Essay Topics (2024 - 2025)

800 character limit each

1. At the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, students are provided with curriculum and experiences enabling them to become an "Outstanding Physician, AND...," dedicating themselves to important societal missions. What missions do you want to embrace? What have you done toward your missions?

2. 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...".A-Describe your most unique leadership, entrepreneurial, or creative activity.B-Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful.C-Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor.

3. Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as other relevant information.

4. Did you experience or are you anticipating time between graduating from college and matriculating into medical school?If you answered “Yes” to question 4, describe the activities in which you participated or are planning to participate. Examples include additional schooling, employment, or caring for a loved one.

5. Do you identify as being part of a group that has been marginalized (examples include, but are not limited to, LGBTQIA, disabilities, federally recognized tribe) in terms of access to education or healthcare?If you answered “Yes” to question 5, describe how this inequity has impacted you or your community and how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community.

6. Are you re-applying to DGSOM?

Global Heath Equity Pathway Application Questions

1. Please describe why you are interested in the Global Health Equity Pathway and any experiences that have informed your decision to apply for this Pathway.

2. How do you think participation in the Pathway will contribute to your future career plans and career development?

3. What additional skills would you like to develop as part of the Pathway? What strengths do you currently have that may contribute to a global health or health equity project? (i.e., language, writing skills, advocacy work, monitoring and evaluation experience, data management/cleaning/analysis, website development, etc.)

4. What are the major challenges you might face as medical student working in global health or health equity? How might you overcome these challenges?

‍5. Optional question: Please let us know if you have a mentor or organization with whom you would be excited to work as part of the Pathway and why you would like to work with this individual and/or organization. Mentors and organizations may be affiliated with DGSOM/UCLA or may be pre-existing relationships you developed prior to medical school. Note that you are not expected to have a DGSOM mentor and/or partner organization identified prior to arrival at DGSOM.‍

Urban Health Equity Pathway Questions

1. Please describe how your experience, community and family background impact your understanding of medically underserved/under-resourced communities

.2. Other than healthcare access, what are some of the most important health care issues confronting medically underserved/under-resourced and vulnerable communities? How would you address them?

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Essay Topics ('23 – '24)

Please note that they are strict on the prompt completion of the secondary essays: Fifteen days from the invitation to complete the Secondary application.

‍1) At the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, students are provided with curriculum and experiences enabling them to become an "Outstanding Physician, AND...," dedicating themselves to important societal missions. What missions do you want to embrace? What have you done toward your missions? (800 characters)

2) 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...".

A-Describe your most unique leadership, entrepreneurial, or creative activity. (800 characters)

B-Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful. (800 characters)

C-Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 characters)

3) Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as other relevant information. (800 characters)

4) Did you experience or are you anticipating time between graduating from college and matriculating into medical school?(If yes) Describe the activities in which you participated or are planning to participate. Examples include additional schooling, employment, or caring for a loved one.

5) Do you identify as being part of a group that has been marginalized (examples include, but are not limited to, LGBTQIA, disabilities, federally recognized tribe) in terms of access to education or healthcare? (If yes) Describe how this inequity has impacted you or your community and how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community. (800 characters)

Essay Prompts for PRIME-LA (2000 characters)

‍1. What is the most important social issue confronting the health of marginalized and under-resourced communities? Describe the first steps you would take to address this issue.

2. 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)

3. Describe how your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, marginalized and under-resourced communities.

4. What are your greatest strengths and your greatest challenges as you approach medical school?

5. Describe your most memorable experience as it relates to working with marginalized and under-resourced populations.

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Essay Topics ('22 – '23)

1. At the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, students are provided with curriculum and experiences enabling them to become an "Outstanding Physician, AND...," dedicating themselves to important societal missions. What missions do you want to embrace? What have you done toward your missions? (800 characters)

2. 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...".  

A-Describe your most unique leadership, entrepreneurial, or creative activity. (800 characters)  

B-Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful. (800 characters)  

C-Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 characters)

3. Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as other relevant information. (800 characters)

4. Did you experience or are you anticipating time between graduating from college and matriculating into medical school? If yes; Describe the activities in which you participated or are planning to participate. Examples include additional schooling, employment, or caring for a loved one.(800 characters)

5. Do you identify as being part of a group that has been marginalized (examples include, but are not limited to, LGBTQIA, disabilities, federally recognized tribe) in terms of access to education or healthcare? If yes; Describe how this inequity has impacted you or your community and how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community. (800 characters)

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Essay Topics ('21 – '22)

1. Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life.

2. What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated?

3. What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful?

4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation?

5. What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important?

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor.

7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth.

8. Is there any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? If yes: Please explain. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors:

9. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal?

