2016-2017 UCLA PRIME Application Thread

[WedgeDawg]

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There is a limit of 800 characters for essay responses. This includes spaces and punctuation. Please do not attempt to send more than the allotted amount since the system will not save your responses and your information form will be returned to you with an error. A character counter is provided to assist you with this limitation.

Please answer as many of the questions as you can, clearly and concisely, using proper grammar and punctuation as this information is electronically filed with the Admissions Office upon final submission of your document.

• What is the most important health care issue confronting disadvantaged communities and what would be your first steps to address this issue? (2000 max)

• In what way will graduating from the UCLA PRIME program enhance your career in health care or health services for the disadvantaged communities? (2000 max)

• Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities. (2000 max)

• What are your greatest strengths and your greatest challenges as you approach medical school? (2000 max)

• The committee would like to know about your interests, experiences, and personal characteristics which are relevant to a career in medicine. Please only provide information you believe is important. It is not necessary or required to supply information in all sections. Each response is limited to 800 characters. You can save your information by clicking either the 'Save' or 'Update' buttons at the bottom of this form. The information entered on this form will not be available to the Admissions Office until you electronically file the information by clicking the 'Submit' button and pay the document fee.

Extracurricular Interests and Activities

• Describe involvement in the ONE most important non-academic activity that has been important in your life: (800 max)

• What has been the ONE most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 max)

• What has been the ONE most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 max)

• Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the

expected time of medical school matriculation? (yes or no). If yes, please explain. (800 max)


Scholastic Activities

• What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (800 max)

• What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)?
• Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 max)

Personal

• Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (800 max)

• List major paid work experience during (or since) college. Give dates, description, approximate hours worked

(list the most recent first). (800 max)

• If there is any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application, then check the

box labeled "hardship" and briefly explain why you are indicating a hardship.Include any geographic, language, economic, academic,
physical, or mental factors. (800 max)

• Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal? (800 max)

• Do you have a parent or guardian on faculty at the DGSOM (yes or no). If yes, please provide their names.

• Are you a first generation college graduate? Yes or No. (First generation college graduate is defined as an applicant whose parents have a HS education or less, and whose extended family (aunts, uncles, etc.) do not have a college-going experience.)

 

[Ryuichi]

for some reason I don't see UCLA PRIME as an option in my AMCAS primary? Anyone else having this issue? I only see David Geffen and Charles Drew as options

 

[DocJuan]

for some reason I don't see UCLA PRIME as an option in my AMCAS primary? Anyone else having this issue? I only see David Geffen and Charles Drew as options

They're doing things a little differently this year. Instead of selecting PRIME, you should select Geffen and what ever degree you're seeking. So in my case I did Geffen and MPH. They'll send more once secondaries come out.

 

[banana_phone]

They're doing things a little differently this year. Instead of selecting PRIME, you should select Geffen and what ever degree you're seeking. So in my case I did Geffen and MPH. They'll send more once secondaries come out.

Thank you for clarifying...I was confused about this too, but I did what you did! Can't wait to get the ball rolling.

 

[NalgeneNerd]

Just received the questions! I'm a reapplicant and most of these questions are the same, is it alright to post the same answers as last year (i.e. if my answers to the questions haven't changed in the last year)? Does it make any difference in your chances if you were to submit all new answers or do they not care? Thanks everyone!

@Ismet
@WedgeDawg

Secondary Questions:

There is a limit of 800 characters for essay responses. This includes spaces and punctuation. Please do not attempt to send more than the allotted amount since the system will not save your responses and your information form will be returned to you with an error. A character counter is provided to assist you with this limitation.

Please answer as many of the questions as you can, clearly and concisely, using proper grammar and punctuation as this information is electronically filed with the Admissions Office upon final submission of your document.

• What is the most important health care issue confronting disadvantaged communities and what would be your first steps to address this issue? (2000 max)

• In what way will graduating from the UCLA PRIME program enhance your career in health care or health services for the disadvantaged communities? (2000 max)

• Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities. (2000 max)

• What are your greatest strengths and your greatest challenges as you approach medical school? (2000 max)

• The committee would like to know about your interests, experiences, and personal characteristics which are relevant to a career in medicine. Please only provide information you believe is important. It is not necessary or required to supply information in all sections. Each response is limited to 800 characters. You can save your information by clicking either the 'Save' or 'Update' buttons at the bottom of this form. The information entered on this form will not be available to the Admissions Office until you electronically file the information by clicking the 'Submit' button and pay the document fee.

