2021-2022 Loma Linda

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2021-2022 Loma Linda Secondary Essay Prompts: (275 words max each)

1. What makes LLUSM particularly attractive to you?

2. Our medical curriculum integrates a spiritual, ethical, and relational issues from a Christian perspective into the practice of medicine. Weekly chapel services and religion courses are part of this program. Please respond to the above as it relates to your personal educational and career goals.

3. Loma Linda University is a Seventh-day Adventist institution that has lifestyle expectations that include abstinence from alcohol, nicotine, cannabinoids, and illicit drugs/substances in all forms. Describe any use of these substances within the past year.

4. What personal attributes make you a desirable candidate for admission to LLUSM?

5) Identify experiences in your life that illustrate your service to others.

6) Discuss how your spiritual origins, development, and experiences have influenced and been integrated into your daily life.

7) Please describe your current involvement (or reason for not being involved) with a church or religious group.

8) Please enter the name and contact number for your Clergy/Pastor

9) If you have already graduated, describe your activities since graduation and your planned activities prior to matriculation into medical school.

10) Explain any impact that COVID-19 or recent events in American society may have had on your educational, research, volunteering or employment plans.

Good luck to everyone applying!

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IS Secondary received 07/12 (verified before app release 06/25)
 
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OOS also received secondary 7/12. any current students who would be willing to talk about their time here?
 
Looking at the secondaries, did I make a mistake applying there and being atheist?
 
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Why Are We Still Here said:
Looking at the secondaries, did I make a mistake applying there and being atheist?
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lmao i think there's some questions that allow you to explain reasons for not being involved in a religious group and you should say you're open to it maybe?
 
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I mean...they do make it pretty clear what they stand for, haha. you could always give it a shot but don't waste your money if you don't think you could handle it
 
Why Are We Still Here said:
Looking at the secondaries, did I make a mistake applying there and being atheist?
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Right there with ya, but I was raised as a Seventh-day Adventist and only recently began to back off. So I have major cultural connections to the SDA church (family is still very much SDA). Depending on who is on the admissions committee, an atheist who has never had the opportunity to hear the "good news of the SDA church" might be looked upon more favorably than someone like me (one who might be seen as backslidden)... I'm still gonna roll the dice though.
 
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featherbrain said:
Right there with ya, but I was raised as a Seventh-day Adventist and only recently deconverted (non-trad, deconverted at age 26). So I have major cultural connections to the SDA church (family is still very much SDA). Given my insight into the culture of the SDA church, there's actually a possibility that you would have a better shot than me. Depending on who is on the admissions committee, an atheist who has never had the opportunity to hear the "good news of the SDA church" might be looked upon more favorably than an apostate (one who has actively rejected "the truth")such as myself... I'm still gonna roll the dice though
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I'd disagree, even if you are deconverted (which they may not know), they highly value SDA applicants
 
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firelordazula said:
I'd disagree, even if you are deconverted (which they may not know), they highly value SDA applicants
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Sure, but they will definitely know I'm deconverted since there are several essay prompts asking about personal spirituality. While I have been immersed in SDA culture since a young child (which may be an advantage), I no longer hold the beliefs personally (a huge disadvantage)
 
featherbrain said:
Sure, but they will definitely know I'm deconverted since there are several essay prompts asking about personal spirituality. While I have been immersed in SDA culture since a young child (which may be an advantage), I no longer hold the beliefs personally (a huge disadvantage)
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with full respect to your faith journey, do you *have* to discolse you've deconverted? wondering if you could take in detail about being raised SDA and then talk about how that informs the kind of physician you want to be, without having to talk directly about your deconversion. same for the question about how your faith upbringing is integrated into your current life... ie if you no longer observed sabbath weekly instead of outright telling them that, you could talk about how observing sabbath weekly taught you discipline and structure which you incorporated into your studies / MCAT prep / habits / etc? obviously your decision if you disclose or not; just thinking they aren't entirely entitled to every detail of your faith journey and there might be other ways around it if you're worried about disclosing your deconversion!
 
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ellaevie said:
with full respect to your faith journey, do you *have* to discolse you've deconverted? wondering if you could take in detail about being raised SDA and then talk about how that informs the kind of physician you want to be, without having to talk directly about your deconversion. same for the question about how your faith upbringing is integrated into your current life... ie if you no longer observed sabbath weekly instead of outright telling them that, you could talk about how observing sabbath weekly taught you discipline and structure which you incorporated into your studies / MCAT prep / habits / etc? obviously your decision if you disclose or not; just thinking they aren't entirely entitled to every detail of your faith journey and there might be other ways around it if you're worried about disclosing your deconversion!
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I appreciate your thoughts! I definitely never thought about answering that question from that angle, it does seem feasible. But I think it would raise some eyebrows if I completely gloss over my deconversion with that question and then answered the next question (about church involvement) with "yeah....nah I don't go to church at all." I wasn't raised as a loose SDA, it was the center point of my life for the greater part of two decades, so it would be obvious that there was a radical change if I stopped attending church. And if they contact the pastor that I am putting down, I have had many wonderful and sincere conversations with him during this process, so I want what he says to be consistent with what I say (I don't want there to be any question of deception or dodginess on my part).

