2013-2014 Wayne State University Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

gettheleadout

MD
Moderator Emeritus
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
11,808
Reaction score
2,807
Question I (Choose one of the questions to answer)
A. Briefly describe a work or educational situation in which you were a member of a small group and the ways in which you learned from and taught others. What were the positive and negative aspects of this teaching and learning experience for you?
B. The practice of medicine often involves working with patients of varying backgrounds and from diverse communities. What are your experiences and thoughts about diversity and how would you apply them in the practice of medicine?

Question II (Non Residents must answer Question A – Michigan residents may choose any of the 3 to answer)
A. Discuss the reasons you wish to pursue your medical education at Wayne State University School of Medicine. What do you anticipate being the most challenging and most rewarding?
B. Discuss your reasons for selecting medicine as a career. What benefits do you feel a career would offer that other careers would not?
C. Briefly discuss what particular non-academic experiences (e.g. community service, employment, patient care activities) most influenced your decision to pursue a medical career. Why and how did this influence your decision?

Question III (Choose one of the questions to answer)
A. One of your pediatric patients has been diagnosed with a progressive degenerative disorder. You have recommended a stem cell therapy which, when completed, has been proven to arrest the progress of the disorder and, in some cases, reverse its effects, resulting in normal growth and development. Based on their beliefs, the parents have not given their approval for the stem cell therapy but will give their

Question I (Choose one of the questions to answer)
A. Briefly describe a work or educational situation in which you were a member of a small group and the ways in which you learned from and taught others. What were the positive and negative aspects of this teaching and learning experience for you?
B. The practice of medicine often involves working with patients of varying backgrounds and from diverse communities. What are your experiences and thoughts about diversity and how would you apply them in the practice of medicine?

Question II (Non Residents must answer Question A – Michigan residents may choose any of the 3 to answer)
A. Discuss the reasons you wish to pursue your medical education at Wayne State University School of Medicine. What do you anticipate being the most challenging and most rewarding?
B. Discuss your reasons for selecting medicine as a career. What benefits do you feel a career would offer that other careers would not?
C. Briefly discuss what particular non-academic experiences (e.g. community service, employment, patient care activities) most influenced your decision to pursue a medical career. Why and how did this influence your decision?

Question III (Choose one of the questions to answer)
A. One of your pediatric patients has been diagnosed with a progressive degenerative disorder. You have recommended a stem cell therapy which, when completed, has been proven to arrest the progress of the disorder and, in some cases, reverse its effects, resulting in normal growth and development. Based on their beliefs, the parents have not given their approval for the stem cell therapy but will give their approval for a previously widely used drug therapy which slowed the disorder's progress but did not arrest or reverse its progress. Considering your obligation to your patient, the values of the parents and standards of best medical practices how would you respond to this situation?
B. One of your elderly patients has been hospitalized for the third time following a catastrophic stroke. Paralyzed, unable to speak but able to respond "yes" or "no" with eye blinks. His signed advanced directives specify that should the continuation of therapeutic treatment be determined to be futile, that aggressive treatment would be judged inappropriate and his care would be "palliative". The patient's family insists that their loved one is "aware" and that therapeutic treatment should continue.
What action do you take when confronted with this situation?

Question IV - (only reapplicants must answer this question)
What academic, employment, volunteer experiences have you been engaged in since your last application to medical school? How does your current application differ from your previous application?

Question V - (only applicants with an institutional action must answer this question)
Fully describe the circumstances that resulted in the disciplinary institutional action citation noted on your AMCAS application. What "lasting" lessons have you learned from the experience?

Question VI- (MD/MPH applicants must answer this question)
Please explain your specific interest in Public Health. Include any relevant experiences and/or education.

Length is 250-500 words (1500 to 3000 characters).

Good luck to everyone applying! :luck:

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
Not expecting much from here, but hopefully some IS love
 
Canadian. Really hoping I get an interview here! :smuggrin:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Please Wayne. Pick me! :)
 
Hey all,

Canadian re-applicant here. Last year I applied to Wayne, but did not get an interview.

