2022-2023 Florida

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Thank you to @True Asian for sharing this year's questions!

2022-2023 University of Florida Secondary Essay Prompts

1. If you are not a full-time student during this application cycle, in particular at any time between September 2022 and May 2023, please detail your current and planned activities below. (250-500 words)

2. The medical profession is frequently described as being both a science and an art. One could summarize this by saying that patients must “be well cared for” (science) but they must also “feel well cared for” (art). We work to teach our students not only the scientific principles of medicine, but also the core values of medicine, often called “professionalism”. Toward this end we keep patients at the center of our education and often reflect on their stories with our students.

The exciting advances in our understanding of the biological basis for disease have led to the emergence of a host of targeted therapies and amazing technologies improving the duration and quality of our patients’ lives. The better a physician knows his/her patient, the better decisions they will make together as they approach important healthcare related questions. This so-called shared decision-making model is one key feature of patient centered care. Practicing the art of medicine in this way yields a physician patient relationship (PPR) that is both therapeutic and mutually enriching. However, many of these same technologies have the unintended consequence of separating us from our patients, both literally and figuratively. In addition, the industrialization of medicine and use of electronic health records have led to a decrease in the time physicians spend with their patients further eroding the strength of the PPR.

At the UFCOM, we have many strategies to equip our students to preserve their own humanity and that of their patients. One of the most important is the ability to make connections with and get to know their patients. Frequently such connections become the student’s first taste of the joy of medical practice. In fact, the UFCOM version of the Hippocratic Oath includes the following affirmation. “I will remember with gratitude and humility those whose illness or injury provided examples from which I learned, and, in their honor, I will continue the pursuit of knowledge.”

In our polarized society, the importance of such virtues as humility and gratitude have perhaps never been greater. Over the last two decades, the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California Berkeley has offered strong scientific support for the importance of such virtues as gratitude and humility in human well-being. But it should also be remembered that philosophers and theologians have cherished these virtues for centuries. For example, when mounting a legal defense for a friend, Cicero observed, “while I wish to be adorned with every virtue, yet there is nothing which I can esteem more highly than the being and appearing grateful. For this one virtue is not only the greatest, but is also the parent of all the other virtues.” Offering a similar endorsement for the virtue of humility, Augustine of Hippo observed, “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.”

Students at UFCOM regularly write about and discuss encounters with patients that shape their professional identity in important ways. In so doing, we all learn to become better physicians and human beings. Here are two such reflections, by our students, one a poem and the other an essay.
Read and reflect on both and then choose one and describe how the writer grew from the experience. Consider the affirmation from the Hippocratic Oath in your response. (500 words)

3. The profession of medicine has always had an explicit contract with society about our expertise and competence but it also includes an important affirmation. Namely, that we will subordinate self-interest to patient interest when the needs of our patients require us to do so. This does not mean we do not take care of ourselves and one another, but it does mean we willingly take on risks to ourselves that many others would not. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this commitment to light as many medical professionals labored on the front lines caring for the sick despite the potential dangers.

When we consider medical practice and hence, medical education, one could ask what sorts of virtues or character traits equip young medical professionals for such a noble calling. Many come to mind including courage, compassion, intellectual honesty and integrity. But recently attention has been given to the ability to stay with a task or course even when one is tired, discouraged and the work is daunting and laborious. Terms such as “resilience”, “endurance”, “perseverance”, “determination” or “grit” describe this character trait. Dr. Angela Duckworth has explored this in detail in her book “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” (Angela Duckworth). Cultivating this virtue, in ourselves and one another, offers a tangible means to lean against the depersonalizing and emotionally exhausting forces at work in healthcare.

As physicians, we have the privilege of caring for people who are in the most difficult places of their lives. Being present during these times can be both a source of joy as we help our patients, but can also challenge our own emotional health and resilience. Struggling to make sense of suffering induced by disease, social forces and human agency has brought an occasion for growth among many of us who work in healthcare.

As you grow into your new identity as a physician, you will come face to face with the suffering of other human beings. In fact, we will all have to face our own losses as we go through medical training and practice. Put simply, none of us is exempt from suffering. As the Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) once observed, “When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.”

Holocaust survivor and renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, (1905-1997) wrote an account of his time in the concentration camp called, “Man’s Search for Meaning”. It has sold more than 10 million copies in 24 languages and offers profound insights into how finding meaning in suffering sustains us during our darkest times.

Below are several quotes from Dr. Frankl that deal with finding purpose and meaning in suffering. After reading and thinking about his insights, choose one or two and tell us about experiences where you have seen these principles at work either in your own life, or in the lives of others. (500 words)


“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
“If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete.”
“A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the 'why' for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any 'how.'”
“Being human always points, and is directed, to something or someone, other than oneself - be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. “

4. (Optional) If you think there is any additional information that would help the admissions committee in its review of your application, including any disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19, please use the space below. (750 word limit)


Good luck to everyone applying!

