2025-2026 UCLA (Geffen)

[safewaysushi]

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Posting UCLA PRIME prompts for folks who are interested. Best of luck!

PRIME-LA Supplemental Application​

1. What do you view as the most important social issue confronting the health of marginalized and under-resourced communities? Describe how your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to addressing this social issue. (800 characters)

2. Describe your most memorable experience as it relates to working with marginalized and under-resourced populations. (800 characters)

3. In what way will graduating from PRIME-LA and obtaining a master's degree enhance your career in health care or health services for marginalized and under-resourced communities? (If you are considering a specific master’s degree (e.g., MPP, MPH, MBA, etc.), please incorporate your graduate degree plans or aspirations into your answer). (800 characters)

4. What are your greatest strengths and your greatest challenges as you approach medical school? (800 characters)

5. The mission of the PRIME-LA program is to train future physicians to become leaders and advocates in medicine who will address policy, care and research in healthcare for diverse under-resourced and marginalized populations and communities. Describe your own experiences where you have shown leadership and advocacy. How do you hope to continue to demonstrate these qualities in the PRIME-LA program? (800 characters)

 

[Animebob]

Is there another volunteer opportunity you could write about? Or come at it from a different angle (different situation/moment, different lesson/skill learned), which would be my recommendation.

Personally, I would say that you can still write about it even if it's in your MME if your MME hasn't addressed "indicate how these areas of experience have impacted your progress toward your future career goals in relation to becoming an "Outstanding Physician, AND...""

 

[smooth_operator_doc]

+1OOS secondary received - the email was in spam folder.

 

[holajola]

Hi! Do our answers for question 2 have to be related to the societal mission we talk about in question 1? I feel like it would be repetitive but I'm not sure.

 

[AniKar8]

Hi! Do our answers for question 2 have to be related to the societal mission we talk about in question 1? I feel like it would be repetitive but I'm not sure.

seems like they do have to be related. it's tough, i know, but the prompt for #2 does say "Respond to the following and indicate how these areas of experience have impacted your progress toward your future career goals in relation to becoming an "Outstanding Physician, AND..."

 

[holajola]

seems like they do have to be related. it's tough, i know, but the prompt for #2 does say "Respond to the following and indicate how these areas of experience have impacted your progress toward your future career goals in relation to becoming an "Outstanding Physician, AND..."

I see. Wouldn't we repeat activities from question one to question two then? Or are we expected to have 4+ activities related to the same mission?

 

[vex10]

submitted secondary yesterday!

 

[AniKar8]

I see. Wouldn't we repeat activities from question one to question two then? Or are we expected to have 4+ activities related to the same mission?

yes, there will likely be overlap. how i navigated that was being more general and big-picture in #1, and then diving into specifics in #2a-c, and tying what i did into my mission at the end

 

[LateApplicantKing]

Bro I’m so nervous I don’t have time to finish their fking essay

 

[peepeepoopoopookie]

I recieved the IR email on July 8th but still haven't gotten a secondary... is it safe to assume I've been screened out? I have a 507 mcat, 3.9 GPA and pretty decent ECs IMO so I'm not sure why I would've gotten screened :/

 

[Naayfus]

Are you guys integrating any "Why UCLA" plugs into ur essays or just directly answering the prompts? 800 characters feels like such a short space to do both but if y'all are doing both then ig there's a way.

 

[zach9975]

Did anyone ever end up getting a completed email from UCLA?

 

[texco23]

Did anyone ever end up getting a completed email from UCLA?

I got mine the following day after submitting

 

[cheetos.smh]

If I haven't got a secondary or IR email yet, is it safe to assume I've been screened out? Seeing as though we're nearing the end of July 🙁 i am also IS (506 MCAT)

 

[boomer2024]

Are you guys integrating any "Why UCLA" plugs into ur essays or just directly answering the prompts? 800 characters feels like such a short space to do both but if y'all are doing both then ig there's a way.

I initially tried to do this, but with only 800 characters, it was hard to incorporate it while answering the questions appropriately. For that reason, I decided not to.

 

[purrkinje]

Are you guys integrating any "Why UCLA" plugs into ur essays or just directly answering the prompts? 800 characters feels like such a short space to do both but if y'all are doing both then ig there's a way.

