University of Colorado School of Medicine Secondary Questions

Here are University of Colorado School of Medicine’s secondary questions.

2023-2024

Please do not repeat content from your AMCAS personal statement in these essays. To the extent that there is overlap in the personal statement to what you want to write here, please choose a different approach to discussing the issue(s), such as influence on your values and beliefs, changes you made in your life, reflections that are from a different perspective. The committee utilizes this important information in the selection process.

1) The pillars of our curriculum are Leadership, Curiosity, and Commitment. Tell us about how you have embodied one or more of these attributes in your path to medicine thus far. In which of these areas do you see the most opportunity for personal growth and why? Limit this response to 500 words.

2) Please describe how your background and/or your unique lived experiences contribute to our culture of inclusive excellence. Limit the response to 300 words.

2022-2023

Please do not repeat content from your AMCAS personal statement in these essays. To the extent that there is overlap in the personal statement to what you want to write here, please choose a different approach to discussing the issue(s), such as influence on your values and beliefs, changes you made in your life, reflections that are from a different perspective. The committee utilizes this important information in the selection process.

1. The pillars of our curriculum are Leadership, Curiosity, and Commitment. Tell us about how you have embodied one or more of these attributes in your path to medicine thus far. In which of these areas do you see the most opportunity for personal growth and why? Limit this response to 500 words.

2. Reapplicant to Colorado:
Please explain how you and your application has changed since your previous submission. (Limit this response to 1500 Characters.)

3. Fort Collins Track:
Please tell us why you are interested in being a part of the 4-year CUSOM at CSU (Fort Collins Branch campus)? With the background that FCB’s smaller class sizes and unique structure lead to a highly interactive curriculum, please tell us how this campus matches your learning style and personal philosophy. (Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

4. Rural Track:
Describe your personal and professional goals in becoming a rural physician. In particular, describe your interest and ability to spend your clinical year in a rural community. You may also include how past experiences living and/or working in a rural area and your ties to or interest in rural Colorado communities aligns with your goals. (Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

2021-2022

MD Program, (All applicants write this one)

• The pillars of our curriculum are Leadership, Curiosity, and Commitment. Tell us about how you have embodied one or more of these attributes in your path to medicine thus far. In which of these areas do you see the most opportunity for personal growth and why? Limit this response to 1000 words.

Fort Collins program: 

*Please note: MSTP applicants CANNOT apply to these programs.

• Please tell us why you are interested in being a part of the 4-year CUSOM at CSU (Fort Collins Branch campus)? With the background that FCB’s smaller class sizes and unique structure lead to a highly interactive curriculum, please tell us how this campus matches your learning style and personal philosophy. Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

Rural program: 

*Please note: MSTP applicants CANNOT apply to these programs.

• Describe your personal and professional goals in becoming a rural physician. In particular, describe your interest and ability to spend your clinical year in a rural community. You may also include how past experiences living and/or working in a rural area and your ties to or interest in rural Colorado communities aligns with your goals. Limit your statement to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

2020-2021

• The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.
• Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine

2019-2020

• The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.
• Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine

2018-2019

Required Colorado Essay

Part A. The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Part B. Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. If you are a reapplicant, please include information on how your application has changed.

Please answer both parts in this single essay. Limit the essay to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

Part C. If you are a re-applicant, please explain how you and your application has changed since your previous submission. Limit this response to 1500 Characters.

Urban Track (only if you select this optional track):

Please answer each of the questions below separately. This statement should not exceed 4500 characters, including spaces (approximately 750 words). Do not repeat the content from your AMCAS or Colorado Secondary Application essays.
● A. Describe the type of urban community health project that would be of greatest interest to you. Try to be as specific as possible regarding a particular culture or population of patients you are interested in and a topic you would like to study.

○ 1. Reasons for your interest in the CU-UNITE Urban Underserved track.

○ 2. If you have had a prior experience in an urban underserved community either volunteer, work-related, and/or personal, describe how this has impacted your decision to apply to this track.

