Essay Topics (2024 - 2025)
Please respond to two of the six essay prompts below. (300 words each)
1. Describe a time when you learned in a team. How will this experience help you as a medical student?
2. Describe a time when you made a mistake. How did you acknowledge it, respond, and remediate the situation?
3. Scientific inquiry is important for being a physician. Define a time when you engaged in scientific inquiry and how do you think it would help you be a better physician?
4. What attributes do you look for in your physician(s)? Which of these attributes do you need to develop? How will you develop them?
5. Do you have any work experience and if so, how do you think those skills will help you as a physician?
6. John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch serves patients throughout Texas, focusing on Galveston County and the Gulf Coast Region. Are there particular characteristics of our school and/or the Galveston area in terms of location, history, or other attributes that make you especially interested in matriculating here?
A second component of the supplementary application is asynchronous video responses to two questions, which will be submitted via the SparkHire platform. Once invited to complete the supplemental application, applicants will receive a link to complete the SparkHire portion.
Essay Topics ('23-'24)
A. Please select 2 of the 5 below essay prompts to respond to (300 word count):
1. Describe a time when you advocated for someone whose social identity (e.g., race, gender, sex, religion, socioeconomic status, ability status, etc.) differed from yours. Explain the situation and why advocacy was necessary.
2. Describe a time you were wrong. Why were you wrong? How did you respond?
3. How do you define curiosity? Provide an example in which curiosity helped solve or expand your knowledge and experience outside of the academic environment.
4. What attributes do you look for in your physician(s)? Which of these attributes do you need to develop? How will you develop them?
5. John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch serves patients throughout Texas, focusing on Galveston County and Gulf Coast Region. Are there particular characteristics of our school and/or the Galveston area in terms of location, history, or other attributes which make you especially interested in matriculating here?
B. There will also be an asynchronous video you need to complete via SparkHire, follow the instructions given.
Essay Topics ('22-'23)
Choose 3 of the 7 prompts to respond to (300 word maximum for each)
1. Describe a situation where you have sought to enrich and/or improve the life of another individual.
2. Describe a time you navigated a challenging circumstance. How will this experience help you succeed in medical school or as a physician?
3. John Sealy School of Medicine values inclusion and advocacy. Describe a time when you advocated for someone whose social identity (e.g., race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, ability status, etc.) differed from yours. Explain the situation and why advocacy was necessary.
4. Describe a time you were wrong. Why were you wrong? How did you respond?
5. How do you define curiosity? Provide an example in which curiosity helped solve or expand your knowledge and experience outside of the academic environment.
6. What attributes do you look for in your physician(s)? Which of these attributes do you need to develop? How will you develop them?
7. John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch serves patients throughout Texas, focusing on Galveston County and the Gulf Coast Region. Are there particular characteristics of our school and/or the Galveston area in terms of location, history, or other attributes which make you especially interested in matriculating here?
Essay Topics ('21 – '22)
1. Describe, as best you can, your vision for your future in terms of where you want to live and how you want to practice medicine. Is there any particular area or specialty that appeals to you? (300 words)
2. Describe, if relevant, circumstances in your life that represent a hardship (e.g. financial difficulties, illness, educational disadvantage). How have these circumstances impacted you, and how do you believe they will impact your practice of medicine? (300 words)
3. What does health equity mean to you? How will you as a physician promote health equity and foster diversity and inclusion? (300 words)
Essay Topics (’20 – ’21)
1. Describe, as best you can, your vision for your future in terms of where you want to live and how you want to practice medicine. Is there any particular area or specialty that appeals to you? (300 words max)
2. Describe, if relevant, circumstances in your life that represent a hardship (e.g. financial difficulties, illness, educational disadvantage). How have these circumstances impacted you, and how do you believe they will impact your practice of medicine? (300 words max)
3. Describe your experience(s) working in teams and articulate the impact of this experience on you. In particular, how did you manage any disagreements or conflicts that arose in the process? (300 words max)
Essay Topics ('19 – '20)
No essays, but the earliest interview invites of any allopathic school (June 28, 2019).
Essay Topics ('18 – '19)
There were no essay prompts in the secondary application for the 2018-2019 cycle.
Essay Topics ('17 – '18)
No Essays
Essay Topics ('16 – '17)
No Essays
Essay Topics ('15 – '16)
No Essays
Essay Topics ('14 – '15)
No Essays
Essay Topics ('13 – '14)
No Essays
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