2017-2018 Duke University

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
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I finished my essays today and would love to have someone look them over - especially an admitted or current student. Let me know if anyone is up for it! Mine hit 8 pages single spaced once I typed out the prompts and following essays. I thought they were thought-provoking and I actually enjoyed thinking through them.
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DBC03 said:
I finished my essays today and would love to have someone look them over - especially an admitted or current student. Let me know if anyone is up for it! Mine hit 8 pages single spaced once I typed out the prompts and following essays. I thought they were thought-provoking and I actually enjoyed thinking through them.
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will be a MS1, also was a copyeditor for a hot minute and an English major. Happy to help.
 
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MC_Infarction said:
Sure sure, I've got a week or so until orientation starts!
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Theory: completion of this secondary is the real test for admissions
 
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How are y'all distinguishing between the Core Values essay and the Qualities essay? I feel like my answers to both are pretty similar.

Also, do you think it would significantly disadvantage me if I wrote like 250 word answers to each one?
 
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thedarkniteeee said:
I also submitted for MSTP but havent gotten a secondary from Duke at all yet, was verified mid June and complete w/ lettesr by 07/06
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i was verified with letters 6/23 so a secondary is probably on its way to you soon!:)
 
Just chiming in that I've received no secondary either... good to know that others might still be in the same boat!
 
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mintteafresh said:
Ah I obsessively check all my folders and nada :(
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Same, hopefully it'll come this week! I was thinking of giving it one more week and then contacting the admissions office if I still have nothing.
 
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shadow522 said:
i've submitted but only bc i applied mstp and decided to decline for md only consideration if i get rejected mstp (mostly bc i /dont/ feel like writing those monstrous essays and duke is not my first choice). best of luck to everyone with these essays!!
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Can you share the MSTP prompts for Duke? Thanks
 
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prenses said:
Can you share the MSTP prompts for Duke? Thanks
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They are the same as the MD only prompts. If you choose to submit mstp only (without md only consideration if the mstp committee rejects you), then you only need to answer the 500-word tell us more about yourself q and the what qualities will you bring to medicine q.
 
What should I put in the "further information" box? Another 600 words essay? I don't mind but I don't want to upset a potentially unwilling reader...
 
I'd say don't put anything there if you don't have something significant to say that's not in your primary or in any of their essay/get to know you questions.
 
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:rage::rage::rage:+pissed+ Just two more essays for this secondary and I am done. Definitely the hardest secondary...I shouldn't have done this one last since I'm burnt out.
 
ChopinLiszt said:
I'd say don't put anything there if you don't have something significant to say that's not in your primary or in any of their essay/get to know you questions.
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I am looking at it as an extension to my "Qualities" essay. If it were a 1200-word essay, I would've written it differently.

Thoughts? Anyone else?
 
Smerdyakov said:
I am looking at it as an extension to my "Qualities" essay. If it were a 1200-word essay, I would've written it differently.

Thoughts? Anyone else?
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I was wondering if we should use it to tell them "why duke" - consensus from adcoms here seems to be that if they didn't ask a "why duke" essay they don't necessarily want one. Any comments from those who are currently students or who will be students this year??
 
There goes my enthusiasm... But I want to write more!!!
Dear admissions,

Can you clarify a bit on the very last prompt "further information?" Is it served as a space for updates, or a possible essay on a topic of my choice? And what would be the preferred length in word counts?

Best,

xxxxxxxxxxxx
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Hi xxxxxxxxxxxxx,


Thanks for your email and your interest in Duke School of Medicine.


The further review information is saved for specific details as noted on the application; publication updates, honors, awards, any disciplinary actions that you received that were not included in your AMCAS application.


Hope this helps,

Andrea


Andrea Perfetto Lanahan

Director of Admissions/School of Medicine

Assistant Director/Medical Scientist Training Program

8 Searle Center Drive/Suite 4014 TSCHE, Box 3710

Durham, NC 27710

919-684-8635 (w)/919-630-2615 ©
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lord_leonan said:
Same, hopefully it'll come this week! I was thinking of giving it one more week and then contacting the admissions office if I still have nothing.
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I've talked to a few friends who are applying and they are half and half of having gotten the secondary and not, so I think it's being sent out in batches and not to worry about it!
 
These essays are torture for someone who like to creatively write and compulsively edits their work 5 or 6 times.. lol.
 
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Case Western requires 9 essays (if you apply to both university and college programs), but they are CAKE compared to Duke's. I've written all of them in one evening and I haven't cried once. :laugh:
 
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Submitted this big boy yesterday. It was a pain, but I really thought it was a good chance to show them the real me.
 
