2021-2022 Duke

[MooseAndMe99]

The first essay asking for more information about who you are has a 500 word count. To me, reading the prompt, it feels more like a diversity essay.

Not for that one specifically, it’s the is there any additional info question you would like us to know one at the end

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[voxveritatisetlucis]

Is Duke-NUS a legit MD program, or should it be viewed with caution like some other international medical schools?

 

[sleepypremed22]

To people who have submitted it, how much is duke's secondary application?

 

[DarkHeart5351]

Would it be possible to use a failure essay for the disappointment essay? Or are there significant differences between overcoming failures and dealing with setbacks/disappointments?

 

[MooseAndMe99]

Would it be possible to use a failure essay for the disappointment essay? Or are there significant differences between overcoming failures and dealing with setbacks/disappointments?

A failure essay is usually a disappointment or setback too so should work!

 

[star-lily]

Does anyone know for the leadership essay what they mean when they ask what you value most? Do they mean pick either leadership, teamwork, or communication? Or pick anything?

I interpreted it as picking what type of quality/attribute you value most.

 

[Throwawayaccount777]

did anyone else find their responses to some of these prompts somewhat bland? you would think having so much space would make for unique writing, but their questions' phrasing really did not make for fun storytelling.

 

[sunshinee97]

Anyone have any good ideas for what a humbling experience could be?

 

[star-lily]

Anyone have any good ideas for what a humbling experience could be?

Something that made you realize the need to reevaluate an assumption/mindset/misconception you previously held.

 

[genghis99]

Anyone have any good ideas for what a humbling experience could be?

I personally drafted one about watching a young mother die in the OR. Said it humbled me because I realized how fragile humans could be and how we actually like... die lol. Idk, just going through life you know death exists but it's something else to see it happen live.

 

[sunshinee97]

I personally drafted one about watching a young mother die in the OR. Said it humbled me because I realized how fragile humans could be and how we actually like... die lol. Idk, just going through life you know death exists but it's something else to see it happen live.

Thank you, I ended up going with something similar like seeing an open casket for the first time

 

[thegreaterhawk]

Are you guys using all 400 words for some of the prompts? Is it okay if I only use 200 for one of them or will that come across as lazy

 

[genghis99]

Are you guys using all 400 words for some of the prompts? Is it okay if I only use 200 for one of them or will that come across as lazy

My shortest was 350 words.

 

[Determinedderm]

How long did it take for you guys to be complete? It still says my application is incomplete. I had a LOR submitted yesterday which may be the reason for the delay?

 

[iia]

I have not received my secondaries yet. I was transmitted on the first day AMCAS opened. Did I get screened?

 

[deleted555445]

I have not received my secondaries yet. I was transmitted on the first day AMCAS opened. Did I get screened?

I dont think they screen. I would check your spam/promotions and maybe check with Duke just to be safe. Its been about 2 weeks since most people who were verified before transmission got the secondary.

 

[MD-PhD-NonTrad]

It’s almost midnight and I am taking a 30 minute “Totino’s pizza rolls, Hostess Chocolate frosted mini doughnuts, and Lemon lime Powerade,” break midway into this secondary and I just burned my tongue on lava hot pizza goo but two weeks is in 3 days and I hate everything in my life that has brought me to this moment.

So how is your day going?

 

[4lphabet]

It’s almost midnight and I am taking a 30 minute “Totino’s pizza rolls, Hostess Chocolate frosted mini doughnuts, and Lemon lime Powerade,” break midway into this secondary and I just burned my tongue on lava hot pizza goo but two weeks is in 3 days and I hate everything in my life that has brought me to this moment.

So how is your day going?

I'm editing my secondaries and wondering how I made it past 4th-grade English.

 

[mdhopeful77]

It’s almost midnight and I am taking a 30 minute “Totino’s pizza rolls, Hostess Chocolate frosted mini doughnuts, and Lemon lime Powerade,” break midway into this secondary and I just burned my tongue on lava hot pizza goo but two weeks is in 3 days and I hate everything in my life that has brought me to this moment.

So how is your day going?

There is no hard two week deadline for this secondary, correct? I think I'm going to go over by a few days

 

[mistybay]

There is no hard two week deadline for this secondary, correct? I think I'm going to go over by a few days

I am too!

 

[drhealer]

There is no hard two week deadline for this secondary, correct? I think I'm going to go over by a few days

Yes same I will also be going over by a couple days!

 

[KnightDoc]

It’s almost midnight and I am taking a 30 minute “Totino’s pizza rolls, Hostess Chocolate frosted mini doughnuts, and Lemon lime Powerade,” break midway into this secondary and I just burned my tongue on lava hot pizza goo but two weeks is in 3 days and I hate everything in my life that has brought me to this moment.

So how is your day going?

At least you're taking care of yourself and eating right.

 

[NormalUsername42]

I feel like finally pressing submit on this secondary has been my greatest achievement. Too bad I can't use this for an essay topic

 

[kronkron]

Did anyone also not get a confirmation email after submitting their secondary?

 

[dulapeep]

Did anyone also not get a confirmation email after submitting their secondary?

+1

 

[sunshinee97]

Did anyone also not get a confirmation email after submitting their secondary?

The only email I got was a payment confirmation

 

[star-lily]

I noticed that there was a second pseudo-diversity essay hidden in the supplement that is optional.

"In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. (200 words)"

I was wondering if most people are filling this out or just sticking with the 500 word required diversity essay that was asked earlier in the app?

I filled it out to give extra detail/context regarding low SES.