I also did not

 

[gexr]

If I haven't got a secondary or IR email yet, is it safe to assume I've been screened out? Seeing as though we're nearing the end of July 🙁 i am also IS (506 MCAT)

Regular MD or PRIME-LA? PRIME sends secondaries usually in the Fall I've heard

 

[quirkybric2040]

+1 OOS Secondary today. They screened it in less than 8 hours... but nothing from UCSF and it has been a week.

 

[wysdoc]

+1 OOS Secondary today. They screened it in less than 8 hours... but nothing from UCSF and it has been a week.

this is the UCLA thread, but read what UCSF has said about their decision time from primary to secondary here: HERE

 

[quirkybric2040]

For the responses about volunteer work, meaningful activities.. etc. What if I've already extensively talked about a few of my activities in my PS and the MME? Talk about it again, but from a different angle?

 

[molecules2001!]

Regular MD or PRIME-LA? PRIME sends secondaries usually in the Fall I've heard

If we are regular MD, then should we assume being screened out? Haven’t received anything yet as well

 

[daydreamalwys]

Regular MD or PRIME-LA? PRIME sends secondaries usually in the Fall I've heard

Not sure if this is true btw. I got secondary for PRIME-LA 7/13 (verified 6/30)

 

[oolongtealover]

Not sure if this is true btw. I got secondary for PRIME-LA 7/13 (verified 6/30)

Confirming that I also recieved secondary for PRIME-LA on 7/11 (verified 6/25)

 

[PickaGodnPray]

Regular MD or PRIME-LA? PRIME sends secondaries usually in the Fall I've heard

PRIME sends secondaries at the same time as other programs, they just don't interview until December.

 

[invisblizz]

Anyone have issues with submitting the "personal comments" part of the MSTP application? I wrote something in the box, but it keeps saying the page is incomplete for me. I have check that I've filled out all other fields on the page. I emailed them but received no response yet, and my submission deadline is tomorrow.

 

[blonolo]

Anyone have issues with submitting the "personal comments" part of the MSTP application? I wrote something in the box, but it keeps saying the page is incomplete for me. I have check that I've filled out all other fields on the page. I emailed them but received no response yet, and my submission deadline is tomorrow.

The personal comments has a limit of 800 characters I believe. It may be that you are over that — that was the issue for me at first.

 

[invisblizz]

The personal comments has a limit of 800 characters I believe. It may be that you are over that — that was the issue for me at first.

You are right, thank you!

 

[premedbarista]

super lost on how to answer their secondary essay questions because i feel like they're literally just asking me to rewrite my MME essays, like my most meaningful leadership and volunteer experiences would be the same activity that was an MME and my most scholarly thing would be the research that I also wrote about as an MME. any ideas on how to approach this? i don't want to be repetitive, but they're asking me to describe activities i've already described in detail and i truly don't know what more I can say 🙁

 

[mattpk]

super lost on how to answer their secondary essay questions because i feel like they're literally just asking me to rewrite my MME essays, like my most meaningful leadership and volunteer experiences would be the same activity that was an MME and my most scholarly thing would be the research that I also wrote about as an MME. any ideas on how to approach this? i don't want to be repetitive, but they're asking me to describe activities i've already described in detail and i truly don't know what more I can say 🙁

They really want you to link your activities to a mission. Your primary app was each activity in isolation, and you may not have tied some to medicine or an overarching theme in your reflections. this is your chance to do so.

 

[peepeepoopoopookie]

Does UCLA send pre-seconday R's? I was emailed that they were screening my app on 7/8 but still haven't received any secondaires. My stats are 507 MCAT and 4.0 GPA and I have a lot of research and community service hours so im not sure why i would've been screened out.

 

[Ms. miRNA]

Does UCLA send pre-seconday R's? I was emailed that they were screening my app on 7/8 but still haven't received any secondaires. My stats are 507 MCAT and 4.0 GPA and I have a lot of research and community service hours so im not sure why i would've been screened out.

Yes, they do send pre-secondary Rs, but there is still time to receive a secondary from them!

