Essay Topics (2024 - 2025)

Please briefly describe how the pandemic impacted your ability to pursue experiences like clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service. (No apparent limit)

Please list any and all future activities in clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service that you plan to pursue in the upcoming year. (No apparent limit)

Essays:

‍1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 word limit)

2. What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you. (350 word limit)

3. Tell us about a challenge or obstacle you experienced. How did you manage it? (350 word limit)

‍

Essay Topics ('23 – '24)

Please briefly describe how the pandemic impacted your ability to pursue experiences like clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service.

Please list any and all future activities in clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service that you plan to pursue in the upcoming year.

Essay 1​: Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? Please answer the question in 350 words or less.

Essay 2: How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? Please answer the question in 350 words or less.

Essay 3: Tell us about a challenge or obstacle you experienced. How did you manage it? Please answer the question in 350 words or less.

‍

Essay Topics ('22 – '23)

1. Please briefly describe how the pandemic impacted your ability to pursue experiences like clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service. (350 words or less)

2. Please list any and all future activities in clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service that you plan to pursue in the upcoming year. (350 words or less)

3. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (Please answer the question in 350 words or less)

4. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (Please answer the question in 350 words or less)

5. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (Please answer the question in 350 words or less)

‍

Essay Topics ('21 – '22)

1. Please briefly describe how the pandemic impacted your ability to pursue experiences like clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service. (350 words)

2. Please list any and all future activities in clinical work, shadowing, research, or community service that you plan to pursue in the upcoming year. (350 words)

3. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 words) 

4. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (350 words)

5. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (350 words)

‍

Essay Topics ('20 – '21)

1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 words)

2. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (350 words)

3. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (350 words)

‍

Essay Topics ('19 – '20)

1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 words)

2. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (350 words)

3. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (340 words)

‍

Essay Topics ('18 – '19)

1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 words or less)

2. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (350 words or less)

3. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (350 words or less)

4. For MSTP applicants, there is also a fourth essay of 350 words or less with the following prompt: a) the areas of biomedical research that interest you the most and why, b) the discovery in your laboratory experience that excited you the most and why.

‍

Essay Topics ('17 – '18)

1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (limit of 350 words)

2. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (limit of 350 words)

3. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (limit of 350 words)

‍

Essay Topics ('16 – '17)

1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 words)

2. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (350 words)

3. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (350 words)

‍

Essay Topics ('15 – '16)

1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 words)

2. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (350 words)

3. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (350 words)

‍

Essay Topics ('14 – '15)

1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (limited to 350 Words)

2. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (limited to 350 Words)

3. Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it? (limited to 350 Words)

‍

Essay Topics ('13 – '14)

1. Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school? (350 words or less)

2. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine? (350 words or less)

3. What do you think will be your greatest personal challenge as a physician, and how will you address this? (350 words or less)

4. (MSTP Only) What areas of biomedical research and clinical specialty interest you the most? Why? (350 words or less)