2015-2016 Mercer University Application Thread

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Space reserved for prompt.

Please PM the essays or lack thereof to me when the secondary is available and I will update this.

Good luck to everyone applying! :luck:
 
Whoo! It's awesome to be applying here! First time applicant (BS Biomedical Engineering from GA Tech, 33 MCAT, 3.76 cGPA, 3.89 sGPA, 175 shadowing hrs, 200+ EC hrs, 150+ volunteer hrs, 2 yrs research hrs in labs prosthetics and heart valve research). Hopefully that puts me in a good position!

I'm personally applying to 15 schools and hear that the secondaries can really pile up, so I'm planning on pre-writing the secondary questions. I looked at the previous years' secondary essays and they seem to rehash the same questions. In case anyone out there is also pre-writing the secondary essays, here they are. Bear in mind that these were used for the last two years at Mercer:

1. A. The mission of the Mercer University School of Medicine is to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. How do you plan to contribute to healthcare in rural or underserved Georgia?

B. Please describe a service or volunteer activity that you feel best prepared you for the mission of our school?

2. The recruitment of a diverse student body is a major goal of Mercer University School of Medicine's Admissions Committee. Students learn from each other as well as from faculty, and being part of a diverse student body affords additional learning opportunities for every student. Please tell us what facets of your life and education to date would contribute to the achievement of this goal. Such facets might include your early education, socioeconomic status, culture, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and life or work experiences.

3. What ethical dilemmas do you foresee that you might encounter in a medical practice in rural and underserved Georgia? Please describe one such incident and how you might resolve it.

4. Would you consider yourself disadvantaged as compared to the 'average' medical school applicant?

5. Please explain to the Admissions Committee other factors that would help them better understand your unique circumstances? (i.e. poor grades, MCAT score, missing information, life circumstances, legal difficulties, additions to your AMCAS application since it was completed, etc.)

NOTE: These are NOT this year's essays - just the ones from the past two years. The years before that also had similar questions.
 
Do you know the word limit for each of these prompts?
 
Oh yah, forgot about that. Each part has a 300 word limit. Except for the #5 which has a 600 word limit instead.
 
Just sent in my application for ED!
 
J Senpai said:
Do you mind sharing your stats?
Click to expand...
BCPM: 3.91
AO: 4.0
MCAT: 27

I work 60 hours a week in an emergency room while in class, have over 300 hours shadowing, multiple mission trips, and executive leadership position at my school
 
Does anyone know if Mercer will send secondaries if you still have a letter of recommendation missing from your file? My application for EDP has been in for about 2 weeks now but I have not received a secondary.
 
twebster92 said:
Does anyone know if Mercer will send secondaries if you still have a letter of recommendation missing from your file? My application for EDP has been in for about 2 weeks now but I have not received a secondary.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure you will still get the secondary if you are missing a letter. The first filter to receive a secondary application just makes sure you are above the bare minimum MCAT and GPA from what I learned at the little 'how to improve your application' seminar they gave in May. I applied early decision as well a few weeks ago and haven't received my secondary either. According to other year's forums, secondaries will go out sometime in the first couple weeks of July. No need to stress!
 
twebster92 said:
Does anyone know if Mercer will send secondaries if you still have a letter of recommendation missing from your file? My application for EDP has been in for about 2 weeks now but I have not received a secondary.
Click to expand...

Got my secondary yesterday! I dont have my letters in yet. Those have to be in to process the secondary, not the primary. I applied EDP as well
 
Good luck everybody! Mercer is a great school!
 
Nvmnd
 
Last edited:
UGA93 said:
I'm pretty sure you will still get the secondary if you are missing a letter. The first filter to receive a secondary application just makes sure you are above the bare minimum MCAT and GPA from what I learned at the little 'how to improve your application' seminar they gave in May. I applied early decision as well a few weeks ago and haven't received my secondary either. According to other year's forums, secondaries will go out sometime in the first couple weeks of July. No need to stress!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I just received my secondary last Tuesday so I was stressing for no reason. Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!
 
eeewie said:
Got my secondary yesterday! I dont have my letters in yet. Those have to be in to process the secondary, not the primary. I applied EDP as well
Click to expand...

Thanks I got my secondary with one letter in and one still waiting to be sent in. Will definitely make sure they are all in when I submit my secondary. Good luck to all!
 