I am going to apply again but I wanted to know if someone can comment on my stats and my chances, preferably someone who has a good idea about WSU admissions.

cGPA = 3.89, sGPA=3.89, MCAT = 33 R (10PS/10VR/13BS)
ECs = 3 years of research, 2 conference presentations, 1 manuscript/paper contribution, 3 years of leadership/executive work (2 different positions) as a student mentor, 3 semesters/courses worth of TA-ing, over 3 years of volunteer work in the hospital (2 different departments), have scholarships and awards, and many other short/medium-term activities (volunteering in a clinic, fundraising, tutoring, employment)
 
Hey all,

Canadian re-applicant here. Last year I applied to Wayne, but did not get an interview.

I am going to apply again but I wanted to know if someone can comment on my stats and my chances, preferably someone who has a good idea about WSU admissions.

cGPA = 3.89, sGPA=3.89, MCAT = 33 R (10PS/10VR/13BS)
ECs = 3 years of research, 2 conference presentations, 1 manuscript/paper contribution, 3 years of leadership/executive work (2 different positions) as a student mentor, 3 semesters/courses worth of TA-ing, over 3 years of volunteer work in the hospital (2 different departments), have scholarships and awards, and many other short/medium-term activities (volunteering in a clinic, fundraising, tutoring, employment)

These were your stats and no interview!? :confused:
 
Hey all,

Canadian re-applicant here. Last year I applied to Wayne, but did not get an interview.

I am going to apply again but I wanted to know if someone can comment on my stats and my chances, preferably someone who has a good idea about WSU admissions.

cGPA = 3.89, sGPA=3.89, MCAT = 33 R (10PS/10VR/13BS)
ECs = 3 years of research, 2 conference presentations, 1 manuscript/paper contribution, 3 years of leadership/executive work (2 different positions) as a student mentor, 3 semesters/courses worth of TA-ing, over 3 years of volunteer work in the hospital (2 different departments), have scholarships and awards, and many other short/medium-term activities (volunteering in a clinic, fundraising, tutoring, employment)

Will be applying here as Canadian. I'm surprised you got no interview with your stats... When did you apply last year?
 
Hey all,

Canadian re-applicant here. Last year I applied to Wayne, but did not get an interview.

I am going to apply again but I wanted to know if someone can comment on my stats and my chances, preferably someone who has a good idea about WSU admissions.

cGPA = 3.89, sGPA=3.89, MCAT = 33 R (10PS/10VR/13BS)
ECs = 3 years of research, 2 conference presentations, 1 manuscript/paper contribution, 3 years of leadership/executive work (2 different positions) as a student mentor, 3 semesters/courses worth of TA-ing, over 3 years of volunteer work in the hospital (2 different departments), have scholarships and awards, and many other short/medium-term activities (volunteering in a clinic, fundraising, tutoring, employment)

Call the adcom and ask. Your secondaries, LoRs or PS must have been a red flag
 
Hey guys, both my cGPA and sGPA for last year were 3.86. But everything else was the same.

I was also surprised at getting no interview. I thought I had a decent chance.

However, like someone mentioned, I did apply a bit late. I submitted my secondary mid-November. It really was the only time I could do it too. Canadian apps had to be in by October. I had classes going on + thesis work. In addition, I wrote the MCAT last summer too. So the summer was occupied with MCAT studying.

I reeeeally like to believe that it is because of my late application. I will try my best to improve my personal statement and essays and submit early. Nonetheless, I did work very hard on them last year as well. Put a lot of time and thinking and had them reviewed by others.

At this point, I'm just thinking about the upcoming cycle. I doubt there's much I can do about the 2012-2013 cycle.
 
Hey,

Canadian here. I am wondering what MCAT score you think I will need in order to get an interview here, and the approximate breakdown. I have a 3.94 sGPA and 3.93 cGPA. I have average EC's and most likely average LOR's.

Thanks
 
No clear answer but i'd imagine you'd be in good shape with a 33-34 or so?
 
Hey everyone, I finished my M1 year here a month ago. Let me know if you have any questions, and good luck!

Hey congrats!

I saw on WSU's website that the admissions committee actually replaces your undergraduate science GPA with 20+ credits of BCPM during Post-Bacc and considers that instead. Is this true for in-state and out of state applicants? I know they accept very few OOS but I applied here because I have a very good post-bacc GPA.

