Essay Topics (2024 - 2025)

1200 characters for questions 1-4:

1. Miami is a vibrant and multicultural, multilingual city. You will be exposed to cultures and languages different than your own while living and studying in this city. Please explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked, or were exposed to backgrounds that were different than your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you.

2. Why did you choose to apply to FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine?

3. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced. If you sought guidance, support, or resources, describe how it helped you? Focus on what you learned about yourself and how you think it will help you face new challenges.

4. What do you think will be the most rewarding and challenging part of practicing medicine in the future?

5. Use this area to explain any exception to the prerequisites at your institution (1000 characters)

6. Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals (1000 characters)

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Essay Topics ('23 – '24)‍

Primary Activity/Employment

1. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school. (Not sure of character limit, but it is less than 1000 for sure)

2. If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be doing since graduating from your undergrad institution. (same as above)

Supplemental Essays

1. Miami is a vibrant and multicultural, multilingual city. You will be exposed to cultures and languages different than your own while living and studying in this city. Please explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked, or were exposed to diverse backgrounds. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (1200 characters)

2. Why did you choose to apply to FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine? (1200 characters)

3. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. Describe any support system you had at your disposal and how you utilized these resources. (1200 characters)

4. If you are accepted into medical school, how do you envision your lifestyle will change, and what challenges may await? Similarly, what do you think will be the most rewarding and difficult part of practicing medicine in the future? (1200 characters)

5. Use this area to explain any exception to the prerequisites at your institution. (OPTIONAL, 1000 characters)

6. Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals. (OPTIONAL, 1000 characters)

COVID-19

1. Please share any disruptions and/or challenges you have experienced this application year as a direct result of COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider in conjunction with your application. The following are some examples of topics for consideration, but are not limited to: academic preparations; extracurricular activities and/or experiences; personal and/or professional opportunities; or lessons and insights gained as a result of COVID-19. (1000 characters)

For those who are not Florida residents, the following prompt will appear:Please describe any connection to FIU, FIU HWCOM, or South Florida.

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Essay Topics '22-'23

1. Are you a re-applicant to medical school? If yes, please explain how your application has improved since the last time you applied and/or what you have learned from the experience. Character limit 1000 (including spaces).

2. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school. Character limit 600 (including spaces).

3. If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be doing since graduating from your undergraduate institution. Character limit 600 (including spaces).

C. Prerequisites and Academic Record​

Character limit 1000 (including spaces). Use this area to explain any exception to the prerequisites at your institution.Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals.

D. Supplemental Essays​

You must answer all 4 essays. Character limit for each essay is 1200 (including spaces).

1. Miami is a vibrant and multicultural, multilingual city. You will be exposed to cultures and languages different than your own while living and studying in this city. Please explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked, or were exposed to diverse backgrounds. Please describe the impact the experience had on you.

2. Why did you choose to apply to FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine?

3. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. Describe any support system you had at your disposal and how you utilized these resources.

4. If you are accepted into medical school, how do you envision your lifestyle will change, and what challenges may await? Similarly, what do you think will be the most rewarding and difficult part of practicing medicine in the future?

5. Please share any disruptions and/or challenges you have experienced this application year as a direct result of COVID-19 that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider in conjunction with your application. The following are some examples of topics for consideration, but are not limited to: academic preparations; extracurricular activities and/or experiences; personal and/or professional opportunities; or lessons and insights gained as a result of COVID-19. Character limit 1000 (including spaces).

6. If you are NOT a Florida resident, please describe any connection to FIU, FIU HWCOM, or South Florida. Character Limit 600 characters (including spaces)

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Essay Topics ('21 – '22)‍

1. Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school.(1200 characters)

2. Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (1200 Characters)

3. Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation?

4. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you? (1200 Characters)

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Essay Topics (’20 – ’21)‍

1. Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (The character limit is 1200, including spaces)

2. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you? (The character limit is 1200, including spaces)

3. Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. (The character limit is 1200, including spaces)

4. Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation? (The character limit is 1200, including spaces)

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Essay Topics ('19 – '20)

1. Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school.

2. Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you.

3. Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation?

4. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you?

5. Provide any additional information that you wish the Admission Committee to consider regarding your application. Character limit 1000 (including spaces).

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Essay Topics ('18 – '19)‍

1. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you? (1200 characters each)

2. Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation? (1200 characters each)

3. Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (1200 characters each)

4. Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. (1200 characters each)

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Essay Topics ('17 – '18)

1. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, how do you know we will be a mission fit for you?  (1200 characters limit)

2. What attributes do you believe are essential to be successful within the medical profession? Of these attributes, which do you possess and how have you demonstrated these in the past? (1200 characters limit)

3. Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (1200 characters limit)

4. Explain a situation in which you have received criticism. What was the criticism and how did you respond to it? (1200 characters limit)

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Essay Topics ('16 – '17)‍

1. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school. Character limit 600 (including spaces).

2. Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals. Character limit 1000 (including spaces).

3. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, please describe how your personal characteristics and values make you a suitable candidate for medicine. How will you contribute to the student body? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

4. Describe how you have handled a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you face possible challenges in medical school. (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

5. Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

6. Were you ever surprised by criticism you received? If so, what was the criticism and how did you respond to it? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

7. Re-applicants: please explain how your application has improved since the last time you applied. Character limit 1000 (including spaces)

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Essay Topics ('15 – '16)‍

1. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school. Character limit 600 (including spaces).

2. Is there any additional information about your academic record that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? Please include any academic difficulties or course withdrawals. Character limit 1000 (including spaces).

3. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, please describe how your personal characteristics and values make you a suitable candidate for medicine. How will you contribute to the student body? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

4. Describe how you have handled a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you face possible challenges in medical school. (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

5. Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

6. While scrolling through a popular social media site, you notice an unprofessional posting by a classmate about a faculty member. You are concerned about the posting, but realize many of your peers have agreed with the negative comment. What do you do? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

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Essay Topics ('14 – '15)‍

1. Whether or not you will be a full-time student, please provide details of your activities for the application year. Character limit 600 (including spaces).

2. Given the unique mission of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, please describe how your personal characteristics and values make you a suitable candidate for medicine. How will you contribute to the student body? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

3. Describe how you have handled a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you face possible challenges in medical school. (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

4. Explain in detail an experience in which you collaborated, worked or were exposed to diverse backgrounds different from your own. Please describe the impact the experience had on you. (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

5. Give an example when you were part of a team. What was your role in the team? How did you contribute to this task group? How often did you interact with other team members? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

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Essay Topics ('13 – '14)‍

1. Identify any traits, experiences, challenges, interests, etc. that a professor or advisor would not normally know about you and that you have not already written about in your AMCAS application. Is there anything else that you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

2. Why are you specifically interested in the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine? Do you have a connection or bond to South Florida? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

3. What makes you a unique individual? How will you contribute to the diversity of the student body at the College of Medicine? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)

4. Provide an example of a situation in which you have had a challenge working with a peer in school or a colleague in a work setting. What did you learn from this? (Limit to 1200 characters including spaces.)