2020-2021 Ohio State

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FROM THE SCHOOL'S WEBSITE:

Secondary Essays - We have elected to post the essays from our secondary application to provide applicants the maximum amount of time to prepare and minimize any stress related to preparation of applications. The 2020-2021 secondary essay questions are as follows:
REQUIRED ESSAYS for those applying to the Regular M.D., M.D./PhD, and the Primary Care Track:
  1. The mission statement of The Ohio State University College of Medicine is to “improve peoples lives” through innovation in research, medical education, and patient care. Please describe how your past experiences predict your potential to contribute in two of these three areas (250 words or less).

  2. The OSU COM Admissions vision statement states that the admissions committee will assemble a class that displays “diversity in background and thought”. Why is “diversity in background and thought” a desirable characteristic for a medical school’s student body? (250 words or less)
REQUIRED ESSAYS only for those applying to the Primary Care Track:
  1. Describe past experiences that have shaped your decision to choose a Family Medicine specific accelerated training track. (250 words or less).
  2. “Health is Primary” is a communications campaign to advocate for the values of family medicine, demonstrate the benefits of primary care, and engage patients in our healthcare system. The aim is to build a primary care system that reflects the values of family medicine, puts patients at the center of their care, and improves the health of all Americans. How do you plan to reflect the values of Family Medicine in your future career? (250 words or less)
OPTIONAL ESSAY for those applying to the Regular M.D., M.D./PhD, and the Primary Care Track:
  1. The OSUCOM Admissions Committee understands that everyone may have been impacted by the COVID 19 public health crisis. Please use the space below to communicate anything you would like to share with the admissions committee related to the pandemic. Possible topics might include, for example: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic; creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis; or hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus or quarantine.
 
CountryBoy2134 said:
FROM THE SCHOOL'S WEBSITE:

Secondary Essays - We have elected to post the essays from our secondary application to provide applicants the maximum amount of time to prepare and minimize any stress related to preparation of applications. The 2020-2021 secondary essay questions are as follows:
REQUIRED ESSAYS for those applying to the Regular M.D., M.D./PhD, and the Primary Care Track:
  1. The mission statement of The Ohio State University College of Medicine is to “improve peoples lives” through innovation in research, medical education, and patient care. Please describe how your past experiences predict your potential to contribute in two of these three areas (250 words or less).

  2. The OSU COM Admissions vision statement states that the admissions committee will assemble a class that displays “diversity in background and thought”. Why is “diversity in background and thought” a desirable characteristic for a medical school’s student body? (250 words or less)
REQUIRED ESSAYS only for those applying to the Primary Care Track:
  1. Describe past experiences that have shaped your decision to choose a Family Medicine specific accelerated training track. (250 words or less).
  2. “Health is Primary” is a communications campaign to advocate for the values of family medicine, demonstrate the benefits of primary care, and engage patients in our healthcare system. The aim is to build a primary care system that reflects the values of family medicine, puts patients at the center of their care, and improves the health of all Americans. How do you plan to reflect the values of Family Medicine in your future career? (250 words or less)
OPTIONAL ESSAY for those applying to the Regular M.D., M.D./PhD, and the Primary Care Track:
  1. The OSUCOM Admissions Committee understands that everyone may have been impacted by the COVID 19 public health crisis. Please use the space below to communicate anything you would like to share with the admissions committee related to the pandemic. Possible topics might include, for example: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic; creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis; or hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus or quarantine.
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Is there a word limit on the option COVID essay? Same 250?
 
Does anyone know whether the admissions committee prefers referring to the school as "Ohio State University School of Medicine" or "OSUSOM" on the secondary responses?
 
Does anyone know whether the admissions committee prefers referring to the school as "Ohio State University School of Medicine" or "OSUSOM" on the secondary responses?
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I don't imagine it will matter that much since they used both the full name and abbreviation in the secondary prompts. However, I will point out that it's The Ohio State University College of Medicine 😉
 
Martin van Nostrand said:
Does anyone know whether the admissions committee prefers referring to the school as "Ohio State University School of Medicine" or "OSUSOM" on the secondary responses?
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It's The Ohio State University College of Medicine (OSUCOM) and I am sure they wouldn't care if you abbreviated it with the character limit.
 
Anyone know if they are flexible with the 2 LORs from science/academic professors if there have been significant gap years?
 
Hey everyone! I am a rising M2 at OSU and have been posting on the 2020 thread, but wanted to post here as well to let you all know that if you have any questions regarding OSU's secondary, the curriculum, living in Columbus, or anything else you can feel free to tag me in your post in this thread or PM me! I can either answer your question or point you in the direction of someone who will know the answer if I don't. Best of luck to everyone applying this cycle!
 
