2024-2025 Duke

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Thoughts on writing my advocacy essay on advocating for students while I was a TA? The gist of it is: students didn't feel that how much they prepared for exams reflected in their scores, so I brought this up with my professor and worked with him to provide better resources.

I feel like this question is looking for some form of social advocacy or something more profound I guess but I'm struggling to come up with other instances to write about.
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Sakkarai7481 said:
Thoughts on writing my advocacy essay on advocating for students while I was a TA? The gist of it is: students didn't feel that how much they prepared for exams reflected in their scores, so I brought this up with my professor and worked with him to provide better resources.

I feel like this question is looking for some form of social advocacy or something more profound I guess but I'm struggling to come up with other instances to write about.
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if thats ur best instance i think its good
 
MelonAway said:
Would it be worth submitting this secondary 3-4 weeks after receiving it? Looking for some advice
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From what I've heard Duke is one of the less time-sensitive schools out there. I feel like submitting any time before September should be ok.
 
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For the sixth prompt about their M2M thing, is it still considered taboo to write about something negative you observed a doctor doing? I feel like there's no other direction you can really go with this prompt, but it's still making me kind of nervous.
 
TheCasualAce said:
For the sixth prompt about their M2M thing, is it still considered taboo to write about something negative you observed a doctor doing? I feel like there's no other direction you can really go with this prompt, but it's still making me kind of nervous.
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I would love to hear other's people perspectives, but I would really avoid saying anything negative about another healthcare provider, especially a doctor, as we do not have the training to do that yet/we do not have the context or expertise behind us to confidently explain why what the doctor did was wrong.

If anything, I would be cautious and just acknowledge maybe you saw patterns of disparities/inequities that you saw while at the clinic, ideally things that are beyond individual people's control and more of a systemic issue.
 
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TheCasualAce said:
For the sixth prompt about their M2M thing, is it still considered taboo to write about something negative you observed a doctor doing? I feel like there's no other direction you can really go with this prompt, but it's still making me kind of nervous.
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Avoid criticizing specific people. I think it's okay to criticize the broader "system," however.
 
ArtisticInterp said:
From what I've heard Duke is one of the less time-sensitive schools out there. I feel like submitting any time before September should be ok.
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they know the 9 essays kill people lmao
 
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Duke MSAR says 8-5 is when II begin, which is way earlier than their previous cycles. Do we think that’s just a random date they input?
 
very bullish on duke. let's get this bread
 
I'm stumped on what to write for the Duke advocacy essay. It specifically mentions advocating for someone who is "different" from you. I was going to write about advocating for my grandfather while he spent a week in the hospital, because he had advanced dementia and couldn't speak so I had to be there overnight for four nights and I stayed awake the whole time to make sure the nurses were there to help with what he needed (because my grandfather couldn't tell them anything). I'm just not sure that he's someone "different" from me. Any suggestions?
 
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cdonlon said:
I'm stumped on what to write for the Duke advocacy essay. It specifically mentions advocating for someone who is "different" from you. I was going to write about advocating for my grandfather while he spent a week in the hospital, because he had advanced dementia and couldn't speak so I had to be there overnight for four nights and I stayed awake the whole time to make sure the nurses were there to help with what he needed (because my grandfather couldn't tell them anything). I'm just not sure that he's someone "different" from me. Any suggestions?
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I mean he’s a part of two vulnerable communities (elderly and cognitively impaired) that you are presumably not a part of. I think it could work if you lean into those things.
 
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FutureMD2025 said:
Are they asking about my gender identity and pronouns? please help me understand the question.

TIA
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This is what makes you YOU type of question. I talked about my identity as an immigrant that has become like an in-between two countries because I kind of don't belong to either.
 
I received the Duke secondary way back on July 11, but I haven't even started... it was just too long, and I had 36 others to do.

Would it be even worth filling it out at this rate? I adore the area and am excited about the program, but I just haven't gotten around to this. I'm afraid I shot myself in the foot, being nearly five weeks since receipt.
 
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MiddleEMed said:
I received the Duke secondary way back on July 11, but I haven't even started... it was just too long, and I had 36 others to do.

Would it be even worth filling it out at this rate? I adore the area and am excited about the program, but I just haven't gotten around to this. I'm afraid I shot myself in the foot, being nearly five weeks since receipt.
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You have not shot yourself in the foot! You'll be perfectly fine to submit now. Duke is not rolling. Additionally, according to LizzyM and other adcoms on here, schools do not actively monitor when you turn in your secondary unless they have a strict deadline like UCLA. While it's generally recommended to submit earlier, Duke has not even begun sending out interviews.

I know someone who submitted on the deadline last cycle and was accepted with a full tuition merit scholarship. Of all the top schools, Duke definitely cares the least about timing.
 
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MiddleEMed said:
I received the Duke secondary way back on July 11, but I haven't even started... it was just too long, and I had 36 others to do.

Would it be even worth filling it out at this rate? I adore the area and am excited about the program, but I just haven't gotten around to this. I'm afraid I shot myself in the foot, being nearly five weeks since receipt.
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I would do it. Duke’s secondary is long, and they are one of the top 20 schools that truly does holistic review. They haven’t started sending out II yet, and according to last year I think they begin app review end of August. Go for it.
 
does anyone know how much they care about stats? Seems like they care about secondaries a lot given the amount of essays, but is it still worth to do it if LM is lower than 75? Thanks!
 
lmao is it too late to submit to add Duke? I actually have a good amount of the essays completed due to similar essays from other schools but don't know if its maybe too late now
 
sparky7189 said:
lmao is it too late to submit to add Duke? I actually have a good amount of the essays completed due to similar essays from other schools but don't know if its maybe too late now
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Not late at all!
 
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Hi i am reapplying (applied 2023-2024) and a lot of my essays are pretty similar like the advocacy and the leadership one do you think that's harmful?
 
omg screaming and crying rn. IS II just received!!
 
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Just a quick check – did anyone write anything for "Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application:"

I've answered this question on essentially every other secondary, but Duke's questions covered basically everything... did people use this as a "Why Duke?"
 
MiddleEMed said:
Just a quick check – did anyone write anything for "Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application:"

I've answered this question on essentially every other secondary, but Duke's questions covered basically everything... did people use this as a "Why Duke?"
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yeah, I did "Why Duke"
 
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Hello Everyone,

I am wondering if any current students know if the clinical year is Duke Pass/Fail unranked.

I've seen information online saying it is still graded P/HP/Honors but I thought the entire curriculum was P/F unranked as per surgery clerkship student guidebook I saw on their website and another SDN thread.

Please let me know. Thank you!

Warmly,
pinkpanda10
 
Thoughts on using the gap year essay for 'Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application.' Or would it be better to do a why Duke? Does it matter?
 
OOS II LM 78 and submitted 7/18! So excited this is my top choice!!
 
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chouchouchurros said:
does anyone know how much they care about stats? Seems like they care about secondaries a lot given the amount of essays, but is it still worth to do it if LM is lower than 75? Thanks!
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LM 70 and I got an OOS II. If you haven’t already, I would shoot your shot!
 
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Submitted yesterday hopefully not too late!
 
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parmi said:
Submitted yesterday hopefully not too late!
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Submitted yesterday, too (after receiving it in July... oops). Honestly put a lot of thought and effort into my answers, though. Hopefully they won't hold it against us!

Working full-time is not conducive to Duke's expectations for their secondaries. Lol.
 
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