2023-2024 Utah

[wysdoc]

2023-2024 Utah Secondary Essay Prompts 2 week deadline to return it!

1. Tell us why you are interested in pursuing a career in medicine at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. How does our program align with your personal and professional goals? What can you contribute to our exceptional learning experience? (300 words)

2. Describe how health disparities have impacted you, your community, and/or the communities you have served? What lessons have you learned and how do you plan to use this knowledge to address health equity as a medical student at our program and as a future physician? (300 words)

3. (for reapplicants) "Upon reflection and self-assessment, please share with us your areas of demonstrated growth since your previous application. Please highlight examples of your continued commitment to medicine." (300 words)

More essays will appear if applying to RUUTE or population health tracks.

Good luck to everyone applying!

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[cranberrylimeade]

I just saw on the updated MSAR that they don’t offer fee waivers. Anyone know if this always been on the MSAR and they do it anyways (i got one last year) or is this new?

 

[alwaysrunning]

I just saw on the updated MSAR that they don’t offer fee waivers. Anyone know if this always been on the MSAR and they do it anyways (i got one last year) or is this new?

They say they offer a fee waiver here in the "Secondary Application" section.

 

[cranberrylimeade]

Secondary received. OOS but graduated HS in SLC.

 

[toastedbutter]

IS received. Not excited to redo my whole primary with their activity entry requirements :/

 

[RabiesTier]

Secondary received.

What are the prompts? Any changes to the questions?

 

[outcastdoodle]

IS received. Not excited to redo my whole primary with their activity entry requirements :/

Same. Do you think we can just copy and paste from primary?

 

[toastedbutter]

Same. Do you think we can just copy and paste from primary?

I have decided to write 1-2 sentences, very brief. Not gonna copy paste my primary, but also won't do like stories and reflection.

 

[acmed333]

IS received. Not excited to redo my whole primary with their activity entry requirements :/

Are the prompts the same as last year?

 

[toastedbutter]

The two required essays are here. Both 300 words.

Tell us why you are interested in pursuing a career in medicine at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. How does our program align with your personal and professional goals? What can you contribute to our exceptional learning experience?

Describe how health disparities have impacted you, your community, and/or the communities you have served? What lessons have you learned and how do you plan to use this knowledge to address health equity as a medical student at our program and as a future physician?

More essays if applying to RUUTE or population health tracks.

 

[Feeny]

Still waiting on a secondary I'm in-state

 

[roundgarlic]

Received secondary, OOS. The email very explicitly states a 2 week deadline and that they do rolling admissions!

 

[Feeny]

Secondary received today, July 3rd. IS

 

[GETBUCKETZ]

One of my letters is still not uploaded. Utah emailed me today and said they would send the secondary as soon as they have the letter.

 

[Ludzu]

Anyone know if there is any benefit to applying to be a RUUTE scholar? Does it help your chances of being admitted in any way?

 

[littlecandy]

The secondary application welcome page says that only the secondary application will be used to make interview invites. However, the secondary application has no info about MCAT, GPA, and coursework. Does this mean MCAT and GPA are not considered for interviews?

 

[toastedbutter]

The secondary application welcome page says that only the secondary application will be used to make interview invites. However, the secondary application has no info about MCAT, GPA, and coursework. Does this mean MCAT and GPA are not considered for interviews?

I've heard similar things, especially about the MCAT not being used for consideration.

 

[littlecandy]

I've heard similar things, especially about the MCAT not being used for consideration.

Interesting. Have you heard of other schools doing this?

 

[wysdoc]

The secondary application welcome page says that only the secondary application will be used to make interview invites. However, the secondary application has no info about MCAT, GPA, and coursework. Does this mean MCAT and GPA are not considered for interviews?

When a school says something like this it usually really means that your file, when given to the person who will interview you, will not show your GPA and MCAT so they can form their impression of you without knowing it.
Those numbers are definitely used for deciding whom to interview.

 

[wigglyextrovert]

Can I repeat the descriptions of my activities from AMCAS then? Or should we write new information?