Thanks!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Hey congrats!

I saw on WSU's website that the admissions committee actually replaces your undergraduate science GPA with 20+ credits of BCPM during Post-Bacc and considers that instead. Is this true for in-state and out of state applicants? I know they accept very few OOS but I applied here because I have a very good post-bacc GPA.

Thanks!

I remember reading that, I am pretty sure it applies to both in state and OOS applicants. The biggest obstacle to OOS applicants (other than the tuition) is that the admissions committee wants students who are likely to stay in the Detroit area to practice. If you are OOS and cannot demonstrate some ties to the region, or have a credible reason you want to live here, you may face an uphill battle in gaining admission even with good stats as an OOS applicant. If you do have ties and/or do have convincing reasons to want to be here (other than "I just want someone somewhere to accept me") then your chances are probably better than the OOS stats would suggest, depending on your application as a whole of course.
 
Can you like to the web page that has the info about post bacc for Wayne? I couldn't find that info.
 
Can you like to the web page that has the info about post bacc for Wayne? I couldn't find that info.

The information about taking post-bach credits to "replace" a lower GPA for admissions considerations is located on this page http://admissions.med.wayne.edu/prepare.php in the
"Self-Assessment Guide" which is a word document you can download by clicking on the assessment guide link.
 
Applying here as well. I have some "dream" schools I'm applying to, but admittedly, WSU is probably more realistic and definitely up there on my list!
 
The information about taking post-bach credits to "replace" a lower GPA for admissions considerations is located on this page http://admissions.med.wayne.edu/prepare.php in the
"Self-Assessment Guide" which is a word document you can download by clicking on the assessment guide link.

Were there any little things that I have pleasantly surprised you since starting at Wayne? School groups or events or anything?

(Besides the therapy dogs coming... I saw that news clip and was a little envious of the cuteness of the dogs, lol.)
 
Were there any little things that I have pleasantly surprised you since starting at Wayne? School groups or events or anything?

(Besides the therapy dogs coming... I saw that news clip and was a little envious of the cuteness of the dogs, lol.)

Biggest pleasant surprise is that gunners are few and far between. Won't say there are none, but as a whole, the 2016 class is very willing to help others out and help everyone to succeed.

Second pleasant surprise is how comprehensive the notes provided at the beginning of each course is. Very little is covered in lecture or lab that is tested on but is not in the notes themselves. It helps a LOT to go through a lecture letting info soak in, and not frantically trying to copy everything said down without missing anything. Streaming helps with that a ton as well. There are a handful of lectures with terrible notes, but as a whole, the notes are very good.

As a non-traditional student (wife and child), I am not on campus any more than I have to be, so a lot of the extracurricular activities, of which there are many, I am not as familiar with and will let other current students comment on.
 
Biggest pleasant surprise is that gunners are few and far between. Won't say there are none, but as a whole, the 2016 class is very willing to help others out and help everyone to succeed.

Second pleasant surprise is how comprehensive the notes provided at the beginning of each course is. Very little is covered in lecture or lab that is tested on but is not in the notes themselves. It helps a LOT to go through a lecture letting info soak in, and not frantically trying to copy everything said down without missing anything. Streaming helps with that a ton as well. There are a handful of lectures with terrible notes, but as a whole, the notes are very good.

As a non-traditional student (wife and child), I am not on campus any more than I have to be, so a lot of the extracurricular activities, of which there are many, I am not as familiar with and will let other current students comment on.

The notes perk sounds fabulous! Thanks for your feedback, definitely reaffirms my interest. I think a part of me wants to dislike WSU simply because I want to get out of the greater Detroit area, but, I mean, I do know it has a lot of perks for me.

Where does it seem like most students live? Downtown? Suburbs?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
The notes perk sounds fabulous! Thanks for your feedback, definitely reaffirms my interest. I think a part of me wants to dislike WSU simply because I want to get out of the greater Detroit area, but, I mean, I do know it has a lot of perks for me.

Where does it seem like most students live? Downtown? Suburbs?

