The University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM), based at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, has a comprehensive mission statement: “With innovation, agility and excellence, we improve humanity by preventing illness, saving lives, educating health professionals and scientists, advancing science, and serving our communities.” This school offers some amazing specialized learning opportunities including the Rural Program, the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) year in Colorado Springs, the Research Track, and the Global Health Track. Offering robust clinical experiences, students have the opportunity to train at any of the following locations: the University of Colorado Hospital, the Children’s Hospital Colorado, the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, and the Ben Nighthorse Campbell Center for Native American Studies.  

CUSOM seeks applicants who combine strong academic preparation with a commitment to advancing health through research, clinical care, and community engagement. The school values students who are collaborative, innovative, and adaptable as well as prepared to learn in a highly interdisciplinary environment that integrates cutting-edge science with real-world patient care. Applicants should demonstrate a passion for addressing health disparities, promoting health equity, and improving outcomes for diverse populations. CUSOM looks for future physicians who are not only skilled scholars but also compassionate advocates for the communities they serve, in addition to being capable of contributing to the school’s mission of transformative education and healthcare leadership.

CUSOM Secondary Essay Tips

Instructions from the school:

Please do not repeat content from your AMCAS personal statement in these essays. To the extent that there is overlap in the personal statement to what you want to write here, please choose a different approach to discussing the issue(s), such as influence on your values and beliefs, changes you made in your life, reflections that are from a different perspective. The committee utilizes this important information in the selection process.

Essay #1

The pillars of our curriculum are Leadership, Curiosity, and Commitment. Tell us about how you have embodied one or more of these attributes in your path to medicine thus far. In which of these areas do you see the most opportunity for personal growth and why? Limit this response to 500 words.

Reflect on your journey to medicine. How have you demonstrated leadership, curiosity, or commitment thus far? Choose one or more attributes for which you can provide meaningful examples that show your growth. Here are some questions to help you think about which attributes you have embodied: 

• Leadership: Have you started a new program, led a team, or motivated others?
  
• Curiosity: Has there been a time when you went above and beyond to pursue knowledge beyond a curriculum? Have you conducted your own research? Have you educated yourself on a certain topic?
  
• Commitment: Have you shown dedication to a particular cause? Have you shown resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges?

Pick one or more experiences to write about and describe how you have embodied the CUSOM pillars. What did you learn from this experience? How did you grow from it? How do these pillars shape your goals in medicine? Why are they important to you?

It is important that you also address the second part of the prompt and describe the area where you see the greatest opportunity for growth. Be humble and honest, demonstrating successful self-reflection. Do you want to work on being more outspoken in a group setting? Is there an interest you hope to dive deeper into? Is there a project you didn’t finish that you would like to recommit to? You can tie your answer together by discussing how CUSOM will help you achieve this personal growth. 

Essay #2

Please describe how your background and/or unique life experiences have shaped your approach to creating welcoming, respectful, and collaborative environments for people from all walks of life. Limit the response to 300 words. 

CUSOM emphasizes its commitment to celebrating diverse backgrounds, talents, and qualities of all individuals through “Inclusive Excellence.” Reflect on aspects of your identity, background, experiences, and beliefs that will contribute to diversity at CUSOM. What aspects of your life, background, or upbringing have created your unique perspective? Discuss these experiences and how they will allow you to contribute to the student body. In what ways will you foster an inclusive environment or encourage the exchange of different ideas? How will your unique experiences and perspectives help you to better connect with patients or collaborate with an interdisciplinary team? You may also reflect on your past experiences living or working with individuals who are different from you. How have you embraced diversity? What did you learn from others with different perspectives? 