Hash Slinging Slasher said:
Oh yah, forgot about that. Each part has a 300 word limit. Except for the #5 which has a 600 word limit instead.
Click to expand...
Hey quick question! Does question 1 count as two separate 300 word essays or just one? I'd love to prewrite this before my MCAT scores come back next week.
 
maybedeadcat said:
Hey quick question! Does question 1 count as two separate 300 word essays or just one? I'd love to prewrite this before my MCAT scores come back next week.
Click to expand...
Hey! So those were last year's old questions. This year's questions are different (or at least they are for me, maybe because I'm a re-applicant?). Anyways, the new essay questions on the secondary app are:

3. If you wish to discuss your perceptions of your academic readiness for the rigors of a medical school curriculum, or explain poor grades in college coursework or MCAT scores to the Admissions Committee, please do so below. (230 word max)

4. Do you consider yourself to have been raised rural? Please explain. (230 word max)

5. Do you consider yourself to have been raised or to be residing in an area that is medically underserved or in a county that consists of medically underserved populations? By medically underserved we mean populations vulnerable to poor health due to difficulties accessing adequate health care services. This may be due to factors including but not limited to: education level; poverty; being uninsured or underinsured; lack of a usual source of care other than the emergency department; belonging to a socially marginalized group with poorer health outcomes; cultural or language barriers to receiving quality medical care; distance or lack of transportation to needed medical care. Please explain. (230 word max)

6. Upon completion of undergraduate medical education and residency, what do you envision yourself doing? (230 word max)

7. The mission of Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) is to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Summarize your work and learning experiences you believe reflect congruence with this mission. There isnoneed to elaborate on relevant experiences listed in your primary application but please include references to them as appropriate, and summarize them here. (230 word max)

8. If you wish to, please briefly explain below to the Admissions Committee experiences, attributes or qualifications you believe are unique to you that can add to the diversity of the educational environment at MUSM. (230 word max)

9. Please explain to the Admissions Committee factors that you could not highlight above that would help them better understand your unique circumstances. If you would like to briefly highlight any substantial updates with regard to your application (example, volunteer experiences) that have occurred after you submitted the primary AMCAS application, please summarize them below. (230 word max)


 
Hash Slinging Slasher said:
Hey! So those were last year's old questions. This year's questions are different (or at least they are for me, maybe because I'm a re-applicant?). Anyways, the new essay questions on the secondary app are:

3. If you wish to discuss your perceptions of your academic readiness for the rigors of a medical school curriculum, or explain poor grades in college coursework or MCAT scores to the Admissions Committee, please do so below. (230 word max)

4. Do you consider yourself to have been raised rural? Please explain. (230 word max)

5. Do you consider yourself to have been raised or to be residing in an area that is medically underserved or in a county that consists of medically underserved populations? By medically underserved we mean populations vulnerable to poor health due to difficulties accessing adequate health care services. This may be due to factors including but not limited to: education level; poverty; being uninsured or underinsured; lack of a usual source of care other than the emergency department; belonging to a socially marginalized group with poorer health outcomes; cultural or language barriers to receiving quality medical care; distance or lack of transportation to needed medical care. Please explain. (230 word max)

6. Upon completion of undergraduate medical education and residency, what do you envision yourself doing? (230 word max)

7. The mission of Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) is to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Summarize your work and learning experiences you believe reflect congruence with this mission. There isnoneed to elaborate on relevant experiences listed in your primary application but please include references to them as appropriate, and summarize them here. (230 word max)

8. If you wish to, please briefly explain below to the Admissions Committee experiences, attributes or qualifications you believe are unique to you that can add to the diversity of the educational environment at MUSM. (230 word max)

9. Please explain to the Admissions Committee factors that you could not highlight above that would help them better understand your unique circumstances. If you would like to briefly highlight any substantial updates with regard to your application (example, volunteer experiences) that have occurred after you submitted the primary AMCAS application, please summarize them below. (230 word max)
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting those. I don't think a reapplicant gets a different set of essays so it must be the same for everyone.

Just checked. It is the same for me. Dang they added more essays.
 
"4. Do you consider yourself to have been raised rural? Please explain. (230 word max)"

What are everyone's thoughts on answering this question if you have not been raised rural? Would it be best to explain why I do not consider myself to have been raised rural?
 
LgZach21 said:
"4. Do you consider yourself to have been raised rural? Please explain. (230 word max)"

What are everyone's thoughts on answering this question if you have not been raised rural? Would it be best to explain why I do not consider myself to have been raised rural?
Click to expand...

I had the same concern lol. I said I wasn't raised rural but am still interested in rural medicine based on X, Y and Z experiences.
 
Wow. This secondary is LONG. Def wish they would have stuck with the questions from last year. So much for pre-writing!
 