Not sure what the breakdown is, but most students live near campus, downtown (a longish walk/short drive from the med school campus), or in Royal Oak. Smaller numbers of students live in other suburbs, some even commute from Ann Arbor (45 minutes away from campus in no traffic) or other farther-out areas. I live downriver myself, a pretty short commute (15 minutes no traffic, 25 min during rush hour) but this area is very overlooked among the student population.

Virtually all of the student events are held either in the city (near campus or downtown) or in Royal Oak.
 
Not sure what the breakdown is, but most students live near campus, downtown (a longish walk/short drive from the med school campus), or in Royal Oak. Smaller numbers of students live in other suburbs, some even commute from Ann Arbor (45 minutes away from campus in no traffic) or other farther-out areas. I live downriver myself, a pretty short commute (15 minutes no traffic, 25 min during rush hour) but this area is very overlooked among the student population.

Virtually all of the student events are held either in the city (near campus or downtown) or in Royal Oak.

I live Downriver as well and the commute is definitely manageable, but I think I'd like to move out on my own to focus more. (I'm not married, like you, but it definitely makes sense to live further out with a family.) I feel like I always end up hearing horror stories from people who stay in mid/downtown, but I'm not sure if that's people being overdramatic or what.

Anyway, thanks for your answers! :)
 
Hey all,

Canadian re-applicant here. Last year I applied to Wayne, but did not get an interview.

I am going to apply again but I wanted to know if someone can comment on my stats and my chances, preferably someone who has a good idea about WSU admissions.

cGPA = 3.89, sGPA=3.89, MCAT = 33 R (10PS/10VR/13BS)
ECs = 3 years of research, 2 conference presentations, 1 manuscript/paper contribution, 3 years of leadership/executive work (2 different positions) as a student mentor, 3 semesters/courses worth of TA-ing, over 3 years of volunteer work in the hospital (2 different departments), have scholarships and awards, and many other short/medium-term activities (volunteering in a clinic, fundraising, tutoring, employment)

Also a Canadian applicant (seems to be a lot of us!), but my stats are nowhere near yours. How did you not get into a Canadian school with that?? I have no idea what my AMCAS GPA is, still waiting to be verified. I'm thinking it will convert to around 3.8 for both cGPA and sGPA, but I only have a 31Q MCAT. So, if you didn't get in, even with a late app, I'm thinking I have no chance! (Heres hoping on UBC and uCalgary.)
 
Canadian applicant. Applying with a 4.0/ 37. Did my undergrad in US. Good luck everyone!
 
Just got an email stating that verified AMCAS application (has been verified and out to med schools since 6/28) was received and is under review for secondary prescreening. According to the email, "the review process takes from one to six weeks."

Hopefully we will see some more activity on this thread by next week!
 
Just got an email stating that verified AMCAS application (has been verified and out to med schools since 6/28) was received and is under review for secondary prescreening. According to the email, "the review process takes from one to six weeks."

Hopefully we will see some more activity on this thread by next week!

Hopefully! I find these kind of emails almost unnecessary but then again, at least it tells me to be prepared, :p.
 
Got this today:

Thank you for your interest in Wayne State University School of Medicine. We have your verified AMCAS application. After a preliminary review of your application, the Admissions Committee has decided to wait to review your upcoming MCAT scores before making a decision regarding a secondary application.

Anybody get flat-out rejected?
 
Wayne screens out <3.0 GPA and <24 MCAT applicants.
 
those numbers aren't bad, i hope they look at other factors too during the screening process
 
Hey everyone, I'm a rising M2 at Wayne too. I can definitely answer questions about the cocurricular program and the volunteer experience aside from the application process. I am OOS so I've got the whole double tuition burden, but am thankful to Wayne for admitting me! (You'll notice that if there's an OOS student at Wayne chances are it was the only school they got in to). I'm also a non-traditional student like theseeker, so there's that as well.

Good luck to everyone this cycle! And Anthrax, I am *positive* that it was your late application that did you in last year. Very solid stats and kind of ideal candidate stuff so I'd be really surprised if stuff didn't work out for you this year -- if not here then definitely somewhere.