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@wysdoc

IS verified 6/6, received yesterday 7/8

1.
If you are not a full-time student during this application cycle, in particular at any time between September 2022 and May 2023, please detail your current and planned activities below. (250-500 words)


2.
The medical profession is frequently described as being both a science and an art. One could summarize this by saying that patients must “be well cared for” (science) but they must also “feel well cared for” (art). We work to teach our students not only the scientific principles of medicine, but also the core values of medicine, often called “professionalism”. Toward this end we keep patients at the center of our education and often reflect on their stories with our students.

The exciting advances in our understanding of the biological basis for disease have led to the emergence of a host of targeted therapies and amazing technologies improving the duration and quality of our patients’ lives. The better a physician knows his/her patient, the better decisions they will make together as they approach important healthcare related questions. This so-called shared decision-making model is one key feature of patient centered care. Practicing the art of medicine in this way yields a physician patient relationship (PPR) that is both therapeutic and mutually enriching. However, many of these same technologies have the unintended consequence of separating us from our patients, both literally and figuratively. In addition, the industrialization of medicine and use of electronic health records have led to a decrease in the time physicians spend with their patients further eroding the strength of the PPR.

At the UFCOM, we have many strategies to equip our students to preserve their own humanity and that of their patients. One of the most important is the ability to make connections with and get to know their patients. Frequently such connections become the student’s first taste of the joy of medical practice. In fact, the UFCOM version of the Hippocratic Oath includes the following affirmation. “I will remember with gratitude and humility those whose illness or injury provided examples from which I learned, and, in their honor, I will continue the pursuit of knowledge.”

In our polarized society, the importance of such virtues as humility and gratitude have perhaps never been greater. Over the last two decades, the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California Berkeley has offered strong scientific support for the importance of such virtues as gratitude and humility in human well-being. But it should also be remembered that philosophers and theologians have cherished these virtues for centuries. For example, when mounting a legal defense for a friend, Cicero observed, “while I wish to be adorned with every virtue, yet there is nothing which I can esteem more highly than the being and appearing grateful. For this one virtue is not only the greatest, but is also the parent of all the other virtues.” Offering a similar endorsement for the virtue of humility, Augustine of Hippo observed, “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.”

Students at UFCOM regularly write about and discuss encounters with patients that shape their professional identity in important ways. In so doing, we all learn to become better physicians and human beings. Here are two such reflections, by our students, one a poem and the other an essay. Read and reflect on both and then choose one and describe how the writer grew from the experience. Consider the affirmation from the Hippocratic Oath in your response. (500 words)

3.
The profession of medicine has always had an explicit contract with society about our expertise and competence but it also includes an important affirmation. Namely, that we will subordinate self-interest to patient interest when the needs of our patients require us to do so. This does not mean we do not take care of ourselves and one another, but it does mean we willingly take on risks to ourselves that many others would not. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this commitment to light as many medical professionals labored on the front lines caring for the sick despite the potential dangers.

When we consider medical practice and hence, medical education, one could ask what sorts of virtues or character traits equip young medical professionals for such a noble calling. Many come to mind including courage, compassion, intellectual honesty and integrity. But recently attention has been given to the ability to stay with a task or course even when one is tired, discouraged and the work is daunting and laborious. Terms such as “resilience”, “endurance”, “perseverance”, “determination” or “grit” describe this character trait. Dr. Angela Duckworth has explored this in detail in her book “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” (Angela Duckworth). Cultivating this virtue, in ourselves and one another, offers a tangible means to lean against the depersonalizing and emotionally exhausting forces at work in healthcare.

As physicians, we have the privilege of caring for people who are in the most difficult places of their lives. Being present during these times can be both a source of joy as we help our patients, but can also challenge our own emotional health and resilience. Struggling to make sense of suffering induced by disease, social forces and human agency has brought an occasion for growth among many of us who work in healthcare.

As you grow into your new identity as a physician, you will come face to face with the suffering of other human beings. In fact, we will all have to face our own losses as we go through medical training and practice. Put simply, none of us is exempt from suffering. As the Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) once observed, “When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.”

Holocaust survivor and renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, (1905-1997) wrote an account of his time in the concentration camp called, “Man’s Search for Meaning”. It has sold more than 10 million copies in 24 languages and offers profound insights into how finding meaning in suffering sustains us during our darkest times.

Below are several quotes from Dr. Frankl that deal with finding purpose and meaning in suffering. After reading and thinking about his insights, chose one or two and tell us about experiences where you have seen these principles at work either in your own life, or in the lives of others. (500 words)

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
“If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete.”
“A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the 'why' for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any 'how.'”
“Being human always points, and is directed, to something or someone, other than oneself - be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. “


4.

Please limit your response to 750 words​

Optional: If you think there is any additional information that would help the admissions committee in its review of your application, including any disruptions in your academic/volunteer/work/personal life related to COVID-19, please use the space below.
 
I don't have mine yet. Is it normal for them to release them at different times? I got verified pretty early for the primary so
:(
 
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Members don't see this ad :)
Florida schools love their beefy secondaries, shew.
 