Basically I'm still very much a searcher of truth and I feel like being open about that will, in the long run, be better (even if it means a rejection).
 
featherbrain said:
I appreciate your thoughts! I definitely never thought about answering that question from that angle, it does seem feasible. But I think it would raise some eyebrows if I completely gloss over my deconversion with that question and then answered the next question (about church involvement) with "yeah....nah I don't go to church at all." I wasn't raised as a loose SDA, it was the center point of my life for the greater part of two decades, so it would be obvious that there was a radical change if I stopped attending church. And if they contact the pastor that I am putting down, I have had many wonderful and sincere conversations with him during this process, so I want what he says to be consistent with what I say (I don't want there to be any question of deception or dodginess on my part).

Basically I'm still very much a searcher of truth and I feel like being open about that will, in the long run, be better (even if it means a rejection).
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yeah that totally makes sense!! and i think you're so on point about being a searcher of truth! saying "i appreciate my up-bringing and i'm searching to make my faith journey my own" is a really great angle and from my perspective something which would be really valuable to an adcom! good luck! sounds like you're on a great path and have a great attitude about it!!!
 
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Go2Mars said:
@wysdoc

2021-2022 Loma Linda Secondary Essay Prompts: (275 words max each)

1. What makes LLUSM particularly attractive to you?

2. Our medical curriculum integrates a spiritual, ethical, and relational issues from a Christian perspective into the practice of medicine. Weekly chapel services and religion courses are part of this program. Please respond to the above as it relates to your personal educational and career goals.

3. Loma Linda University is a Seventh-day Adventist institution that has lifestyle expectations that include abstinence from alcohol, nicotine, cannabinoids, and illicit drugs/substances in all forms. Describe any use of these substances within the past year.

4. What personal attributes make you a desirable candidate for admission to LLUSM?

5) Identify experiences in your life that illustrate your service to others.

6) Discuss how your spiritual origins, development, and experiences have influenced and been integrated into your daily life.

7) Please describe your current involvement (or reason for not being involved) with a church or religious group.

8) Please enter the name and contact number for your Clergy/Pastor

9) If you have already graduated, describe your activities since graduation and your planned activities prior to matriculation into medical school.

10) Explain any impact that COVID-19 or recent events in American society may have had on your educational, research, volunteering or employment plans.
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thanks, @Go2Mars
 
completing this secondary has been the bane of my existence... LOL.
 
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The Big Beluga said:
Current MS1 here. We just started this past week but happy to answer any questions that I can!
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Are you a SDA? Also, in my secondary I talked about being interested in SDA values and exploring more about SDA? Would that be looked upon favorably or is being SDA primarily wanted?
 
ellaevie said:
what do you feel like the spread is in your class of SDA vs non-SDA students? thanks for popping in!!
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Thanks for saying thanks! It is tough to give an actual percentage of SDA vs non-SDA. I am non-denominational Christian myself, so without being inside the inner SDA circle I do not fully know. The one metric I can (sort of) provide is we are split into smaller "life community" groups and about half of the students in mine are SDA. Again, not sure if that can be expanded to the entire student population - sorry I couldn't be more helpful!
 
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effectedtag said:
Are you a SDA? Also, in my secondary I talked about being interested in SDA values and exploring more about SDA? Would that be looked upon favorably or is being SDA primarily wanted?
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I am not SDA, but I am non-denominational Christian. Answering the secondary questions based on what you're truly passionate about is key. If you are religious and willing to learn more about SDA, then sure you can write that. On the other hand, writing you are interested in learning more about SDA merely because you want a leg up - I think admission will be able to read through that. I personally wrote only about my background in the church I grew up in, and not much about SDA, since that wasn't my background. As far as SDA being primarily wanted, although Loma Linda is outwardly SDA, there are plenty of us here that are not SDA, so please don't count yourself out solely off of that :)
 
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My primary application is still under review; I submitted early July. Does anyone have any idea on whether I submitted my primary too late? Also, I have pre-wrote all my secondaries, just waiting to receive one, so I can submit it.
 
UCKid said:
My primary application is still under review; I submitted early July. Does anyone have any idea on whether I submitted my primary too late? Also, I have pre-wrote all my secondaries, just waiting to receive one, so I can submit it.
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What's done is done, no reason to look back now. If all your secondaries are pre-written you are doing the best you can--submit them all ASAP and you'll still be on time, just not early
 
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Just submitted secondary, took forever to answer those prompts, am I early or on time?
 
My D's amcas, submitted 6/29/21, was finally sent out to med schools on 8/4/21. She has not heard boo from Loma Linda. Any thoughts on whether she was too late to be considered? Do they sometimes take this long to request a secondary? She loves this med school. Thank for sharing your experience.
 