Some tips from my application experience: I was kind of all over the map GPA wise, but was able to salvage a 3.5 GPA later in my career. I had a significant amount of volunteer experience and am committed to using medicine to serve my community, so if you are of that mindset as well then that definitely has a place here. I do think Wayne, like every school, shoots to admit their version of a diverse class (although I do feel like we have some strides that still need to be made in this regard). So if you're super all over research (passionate about it and like that route and have decent-to-good stats) then there's a chance they will like you. If you are super into volunteering, they'd probably have a chance of liking you too. Do NOT downplay the importance of the essays. I was basically told in my interview that they were the only reason I was granted one.

Good luck everybody!
 
This is my second time applying for Wayne State School of Medicine. After reviewing my application with some counselors, I found out the reason I didn't get in was because I turned the application in late. I submitted my application in late August. This year, I submitted it on June 13th. It has changed to read for review on June 28 so I'm expecting a lot of emails to come through around July 26th which is this Friday. I have a 3.7 GPA and a 31 MCAT. My brother got in with a 3.9 GPA and a 28 MCAT 4 years ago. However, that was four years ago. I hate the process and I think it's a crapshoot. But it is what it is.

I would really appreciate it if someone that has received a secondary could send me the questions so that I may prepare for them early and turn in my secondary as soon as possible.
 
This is my second time applying for Wayne State School of Medicine. After reviewing my application with some counselors, I found out the reason I didn't get in was because I turned the application in late. I submitted my application in late August. This year, I submitted it on June 13th. It has changed to read for review on June 28 so I'm expecting a lot of emails to come through around July 26th which is this Friday. I have a 3.7 GPA and a 31 MCAT. My brother got in with a 3.9 GPA and a 28 MCAT 4 years ago. However, that was four years ago. I hate the process and I think it's a crapshoot. But it is what it is.

I would really appreciate it if someone that has received a secondary could send me the questions so that I may prepare for them early and turn in my secondary as soon as possible.

I had a similar issue when I applied in the 2011-2012 cycle. I tried to get my application in on June 10th this year but ended up procrastinating until July 7th. I hope one month doesn't hurt me too much.
 
Is anyone worried about living in Detroit given its bankruptcy? It would be great if someone attending Wayne State could comment on life in Detroit and its impact on lifestyle.
 
Is anyone worried about living in Detroit given its bankruptcy? It would be great if someone attending Wayne State could comment on life in Detroit and its impact on lifestyle.

I went to Wayne for undergrad and will be attending Wayne SOM this fall. We received an email from the president reassuring us that the financial situations in Detroit will in no way impact Wayne, it is its one "independent legal entity." It's located in Midtown which is a thriving and busy part of Detroit, just a bit away from the crazy hustle and bustle of downtown (which is amazing in and of itself). This is from the email the president sent:

"First, it is important to understand that while Wayne State is located in Detroit, it is an independent legal entity. Our operations will continue uninterrupted, our finances are unaffected, and we have been assured the basic services provided to us by City of Detroit will continue as well."
 
I went to Wayne for undergrad and will be attending Wayne SOM this fall. We received an email from the president reassuring us that the financial situations in Detroit will in no way impact Wayne, it is its one "independent legal entity." It's located in Midtown which is a thriving and busy part of Detroit, just a bit away from the crazy hustle and bustle of downtown (which is amazing in and of itself). This is from the email the president sent:

"First, it is important to understand that while Wayne State is located in Detroit, it is an independent legal entity. Our operations will continue uninterrupted, our finances are unaffected, and we have been assured the basic services provided to us by City of Detroit will continue as well."

Thanks Blueamex. Aside from what the president says, how did you personally find life in Detroit?
 
Thanks Blueamex. Aside from what the president says, how did you personally find life in Detroit?