 

[Feeny]

Yeah that's what I'm wondering, too. Is it a red flag to just copy/paste our activities?

 

[roundgarlic]

Yeah that's what I'm wondering, too. Is it a red flag to just copy/paste our activities?

I called them and they said don't copy paste. They were like we want to give you a chance to categorize your activities differently and to reword/expand on your activity.

 

[Feeny]

I called them and they said don't copy paste. They were like we want to give you a chance to categorize your activities differently and to reword/expand on your activity.

Dang. Thank you for getting this info! I'm not going to lie, though. I have no clue how they want us to expand on things with <300 words.

 

[bananacreampie]

@wysdoc
There is an additional 300 word essay for reapplicants as well.
"Upon reflection and self-assessment, please share with us your areas of demonstrated growth since your previous application. Please highlight examples of your continued commitment to medicine."

 

[wysdoc]

@wysdoc
There is an additional 300 word essay for reapplicants as well.
"Upon reflection and self-assessment, please share with us your areas of demonstrated growth since your previous application. Please highlight examples of your continued commitment to medicine."

Thanks, I will add that one

 

[buboop]

For the activities section it says to only input items that took place after HS graduation and preferably within the past 5 years, would inputting an activity that began before that window but went well into it be ok? Also for for ongoing activities are people just putting the end date as the day you're submitting and detailing that as part of the description?

 

[buboop]

The secondary application welcome page says that only the secondary application will be used to make interview invites. However, the secondary application has no info about MCAT, GPA, and coursework. Does this mean MCAT and GPA are not considered for interviews?

I was wondering if this means if they will take our primary essays into consideration or no? Does this just refer to activities or essays as well?

 

[bananacreampie]

For the activities section it says to only input items that took place after HS graduation and preferably within the past 5 years, would inputting an activity that began before that window but went well into it be ok? Also for for ongoing activities are people just putting the end date as the day you're submitting and detailing that as part of the description?

I'm sure that's fine if it the timeline overlaps with the window. I would maybe just list the start date as HS graduation though? Idk.

For ongoing activities I just put the date I submitted and put "-ongoing-" at the bottom, I'm sure something like that works.

 

[Rooks]

so they require both semesters of ochem lab?

 

[roundgarlic]

How many words are y'all writing for the activities? I feel like 150 is just a lot to fill for activities that I've already designated as most meaningful.

 

[firstfundamentalform]

Well I submitted - bummed to see they consider Preview - because years of my hard work is going to get effected by a < 50th percentile on a money grab subjective exam. Does anyone know if they filter or how heavily they consider the Preview?

 

[GETBUCKETZ]

so they require both semesters of ochem lab?

I would not count on this but I know two different people from my undergraduate that did not take the ochem lab and asked Utah to not make them take it and they both didn't have to. I don't know if they do that for everybody for that class.

 

[Trying_again]

Is anyone else having trouble uploading documents to the document upload tab? I was published after submitting my AMCAS application so I want to add it, but the file type tab does not have any options and it won’t let me upload without having a selection there!

 

[littlecandy]

Is anyone else having trouble uploading documents to the document upload tab? I was published after submitting my AMCAS application so I want to add it, but the file type tab does not have any options and it won’t let me upload without having a selection there!

Utah does not accept updates.

 

[premed120]

Is anyone else still waiting on a secondary? I haven't heard anything from them and I'm OOS

 

[cranberrylimeade]

Is anyone else still waiting on a secondary? I haven't heard anything from them and I'm OOS

I remember last year I had to email them and it sent almost immediately

 

[twb2000]

For the intellectual curiosity section should I put down a hobby, even if it doesn't "expand my intellectual horizons"?

 

[toastedbutter]

For the intellectual curiosity section should I put down a hobby, even if it doesn't "expand my intellectual horizons"?

depends on the hobby, what is yours?

 

[twb2000]

depends on the hobby, what is yours?

I was thinking about putting down skiing and gardening. I don't really have anything to put in that section because I don't have any research.

