2009-2010 Duke Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Status
Not open for further replies.

shemarty

Full Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
2,503
Reaction score
16
PROMPT

All Applicants

What is the most significant moral or ethical dilemma that you have faced in your life (excluding academic dishonesty)? Describe how you dealt with and potentially resolved it, including beliefs, resources, individuals, etc. How did this dilemma and its resolution change your life and what, if any, impact will this have on your future as a health care provider?

What do you consider to be professional behavior? Provide an example of the kind of professional behavior you will exhibit as a physician.

How will you add a unique dimension to our medical school community? In answering this question, please also describe your greatest strength? What is your most significant vulnerability? Please understand that the "strength/vulnerability" questions will in fact require two separate responses; they are two different questions. They are both important but not necessarily related.

What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients?

What relationship in your life has best prepared you for a career as a physician?

(There are no character limits)

MD-PhD Applicants Only:

This statement is in addition to the ones required for your AMCAS and Duke University Supplemental Applications. Provide a statement of your special interest, plans, purposes and objectives in undertaking the MST program. Document and describe your interest and experience in research and medicine.
To what other MSTP programs are you applying?

What is your special field of interest in medicine?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
On the bright side, they don't do rolling admissions!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
just received the email invite.

this application truly lives up to it's reputation. Duke REALLY wants to get to know you.

they don't even ask for your LOR until after you've been invited for an interview. so, yeah, this secondary is important

good luck everybody.
 
Does Duke screen for the secondary?
 
Just got the invite as well. i love how it says " There are no character limits":oops:

It helps that 3/5 questions are just repeats from other applications, but they still require expanding upon...
 
Good news to all who pre-drafted: Looks like they're the same this year as last year. :) Still no character limits.
 
Does Duke screen for the secondary?

Your ability to endure through writing all 5 of their essay questions IS the screening. :laugh:


Serious answer: No, I don't believe they screen it.
 
That is a beast of a secondary!

So how long SHOULD each essay be, despite no character limit? I'm sure they don't want each response to be some kind of five-page novel or something.
 
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!! God I should've pre-written these :(

still excited to get it though!!!
 
what the hell, Duke?? SERIOUSLY, 5 essays?!??!?!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
250-500 words each? do people write more than 1 page? its so confusing!
 
Here are my word counts from my Duke secondary last year. For what it's worth, I got an interview but ultimately a rejection.

600 words - relationship in life
508 words - unique dimension
403 words - humbling
614 words - moral dilema
481 words - professionalism
 
well at least to think these essays will cover all other secondary apps lol
 
well at least to think these essays will cover all other secondary apps lol

The topics actually don't overlap too much with other secondaries, that's why this one was so frustrating for me. I had to write most of this from scratch. :(
 
Here are my word counts from my Duke secondary last year. For what it's worth, I got an interview but ultimately a rejection.

600 words - relationship in life
508 words - unique dimension
403 words - humbling
614 words - moral dilema
481 words - professionalism


thanks for the info. i would say if you can get your point across in 250-500 words, thats great. no one wants each essay to be a new personal statement (although i'm sure people will do this). somehow longer is better, when i feel the opposite is true.
 
Iis it bad if some of these essays center around growing up experiences between the age of 11-15 years old. I think the content of these experiences fits but not sure if they would want something more recent. Sadly, I don't think I had anything striking happen to me in college in terms of dilemma's or humbling experience (other than the generic ones, everyone feels).
 
Iis it bad if some of these essays center around growing up experiences between the age of 11-15 years old. I think the content of these experiences fits but not sure if they would want something more recent. Sadly, I don't think I had anything striking happen to me in college in terms of dilemma's or humbling experience (other than the generic ones, everyone feels).
i've always been told that you don't want the adcom to think of you as a little kid.
 
Last year I got an interview invite 10 hours after submitting my secondary, the day before the deadline, on a Sunday...but I also knew people that waited for months and didn't get an interview. So I really don't think they interview everyone that turns in a secondary...but it does make me wonder about that crazy turn-around time.

Sooo sadly after completing that beast of a secondary last year, I wasn't successful....which means I have to redo all those essays, agh! My only hang-up is the last question...my mother was and still is the person who most prepared me to become a doctor, so how am I supposed to change that answer?
 
Since my school sends a committee letter, should I list list my premed advisor and each teacher recommendation as a separate letter?

And does a committee letter count as a composite letter?
 
I'm stumped on the 'relationship' question. The others were fine, I have complete writer's block on this one.

How are other people answering this?
 
I am stuck on that one too. I have first drafts ready for 3 of them and thinking about to write the professional behavior essay. Do you guys feel that sometimes you are almost making up stuff to connect everything to medicine? I mean all their questions end with something along the lines of impact on patients or your peers.
 
