2024-2025 Pittsburgh

[wysdoc]

2024-2025 Pittsburgh Secondary Essay Prompts: (changed from last year)

1. The Three Rivers Curriculum features collaborative team based learning. Therefore, we value your perspective and experience working within teams. Describe a time you worked with others in a collaborative process, challenges encountered and how you overcame these challenges. Discuss any personal growth achieved through the experience. (250 words or less.)

2. Describe a difficult situation you faced, how you responded to this situation and how this helped shape the person you've become. (250 words or less.)

3. Respect for others of different backgrounds is integral to the successful practice of medicine, as is an understanding of the social determinants of health. Describe a situation you observed between a patient and the health care system that illustrates the impact of social determinants of health and/or the impact of racism on delivery of care. Describe what you learned from this situation. (250 words or less.)

4. Optional Essay: If you wish, use this space to tell the UPSOM Admissions Committee anything else about yourself. (250 words or less.)

Good luck to all applying!

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University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Interview Feedback

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[Mr.Smile12]

Reminder: PREview is RECOMMENDED but not required.

2024-2025 list of schools and their SJTs

Updated July 2, 2024 (page updated June 11) on The AAMC PREview® Professional Readiness Exam Participating Medical Schools and MSAR reports Look at the 2023 list to see if your school(s) wanted you to take an SJT. PREview scores are automatically released to AMCAS. Examinees do not need to...

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[ClashRoyaleKing]

Any current students here? How do you like the school? City?

 

[syrupedbacon]

+1 OOS Secondary

1. The Three Rivers Curriculum features collaborative team based learning. Therefore, we value your perspective and experience working within teams. Describe a time you worked with others in a collaborative process, challenges encountered and how you overcame these challenges. Discuss any personal growth achieved through the experience. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.) *

2. Describe a difficult situation you faced, how you responded to this situation and how this helped shape the person you've become. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)*

3. Respect for others of different backgrounds is integral to the successful practice of medicine, as is an understanding of the social determinants of health. Describe a situation you observed between a patient and the health care system that illustrates the impact of social determinants of health and/or the impact of racism on delivery of care. Describe what you learned from this situation. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)*

4. Optional Essay: If you wish, use this space to tell the UPSOM Admissions Committee anything else about yourself. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

 

[soldier boy]

+1 OOS

 

[D350]

Really doubling down on the challenge essays

Gonna make the optional essay about overcoming adversity too, just to make sure they really know

 

[WinSpin]

+1 OOS

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

OOS Secondary

 

[ecobio]

+1 OOS just now 🙂

 

[E. Leaf]

+1 OOS

 

[ecobio]

just curious -- for the optional essay, are you guys using it for a "why us?" or something else? Not sure if i should use my diversity essay or write them a little love note, lol

 

[BiomedEGR777]

OOS +1

 

[Iron Man23]

OOS +1

 

[BiomedEGR777]

just curious -- for the optional essay, are you guys using it for a "why us?" or something else? Not sure if i should use my diversity essay or write them a little love note, lol

Using it as a why us. They ask about diversity and adversity already a ton. And their previous secondary had a why us so I can use that which I already pre wrote 🙁

 

[applesarecool]

Using it as a why us. They ask about diversity and adversity already a ton. And their previous secondary had a why us so I can use that which I already pre wrote 🙁

I am second guessing myself because I feel like since they removed it maybe they don't want it

 

[FlaptavianBird]

Using it as a why us. They ask about diversity and adversity already a ton. And their previous secondary had a why us so I can use that which I already pre wrote 🙁

Idk I am probably gonna put a gap year essay here. The prompt says "anything else you would like us to know about YOURSELF," and I think explaining why I want to go to Pitt isn't really saying much about myself or my journey to medicine. Just me 0.02

 

[BiomedEGR777]

I am second guessing myself because I feel like since they removed it maybe they don't want it

Yeah i get that, but i wouldn't read too much into that honestly. I'm sure the majority of applicants will use that as a why us essay anyways

 

[dirtybrownwater]

OOS +1

 

[feeling_tireddddd]

Random questions, but is the difficult situation question a challenge or adversity prompt?

 

[radrak]

Idk I am probably gonna put a gap year essay here. The prompt says "anything else you would like us to know about YOURSELF," and I think explaining why I want to go to Pitt isn't really saying much about myself or my journey to medicine. Just me 0.02

I think Ima do a gap year essay and try to connect how my current experiences will prepare me for certain things i like about the skool

 

[Iron Man23]

Do we have to put in our social security? Or can we just put random numbers until we are accepted?

 

[zarastars]

lmao not pitt's mailbox popping up when i went to share draft with a friend

 

[premed123321]

1. The Three Rivers Curriculum features collaborative team based learning. Therefore, we value your perspective and experience working within teams. Describe a time you worked with others in a collaborative process, challenges encountered and how you overcame these challenges. Discuss any personal growth achieved through the experience. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.) *

Just had to scrap my first draft of this essay.

Heads up for everyone. There is an important distinction in the prompt: I ended up writing about challenge I took on with a group, instead of a time where I was in a group and the group-work itself caused challenges

 

[radrak]

Just had to scrap my first draft of this essay.

Heads up for everyone. There is an important distinction in the prompt: I ended up writing about challenge I took on with a group, instead of a time where I was in a group and the group-work itself caused challenges

isn't a challenge within the group work considered a challenge u took on?

 

[premed123321]

isn't a challenge within the group work considered a challenge u took on?