MomofHopefulPremed said:
My D's amcas, submitted 6/29/21, was finally sent out to med schools on 8/4/21. She has not heard boo from Loma Linda. Any thoughts on whether she was too late to be considered? Do they sometimes take this long to request a secondary? She loves this med school. Thank for sharing your experience.
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Check your spams. They send secondaries to everyone regardless of your score ir the time you submitted your app
 
MomofHopefulPremed said:
My D's amcas, submitted 6/29/21, was finally sent out to med schools on 8/4/21. She has not heard boo from Loma Linda. Any thoughts on whether she was too late to be considered? Do they sometimes take this long to request a secondary? She loves this med school. Thank for sharing your experience.
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No offense at all, but can I just ask why you're doing this for your daughter and not the one who's, ya know, trying to be a physician?
 
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m22499 said:
What do you like about this school?
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Some reasons why I chose this school include it being in California (I wanted to stay relatively close to home) and it placing emphasis on service in the surrounding community. Since starting here, I have enjoyed the "new" curriculum they started last year (2020-2021). As part of the curriculum, they split us into groups of 10 called "life communities" with whom we do a lot of class stuff other than the large lectures (anatomy lab, clinical skills, christian physician formation class, etc.). It has been a nice way to connect with some of my classmates without the social pressure of seeking those relationships out. Those are a few things - let me know if you want something more specific :)
 
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lucy18 said:
Thank you for offering! What is the environment, atmosphere, culture like?
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From the faculty, I have felt very welcomed and comforted in my few weeks here. They have made it obvious it will be a tough year with more studying than we are used to, but they have also provided encouragement and resources where necessary to empower me to feel like I can make it happen. From the other students, it largely again has been uplifting. Like I mentioned in the previous reply, they split us up into smaller groups for some of our classes, and my group has been super helpful with each other regarding helping each other study and whatnot.
 
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MomofHopefulPremed said:
My D's amcas, submitted 6/29/21, was finally sent out to med schools on 8/4/21. She has not heard boo from Loma Linda. Any thoughts on whether she was too late to be considered? Do they sometimes take this long to request a secondary? She loves this med school. Thank for sharing your experience.
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Definitely not too late - it's a long process! Like Mica suggested above, checking spam is always a good option. If not, then it will only be a matter of time :)
 
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Current MS2, happy to try and answer any questions that @The Big Beluga might not be able to! (but looks like they are doing a good job :) )
 
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habitualnerd said:
I am genuinely curious, how strict are they? I saw they track your internet history and stuff.
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I'm not really sure where you got the impression about tracking your internet history. If you're talking about social media posts, then I would say that it is pretty routine - there are other schools out there that scan through their applicants' social media pages. If you're talking about tracking my internet history while as a student, then I would say: highly likely no. I really doubt that the school tracks what I do on the internet. Either way, not doing stupid stuff on the internet while you are on campus seems like a pretty good rule at any school.

As far as how strict Loma Linda is, it really depends on your definition of strict. If you consider mandatory religion classes and chapel strict, then yeah it's strict. If you consider no foods containing meat being sold on campus, then yeah it's strict. If you think not drinking coffee is strict - you're severely mistaken because everyone drinks coffee here. It's all a matter of perspective!
 
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Shockwaver said:
I'm not really sure where you got the impression about tracking your internet history. If you're talking about social media posts, then I would say that it is pretty routine - there are other schools out there that scan through their applicants' social media pages. If you're talking about tracking my internet history while as a student, then I would say: highly likely no. I really doubt that the school tracks what I do on the internet. Either way, not doing stupid stuff on the internet while you are on campus seems like a pretty good rule at any school.

As far as how strict Loma Linda is, it really depends on your definition of strict. If you consider mandatory religion classes and chapel strict, then yeah it's strict. If you consider no foods containing meat being sold on campus, then yeah it's strict. If you think not drinking coffee is strict - you're severely mistaken because everyone drinks coffee here. It's all a matter of perspective!
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How are they gonna find my social media page? I obly have instagram and it’s pricate. 🤔
 
Y’all are asking the wrong questions smh.
how are the religion classes, I’m curious
 
Mica45 said:
How are they gonna find my social media page? I obly have instagram and it’s pricate. 🤔
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You're probably good.

craz said:
Y’all are asking the wrong questions smh.
how are the religion classes, I’m curious
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Religion classes are alright, some interesting and some less interesting. A lot of people study during them. Other than the mandatory ones (God and Human Suffering, Whole Person Care) that everyone takes for a part of the year, the rest of the year you get to rank which ones sound interesting to you. Currently, there are a couple of options to choose including a study on the book of Romans to a class on World Religions. Obviously, they are all integrated with medicine/healthcare.
 
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Shockwaver said:
You're probably good.


Religion classes are alright, some interesting and some less interesting. A lot of people study during them. Other than the mandatory ones (God and Human Suffering, Whole Person Care) that everyone takes for a part of the year, the rest of the year you get to rank which ones sound interesting to you. Currently, there are a couple of options to choose including a study on the book of Romans to a class on World Religions. Obviously, they are all integrated with medicine/healthcare.
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I’m so excited about this like it’s so weird. I hope an interview and acceptance
 
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