Secondary Burnout said:
Hey everyone! I am a rising M2 at OSU and have been posting on the 2020 thread, but wanted to post here as well to let you all know that if you have any questions regarding OSU's secondary, the curriculum, living in Columbus, or anything else you can feel free to tag me in your post in this thread or PM me! I can either answer your question or point you in the direction of someone who will know the answer if I don't. Best of luck to everyone applying this cycle!
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Hi! Is OSU non-trad friendly?
 
Secondary Burnout said:
Hey everyone! I am a rising M2 at OSU and have been posting on the 2020 thread, but wanted to post here as well to let you all know that if you have any questions regarding OSU's secondary, the curriculum, living in Columbus, or anything else you can feel free to tag me in your post in this thread or PM me! I can either answer your question or point you in the direction of someone who will know the answer if I don't. Best of luck to everyone applying this cycle!
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i second the nontrad friendly question and how do they feel about students they have done SMPs/postbaccs?
 
stayathomemom said:
Hi! Is OSU non-trad friendly?
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Yes! Each person's journey to medicine is different and I think OSU does a good job of recognizing that during the admissions process. I am not non-trad myself but I know several members of my class are. I am not certain how many non-trads are in this year's incoming class, but I can say that OSU is definitely non-trad friendly! If you have a more specific question about your situation feel free to PM me!
 
greysloan03 said:
i second the nontrad friendly question and how do they feel about students they have done SMPs/postbaccs?
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I don't know specifically how OSU feels about students who have done SMPs/postbaccs. However, the review process is truly holistic at OSU, and they are looking for applicants with a wide range of experiences. Completing an SMP/postbacc should not hurt your chances of acceptance, and will likely give you a unique perspective that could be valuable in the incoming class. I know of at least a handful of people in my class who completed a SMP or postbacc, and there could be more that I am not aware of. As I said in the previous post, each persons journey is different, and OSU does a good job at looking at each applicant for what they bring to the table!
 
If you need your selective service number, this is where you go. Verify Registration | Selective Service System

You need your SSN, last name, and date of birth. I have some questions about this, if anyone knows the answers:

1. Why do they need this at all?
2. I already gave them all of that information. If it was important, surely they could have found it themselves, right? Is it just to verify military records?

Edit: Also, they need to know every school that I applied to in the past? What do they even do with that information?
 
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Rosiris Fleetfoot said:
If you need your selective service number, this is where you go. Verify Registration | Selective Service System

You need your SSN, last name, and date of birth. I have some questions about this, if anyone knows the answers:

1. Why do they need this at all?
2. I already gave them all of that information. If it was important, surely they could have found it themselves, right? Is it just to verify military records?

Edit: Also, they need to know every school that I applied to in the past? What do they even do with that information?
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There are basement dwellers out there who have your name, SSN, and DOB. I'd say go ahead and give it to a medical school that's considering giving you a career.
 
"Creating the essay in another word processing program, then copying and pasting it into Notepad will cause formatting issues that CANNOT be corrected after submission."

Are they really telling me I have to retype my essay word for word in Notepad?
Anyone wrote their essays in Word/Google Doc and copy/pasted? I'm curious to know what formatting issues they are talking about...
 
annperkins said:
"Creating the essay in another word processing program, then copying and pasting it into Notepad will cause formatting issues that CANNOT be corrected after submission."

Are they really telling me I have to retype my essay word for word in Notepad?
Anyone wrote their essays in Word/Google Doc and copy/pasted? I'm curious to know what formatting issues they are talking about...
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I copied and pasted from Google Docs to Notepad and then Notepad to their website. They could really use a website update.
 
Just submitted with the wrong formatting for the essays... I use Mac so I thought the Notes app on the Mac would be the substitute for the Notepad on Windows, but of course it's not. It's so not fair because when you initially copy and paste, everything looks fine. It's until after you submit you notice that the (') turned into (?)
 
premed4lyfeeee said:
Just submitted with the wrong formatting for the essays... I use Mac so I thought the Notes app on the Mac would be the substitute for the Notepad on Windows, but of course it's not. It's so not fair because when you initially copy and paste, everything looks fine. It's until after you submit you notice that the (') turned into (?)
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How were you able to review your application?
 
Has anyone else received an email from OSU IT Service Desk with a username to log into my.osu.edu? I received this after submitting my secondary application, but am not sure what it's for. When I log in, there's nothing about my application on there.
 
drmeter said:
Has anyone else received an email from OSU IT Service Desk with a username to log into my.osu.edu? I received this after submitting my secondary application, but am not sure what it's for. When I log in, there's nothing about my application on there.
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I think this is your lastname.number. This username is used as your email/access for everything else once you become a student. I am assuming they have you activate it after your secondary so that you can access financial aid information and other things if you are admitted and matriculate.

annperkins said:
Anyone else having difficulty logging back into the application portal to see your completed app after activating their username for my.osu.edu?
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I haven't been able to either. I think we have to wait for an email from VITAL or something else in order to be able to review it.
 