 

[MD-PhD-NonTrad]

I filled it out to give extra detail/context regarding low SES.

Same

 

[star-lily]

Is there an "anything else" prompt this year?

There is at the very end!

 

[jgin845]

Does anyone know if you'll be considered for regular MD if you're not accepted to the Primary Care Leadership Track (PCLT) program?

 

[pandulce19]

Does anyone know if you'll be considered for regular MD if you're not accepted to the Primary Care Leadership Track (PCLT) program?

I believe so. In their FAQ, they wrote: "All PCLT applicants will be considered for the traditional MD track if not considered by the PCLT program."

Admissions FAQs | Duke University School of Medicine

DukeMed uses holistic review of applicants. Grading: For the upcoming admissions cycle (2025) we will accept courses on a Pass/Fail, Pass/No Pass, and Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. In addition, Duke will also accept online courses. We prefer, however, that science and laboratory classes...

medschool.duke.edu

 

[dc2022]

Any thoughts on if it's still worth submitting a secondary if it's been 4-ish weeks since I received it? Trying to recover from burnout but not sure if it's worth the money since it's late

 

[deleted555445]

Any thoughts on if it's still worth submitting a secondary if it's been 4-ish weeks since I received it? Trying to recover from burnout but not sure if it's worth the money since it's late

lol turned mine in last night after 4+ weeks of having it. It’s a monster, I think they understand

 

[harriet1996]

How long did it take for you guys to be complete? It still says my application is incomplete. I had a LOR submitted yesterday which may be the reason for the delay?

My app was complete about 12 hours after my LORs got submitted

 

[bernedoodle]

Does anyone know when they generally start sending out II's?

On last year's thread, II started 9/14. However, it seems that last year's secondary release was delayed, potentially impacting IIs.

 

[star-lily]

On last year's thread, II started 9/14. However, it seems that last year's secondary release was delayed, potentially impacting IIs.

If you go based off the 2019-2020 thread, they started on 8/6... maybe we'll end up smack in the middle of that and 2020-2021? 😅

 

[doctorhalstead]

I feel like we should all get a II just for completing that monster of a secondary lol

 

[star-lily]

I genuinely feel like my essays were pretty solid, so I hope so 😭

 

[skg99]

I'm actually curious if the Interview Invite rate they put on MSAR is out of the people who submitted primaries or out of the people who actually submitted secondaries? If it's only for completed primaries, the II + acceptance rates might be higher since we're no longer including the people who didn't finish.

It's hilarious how many people don't do the secondary. I think it's like 600 IIs out of 4000-something completed applications.

 

[the_yerd_bird]

When reading the two diversity questions, they seemed different, but in trying to formulate a response, they almost completely overlap for me. Any ideas on exactly how these questions should be answered differently from each other? What kind of things would be addressed in the second question that weren't already addressed in the first? Do I just state my identity in #1 or can I also discuss how it impacted me? (I saw someone mentioned low SES impact for the second, but I already discussed it in the first. Also, I know the second is optional, but I don't want to answer the first question incorrectly only to skip over the second) Thanks!

1. 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.

2. In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future.

 

[star-lily]

When reading the two diversity questions, they seemed different, but in trying to formulate a response, they almost completely overlap for me. Any ideas on exactly how these questions should be answered differently from each other? What kind of things would be addressed in the second question that weren't already addressed in the first? Do I just state my identity in #1 or can I also discuss how it impacted me? (I saw someone mentioned low SES impact for the second, but I already discussed it in the first. Also, I know the second is optional, but I don't want to answer the first question incorrectly only to skip over the second) Thanks!

1. 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.

2. In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future.

Low SES was part of my discussion for the first prompt (with other aspects also tied in), and then for the second prompt, I go into further detail on low SES and the different educational environments I had growing up (and how this was related to the disparities in educational resources I saw in different populations in the community).

 

[BlazingBean]

I feel like we should all get a II just for completing that monster of a secondary lol

This is going on my list of achievements lol something to tell my future grandkids about how I had to write a novel for Duke. Wonder what sort of application hoops they’ll have to jump through then 😳

 

[sleepypremed22]

If you go based off the 2019-2020 thread, they started on 8/6... maybe we'll end up smack in the middle of that and 2020-2021? 😅

I was just (slightly neurotically) looking at Duke's website and saw they said their goal is to start II by late August! So I guess that's anywhere between now and about two weeks from now if that's what ends up happening

 

[redsky2000]

Anyone received IIs from Duke yet?

 

[doctorhalstead]

Their website says they start sending II late August, so may be a matter of days

 

[genghis99]

Their website says they start sending II late August, so may be a matter of days

Today's the final day of late August lolol

 

[deleted853360]

I listened to a podcast lately with the dean of admissions as a guest. They have more apps at this point that normal so I guess they’re just trying hard to get through them all. Each application is read by 3 different people

[edit] the podcast is Admissions Straight Talk if anyone wants to listen.

 

[star-lily]

I listened to a podcast lately with the dean of admissions as a guest. They have more apps at this point that normal so I guess they’re just trying hard to get through them all. Each application is read by 3 different people

Can you share a link? Thanks!

 

[deleted853360]

Can you share a link? Thanks!

 

[genghis99]

Relevant secondary evaluation info for those interested:

8/5/2018: DukeMed had 1100 completed secondaries
8/5/2021: DukeMed had 2150 completed secondaries

-They focus more on experiences and essays, with an emphasis on "investment in others"
-Each application is read by 3 raters, and all 3 have to agree to interview for the applicant to be interviewed