Harvard Medical School (HMS) as “self-motivated, visionary in their ambition, and compassionate in their approach to the art of healing.” And the school highlights the importance of diversity in its mission statement, as both a critical component of campus culture and a factor in promoting excellence in medicine. As you approach your secondary application, aligning your essay responses with HMS’s community values will allow you to highlight work you have done in global outreach, community engagement, social justice, teamwork, and academic discovery.
HMS Secondary Essay #1
If you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation. (4000 characters maximum)
This essay is strictly for applicants who have already graduated from an undergraduate institution. Explain any work you have done in the interim, as well as any volunteer activities and MCAT plans, in whatever order you choose. Provide details about the level of your responsibilities, what you are learning, the impact you’re having on the community you are working with, and/or how the experience is influencing your goals as a future physician. Provide clear and succinct summaries. If you are a reapplicant, highlight activities that might rectify any weakness in your earlier AMCAS application. Your answers should convey your engagement with the work you’re doing, revealing opportunity, growth, and learning. Explain why the work is, or has been, a wise way to use your time during the gap year.
HMS Secondary Essay #2
If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in the application that may illuminate how you could contribute to the medical school and that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, or other aspects of your personal or family background to place your prior academic achievements in context or provide further information about your motivation for a career in medicine or the perspectives you might bring to the medical school community. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. (4000 characters)
This prompt is open-ended on purpose. As you write, keep the part of the prompt that says, “how you could contribute to the medical school” at the forefront of your mind. The admissions committee is providing you with an opportunity to share something unique about yourself. For example, were you raised by a relative? Were you raised by a single parent? Does someone in your family have a disability? Do you identify as a member of a marginalized community? Did your race or ethnicity influence what opportunities you had access to? Were you raised in a non-English-speaking household? Did you attend a diverse public school? Did any of these circumstances affect your educational opportunities or progress? Take care to ensure that the story you tell is not already shared in a different part of your application.
The words “important” and “significant” are key here. As the prompt itself notes, “Many applicants will not need to answer this question.” If you do not have an aspect of your background or identity you feel could genuinely be deemed “important” or “significant,” do not respond to this prompt.
HMS Secondary Essay #3
The interview season for the 2024-2025 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2025. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank. (1000 characters)
Simply answer this question by providing the admissions committee with the information they are requesting.
Essay for the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as transformative physicians who will shape the future practice of medicine. Our students come from the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical, engineering and social sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches. The unique HST pre-clinical curriculum prepares students well for the HMS clinical education while also emphasizing disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve critical unmet needs in medicine and healthcare (ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering). Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities). (4000 characters)
Innovations in medicine abound across academic disciplines. In particular, Harvard is interested in sophisticated medical technology and data application systems that solve unmet healthcare needs. What experience or education in technology or engineering have you had? How does this tie into medical innovation? How has your experience with or education in technology or engineering prepared you for this hybrid program? What is the intersection of technology (or engineering or social sciences) and medicine for which you are a good fit? What research or experience do you have with this interdisciplinary intersection? Tell Harvard about that research/experience and its potential influence on healthcare in the future.
Take particular notice of the second parenthetical comment in the prompt: “rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities.” Avoid, at all costs, writing what the program can do for you. Rather, how are you a good fit for the HST MD track? How are you uniquely suited to thrive and succeed in this hybrid opportunity? Your answer should convey your knowledge of the program’s mission and a thorough understanding of the relevance of your expertise to healthcare innovation and improving healthcare outcomes.
HMS Stats
All data are for the Class of 2028 and taken from the Harvard Medical School website.
Average MCAT score: 520.42
Average GPA: 3.9
Applications: 6,856
Class size: 165 students
Hopefully, the next step in the medical school application process for you will be your HMS interview. And the best way to prepare for your interview is by practicing thoroughly with a medical school admissions expert who understands the system and can give you feedback and guidance throughout the process.
Has this blog post helped you feel more confident about approaching your Harvard Medical School application? It’s our mission to assist applicants to gain acceptance to their dream school. Schedule a free consultation with an Accepted med school consultant today.
As the former assistant dean of student affairs and career development at the William Beaumont School of Medicine, Dr. Valerie Wherely worked directly with the dean of the School of Medicine, the associate dean of student affairs, the associate dean of clinical curriculum, and the assistant dean of admissions, as well as with Year 4 students on both residency application reviews/critiques and mock interview preparation. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!
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