Just finished one essay out of 5... this might take all day tomorrow.
 
lol I just heard that the Duke essays did not change since last year. I'd have to say that basically sucks for everyone applying lol. I really feel for people reapplying - that has got to be so tough.
 
I'm stumped on the 'relationship' question. The others were fine, I have complete writer's block on this one.

How are other people answering this?

I talked about my research PI, a surgeon who I also TA'd a class for. He was a mentor figure to me.
 
Yea, I was thinking about a researcher I worked for as well. I worry that this is not really clinical, but it's the best I've got.
 
Finally done with a first draft of Duke. Here are the lengths of my essays. I tried to keep them short because a) its too much writing b) I thought i was getting too boring in some of them

397 words - relationship in life
379 words - unique dimension
415 words - humbling
522 words - moral dilemma
324 words - professionalism
 
Finally done with a first draft of Duke. Here are the lengths of my essays. I tried to keep them short because a) its too much writing b) I thought i was getting too boring in some of them

397 words - relationship in life
379 words - unique dimension
415 words - humbling
522 words - moral dilemma
324 words - professionalism


looks good to me. im gunning for that kind of range as well. no one wants to read 5 more personal statements!
 
Hello everyone,

I just received access to Duke's secondary and WOW! Anyway, I read a post on a different school about controvesial moral/ethical dilemmas. My particular dilemma is not as controversial as the one I read about (this person's friend was raped, and she was faced with telling the police or not). However, mine does not paint my early life in the best light.

This experience occured during my junior year in high school, and was ultimately what led me away from a life that both of my parents and my brother had pursued (the life of distributing illicit materials). Anyway, I found my self in downtown Seattle at 3:00 AM in the midst of being offered a way into the drug world. At the time I was barely passing classes and was not expecting to graduate high school. To make matters worse, I had 3 of my friends with me who were already discussing the transaction with fervor. One of the men had a gun, and the other looked very unstable. I will not go into any more detail, but I ultimately ended up smooth-talking my way out of the situation with no violence and my moral fiber in tact. Do you guys think this would be appropriate to discuss? I know they will not necessarily see my high school records (graduating GPA of 1.9) so I am not sure if it is worth bringing up my past (as my college GPA is 3.87). I don't mind talking about it with them, but I am concerned that they may get the wrong idea (i.e., I never sold drugs or anything like that). Advice?

Tjquinn
 
for the professionalism essay, i'm a little confused about the "Provide an example of the kind of professional behavior you will exhibit as a physician" part. what do you guys think they want here?
 
for the professionalism essay, i'm a little confused about the "Provide an example of the kind of professional behavior you will exhibit as a physician" part. what do you guys think they want here?

It's a broad question which is why it might be confusing. Professionalism is anything from ethics to communication skills to being a team-player. Just pick one aspect and focus on that.

I described how a manuscript I was working on was being held up because one experiment wasn't working the way it should and the possibility of forging the result. Then I talked about the importance of integrity and how I resolved the problem in the end.
 
Hello everyone,

I just received access to Duke's secondary and WOW! Anyway, I read a post on a different school about controvesial moral/ethical dilemmas. My particular dilemma is not as controversial as the one I read about (this person's friend was raped, and she was faced with telling the police or not). However, mine does not paint my early life in the best light.

This experience occured during my junior year in high school, and was ultimately what led me away from a life that both of my parents and my brother had pursued (the life of distributing illicit materials). Anyway, I found my self in downtown Seattle at 3:00 AM in the midst of being offered a way into the drug world. At the time I was barely passing classes and was not expecting to graduate high school. To make matters worse, I had 3 of my friends with me who were already discussing the transaction with fervor. One of the men had a gun, and the other looked very unstable. I will not go into any more detail, but I ultimately ended up smooth-talking my way out of the situation with no violence and my moral fiber in tact. Do you guys think this would be appropriate to discuss? I know they will not necessarily see my high school records (graduating GPA of 1.9) so I am not sure if it is worth bringing up my past (as my college GPA is 3.87). I don't mind talking about it with them, but I am concerned that they may get the wrong idea (i.e., I never sold drugs or anything like that). Advice?

Tjquinn

I think that's an awesome story - but you're right, it could be dangerous to bring up. If it fits in with a theme from your application, I think it would be fine. If not, you might want to play it safe. You have a high GPA, so I don't think you need to take unnecessary risks.
 
I think that's an awesome story - but you're right, it could be dangerous to bring up. If it fits in with a theme from your application, I think it would be fine. If not, you might want to play it safe. You have a high GPA, so I don't think you need to take unnecessary risks.

This is an unnecessary risk. It is a nice, life altering story, but it may be too extreme. Why take that risk, when you are a great candidate anyway?