Hash Slinging Slasher said:
Hey! So those were last year's old questions. This year's questions are different (or at least they are for me, maybe because I'm a re-applicant?). Anyways, the new essay questions on the secondary app are:

3. If you wish to discuss your perceptions of your academic readiness for the rigors of a medical school curriculum, or explain poor grades in college coursework or MCAT scores to the Admissions Committee, please do so below. (230 word max)

4. Do you consider yourself to have been raised rural? Please explain. (230 word max)

5. Do you consider yourself to have been raised or to be residing in an area that is medically underserved or in a county that consists of medically underserved populations? By medically underserved we mean populations vulnerable to poor health due to difficulties accessing adequate health care services. This may be due to factors including but not limited to: education level; poverty; being uninsured or underinsured; lack of a usual source of care other than the emergency department; belonging to a socially marginalized group with poorer health outcomes; cultural or language barriers to receiving quality medical care; distance or lack of transportation to needed medical care. Please explain. (230 word max)

6. Upon completion of undergraduate medical education and residency, what do you envision yourself doing? (230 word max)

7. The mission of Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) is to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Summarize your work and learning experiences you believe reflect congruence with this mission. There isnoneed to elaborate on relevant experiences listed in your primary application but please include references to them as appropriate, and summarize them here. (230 word max)

8. If you wish to, please briefly explain below to the Admissions Committee experiences, attributes or qualifications you believe are unique to you that can add to the diversity of the educational environment at MUSM. (230 word max)

9. Please explain to the Admissions Committee factors that you could not highlight above that would help them better understand your unique circumstances. If you would like to briefly highlight any substantial updates with regard to your application (example, volunteer experiences) that have occurred after you submitted the primary AMCAS application, please summarize them below. (230 word max)
Click to expand...
So are questions 1 and 2 still the same as last year's? What's the word limit?
 
Questions 1 and 2 are just basic information.

1. Please provide a below an alternate e-mail address (different from the one listed on the Primary AMCAS Application) at which we can send you correspondence related to your application. (Required)
2. Please provide a cell phone number at which you can be contacted in reference to your application. (Required)

There seems to be a typo in Question 1, I just copied and pasted from the physical secondary.

@Precious
 
LgZach21 said:
Questions 1 and 2 are just basic information.

1. Please provide a below an alternate e-mail address (different from the one listed on the Primary AMCAS Application) at which we can send you correspondence related to your application. (Required)
2. Please provide a cell phone number at which you can be contacted in reference to your application. (Required)

There seems to be a typo in Question 1, I just copied and pasted from the physical secondary.

@Precious
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
.
 
Last edited:
Do you need letters of rec in before being considered for interview?
 
Just submitted my secondary for ED! Good luck to everyone else applying!
 
Just got a RD II.

Secondary submitted on July 15, 2015.
 
LgZach21 said:
Just got a RD II.

Secondary submitted on July 15, 2015.
Click to expand...

Hey, I'm the guy that posted a few days ago about also getting a RD II. Did you also have all of the days open to choose from including early decision and assurance days? I just picked from days that the email said were RD, but I thought it was weird that it gave me the option to sign up for days that were not technically open to me in August and Sept.
 
@largelyuntrustworthy

I just checked, and I do have all the days open to choose from including ED and EA days. That's definitely weird, and I would have expected to be able to only choose dates within the RD interview period. I'm going to give Admissions a call today to confirm that we should choose a date in our specific category.

I will let you know what they say!

Congrats on your RD II, and good luck to you!

EDIT: I just called Admissions and they confirmed that we need to choose a date within the specified RD interview period. The dates on the calendar prior to October 13 are for ED and EA applicants only. I don't know why they aren't blacked out for us, but I thought this information would help!
 
Can someone post the residency verification form? I'd really appreciate it!
 
Does Mercer only want applicants who wish to do primary care? In rural and underserved areas of Georgia?

Or can it be one or the other? I'm a little confused.

Is it not as good to want to do primary care, not in rural/underserved areas OR conversely, to want to do a specialty in a rural/underserved area? Or they specifically want both 1. primary care AND 2. desire to work in rural/underserved area?
 
They want both. Almost all of Georgia is underserved though except for Atlanta. This doesn't mean you are forced to do primary care when you graduate. They just look for applications that show a desire for primary care in underserved Georgia.
 
FINALLY received the secondary. Took long enough.
 
Sooo, at what point(ish) is it getting late to get your second turned in?
 
medic86 said:
Did anyone else read prompt #9 as optional?
Click to expand...
I was wondering about that one too. I don't have any additional information to put, but the way it's worded, it doesn't seem optional.
 
Any thoughts on how to approach #9? I really don't want to leave this area blank.
 
For anyone who applied RD, how long did it take to get a secondary?
 
I was verified on 7/2, and received the MUSM secondary on 7/7. Hope that helps!
 
Thanks. I just noticed it's only been three days since my app was processed.
 
If you wish to discuss your perceptions of your academic readiness for the rigors of a medical school curriculum, or explain poor grades in college coursework or MCAT scores to the Admissions Committee, please do so below.

Is this prompt optional? Only for those who want to explain any issues or unevenness in their academic records?
 
I think it can be taken that way. However, you could use it to discuss your readiness as mentioned in the first part of that question. That's the way I took it at least.
 
Does anyone have an idea when another round interview invites will be sent out?
 
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