate professionalism and a willingness to engage with diverse patient populations. The school values future physicians who will embrace real-world experiences, pursue research with a spirit of inquiry, and dedicate themselves to serving communities while continually growing as lifelong learners.

UMN Med School Secondary Essay Tips

Essay #1 

Track choice

1. General Mission
   • The Mission of the University of Minnesota Medical School is to be a leader in enhancing the health of people through the education of skilled, compassionate and socially responsible physicians. The Medical School is dedicated to preeminent primary care medicine, exemplary specialty care and innovative research. Reflect on and describe how your experiences to date support your dedication to this mission. (1500 characters)

Reflect on UMN Med School’s General Mission above and describe how your past experiences and values align with it. How do these experiences connect to compassion, social responsibility, primary care, specialty care, or innovative research? You may wish to write about experiences that demonstrate your commitment to working with underserved communities and advancing health outcomes. How have you shown compassion and empathy? Have you worked or volunteered in a primary care setting or specialty clinic? How did these experiences shape your view of medicine and your goals as a future physician? If you have engaged in meaningful research, discuss how you aimed to advance medical knowledge or improve health outcomes. Using specific examples, show how you will contribute to UMN Med School’s mission as you work toward becoming a compassionate and socially responsible physician. 

2. Rural Health Mission
   • Please highlight up to 3 experiences that support your application to the Rural Health Mission. (1500 characters)

Select one to three experiences that have shaped your interest in pursuing UMN Med School’s Rural Health Mission. These may include working, learning, volunteering, or living in rural communities. Describe what you did in each experience and what you learned. Why were they meaningful? How did they contribute to your understanding of and interest in rural health?

• Describe how you plan to contribute to the health needs of rural and Greater Minnesota communities. (1500 characters)

Based on your experience, identify the most pertinent healthcare needs in these communities. How will you seek to fill these needs as a future physician? What are some unique barriers you expect to face? How will you overcome them? Your response should demonstrate your understanding of the health needs in rural Minnesota communities and your commitment to serving them as a future physician. 

3. Indigenous Health Mission
   • Please highlight up to 3 experiences that support your application to the Indigenous Health and Community Mission. (1500 characters)

Describe one to three experiences that have shaped your interest in pursuing UMN Med School’s Indigenous Health Mission. These could be academic, personal, or professional. Describe what you did in each experience and what you learned. Why were they meaningful? How did they contribute to your understanding of and interest in Indigenous health?

• Describe how you plan to contribute to the health needs of Indigenous communities. (1500 characters)

Based on your experience, identify the most pertinent healthcare needs in these communities. How will you seek to fill these needs as a future physician? What are some unique barriers you expect to face? How will you overcome them? Your response should demonstrate your understanding of the health needs in Indigenous communities and your commitment to serving them as a future physician. 

Essay #2 

The University of Minnesota is a land grant institution with a mission to care for all of the people of our state. We aim to educate future clinicians toward this goal. Please reflect on how you might contribute to a learning environment comprised of a wide variety of individuals and provide specific examples from your professional and/or personal experiences. (1500 characters)

This prompt emphasizes the University of Minnesota’s dedication to caring for all people in the state. This means creating a learning environment with a diverse range of individuals who must work together to support this mission. What would a learning environment centered on these values look like? Why is this important to you? Discuss how this particular learning environment will be important in the education of future physicians. How will a diverse range of perspectives, identities, and life experiences contribute to the type of physician you will become? 

Use specific examples from your past personal and professional experiences that show how you will positively contribute to the learning environment. In what ways do you bring a diverse perspective or have you benefited from diverse perspectives in the past? Connect this to how you will contribute to a learning space that will help you and your classmates become better future physicians. 

Essay #3

Describe a time when you used critical thinking to solve a problem. Please provide specific examples of your process and what you learned from the experience. (1500 characters)

Critical thinking can describe the approach you use to analyze or evaluate evidence to form an opinion or conclusion. Describe a time when you used critical thinking and how it helped you solve a problem. Did it help you to identify a question, interpret evidence, or form a judgment on an issue? What did you learn about yourself and critical thinking? What were some challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them? Additionally, you may include how critical thinking will be important in your future medical career. Will you use it when conducting further research, diagnosing patients, or interpreting test results?  