 

[toastedbutter]

I was thinking about putting down skiing and gardening. I don't really have anything to put in that section because I don't have any research.

would do gardening, especially if you have actually tried to develop your skills in it at all (i.e. trying different methods to grow your plants, reading gardening literature, experimenting with different potting soils over the years). Could make for a good story

granted you could approach skiing the same way but my perception of it is a lot more 'fun time' and harder to paint in a, intellectual way

 

[hatuey]

Has anyone received the MSTP secondary? If so, would appreciate if you could post the questions

 

[coolcookie24]

Has anyone received the MSTP secondary? If so, would appreciate if you could post the questions

There aren't any MD/PhD specific secondary questions

 

[HopefulApplicant#10395]

Does anyone know how much of an impact preview will be on the app? I took mine on 7/12, and it looks like it sends scores on August 15. I'm submitting my app today, but they don't process the secondary until they get the scores. That's equivalent to waiting three more weeks to submit my secondaries! Did anyone also take their preview in July?

 

[firstfundamentalform]

Does anyone know how much of an impact preview will be on the app? I took mine on 7/12, and it looks like it sends scores on August 15. I'm submitting my app today, but they don't process the secondary until they get the scores. That's equivalent to waiting three more weeks to submit my secondaries! Did anyone also take their preview in July?

I unfortunately think it's substantial - i received > 515 on the MCAT and a pretty good GPA but got screened out of a secondary here probably because of my Preview score being < 15

 

[Feeny]

I unfortunately think it's substantial - i received > 515 on the MCAT and a pretty good GPA but got screened out of a secondary here probably because of my Preview score being < 15

Sorry, what do you mean by <15? My preview was scored out of 9, which is why I ask.

Unfortunately, my preview score sucked. 5/9. Which is crazy because I got the top quartile for Casper. I would hate for that to be the reason I don't get an II from here

 

[wysdoc]

Sorry, what do you mean by <15? My preview was scored out of 9, which is why I ask.

Unfortunately, my preview score sucked. 5/9. Which is crazy because I got the top quartile for Casper. I would hate for that to be the reason I don't get an II from here

Preview scores go from 1 to 9 and the average is in the middle.
Don't fret!

 

[roundgarlic]

Does anyone know how much of an impact preview will be on the app? I took mine on 7/12, and it looks like it sends scores on August 15. I'm submitting my app today, but they don't process the secondary until they get the scores. That's equivalent to waiting three more weeks to submit my secondaries! Did anyone also take their preview in July?

In the same boat as you, I just went ahead and submitted my secondary by their two-week deadline but I don't think our app is considered complete until August. Sucks but what can you do!! They said the last date they'll consider is September, so I have to believe that even if they only look at our apps once complete in August, they'll still be considered fairly.

 

[firstfundamentalform]

Sorry, what do you mean by <15? My preview was scored out of 9, which is why I ask.

Unfortunately, my preview score sucked. 5/9. Which is crazy because I got the top quartile for Casper. I would hate for that to be the reason I don't get an II from here

I think they give you a score from 0 to 9 but there's also a percentile attached. mine was less than 15. IIRC it translated to a 2/9 - i could double check if you're curious but the jist is that i tanked the PreView

 

[HopefulApplicant#10395]

I think they give you a score from 0 to 9 but there's also a percentile attached. mine was less than 15. IIRC it translated to a 2/9 - i could double check if you're curious but the jist is that i tanked the PreView

Are you OOS? Damn that sucks. This seems to be the first year they adopted PREview, you'd think it's for research purpose

 

[WilburTI]

How many words are y'all writing for the activities? I feel like 150 is just a lot to fill for activities that I've already designated as most meaningful.

I'm wondering this too. Last year it said to put a "1-2 sentence concise summary" of the experience. They got rid of that and said to just provide a concise summary of the experience and that we don't need to fill the full 150 words. Not exactly sure what they want but I was thinking about doing 70-100 words and about a full paragraph. I don't think we need to fill the full 150 words for each experience but I could be wrong.