Penn State College of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 - 2023]

Penn State College of Medicine offers accelerated programs for students interested in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Orthopedics, Emergency Medicine and Neurosurgery to complete their training in three years. It provides an interdisciplinary training environment for students from their medical school, physician assistant program and nursing school to train together. Through its Global Health Scholars Program, students can train at international sites in seven different countries. Their school is currently unranked by U.S. News & World Report. The secondary application consists of five required essays.

Penn State secondary application essay questions 2022 – 2023

Penn State College of Medicine secondary essay #1

If not currently enrolled in a full-time academic program, please summate your activities from the time of graduation from your baccalaureate program through the time of this application, as well as your plans between now and your matriculation to medical school. (Maximum 75 words)

Like all other schools of medicine, Penn State wants to see productive use of your time since receiving your bachelor’s degree. Many applicants work full-time in a clinical setting or in a research lab. Some applicants enroll in a post-baccalaureate Master of Science program, if they want to demonstrate improvement in their academic performance. Nearly everyone does some kind of community service. What you do during this time should round out your activities and experiences. For instance, if you were a little short on direct patient contact previously, then gaining significant clinical experience during this period would help. Show your reader that this has been a time of growth for you.

Penn State College of Medicine secondary essay #2

Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee? (Maximum 75 words)

This type of question can be difficult to answer, if you’re not sure what is unique about you or your application. Review your primary application and make a list. Take some time to identify anything unusual about your upbringing, life, hobbies, skills or other areas that would explain why you would be an excellent physician. If possible, it would be best to find something that you have not already covered extensively in your application. If that is not possible, cover this information from a different angle than you did in the primary. If you are stumped, you are welcome to contact me or one of my colleagues at Accepted for more help.

Penn State College of Medicine secondary essay #3

Explain why you decided to apply to the Penn State College of Medicine. (Maximum 75 words)

Take some time to review Penn State’s website, mission statement and values:

“Mission: Penn State College of Medicine is committed to enhancing the quality of life through improved health, the professional preparation of those who will serve the health needs of others, and the discovery of knowledge that will benefit all.”

“Values: Respect, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellence”

Make a list of reasons as you review their curriculum and quick facts. Rank your list, based on the level of your interest. Use this list as an outline to answer the prompt, starting with the least important reasons and ending with the most important reason. Be honest.

Read: Here’s How to Match Your Values to the Medical School Mission Statement >>

Penn State College of Medicine secondary essay #4

Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (Maximum 250 words)

Use a recent experience that has a clearly positive outcome as a direct result of your teamwork. You can use anything from team sport accomplishments to research publications. Many different situations could potentially work as a response as long as you focus on the team and collaborative aspects of your success.

Penn State College of Medicine secondary essay #5

Write a short statement describing how you envision using your medical education to advance care for under-represented or marginalized populations. (Maximum 250 words)

Reflect on ways in which you would like to assist such groups once you are a physician or even as a physician in training at Penn State. Would you plan to take advantage of Community half-days at the University Park campus? Or doesReflect on ways in which you would like to assist such groups once you are a physician or even as a physician in training at Penn State. Would you plan to take advantage of Community half-days at the University Park campus? Or does the medical humanities element of the curriculum appeal to you as a way to bridge the gap between marginalized populations and healthcare professionals? How would you apply lessons learned during these experiences after you leave Penn State? This question is future-focused, but if you can very briefly relate your vision to something that you’ve done in the past, it will be more concrete and credible. Avoid grand aspirations to save the world. Rather, propose a specific intervention for one community in need, one particular accommodation for a patient population that faces disparity.

Has this blog post helped you feel more confident about approaching your PSCOM application? We hope so. It’s our mission to help smart, talented applicants like you gain acceptance to your target schools. With so much at stake, why not hire a consultant whose expertise and personalized guidance can help you make your dream come true? We have several flexible consulting options—click here to get started!

Penn State College of Medicine application timeline 2022-2023

Secondary Application and Letters of Recommendation	January 15, 2023
Acceptance Notice	October 15 until class is filled

Source: Penn State College of Medicine Website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Dr. Mary Mahoney, Ph.D. is the Medical Humanities Director at Elmira College and has over 20 years of experience as an advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. She is a tenured English Professor with an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a PhD in Literature and Writing from the University of Houston. For the last twenty years, Mary has served as a grad school advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. Want Mary to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Alicia McNease Nimonkar worked for 5 years as the Student Advisor & Director at the UC Davis School of Medicine’s postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and other health professional programs. She has served Accepted’s clients since 2012 with roughly a 90% success rate. She has a Master of Arts in Composition and Rhetoric as well as Literature. Want Alicia to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

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