● B. Describe how you plan to incorporate urban underserved health care into your career following completion of your schooling.

● C. You are a student spending your first summer working in an urban-underserved, uninsured community in Denver. You are on a field visit and notice a car that appears to be abandoned, but then on closer observation you notice that there are small children asleep in the back seat wearing dirty clothes with left over fast food on the floor boards. You notice a strong odor of urine and feces coming from the car. A woman is sitting under a tree nearby and is also poorly dressed and unkempt and appears to be in her last trimester of pregnancy. She has visible lesions on her legs and arms. Identify the needs that you see in this family from the perspective of a student working with urban underserved uninsured populations. Please describe how you would attempt to address the needs of this family both in context of their potential health issues and social situation.

Rural Track (only if you select this optional track):

Describe your experience in and commitment to rural Colorado and your vision of working as a primary care physician in rural Colorado. Please limit your rural track essay to 1500 characters or less (about 300 words).

2017-2018

Required Colorado Essay
Part A. The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Part B. Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. If you are a reapplicant, please include information on how your application has changed.

Please answer both parts in this single essay. Limit the essay to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

Part C. If you are a re-applicant, please explain how you and your application has changed since your previous submission. Limit this response to 1500 Characters.

Urban Track (only if you select this optional track):
Please answer each of the questions below separately. This statement should not exceed 4500 characters, including spaces (approximately 750 words). Do not repeat the content from your AMCAS or Colorado Secondary Application essays.

• A. Describe the type of urban community health project that would be of greatest interest to you. Try to be as specific as possible regarding a particular culture or population of patients you are interested in and a topic you would like to study.
  • 1. Reasons for your interest in the CU-UNITE Urban Underserved track.
  • 2. If you have had a prior experience in an urban underserved community either volunteer, work-related, and/or personal, describe how this has impacted your decision to apply to this track.
• B. Describe how you plan to incorporate urban underserved health care into your career following completion of your schooling.
• C. You are a student spending your first summer working in an urban-underserved, uninsured community in Denver. You are on a field visit and notice a car that appears to be abandoned, but then on closer observation you notice that there are small children asleep in the back seat wearing dirty clothes with left over fast food on the floor boards. You notice a strong odor of urine and feces coming from the car. A woman is sitting under a tree nearby and is also poorly dressed and unkempt and appears to be in her last trimester of pregnancy. She has visible lesions on her legs and arms. Identify the needs that you see in this family from the perspective of a student working with urban underserved uninsured populations. Please describe how you would attempt to address the needs of this family both in context of their potential health issues and social situation.

Rural Track (only if you select this optional track):
Describe your experience in and commitment to rural Colorado and your vision of working as a primary care physician in rural Colorado. Please limit your rural track essay to 1500 characters or less (about 300 words).

Good luck to everyone applying!

2016-2017

Part A. The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Part B. Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. If you are a reapplicant, please include information on how your application has changed.

Please answer both parts in this single essay. Limit the essay to 1500 characters, including spaces (approximately 300 words).

Part C. If you are a re-applicant, please explain how you and your application has changed since your previous submission. Limit this response to 1500 Characters.

(Optional) If after reviewing the information for these optional tracks you would like to apply to one of them, complete the essay for the track you wish to apply to in the appropriate box below. Please limit each essay to 1500 characters, including spaces

2015-2016

The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. If you are a reapplicant, please include information on how your application has changed.

Please answer both parts in this single essay, limiting it to 1500 characters.

Optional Colorado Springs Essay: Please submit a short statement regarding your interest in the Colorado Springs Branch. You may address characteristics of the Branch that would be a fit for your strengths, experiences, and/or career plans. You may also note your ties to or interest in Colorado Springs or other similar communities. (1500 char)

2014-2015

The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. If you are a reapplicant, please include information on how your application has changed.

Please answer both parts in this single essay, limiting it to 2000 words.