Extracurricular Interests and Activities

• Describe involvement in the ONE most important non-academic activity that has been important in your life: (800 max)

• What has been the ONE most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 max)

• What has been the ONE most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 max)

• Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the

expected time of medical school matriculation? (yes or no). If yes, please explain. (800 max)


Scholastic Activities

• What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (800 max)

• What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)?
• Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 max)

Personal

• Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (800 max)

• List major paid work experience during (or since) college. Give dates, description, approximate hours worked

(list the most recent first). (800 max)

• If there is any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application, then check the

box labeled "hardship" and briefly explain why you are indicating a hardship.Include any geographic, language, economic, academic,
physical, or mental factors. (800 max)

• Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal? (800 max)

• Do you have a parent or guardian on faculty at the DGSOM (yes or no). If yes, please provide their names.

• Are you a first generation college graduate? Yes or No. (First generation college graduate is defined as an applicant whose parents have a HS education or less, and whose extended family (aunts, uncles, etc.) do not have a college-going experience.)

 

[Deepika Suresh]

Just received the questions! I'm a reapplicant and most of these questions are the same, is it alright to post the same answers as last year (i.e. if my answers to the questions haven't changed in the last year)? Does it make any difference in your chances if you were to submit all new answers or do they not care? Thanks everyone!

@Ismet
@WedgeDawg

Secondary Questions:

There is a limit of 800 characters for essay responses. This includes spaces and punctuation. Please do not attempt to send more than the allotted amount since the system will not save your responses and your information form will be returned to you with an error. A character counter is provided to assist you with this limitation.

Please answer as many of the questions as you can, clearly and concisely, using proper grammar and punctuation as this information is electronically filed with the Admissions Office upon final submission of your document.

• What is the most important health care issue confronting disadvantaged communities and what would be your first steps to address this issue? (2000 max)

• In what way will graduating from the UCLA PRIME program enhance your career in health care or health services for the disadvantaged communities? (2000 max)

• Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities. (2000 max)

• What are your greatest strengths and your greatest challenges as you approach medical school? (2000 max)

• The committee would like to know about your interests, experiences, and personal characteristics which are relevant to a career in medicine. Please only provide information you believe is important. It is not necessary or required to supply information in all sections. Each response is limited to 800 characters. You can save your information by clicking either the 'Save' or 'Update' buttons at the bottom of this form. The information entered on this form will not be available to the Admissions Office until you electronically file the information by clicking the 'Submit' button and pay the document fee.

Extracurricular Interests and Activities

• Describe involvement in the ONE most important non-academic activity that has been important in your life: (800 max)

• What has been the ONE most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 max)

• What has been the ONE most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 max)

• Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the

expected time of medical school matriculation? (yes or no). If yes, please explain. (800 max)


Scholastic Activities

• What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (800 max)

• What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)?
• Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 max)

Personal

• Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (800 max)

• List major paid work experience during (or since) college. Give dates, description, approximate hours worked

(list the most recent first). (800 max)

• If there is any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application, then check the

box labeled "hardship" and briefly explain why you are indicating a hardship.Include any geographic, language, economic, academic,
physical, or mental factors. (800 max)

• Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal? (800 max)

• Do you have a parent or guardian on faculty at the DGSOM (yes or no). If yes, please provide their names.

• Are you a first generation college graduate? Yes or No. (First generation college graduate is defined as an applicant whose parents have a HS education or less, and whose extended family (aunts, uncles, etc.) do not have a college-going experience.)

 

[keesMD]

Is anyone else receiving an error when attempting to login to the application status page?

UPDATE: They have now revised the system so that 2017 can be selected! Problem resolved.

 

[banana_phone]

Is anyone else receiving an error when attempting to login to the application status page?

+1. it also only has the option to log in for the 2016 application year so I'm thinking technical difficulties on their end.

 

[gunsandroes]

If we applied PRIME and got a secondary, are we also supposed to wait on a secondary for Geffen as well?

 

[beOncogene]

What an intense secondary! I am planning to apply here once I get my MCAT score but I don't know after seeing those secondary prompts lol.

 

[keesMD]

If we applied PRIME and got a secondary, are we also supposed to wait on a secondary for Geffen as well?

I would like to know this as well...Based on the secondary questions listed on the UCLA David Geffen school specific site, it seems like they are the same as the latter half of the PRIME secondary, so my guess is that we should only expect to receive the one?

