Secondary Questions
Secondaries on Schools Database
Question 1
This should be a true autobiographical statement. Topics to be included are family, childhood, primary and secondary school years, undergraduate years, and, if applicable, what you’ve done since completing your bachelor’s degree. Please also discuss the motivational factors which led you to a career in medicine including any disadvantages or obstacles which might put your accomplishments into context. A repeat of your AMCAS statement will not be acceptable. (6000 Characters) Please note: This section should be completed by all applicants. If you are applying to the MD/PhD program, use this essay to incorporate comments explaining why you are specifically interested in seeking MD/PhD training at UCSD. For applicants that are applying to any special programs/concentrations outside of the MD/PhD program, there are additional optional sections in the secondary application to explain your interest.
Reported cycle: 2024-2025, 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
Question 2
PRIME-TIDE: Please describe your experiences with American Indian and Alaskan Native communities, including the type of community and your level of involvement. Please provide the length of time you spent working in or exposed to these communities. Be sure to detail any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how American Indian and Alaskan Native issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Finally, please delineate how completion of the PRIME-TIDE program will help you obtain your medical education goals. (4800 Characters, only if you are applying to PRIME-TIDE)
Reported cycle: 2024-2025, 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
Question 3
On your AMCAS Application, you were asked to identify your three “most meaningful” experiences. These activities have been auto-filled in your secondary application. In addition to the information you provided on the AMCAS application, we would like to know if there are any additional activities you would consider among your most meaningful. This may include activities that you’ve already completed but couldn’t include as you were limited to three selections on the AMCAS application, or it may include a new activity that began after your initial AMCAS application was submitted. Use the “Add” button below to enter a new activity. This section is optional. We would also like to know if a letter of recommendation has been submitted on your behalf by somebody you worked with through this experience. If you do not have a letter from this experience, simply type N/A. This information allows Admissions Committee members reviewing your application to more readily match your letters to your experiences and thus facilitates the review of your application. DO NOT LIST ANY ACTIVITY MORE THAN ONCE. (Max 100 character description per activity)
Reported cycle: 2024-2025, 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
Question 4
Some medical school applicants are already focused on pursuing a particular career pathway in medicine. While many students will change from this pathway during medical school, knowing of your potential interests does help us to assign interviewers. Your choice below does not influence how the Admissions Committee selects students to interview. Please select from one of career pathways listed below. In addition to this selection, please provide a brief description of your future career goals: (400 Characters) -Academic Medicine (Working as a faculty member at a School of Medicine either as a clinician, a clinician-educator, or a clinician investigator. This could be in any field of medicine) -Primary Care and/or work in underserved communities (Working as a general internist, a pediatrician, or a family medicine physician and/or spending the majority of your time working in a community currently underserved by the medical profession) -Public Health, administrative leadership in medicine (Pursuing an MPH and/or working for a public health department or organization; working in health care policy; working as a hospital administrator) -Specialist in private practice (Working in a private practice or managed care setting as a subspecialist. Examples include cardiologist, infectious disease specialist, obstetrician, orthopedic surgeon, general surgeon, anaesthesiologist, radiologist) -Other/undecided
Reported cycle: 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
Question 5
If you are an out-of-state applicant, please explain any specific reasons for your interest in the UCSD School of Medicine (1000 characters)
Reported cycle: 2022-2023, 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
Question 6
Applicants indicating an interest in PRIME are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in the program. Please describe your interest in the PRIME-HEq program. Topics to include are longitudinal experiences that you’ve had with underserved communities, including the type of community that you’ve worked with and your level of involvement. Additionally, you should discuss the length of time that you’ve spent working in these communities. (4800 Characters, only if you are applying to PRIME-HEq)
Reported cycle: 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
Question 7
Applicants interested in applying for the GHAC are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in this program. Please describe your interest in Global Health. The term Global Health can have many meanings; for our purposes, we find the definition provided by Koplan et. al. in their 2009 Lancet publication useful: “the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide”. In your essay, be sure to describe any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how Global Health issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. (4800 Characters, only if you are applying to GHEC)
Reported cycle: 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
Question 8
Applicants interested in being considered for CIMAC are required to write an additional essay detailing their qualifications and reasons for interest in this program. Please describe your interest in Compassion and Empathy. In your essay, be sure to describe any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how you think your career as a physician would benefit from being in this program. (4800 Characters, only if you are applying to CIMAC)
Reported cycle: 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
Question 9
Do you consider yourself to be a member of a group that is marginalized in a way that systemically affects access to quality education or healthcare? Please describe how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community? (4800 Characters, only if you select "Yes")
Reported cycle: 2026-2027. Length limit not supplied as a separate source field.