I vote no.
 
I agree with both of you... it is a risk. However, ever since then, I have had no true ethical/moral dillemas. I have kept my nose clean, and focused entirely on my research and education. What if I play the experience down a bit? Also, I have over 600words for this essay, which means I have done a lot more background information and details regarding myself (i.e., emphasizing that I did not follow this particular path). I know you guys are right, but without this story I feel like my dillemas have been quite mundane...

thanks again,

Tjquinn
 
I agree with both of you... it is a risk. However, ever since then, I have had no true ethical/moral dillemas. I have kept my nose clean, and focused entirely on my research and education. What if I play the experience down a bit? Also, I have over 600words for this essay, which means I have done a lot more background information and details regarding myself (i.e., emphasizing that I did not follow this particular path). I know you guys are right, but without this story I feel like my dillemas have been quite mundane...

thanks again,

Tjquinn

write what's in your heart. thats my advice
 
I agree with both of you... it is a risk. However, ever since then, I have had no true ethical/moral dillemas. I have kept my nose clean, and focused entirely on my research and education. What if I play the experience down a bit? Also, I have over 600words for this essay, which means I have done a lot more background information and details regarding myself (i.e., emphasizing that I did not follow this particular path). I know you guys are right, but without this story I feel like my dillemas have been quite mundane...

thanks again,

Tjquinn

Make them sound better than mundane. I'm sure by this stage in your career, you have learned to fill gaps with exquisite bull**** haha.

Anyway more seriously, downplaying your incident may be reasonable, since it seems you are sort of set on writing about it. You should run that essay by a LOT of people though, and see how many people like that you mentioned it, and how many don't. Of course, preferably they are readers that would understand the seriousness of the situation. I bet this might be hard since you don't want people to know too.

Again, think about it, long and hard. Always expect the worst, and hope for the best. In this case, the worst is that whoever reading is like :wtf: what does this punk want to do with med school? medical marijuana is a safer bet. Of course, the best is that they understand the situation and look at you with a huge, understanding, smile.

With those two extreme cases in mind, therein lies the risk...
 
I agree with both of you... it is a risk. However, ever since then, I have had no true ethical/moral dillemas. I have kept my nose clean, and focused entirely on my research and education. What if I play the experience down a bit? Also, I have over 600words for this essay, which means I have done a lot more background information and details regarding myself (i.e., emphasizing that I did not follow this particular path). I know you guys are right, but without this story I feel like my dillemas have been quite mundane...

thanks again,

Tjquinn
I know what you mean. The major dilemma I had got me fired and would kill my application, and everything else pales in comparison. But I'm sure if you stop thinking about the incident you had, something far safer and mundane will pop in your head.

If you really want to write about the incident you had, remember that AdCom members are generally old guys with traditional views. They might react differently than you might expect. Good luck.
 
I know what you mean. The major dilemma I had got me fired and would kill my application, and everything else pales in comparison. But I'm sure if you stop thinking about the incident you had, something far safer and mundane will pop in your head.

If you really want to write about the incident you had, remember that AdCom members are generally old guys with traditional views. They might react differently than you might expect. Good luck.

Nice post.

Get that brain whirling OP. There has to be something even remotely interesting and "safer and mundane." Embellish it.
 
Also, a reminder that this is the Duke Secondary thread, lol.

Quote from friend: Man this secondary sucks. Has anyone gotten a secondary with 5 essays as intense as this?

After all, this isn't 5 essays, it is like 10. Almost all of them have more than 1 question built into a given prompt. Effing lame.
 
Haha, well I appreciate all of your guys' feedback. The only reason I am truly set on this concept is that it kind of explains my low HS GPA (if they even see that) and the first part of my transition to medicine. That is, I did not know that I wanted to be a physician until my first year of college (technically while still in high school as I did my senior year in the running start program). Maybe I will scrap it and try to find something a little less questionable. Thanks again everyone,

Tjquinn
 
Haha, well I appreciate all of your guys' feedback. The only reason I am truly set on this concept is that it kind of explains my low HS GPA (if they even see that) and the first part of my transition to medicine. That is, I did not know that I wanted to be a physician until my first year of college (technically while still in high school as I did my senior year in the running start program). Maybe I will scrap it and try to find something a little less questionable. Thanks again everyone,

Tjquinn

Good luck, and in the end, do what you believe is right. You don't have to make sure that me, or any other SDN member, is happy with what you are doing. Just be confident walking into that interview.

Also, med schools don't see your HS GPA.
 
For the most humbling experience, is it safe to go with something generic from college (like getting humbled by research or academic intensity of some sort) or can we talk about long-term growing up experience during middle/high school?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top