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I'm confused for what to put for the "List how you have spent or plan to spend your time before entering UF (employment, travel, military, etc) while not enrolled in college." question on the professional school app. I'm not taking a gap year and am currently a UF undergrad so my only "time before entering UF while not enrolled in college" was after high school lol. Should I just list some of my volunteering/ECs that I'm doing now and date them from like now-August 2023 or what? Thanks in advance! :)
 
For Question #2, we have to only write about one out of the two reflections given, is that correct? thank you
 
Hey everyone, for the second prompt I used the pronouns "he" and "him" just for clarity, as opposed to using "they" or "them" when refrencing the student. Do you think this is something that is flag for ADCOMs? I realize the gender of the student was never revealed so I suppose my substitution could be misinterpreted. Thanks
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Hey everyone, for the second prompt I used the pronouns "he" and "him" just for clarity, as opposed to using "they" or "them" when refrencing the student. Do you think this is something that is flag for ADCOMs? I realize the gender of the student was never revealed so I suppose my substitution could be misinterpreted. Thanks
If you haven't submitted it yet, I would definitely change it to be on the safe side. I personally don't know how that would be perceived though, so I can't really comment on that but I think it's possible they're reading so many essays that might be something they wouldn't even notice.
 
If you haven't submitted it yet, I would definitely change it to be on the safe side. I personally don't know how that would be perceived though, so I can't really comment on that but I think it's possible they're reading so many essays that might be something they wouldn't even notice.
Submitted a couple days ago. Thank you though for the response!
 
Have any out-of-state applicants heard back from UF in regards to receiving a supplemental application and if so, when did your application get verified prior to receiving the supplemental?
Thanks! And goodluck everyone!
 
I'm confused for what to put for the "List how you have spent or plan to spend your time before entering UF (employment, travel, military, etc) while not enrolled in college." question on the professional school app. I'm not taking a gap year and am currently a UF undergrad so my only "time before entering UF while not enrolled in college" was after high school lol. Should I just list some of my volunteering/ECs that I'm doing now and date them from like now-August 2023 or what? Thanks in advance! :)
im also wondering this - did you ever figure it out?
 
im also wondering this - did you ever figure it out?
its a gap year question, if you have a break between graduation from undergrad/grad and matriculation state what you are doing.
 
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im also wondering this - did you ever figure it out?
From what I can tell, it's mostly to establish if you will have been a florida resident in the 12 months before enrollment (to see if you qualify for instate tuition) so I just picked a couple of my activities (volunteering, research, and being a UF undergrad student) to show that i've been in Gainesville for a while and will continue to be there.
 
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did yall include the quote for the second prompt? I don't want it eating my word count
 
did yall include the quote for the second prompt? I don't want it eating my word count
I referenced pieces of the quote I was using so that I address the key parts that I was reflecting on.
 
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(2nd prompt) I had a very similar experience to the 2nd student during my first time shadowing a doctor, and my personal statement is eerily similar to the essay lol. I really don't want to sound repetitive, but do y'all think it be ok to reference my PS in this case, since there were a lot of parallels with their experience?
 
(2nd prompt) I had a very similar experience to the 2nd student during my first time shadowing a doctor, and my personal statement is eerily similar to the essay lol. I really don't want to sound repetitive, but do y'all think it be ok to reference my PS in this case, since there were a lot of parallels with their experience?
That's what I did but it was one of my most meaningful activities not my PS, not sure if it was a little arrogant to compare my experience to the writer's but it fit so nicely I did it anyway, basically just expanded on the things I mentioned in my primary
 
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Would it be reasonable to use the space for the ties to Florida statement as kind of a "why us" essay? Like explain that I wanna go to Florida to attend that school and for these reasons
 
Would it be reasonable to use the space for the ties to Florida statement as kind of a "why us" essay? Like explain that I wanna go to Florida to attend that school and for these reasons
That's what I did
 
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II received IS! Complete 7/14
 
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Imagine taking a long nap and getting a call from admissions regarding an II (I wish I got one in general lol).

For those who have not gotten IIs, remember it is still early in the cycle and those who got it are likely people who have really high stats. The majority of II come out in early September. Based on past cycles, there seems to be a trend in higher stats getting II early on and a mix getting II later on. Now, I am sure low stats are getting IIs early, but maybe those are just the unique people.
 
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II received today IS. Submitted 7/18
 
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the first question of the secondary says "Read and reflect on both and then choose one and describe how the writer grew from the experience. " does this imply that we must reflect in writing, or do we just reflect on our own, pick one, and write about it? thanks.
 
the first question of the secondary says "Read and reflect on both and then choose one and describe how the writer grew from the experience. " does this imply that we must reflect in writing, or do we just reflect on our own, pick one, and write about it? thanks.
Took it as reflect on our own and pick one to write about. But who knows...
 
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the first question of the secondary says "Read and reflect on both and then choose one and describe how the writer grew from the experience. " does this imply that we must reflect in writing, or do we just reflect on our own, pick one, and write about it? thanks.
also, if anyone has received an interview from UF, if you could please share what approach you took for this essay that would be great! thank you.
 
also, if anyone has received an interview from UF, if you could please share what approach you took for this essay that would be great! thank you.
I picked one to write about
 
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Hey guys! Any current students here willing to connect and mentor? Planning on applying next cycle and would like some input on current activities that would help promote that.
 
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