Yeah, I think the question is specifically asking about how you overcame a challenge that happened within group work

 

[cfn]

OOS +1

 

[barzuh]

3. Respect for others of different backgrounds is integral to the successful practice of medicine, as is an understanding of the social determinants of health. Describe a situation you observed between a patient and the health care system that illustrates the impact of social determinants of health and/or the impact of racism on delivery of care. Describe what you learned from this situation. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

Can you answer this question by having the patient be yourself? My family and I experienced the impacts of various social determinants of health, but this question sounds like it shouldn't necessarily be related to you. Also, from the sounds of it, does it need to be a singular situation?

 

[mdapplicantround1]

I can't save anything in the MSTP application portion for some reason, is anyone else experiencing this?

 

[penguindoc2]

is anyone else still waiting for a secondary from pitt?

 

[tubleweedsea]

is anyone else still waiting for a secondary from pitt?

I’m curious if they’ve only sent to OOS applicants so far. Have there been any IS?

 

[sunny1717]

I’m curious if they’ve only sent to OOS applicants so far. Have there been any IS?

I'm IS and got mine from them on 7/8

 

[penguindoc2]

I’m curious if they’ve only sent to OOS applicants so far. Have there been any IS?

im OOS and was verified the first day. I guess we continue waiting!

 

[NotPink]

im OOS and was verified the first day. I guess we continue waiting!

Same here :/ thinking maybe because I don't have a PREview score (shoutout to the malfunctioning proctoring system)

 

[dionysusofhealth]

i'm IS and got Pitt on 7/8 and submitted 7/8 as well.

 

[feeling_tireddddd]

Is anyone still waiting OOS?

 

[goge69]

Is anyone still waiting OOS?

I got mine last week, they prob send them out in batches

 

[Z_C]

Is anyone still waiting OOS?

I am! Honestly, thankful that I don't have to complete it yet with how many were sent at once.

 

[babseeb]

am i at a disadvantage for Pitt if I did not take preview? its the only school on my list that recommended or required preview, and I don't plan on taking it.

 

[RunnerDad]

am i at a disadvantage for Pitt if I did not take preview? its the only school on my list that recommended or required preview, and I don't plan on taking it.

No

 

[madwi01]

Is anyone still waiting OOS?

Yes! I also got verified the first day and still waiting on it

 

[tubleweedsea]

Yes! I also got verified the first day and still waiting on it

Same but IS. Hopefully will get it soon.

 

[SaitamaWifHair]

Is anyone still waiting OOS?

I'm waiting OOS

 

[RunnerDad]

I'm waiting OOS

MSAR says they send secondaries to ALL applicants after verified application is received. So don't worry, it will happen soon.

 

[Sakkarai7481]

Describe a situation you observed between a patient and the health care system that illustrates the impact of social determinants of health and/or the impact of racism on delivery of care.

I've already written an essay for some other schools that I want to use for this prompt but I'm not 100% sure it fits: When I was a volunteer at a soup kitchen, I learned that many guests suffered from drug addiction couldn't receive the treatment/rehab they needed due to several specific systemic factors.

Would this essay work? I'm not sure because it seems like the question wants us to write about a specific patient's experience. Also I didn't really observe this in a healthcare setting, but I guess it is an "interaction" with the healthcare system.

 

[stew_md]

I've already written an essay for some other schools that I want to use for this prompt but I'm not 100% sure it fits: When I was a volunteer at a soup kitchen, I learned that many guests suffered from drug addiction couldn't receive the treatment/rehab they needed due to several specific systemic factors.

Would this essay work? I'm not sure because it seems like the question wants us to write about a specific patient's experience. Also I didn't really observe this in a healthcare setting, but I guess it is an "interaction" with the healthcare system.

This topic works just fine IMO. Perhaps you could focus in on one particular guest that stood out to you and describe the systemic factors.

 

[goodbob]

does anyone have a problem with paying the application fee? Mine is stuck at loading after entering my credit card info

 

[thundershock2513]

Anybody still waiting for the secondary? It's been a while and I haven't gotten it and I was verified first day

 

[redtrain21]

Anybody still waiting for the secondary? It's been a while and I haven't gotten it and I was verified first day

It’s actually crazy how far spread out they are sending these batches in.

 

[sarcasmrules]

It’s actually crazy how far spread out they are sending these batches in.

I'm beginning to think even if schools send secondaries to everyone and in Pittsburgh's case, non-rolling admissions, they still rank applicants and send secondaries to applicants they want the most first. This is purely conjecture but based on the following reasons:
1. The primary application is more than enough to reveal which applicants schools want, especially for ones that heavily screen.
2. It condenses the work to send secondaries to everyone and wait until secondaries are received from applicants to begin formally evaluating their applications. It's more manageable to spread the work out by reviewing their primary first.
3. Some applicants were verified early July and got it a few days later. Meanwhile, those that were transmitted on June 28th still haven't gotten theirs.

 

[redtrain21]

I'm beginning to think even if schools send secondaries to everyone and in Pittsburgh's case, non-rolling admissions, they still rank applicants and send secondaries to applicants they want the most first. This is purely conjecture but based on the following reasons:
1. The primary application is more than enough to reveal which applicants schools want, especially for ones that heavily screen.
2. It condenses the work to send secondaries to everyone and wait until secondaries are received from applicants to begin formally evaluating their applications. It's more manageable to spread the work out by reviewing their primary first.
3. Some applicants were verified early July and got it a few days later. Meanwhile, those that were transmitted on June 28th still haven't gotten theirs.

I don’t see any proof to suggest that people verified in early July got it before people verified earlier.