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Can anyone provide suggestions for how to address the following prompt:

"Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated."

I feel like this is generally one of the optional essays on most MD secondaries and as someone who doesn't belong to any minority group, this question is difficult to answer. I've also talked a lot about personal qualities and values in the rest of Duke's essays. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
medic408 said:
Can anyone provide suggestions for how to address the following prompt:

"Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated."

I feel like this is generally one of the optional essays on most MD secondaries and as someone who doesn't belong to any minority group, this question is difficult to answer. I've also talked a lot about personal qualities and values in the rest of Duke's essays. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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you could talk about your upbringing perhaps? or show examples of how you interacted with people who were like and unlike yourself. a lot of these prompts overlap
 
lickerwhicker said:
you could talk about your upbringing perhaps? or show examples of how you interacted with people who were like and unlike yourself. a lot of these prompts overlap
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Yeah I have a lot to talk about regarding where I grew up and interacting with different peoples, but I've already addressed both of those in the other essays lol. Might just have to be repetitive here. Thanks.
 
Lol, I just got an email about Duke-Nus....Man I feel like I'm being trolled.

#WhereismyDukeSecondary
 
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Fortunately, I don't have to worry about interviews at all because my LOR guy will not just SUBMIT the dang LETTER so that I can be complete.. :bang:
I mean, I have to bare my soul in a novel-length secondary.. so how hard is it to write a few paragraphs saying "She's pretty good - I'd pick her if I were you." ok, rant over
 
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ChopinLiszt said:
Fortunately, I don't have to worry about interviews at all because my LOR guy will not just SUBMIT the dang LETTER so that I can be complete.. :bang:
I mean, I have to bare my soul in a novel-length secondary.. so how hard is it to write a few paragraphs saying "She's pretty good - I'd pick her if I were you." ok, rant over
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Oh my god same. I am ready to be complete at 20 schools but my last LOR writer has had 3 months and is dragging his feet.
 
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I've been getting the same Duke-NUS email for the past year even before the cycle started, I don't get it
 
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has anyone else still not gotten the secondary yet?
 
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7meGppp said:
has anyone else still not gotten the secondary yet?
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I hadn't gotten it last week, and I emailed the admissions office on Monday. I received the secondary about 20 minutes later. So maybe you could try doing this!
 
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I'm applying MD and MSTP...just accessed the secondary and I'm not seeing any of the word limits that people are referencing. Anyone have the same experience?
 
lord_leonan said:
I hadn't gotten it last week, and I emailed the admissions office on Monday. I received the secondary about 20 minutes later. So maybe you could try doing this!
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Can confirm. Applying MSTP here, emailed them just now and they sent me a secondary within 2 minutes
 
Jdoxis said:
Oh my god same. I am ready to be complete at 20 schools but my last LOR writer has had 3 months and is dragging his feet.
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I feel your pain! I'm on the same boat, I emailed him in May and still nothing. So what I did is I sent a thank you email to all my letter writers and included a small $5 Starbucks card haha Hopefully that works and gets his attention :)
 
OK, so I'm ready to submit this secondary, but I'm really torn on the optional information. Would it be appropriate to add two paragraphs on why I'm applying to duke? I keep hearing conflicting things about using the additional comments for things like that, so I can't decide. I won't be submitting tonight regardless, so I thought I'd see what others think.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile
 
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DBC03 said:
OK, so I'm ready to submit this secondary, but I'm really torn on the optional information. Would it be appropriate to add two paragraphs on why I'm applying to duke? I keep hearing conflicting things about using the additional comments for things like that, so I can't decide. I won't be submitting tonight regardless, so I thought I'd see what others think.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile
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I've always heard that if Duke wanted to hear a "why duke" answer they would've asked a "why duke" question, but that is just my 2 cents...
 
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liquidcrawler said:
I've always heard that if Duke wanted to hear a "why duke" answer they would've asked a "why duke" question, but that is just my 2 cents...
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This is what I"m thinking. I mean, it's not like they would be afraid to add another 600 word essay, right/??
 
Had the secondary for 22 days and still procrastinating :/

I need to get my **** together lmao
 
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Everything on mine is ready to go. I just have to charge it to my credit card. I'm waiting on my Letter packet from school - just submitted everything that needs to be in for that, so I just sit and wait at this point...
 
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still can't write these essays, losing steam, SOS
 
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