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‍Essay Topics (’20 – ’21)‍

1. Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life. (800 char)

2. What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 char)

3. What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 char)

4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (300 char to explain if yes)

5. What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (300 char)

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (300 char)

7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (500 char)

8. Please list any major paid work experience during or since college. (4000 characters per work experience)

9. Is there any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? (500 char)

10. Where do you see yourself post-graduate education? What experiences have led you to this goal? (500 char)

11. Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as any other relevant information. (500 char)

MSTP:

1. What are your specific areas of interest at UCLA (List names of faculty at UCLA whose work is of interest) (4000 char)

2. What are your specific areas of interest at Caltech (List names of faculty at Caltech whose work is of interest) (4000 char)

3. Research experience: For each experience, please list the following: PI of Lab, Name of direct supervisor, Institution, Start Date, End Date, Role in Lab (e.g. paid/volunteer research position. Please include the total number of hours for each project after each description) (4000 characters each)

4. References (Please list the names of people who submitted a letter of recommendation in support of your MSTP application to AMCAS. For this section, please list ONLY those whose letter is relevant to your research experience/s):

5. Please list all of your publications and manuscripts in press (please do not include submitted manuscripts), with a full list of authors, title, journal, issue, and page number, and provide a PubMed ID number. Please describe in one sentence your role in that publication (e.g., "I designed and performed the experiments described in Figure X and Y, I analyzed data for Figure Z, and I wrote portions of the manuscript.". If you do not have publications please write "None" (do not list Abstracts or any presentations at research conferences).

6. Statement of Purpose (Please discuss your motivation for pursuing an MD PhD) (4000 char)

7. Personal Comments (Is there anything that you would like for us to considered when reviewing your MSTP application) (4000 char)

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Essay Topics ('19 – '20)‍

1. Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life. (800 char)

2. What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 char)

3. What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 char)

4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (300 char to explain if yes)

5. What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (300 char)

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (300 char)

7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (500 char)

8. Section to enter major work experiences, with 4000 char. to explain each experience.

9. Is there any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? If yes: Please explain. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors: (500 char)

10. Where do you see yourself post-graduate education? What experiences have led you to this goal? (500 char)

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Essay Topics ('18 – '19)‍

1. Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life. (800 char)

2. What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 char)

3. What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 char)

4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (300 char to explain if yes)

5. What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (300 char)

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (300 char)

7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (500 char)

8. Section to enter major work experiences, with 4000 char. to explain each experience.

9. Is there any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? If yes: Please explain. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors: (500 char)

10. Where do you see yourself post-graduate education? What experiences have led you to this goal? (500 char)

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Essay Topics ('17 – '18)‍

1. Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life. (800 char)

2. What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 char)

3. What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800char)

4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (less than 600 char to explain if yes)

5. What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (less than 600 char)

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (less than 600 char)

7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (500char)

8. Section to enter major work experiences, with 4000 char. to explain each experience.

9. Is there any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? If yes: Please explain. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors: (500 char)

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal? (500 char)

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Essay Topics ('16 – '17)‍

1. Describe involvement in the ONE most important non-academic activity that has been important in your life: (800 characters max)

2. What has been the ONE most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 max)

3. What has been the ONE most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 max)

4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (yes or no). If yes, please explain. (800 max)

5. What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (800 max)

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 max)

7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (800 max)

8. List major paid work experience during (or since) college. Give dates, description, approximate hours worked (list the most recent first). (800 max)

9. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal? (800 max)

10. If there is any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application, then check the box labeled "hardship" and briefly explain why you are indicating a hardship. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors. (800 max)

PRIME SUPPLEMENTAL:

1. What is the most important health care issue confronting disadvantaged communities and what would be your first steps to address this issue? (2000 max)

2. In what way will graduating from the UCLA PRIME program enhance your career in healthcare or health services for the disadvantaged communities? (2000 max)

3. Describe the manner in which your experiences demonstrate your understanding of, and commitment to, underserved communities. (2000 max)

4. What are your greatest strengths and your greatest challenges as you approach medical school? (2000 max)

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Essay Topics ('15 – '16)‍

1. Describe involvement in the ONE most important non-academic activity that has been important in your life: (800 max)

2. What has been the ONE most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (800 max)

3. What has been the ONE most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (800 max)

4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (yes or no). If yes, please explain. (800 max)

5. What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (800 max)

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)?

7. Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 max)

8. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (800 max)

9. List major paid work experience during (or since) college. Give dates, description, approximate hours worked (list the most recent first). (800 max)

10. If there is any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application, then check the box labeled "hardship" and briefly explain why you are indicating a hardship. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors. (800 max)

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal? (800 max)

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Essay Topics ('14 – '15)‍

1. Describe involvement in the ONE most important non-academic activity that has been important in your life? (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

2. What has been the ONE most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated? (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

3. What has been the ONE most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful? (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

4. Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (yes or no). If yes, please explain. (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

5. What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

8. List major paid work experience during (or since) college. Give dates, description, approximate hours worked (list the most recent first). (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

9. If there is any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application, then check the box labeled 'Hardship' and briefly explain why you are indicating a hardship. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors. (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal? (Limit of 800 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)

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Essay Topics ('13 – '14)‍

1. Describe involvement in the ONE most important non-academic activity that has been important in your life?

2. What has been the ONE most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated?

3. What has been the ONE most important volunteer work you have done and why was it meaningful?

4. Has there been a gap greater than one year between achieving your baccalaureate degree, and/or consecutive degrees before applying to medical school? (yes or no). If yes, please explain.

5. What is the ONE most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important?

6. What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor.

7. Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth.

8. List major paid work experience during (or since) college. Give dates, description, approximate hours worked (list the most recent first).

9. If there is any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application, then check the box labeled 'Hardship' and briefly explain why you are indicating a hardship.

10. Include any geographic, language, economic, academic, physical, or mental factors.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What experiences have led you to this goal?