Essay Topics (2024 - 2025)

150 word lmit each

1. Why do you want to attend WVU SoM? How did you first hear about WVU SoM, and why do you feel you would be a good fit?

2. Describe a time when you advocated for someone, other than a relative or friend, who had a different background from your own.

3. How do you see yourself serving the state of West Virgina if accepted?

4. Which one of the AAMC Interpersonal or Intrapersonal Core Competencies is your strongest, and why? How will this competency enhance your ability to be an outstanding physician?

5. What would be the six-word title of your memoir? You are allowed only six words here. You may have the opportunity to explain your answer if you are invited for an interview.

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Essay Topics ('23 - '24)

150 word limit each

1. Why do you want to attend WVU SoM? How did you first hear about WVU SoM, and why do you feel you would be a good fit?

2. Describe a time when you worked closely and successfully with another person who had a background different from your own.

3. How do you see yourself serving the state of West Virgina if accepted?

4. Which one of the AAMC Interpersonal or Intrapersonal Core Competencies is your strongest, and why? How will this competency enhance your ability to be an outstanding physician?

5. What is your life motto, and why?

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Essay Topics ('22-'23)

1. Why do you want to attend the WVU SOM? (150 words)

2. Describe one of your experiences that will provide evidence to the Committee on Admissions that you will be able to contribute to the culture of collaboration at the WVU SOM. (150 words)

3. Describe a time when you worked closely and successfully with another person who had a background different from your own. (150 words)

4. Name a medical condition that is particularly prevalent in West Virginia. Describe one experience in which you cared for a patient with that specific medical condition. If you did not have the opportunity to care for an affected patient directly, please share a relevant shadowing, leadership/educational, research or service experience. (150 words)

5. Which one of the AAMC Interpersonal or Intrapersonal Core Competencies is your strongest, and why? How will this competency enhance your ability to be an outstanding physician? (150 words)

6. What is your life motto, and why? (150 words)

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Essay Topics ('21 – '22)

1. Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? (150 words max)

2. The mission statement of our School mentions that we prepare our learners to be "resilient." However, every incoming student is expected to already have some degree of resilience as described in AAMC Pre-Professional Competencies. Please describe how you have demonstrated resilience and adaptability. (150 words max)

3. Describe a time when you worked closely and successfully with another person who had a background different from your own. (150 words max)

4. Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia. (150 words max)

5. Every accepted student to the Class of 2026 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them? (150 words max)

OPTIONAL QUESTION:

1. How has the pandemic adversely affected your application? Max word count of 100.

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Essay Topics (’20 – ’21)

1. Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? Maximum word count should be 150 words.

2. The mission statement of our School mentions that we prepare our learners to be "resilient." However, every incoming student is expected to already have some degree of resilience as described in AAMC Pre-Professional Competencies. Please describe how you have demonstrated resilience and adaptability. Maximum word count should be 150 words.

Please Choose TWO:

1. Tell us one unique fact about yourself. Maximum word count should be 150 words.

2. What is your theme song and why? Maximum word count should be 150 words.

3. Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia. Maximum word count should be 150 words.

4. Every accepted student to the Class of 2025 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them? Maximum word count should be 150 words.

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Essay Topics ('19 – '20)

1. Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? (150 words)

2. Statistics reveal that a large percentage of physicians will experience burnout at different points in their career. Stress levels can even start to rise early on in medical school. Physicians must take care of themselves optimally in order to take optimal care of their patients. Please describe how you will handle stress in medical school and your plans to prevent burnout. (150 words)

CHOOSE 2:

1. Tell us one unique fact about yourself. (150 words)

2. What is your theme song and why? (150 words)

3. Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia. (150 words)

4. Every accepted student to the Class of 2024 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them? (150 words)

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Essay Topics ('18 – '19)

1. Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine?

Choose 4 of the following:

1. Tell us one unique fact about yourself. (150 word count)

2. Every accepted student to the Class of 2023 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates; and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them? (150 word count)

3. Advocacy in medicine can come in many forms. Please describe a situation when you advocated for someone else. (150 word count)

4. Name a character to whom you can relate from any book and tell us why. (150 word count)

5. While shadowing physicians, you have likely witnessed excellent role models. In some instances, you may have witnessed a negative doctor-patient encounter. If you have witnessed a negative encounter, please describe how you would have handled the situation differently if you were the physician. (150 word count)

6. Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia. (150 word count)

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Essay Topics ('17 – '18)

Please answer 4 out of the 5 essays below. Each answer must be 150 words or less.

1. Why have you chosen to apply to WVU SOM? What opportunities do you foresee yourself taking advantage of during your time here?

2. Describe the community in which you spent the majority of your early development. What core values did you receive there and how will these translate into the contributions that you will make in medical school and beyond?

3. What has been your most humbling experience, and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients?

4. Describe a situation where you have chosen to advocate for someone who is different from yourself. How do you see advocacy linked to your role as a physician?

5. Describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician.

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Essay Topics ('16 – '17)

As a future physician, it is important that you are able to communicate in an accurate and concise manner. Please answer 4 out of the 5 essays below. Each answer must be 150 words or less.

1. Why have you chosen to apply to WVU SOM? What opportunities do you foresee yourself taking advantage of during your time here?

2. Describe the community in which you spent the majority of your early development. What core values did you receive there and how will these translate into the contributions that you will make in medical school and beyond?

3. What has been your most humbling experience, and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients?

4. Describe a situation where you have chosen to advocate for someone who is different from yourself. How do you see advocacy linked to your role as a physician?

5. Describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician.

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Essay Topics ('15 – '16)

1. In medicine, one needs resilience in some situations to persevere. Describe a time when you have demonstrated resilience to achieve your goals. (250 words)

2. Part of the Hippocratic Oath is to do no harm What does this mean? (250 words)

3. Other than a family member who has been the most influential person in your life and why? (250 words)

4. If you had a $1000 to give to a charity, which would you choose to give the money to and why? (250 words)

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Essay Topics ('14 – '15)

Please review the following four statements or questions. Write your response, taking up to 1/2 page for each and upload individually as a pdf file. Please copy the question and place as the title of each of your answers. Please include your name and AMCAS number on each answer.

1. Imagine a world in which illness and injury do not exist. All hospitals and medical schools have closed because there is no longer a need. What would you choose to do with your life in such a world?

2. Can you describe a time when you failed despite your best efforts? How would you handle it differently now?

3. Other than a family member, who has been the most influential person in your life and why?

4. You are the Chair of the Committee on Admissions: What would you consider to be the most important feature or component of a candidate's application?

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Essay Topics ('13 – '14)

1. Can you tell me something about yourself (quality or something you have done) that makes you the most proud?

2. Health care involves working with people from diverse social, cultural, and religious backgrounds. What in your life experiences or philosophy will help you work effectively with others whose life experiences have been very different than your own?

3. Tell us of a challenging event or a difficult obstacle in your life and how you overcame it.

4. Have you ever done anything that you have really regretted and what do you wish you would have done instead?