I really can't speak about living situations there because I have lived in the near by suburbs with my family. However, I do know friends who live on/near campus and have never had any trouble with safety if that's your concern. Just as any other setting, and I'm sure you've heard this before but you just gotta be smart and aware of your surroundings. Other than that, its really a lot of fun. Midtown just had a Whole Foods open up pretty much right near the hospitals which is awesome, DMC is opening up a brand new heart hospital and the local restaurants are endless! There's always something to do over there, esp now with Tigers games every weekend. I live in the suburbs but I'm always down in Detroit for school and to have a good time lol theres only so much you can do in suburbia :yawn:
 
I really can't speak about living situations there because I have lived in the near by suburbs with my family. However, I do know friends who live on/near campus and have never had any trouble with safety if that's your concern. Just as any other setting, and I'm sure you've heard this before but you just gotta be smart and aware of your surroundings. Other than that, its really a lot of fun. Midtown just had a Whole Foods open up pretty much right near the hospitals which is awesome, DMC is opening up a brand new heart hospital and the local restaurants are endless! There's always something to do over there, esp now with Tigers games every weekend. I live in the suburbs but I'm always down in Detroit for school and to have a good time lol theres only so much you can do in suburbia :yawn:

Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. It helps a lot to people like me who aren't local.
 
Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. It helps a lot to people like me who aren't local.

Anytime! Shoot me a PM if you have any other questions I might be able to help. And goodluck to everyone applying! Hang in there
 
Is anyone worried about living in Detroit given its bankruptcy? It would be great if someone attending Wayne State could comment on life in Detroit and its impact on lifestyle.

Just to add to this (I'm a 4th year), especially for those who are out of state, the Detroit Bankruptcy is definitely NOT something that should have an impact on whether or not you come to Wayne. Major city services are not affected and Wayne is chartered under the state constitution so it isn't at all a part of this whole thing. While there has been some declining state support and main campus raised tuition by 9.7%, tuition at the med school did NOT increase. The shortfall was made up by money from the school of medicine physician group and other places. The only real impact of the declining funding we've seen is that they fired two of the -ahem- less effective members of the administration.

I have lived in both the suburbs and Midtown (where I am now) and can say that living down here is great compared to the suburbs. Especially around Midtown occupancy is very high, tons of new restaurants/shops are opening, there are several new housing developments either under construction or in the works that will be around when you guys start, etc. If anything, bankruptcy is paving the way for more development as people like Dan Gilbert et. al. can buy whatever the hell they want at absurdly low prices. Midtown is also patrolled by a separate WSU police force that has I think a 90 second response time so it is completely different than the 45 minute public service nightmares around the less central areas (ie not Midtown, Downtown, or Corktown) of the city.

Of course, there are plenty of reasons for and against Wayne as a med school (feel free to PM me for more) but bankruptcy and the location really aren't big issues. I'm not a complete starry-eyed evangelist but the WSU/downtown/corktown areas have changed significantly even since I started 3 years ago and I'm sure that trajectory will continue when you guys make it down here.
 
Secondary received, :).

It was the last one with essays I was waiting on. Thankfully a ton of questions overlap with essays I've already wrote so I'm glad they changed the prompts this year. So glad to be in the final stretch.
 
Oh and prompts below. All communication is via email so you just send them through that way.

PROMPTS:


Question I (Choose one of the questions to answer)
A. Briefly describe a work or educational situation in which you were a member of a small group and the ways in which you learned from and taught others. What were the positive and negative aspects of this teaching and learning experience for you?
B. The practice of medicine often involves working with patients of varying backgrounds and from diverse communities. What are your experiences and thoughts about diversity and how would you apply them in the practice of medicine?

Question II (Non Residents must answer Question A &#8211; Michigan residents may choose any of the 3 to answer)
A. Discuss the reasons you wish to pursue your medical education at Wayne State University School of Medicine. What do you anticipate being the most challenging and most rewarding?
B. Discuss your reasons for selecting medicine as a career. What benefits do you feel a career would offer that other careers would not?
C. Briefly discuss what particular non-academic experiences (e.g. community service, employment, patient care activities) most influenced your decision to pursue a medical career. Why and how did this influence your decision?

Question III (Choose one of the questions to answer)
A. One of your pediatric patients has been diagnosed with a progressive degenerative disorder. You have recommended a stem cell therapy which, when completed, has been proven to arrest the progress of the disorder and, in some cases, reverse its effects, resulting in normal growth and development. Based on their beliefs, the parents have not given their approval for the stem cell therapy but will give their

Question I (Choose one of the questions to answer)
A. Briefly describe a work or educational situation in which you were a member of a small group and the ways in which you learned from and taught others. What were the positive and negative aspects of this teaching and learning experience for you?
B. The practice of medicine often involves working with patients of varying backgrounds and from diverse communities. What are your experiences and thoughts about diversity and how would you apply them in the practice of medicine?