 

[daisy128]

Just wanted to make sure: If we checked off "Combined Medical Degree/Graduate" along with "MPH" on our AMCAS page for UCLA, then will the secondary application we received today (in the email titled "UCLA PRIME Application Receipt") count for both the PRIME and Regular MD programs? I wanted to make sure I had checked off the right boxes on my primary AMCAS app so that I would also be considered for the regular MD program (that was giving me a bit of anxiety this morning!).

 

[NeuResurgens]

If we applied PRIME and got a secondary, are we also supposed to wait on a secondary for Geffen as well?

I would like to know this as well...Based on the secondary questions listed on the UCLA David Geffen school specific site, it seems like they are the same as the latter half of the PRIME secondary, so my guess is that we should only expect to receive the one?

This is my assumption as well - same exact prompts from the regular DGSOM prompts from past years in addition to the PRIME questions. I think the PRIME secondary is the only one we get if we applied to the program. I assume this is reinforced by the existence of the check box "if not considered for PRIME I want to be considered for the regular MD program."

Sure hope my lack of a year of math doesn't exclude me here. Had to put "no" on the "did you have a year of mathematics" question..

 

[Atoms4Peace]

Do they send out secondaries to everyone that applies or is there a screening process?

 

[sammiesings]

Do they send out secondaries to everyone that applies or is there a screening process?

Pretty sure they aren't screening prime applications this year. Didn't mention a screen in the receipt email

 

[banana_phone]

Man...this secondary is a serious beast. Looking at these questions, I really don't think i am qualified for the program. Does anyone know if there is a way to formally withdraw? Or is it too late for that

 

[NeuResurgens]

Man...this secondary is a serious beast. Looking at these questions, I really don't think i am qualified for the program. Does anyone know if there is a way to formally withdraw? Or is it too late for that

It took me a while before I was able to think up reasons why I was even qualified for the program. You don't need to deliver underserved babies in Africa - working with patients who don't speak English as a first language is a good example of working with the underserved. Try to think back to your experiences and find times when you encountered underserved populations, whether the activity was dedicated to those populations specifically or not. I feel like if you were interested enough to mark PRIME on the application, you probably had some experiences somewhere that led you to do so, even if they're not super intensive experiences with the underserved.

 

[JavaLatette]

• What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (800 max)

For this question, do you guys think it has to be academically / work-related? Can it be the honor to be entrusted by other people? Or honor to be the one to provide someone with shelter? Something along those lines?

 

[nylock10]

Anyone having trouble submitting the secondary? I can't get to the payments page.

 

[JavaLatette]

Anyone having trouble submitting the secondary? I can't get to the payments page.

Are you getting an error?
I had to make the essay length 10 words or 10 characters (dont remember which) shorter than the max

 

[nylock10]

Are you getting an error?
I had to make the essay length 10 words or 10 characters (dont remember which) shorter than the max

I'm not getting any error. Clicking submit just refreshes the page. All of my essays are within the character limit by at least 20 characters.

Edit: Website bug, they fixed it.

 

[MC_Infarction]

Man, this secondary is beastly. Feel like my fingers might fall off.

 

[storquest]

The website says primaries are screened on a rolling basis, but does anyone know if the selection process for interviews is rolling too or do they wait until they get all secondaries?

 

[mdcoffee]

I called admissions and they said applications are screened and it is for PRIME and David Geffen!

 

[sammiesings]

.

 

[sammiesings]

Does anyone know if UCLA screened for prime secondaries this year? Because it seems like everyone who applied prime got a secondary...

 

[mdcoffee]

Does anyone know if UCLA screened for prime secondaries this year? Because it seems like everyone who applied prime got a secondary...

I called their admission office and its screened, my friend who applied to PRIME hasn't gotten her secondary yet.

 

[sammiesings]

I called their admission office and its screened, my friend who applied to PRIME hasn't gotten her secondary yet.

interesting. thanks! i wonder if it was a good idea to apply prime if they filter us first before they send us off to geffen then. eh, oh well!

 

[WhittyPsyche]

interesting. thanks! i wonder if it was a good idea to apply prime if they filter us first before they send us off to geffen then. eh, oh well!

I guess if it is screened, they look at the app before it's complete? Or have a very quick turn around? Because I sent my app in early August with no MCAT scores, my scores came in on the 23rd and I got the secondary today, the 25th.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[storquest]

Does anyone know if the actual secondary deadline is the one stated in the secondary or November 1st. The website says November 1st and past years it's been in November too I think.