Essay #4

Describe a time when you experienced an obstacle, challenge or failure. How did it affect you? What did you learn? (1500 characters)

Consider a situation that demonstrates your resilience and adaptability or shows growth. Describe this challenge, obstacle, or failure and how it made you feel. Why was it important for you? What was your response? Focus the majority of your response on how you overcame the challenge and what you learned from the experience. What did you learn about yourself? What character traits did the experience strengthen? How will it influence your approach to challenges in the future?  

Essay #5

Why do you want to go to medical school in the state of Minnesota? (1500 characters)

To answer this question, reflect on what draws you to practicing medicine in Minnesota, beyond just the school. Do you have a personal connection to the place or a particular community in the state? Discuss any personal ties or experiences and why they have shaped your desire to train and serve there. If you do not have previous experience in Minnesota, research the state’s healthcare landscape, population, and health needs. Are you interested in serving a particular community or working on an ongoing health policy initiative? Demonstrate both your personal and your professional dedication to the state of Minnesota and your desire to serve its population as a future physician. 

Essay #6

How have your individual experiences and identity shaped who you are and who you will be as a physician? (1500 characters)

To answer this question, reflect on how your personal experiences, background, and values have influenced who you are and your decision to pursue medicine. What are the most important aspects of your identity? Consider culture, community, family, and the challenges you have faced. How have these experiences shaped your worldview and who you are? Be sure to draw a connection to how these influences will inspire your approach as a future physician. Will your experiences affect the patient populations you serve, your communication style, or your dedication to a particular cause? How have your identity and life experience shaped the type of physician you hope to be?

Essay #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)

Respond to this prompt if you have additional information to share that is not included in your AMCAS or secondary applications. Is there an important part of your identity you have not yet discussed? Did you overcome any unusual academic or personal challenges? As stated in the prompt, you may also describe any current experiences that were not included in your AMCAS submission. Use this space however you see fit, but you should reflect on how this information will contribute to the admission committee’s understanding of you and your candidacy for medical school. 

UMN Med School Application Timeline

Date	Deadline/Requirement
August 14, 2025	Last accepted date to take the AAMC PREview Exam (Note: Effective 8/22/25, the University of Minnesota Medical School will accept PREview scores from the September 17 and 18 testing dates.)
August 23, 2025	Last accepted date to take the MCAT
October 1, 2025	MD AMCAS application deadline
October 15, 2025	MD AMCAS transcript deadline
October 30, 2025	MD supplemental application deadline
February 19, 2026	AAMC Choose Your Medical School Tool Plan to Enroll option opens
April 30, 2026	AAMC Choose Your Medical School Tool Commit to Enroll option opens
May 1, 2026	University of Minnesota Medical School Plan to Enroll deadline
May 1, 2026	University of Minnesota Medical School deferral request deadline
July 1, 2026	University of Minnesota Medical School Commit to Enroll deadline
July 1, 2026	All prerequisites must be completed for matriculating students

Source: UMN Med School website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with UMN Med School directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

UMN Med School Class Profile

Here is a look at the UMN Med School incoming class of 2024 (data taken from the UMN Med School website):

Twin Cities Medical Students

• Applied: 2,738
• Enrolled
  • MD: 165 
  • MD/PhD: 10
• GPA average: 3.78
• MCAT average: 512.6
• Average age: 25.5
• Minnesota residents: 78%
• Class composition
  • Male: 39% 
  • Female: 58% 
  • Other gender identity: 1% 

Duluth Medical Students

• Applied: 761
• Enrolled: 65
• GPA average: 3.75
• MCAT average: 507.5
• Average age: 25.2
• Minnesota residents: 92%
• Class composition
  • Male: 50% 
  • Female: 49%

Related Resources

• Maximize Your Experiences in Your ERAS Application
• Do’s and Don’ts of Medical School Recommendation Letters
• Admissions Straight Talk, a podcast for med school applicants