 

[polymerization]

🙁

 

[premedbarista]

would it be a red flag if my mission is centered around helping urban underserved communities but then i don't apply for the urban health pathway? i literally just don't think i can write two more essays and don't feel like the program is really that great of a fit for me, but based on my app and essays one would probably say it's a fit lol

 

[Ms. miRNA]

would it be a red flag if my mission is centered around helping urban underserved communities but then i don't apply for the urban health pathway? i literally just don't think i can write two more essays and don't feel like the program is really that great of a fit for me, but based on my app and essays one would probably say it's a fit lol

Hi! this is my opinion but I don’t think it would be a red flag. I think you know yourself, your experiences, and your goals the best and if you don’t believe it’s a great fit, then I don’t think it is necessary to force it.

 

[PickaGodnPray]

would it be a red flag if my mission is centered around helping urban underserved communities but then i don't apply for the urban health pathway? i literally just don't think i can write two more essays and don't feel like the program is really that great of a fit for me, but based on my app and essays one would probably say it's a fit lol

How can your mission be centered around urban health but you not be interested in the urban health pathway? Not to be rude, but as you said it’s a fit and there is an obvious disconnect if you don’t. UCLA is one of the few schools that does weed out based on pathway picks, so make sure narrative is fully in line.

 

[premedbarista]

How can your mission be centered around urban health but you not be interested in the urban health pathway? Not to be rude, but as you said it’s a fit and there is an obvious disconnect if you don’t. UCLA is one of the few schools that does weed out based on pathway picks, so make sure narrative is fully in line.

I did a lot of volunteering/leadership stuff with a homeless shelter nonprofit that i'm passionate about and consider helping that population and other underserved communities one of my missions, but I see myself more working with a mobile clinic or something than working on health policy or public health initiatives if that makes sense? it's honestly more just that the answers to the 2 questions they ask for that pathway would be the same as the activities i already wrote for the non-pathway questions, which i also wrote extensively about in my primary app. i don't have that many experiences to write about in general so i'm struggling to not be repetitive and feel like the pathway isn't something i'm super interested in right now anyway. ty 🙂

 

[PickaGodnPray]

I did a lot of volunteering/leadership stuff with a homeless shelter nonprofit that i'm passionate about and consider helping that population and other underserved communities one of my missions, but I see myself more working with a mobile clinic or something than working on health policy or public health initiatives if that makes sense?

Nah then you’re good, it’s the applications where it’s focus is on policy and public that if you don’t apply adcoms will ask why. Yours will be fine then

 

[c-w1s8]

Are we still waiting?

 

[overthinker19]

is it okay if my prime and ucla essays overlap? like there are prompts for the urban health pathway and prime that are so similar. do adcom's read both?

 

[PickaGodnPray]

is it okay if my prime and ucla essays overlap? like there are prompts for the urban health pathway and prime that are so similar. do adcom's read both?

Pretty sure prime is separate but still have access to the general essays. General pathways won’t have access to each others essays or prime essays. Overlap should be fine as long as you rephrase it slightly.

 

[quirkybric2040]

do we think interviews will be coming out soon?

 

[JPace24]

do we think interviews will be coming out soon?

I hope not,\.

 

[molecules2001!]

do we think interviews will be coming out soon?

I hope not as well, still waiting for the secondary lol

 

[c-w1s8]

Anyone else still waiting for secondary?

 

[JPace24]

Anyone else still waiting for secondary?

A lot of folks still are, so be patient! They have been pretty slow this year.

 

[mochilover12]

does ucla automatically resend secondaries to reapps?

 

[JPace24]

does ucla automatically resend secondaries to reapps?

I would doubt it. I am going to assume they screen you the same way they did the first time.

 

[mochilover12]

I would doubt it. I am going to assume they screen you the same way they did the first time.

hmm just thought it was weird that they sent me an oos secondary yesterday only a few hours after my primary got processed so thought that maybe it's bc i was a reapp!

 

[premeddddd122]

I saw an interview reported on cycle track today, can anyone confirm interviews have started?

 

[quirkybric2040]

I saw an interview reported on cycle track today, can anyone confirm interviews have started?

Idk no one has posted on SDN or Admit. Typically they start a bit later (like next week right?), and since so many still don't have secondaries, maybe its a false report?