 

[sammiesings]

Does anyone know if the actual secondary deadline is the one stated in the secondary or November 1st. The website says November 1st and past years it's been in November too I think.

Are you talking about getting a secondary? Or turning it in?

 

[storquest]

Are you talking about getting a secondary? Or turning it in?

turning it in. faq says november 1st. secondary says about 1 month after i received it

 

[sammiesings]

turning it in. faq says november 1st. secondary says about 1 month after i received it

On mine there was a date that I had to turn it in by. I imagine that's a hard deadline

 

[zurc2014]

Finally submitted secondary. The wait begins...

 

[Doc.Do]

This thread is so quiet compared to other schools. Guess it draws a very specific and small audience. The FAQ page says interview invites will be sent out by December 17...

 

[mdcoffee]

the wait is KILLING me! Love this program

 

[Doc.Do]

Any of you receive interview invites from other schools yet?

 

[zurc2014]

Any of you receive interview invites from other schools yet?

Yes. 3 IIs. First rejection yesterday from Campbell COM 🙁

 

[Doc.Do]

Yes. 3 IIs. First rejection yesterday from Campbell COM 🙁

So sorry >.< But 3 interviews is great at this point. I feel like I should be getting a handful of interviews and it still is early, but I have not received a single invitation. I think my LOR are solid, so maybe its my Secondary Essays. Maybe I am rushing through them...

 

[zurc2014]

So sorry >.< But 3 interviews is great at this point. I feel like I should be getting a handful of interviews and it still is early, but I have not received a single invitation. I think my LOR are solid, so maybe its my Secondary Essays. Maybe I am rushing through them...

Idk. I screwed up my first secondary by submitting half a sentence on the first question!! Don't know how my laptop did that. Needless to say it was my first MD interview. Go figure. This whole thing is a crap shot. How the hell do I get rejected from Campbell but an ii from UTSW?

 

[Doc.Do]

Idk. I screwed up my first secondary by submitting half a sentence on the first question!! Don't know how my laptop did that. Needless to say it was my first MD interview. Go figure. This whole thing is a crap shot. How the hell do I get rejected from Campbell but an ii from UTSW?

Some pretty impressive stats is how? But you are right. This whole thing is completely arbitrary. UTSW? Are you a Texas resident? I am and have not heard back from any Texas schools.

 

[zurc2014]

Some pretty impressive stats is how? But you are right. This whole thing is completely arbitrary. UTSW? Are you a Texas resident? I am and have not heard back from any Texas schools.

Nah, I think I have the lowest LizzyM score on sdn (59). Everything else on my app would be considered well above average tho. Yes, I am a Texan.

 

[Doc.Do]

Nah, I think I have the lowest LizzyM score on sdn (59). Everything else on my app would be considered well above average tho. Yes, I am a Texan.

Have you received a secondary from UT Austin?

 

[sammiesings]

Nah, I think I have the lowest LizzyM score on sdn (59). Everything else on my app would be considered well above average tho. Yes, I am a Texan.

congrats man, that's awesome! you must have some killer post-bac or ECs though! don't sell yourself short on those stats! clearly you've got something adcoms are loving

 

[zurc2014]

Have you received a secondary from UT Austin?

Nope. No love so far from Dell. Im sure I wont get one tho. Been getting love from URM programs like Drew, prime, and HCUs mostly.

 

[WhittyPsyche]

Seriously this secondary is killing me. It's been 5 days, all my essays are way over limit and I feel sick just looking at the word document.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Doc.Do]

Seriously this secondary is killing me. It's been 5 days, all my essays are way over limit and I feel sick just looking at the word document.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I would say take your time with it. Last year, it seemed like interviews went out 2 days before their "We will send invites by this date" date, so as long as you get it in before the deadline they gave you.

 

[WhittyPsyche]

I would say take your time with it. Last year, it seemed like interviews went out 2 days before their "We will send invites by this date" date, so as long as you get it in before the deadline they gave you.

Deadline is Oct 1st. I just received t last week. I need to trim, I just can't bear to keep re-reading at this point lol. I only have one more secondary to go, so good thing the burn out didn't happen earlier.


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[Doc.Do]

Does anyone know what the timeline is if we are rejected from PRIME but are still considered for Geffen (Regular MD)? Will we find out before their December 17th interview invite deadline or after or...?

 

[sciencegal001]

I still haven't received my secondary questions from UCLA. They sent me an email on Aug 4th saying they are screening my primary. Should I be worried?