PMCNALLIS333 said:
I think this is your lastname.number. This username is used as your email/access for everything else once you become a student. I am assuming they have you activate it after your secondary so that you can access financial aid information and other things if you are admitted and matriculate.



I haven't been able to either. I think we have to wait for an email from VITAL or something else in order to be able to review it.
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There are two separate platforms - one is my.osu.edu/BuckeyeLink and the other is VITALS. My.osu.edu is something every student at OSU has (not just medical students) and honestly I don't think I've used that much at all. When I was applying I could not figure out how to view my application either - however, now when I log into Buckeye Link (using your name.# and whatever password you set) there is a spot I can view my application if I had one active. Buckeye Link is also used for financial aid and registration. I am not sure whether you guys as applicants have access to BuckeyeLink but may be worth a shot (can find it by just googling Buckeye Link)

VITALS is the medical school's software and is definitely the one you will use more of. It has the schedule, important announcements, grades, and a to do list. For you as applicants, you will just see a screen with your application status and this is also where you will accept your interview invite (will usually also receive an email). Until you are accepted and enroll, your username will be your name.# and same password as the other site, and you will be given a new username when you start.

Hopefully this helps! If anyone has other questions feel free to let me know!
 
Does this secondary allow for an optional text box for IAs or allow for updates after submission? To make a long story short, I have pre-written all my secondaries but still waiting for my primary to be reviewed (hopefully in a few more days!), but when I submitted my primary I indicated I had no IAs because what I thought were not violations actually were. After talking to a few admissions departments I have learned my best bet is to 1)email the admissions office and dean of admissions, 2) explain in the optional text box why I did not report it on my primary, and 3)update my application with the details if allowed.

Therefore, does this secondary have an optional text box or allow for resubmission where I would have the opportunity to explain this situation?
 
sputniksweetheart said:
does anyone else get an application error after clicking 'save and continue?'
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I received errors throughout the process of submitting this secondary. Honestly, it is pretty alarming how poorly constructed the OSUCOM secondary website appeared. Having completed my fair share of secondaries, I would say the website is by far the cheapest/glitchiest I have encountered. I had to contact the admissions team because after submission there was an error that presented.
 
mpmp3233 said:
Does this secondary allow for an optional text box for IAs or allow for updates after submission? To make a long story short, I have pre-written all my secondaries but still waiting for my primary to be reviewed (hopefully in a few more days!), but when I submitted my primary I indicated I had no IAs because what I thought were not violations actually were. After talking to a few admissions departments I have learned my best bet is to 1)email the admissions office and dean of admissions, 2) explain in the optional text box why I did not report it on my primary, and 3)update my application with the details if allowed.

Therefore, does this secondary have an optional text box or allow for resubmission where I would have the opportunity to explain this situation?
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I was in the exact same situation that’s funny, when I emailed them they said that my update was received and didn’t say anything else or instruct me to do anything else
 
wallstreetbroke said:
I was in the exact same situation that’s funny, when I emailed them they said that my update was received and didn’t say anything else or instruct me to do anything else
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Wait what is their email? I can only find a phone number.

I have emailed and called all my schools and almost all of them have said one of 3 three things. 1) if there is an additional info prompt or an extra part on the secondary to explain do it there. 2) they will attach it to my file (I still have not submitted secondaries as my primary should be verified shortly) or 3) email them after I submit to add an update (some schools will make a note of your update even before you submit, some will not and will yell at you for trying to update it before you submit lol)
 
mpmp3233 said:
Wait what is their email? I can only find a phone number.

I have emailed and called all my schools and almost all of them have said one of 3 three things. 1) if there is an additional info prompt or an extra part on the secondary to explain do it there. 2) they will attach it to my file (I still have not submitted secondaries as my primary should be verified shortly) or 3) email them after I submit to add an update (some schools will make a note of your update even before you submit, some will not and will yell at you for trying to update it before you submit lol)
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[email protected] and/or [email protected]

also most schools offer a document upload so you can explain your situation there so I did that in addition to the email that most schools responded for
 
wallstreetbroke said:
Word-> pdf but yes, some schools said I could pretty much just upload the email i sent them. So for some schools i did that and for others i did a version of that
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Isn't having morals tell you to do the right thing but give you mini-heart attacks such a great thing? I wonder how many students lie about small violations (like dorm violations)
 
mpmp3233 said:
Isn't having morals tell you to do the right thing but give you mini-heart attacks such a great thing? I wonder how many students lie about small violations (like dorm violations)
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I think it’s silly to have to include institutional actions that aren’t serious unlike offenses such as sexual harassment or academic misconduct. Every school treats theirs different. Read a guy’s post who had to report having sex with his gf because having premarital sex was an IA at his school

edit: original wording was terrible and made it seem like I categorized sexual harassment and academic misconduct as nonserious offenses but Hopefully fixed that with rewording
 
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