Question II (Non Residents must answer Question A &#8211; Michigan residents may choose any of the 3 to answer)
A. Discuss the reasons you wish to pursue your medical education at Wayne State University School of Medicine. What do you anticipate being the most challenging and most rewarding?
B. Discuss your reasons for selecting medicine as a career. What benefits do you feel a career would offer that other careers would not?
C. Briefly discuss what particular non-academic experiences (e.g. community service, employment, patient care activities) most influenced your decision to pursue a medical career. Why and how did this influence your decision?

Question III (Choose one of the questions to answer)
A. One of your pediatric patients has been diagnosed with a progressive degenerative disorder. You have recommended a stem cell therapy which, when completed, has been proven to arrest the progress of the disorder and, in some cases, reverse its effects, resulting in normal growth and development. Based on their beliefs, the parents have not given their approval for the stem cell therapy but will give their approval for a previously widely used drug therapy which slowed the disorder's progress but did not arrest or reverse its progress. Considering your obligation to your patient, the values of the parents and standards of best medical practices how would you respond to this situation?
B. One of your elderly patients has been hospitalized for the third time following a catastrophic stroke. Paralyzed, unable to speak but able to respond "yes" or "no" with eye blinks. His signed advanced directives specify that should the continuation of therapeutic treatment be determined to be futile, that aggressive treatment would be judged inappropriate and his care would be "palliative". The patient's family insists that their loved one is "aware" and that therapeutic treatment should continue.
What action do you take when confronted with this situation?

Question IV - (only reapplicants must answer this question)
What academic, employment, volunteer experiences have you been engaged in since your last application to medical school? How does your current application differ from your previous application?

Question V - (only applicants with an institutional action must answer this question)
Fully describe the circumstances that resulted in the disciplinary institutional action citation noted on your AMCAS application. What "lasting" lessons have you learned from the experience?

Question VI- (MD/MPH applicants must answer this question)
Please explain your specific interest in Public Health. Include any relevant experiences and/or education.

Length is 250-500 words (1500 to 3000 characters).
 
A. One of your pediatric patients has been diagnosed with a progressive degenerative disorder. You have recommended a stem cell therapy which, when completed, has been proven to arrest the progress of the disorder and, in some cases, reverse its effects, resulting in normal growth and development. Based on their beliefs, the parents have not given their approval for the stem cell therapy but will give their approval for a previously widely used drug therapy which slowed the disorder's progress but did not arrest or reverse its progress. Considering your obligation to your patient, the values of the parents and standards of best medical practices how would you respond to this situation?

B. One of your elderly patients has been hospitalized for the third time following a catastrophic stroke. Paralyzed, unable to speak but able to respond "yes" or "no" with eye blinks. His signed advanced directives specify that should the continuation of therapeutic treatment be determined to be futile, that aggressive treatment would be judged inappropriate and his care would be "palliative". The patient's family insists that their loved one is "aware" and that therapeutic treatment should continue.
What action do you take when confronted with this situation?


These moral dilemma questions sure are fun....
 

Keep in mind, the ethical question was asked to find out about you. Sure, there are right and wrong answers but, in my opinion, it's best to put your best foot forward and say what you believe based on your experiences-But what if I violate a rule? The rule is a technicality that may or may not be place when you begin practicing. Context has been limited purposefully. Use that to your advantage. This isn't the place to regurgitate concepts from medical ethics/bioethics unless you fundamentally believe they tie into a sincere answer.


Question to any current medical students/fellow applicants:

For question #2, I have a good response for Prompt A. (Why WSUSOM). It says that non-residents must answer this prompt but MI residents may answer any of the three. This may sound foolish but, to me, this implies that as a resident I should do Prompts B or C (I don't even know how to explain my my logic for why this is :oops: ). Both B and C are nice prompts but I feel I have written great responses to them in my personal statement and most meaningful experiences section. I know it's "allowed" for me to answer prompt A as a MI resident, but would this be a good idea given my situation? What does Team SDN think?
 
Top