Optional Essays for Special Locations or Programs

For Fort Collins Branch:

Please tell us why you are interested in being a part of the 4-year CUSOM at CSU (Fort Collins Branch campus)? With the background that FCB’s smaller class sizes and unique structure lead to a highly interactive curriculum, please tell us how this campus matches your learning style and personal philosophy. Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

Answer this prompt if you are applying to the Fort Collins campus at CUSOM. Demonstrate why you are interested in this campus as well as why you are a good fit. How do you excel in environments with small class sizes, active learning, or a nontraditional curriculum? Include examples of times when you learned best in small hands-on settings. Do you prefer collaborative learning environments over lectures? Why? Describe your learning style as well as your goals for a medical career. How does the Fort Collins campus align with your learning style? How will this help you achieve your goals and become the future physician you want to be?

For Colorado Springs Branch:

The Colorado Springs LIC Program exists at the intersection of academic and community medicine. Colorado Springs LIC students experience the myriad of academic, private, corporate, military, non-profit, and public service organizations that come together to care for a community. Clinical, didactic, and project-based learning emphasizes how physician leadership and community engagement can promote the health of communities. Didactic education is based in Colorado Springs with clinical sites spanning small cities along the Southern Front Range including Pueblo, Cañon City, Monument, and Woodland Park. Please describe how participation in the Colorado Springs LIC Program would advance your career goals and how your life experiences align with an interest in our program. If applicable, you may also note any ties to Colorado Springs or the Southern Front Range. Please limit your statement to 300 words.

Answer this prompt if you are applying for the Colorado Springs Branch at CUSOM. Consider your goals for a future career in medicine and how this hands-on and community-focused program will help you achieve them. How do your strengths or past experiences make you a particularly good fit for this campus? As stated in the prompt, describe any ties you have to Colorado Springs or other similar communities. Why do you want to live and learn in Colorado Springs?

For Rural Program:

Why are you interested in being a rural physician? How will rural life and work fit your personal and professional goals? You may include your past experiences and ties or interest to rural Colorado. Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

Answer this prompt only if you are applying to the Rural Program at CUSOM. Reflect on your experience working, volunteering, or living in rural communities in Colorado or elsewhere. Be specific about what you learned from this experience. Why is serving rural communities important to you? What are your future goals in medicine, and how does rural medicine align with them? What specific aspects or challenges within rural medicine are you interested in? You should also describe how your values and experiences align with the rural lifestyle.

For aerospace engineering dual degree:

Describe your career path up to this point and how that has led to your interest in human spaceflight. What is your motivation for seeking a dual degree in Aerospace Engineering and how does this fit into your vision for your career?

Answer this prompt only if you are applying to the dual-degree MD/MS program in Medicine and Aerospace Engineering at CUSOM. Describe your past experiences that sparked your interest in spaceflight. Have you conducted research or worked on related engineering and clinical projects? What other educational background do you have in this area (e.g., aerospace, biomedical, or engineering coursework)? State your goals for your future career including how you want to impact human spaceflight. Why are these goals important to you, and how will this dual-degree program at CUSOM help you achieve them? Demonstrate your passion for this subject as well as your qualifications for the program. 

CUSOM Application Timeline

Date/Month	Event
May 2025	Earliest filing date for AMCAS primary application
July 2025	Early July: Earliest filing date for CUSOM secondary application
September 2025	Interview season begins (continues through March 2026)
October 2025	October 15: Offers of admission begin (rolling basis)
	October 15: CUSOM AMCAS primary application deadline
November 2025	November 30: CUSOM secondary application deadline

Source: CUSOM website

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

CUSOM Class Profile

Here is a look at the CUSOM Class of 2029 (data taken from the CUSOM website):

Primary  applications: 10,405

Interviews: 669 

Female: 50%

Male: 50% 

Age range: 21-37

Average age: 24

First-generation college graduates: 10% 

Colorado residents: 87

States represented: 32

Born outside the United States: 10% 

Science majors: 85%

As the former assistant dean of student affairs at the William Beaumont School of Medicine and former director of pre-health advisement and the Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program at Sacred Heart University, Dr. Valerie Wherely brings more than 20 years of success working with pre-health candidates in medicine, dental, vet, PA, PT, OT, exercise science, and nursing. Her clients appreciate her expertise in the holistic admissions process and her patient, thoughtful, strategic, and data-driven working style. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!

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