Georgetown Medical School Secondary Essay Examples

Essay Prompts and Example Answers

Short Answer Questions

Short Answer Essay Number 1:

“The Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSOM) strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians, with cultural humility, who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. With our Jesuit values of Cura Personalis, People for Others, and Community in Diversity, we are steadfast in our commitment to racial justice and to addressing the health inequities exacerbated by the recent pandemic. Please describe how your values, life experiences, and your identity will contribute to these GUSOM priorities.”

Limit: 1,000 characters

What is being asked with this essay?

This is clearly another version of the “why this school?” question because it is focused on the fundamental, founding principles of the Georgetown University School of Medicine. We discuss this further in the “How to Write a Georgetown Secondary Essay” section below, but basically, this question is always about showing how your values align with the school.

Presumably, you do agree with GUSOM’s values, given that you are applying to the school. However, if you aren’t spiritual or religious, that’s not a problem: focus on those beliefs you have that do match up and explain how they line up with GUSOM’s in an interesting way.

So, if you are not a spiritual person, how could your values align? Well, Cura Personalis is not the exclusive domain of a religious ideology. You might just believe in holistic healing and care – ensuring that your patients will be cared for in all aspects of life – that is perfectly in alignment with that core principle. You will have selected Georgetown medical school for a reason, so state that reason in an intriguing, well-written essay form.

Sample answer:

My father, a rabbi, and my uncle, a Jesuit himself, have prepared me at every reunion, every shared meal, and every family gathering to value and enjoy diversity and dialectic. My eclectic, ecclesiast family made philosophical discourse a part of dinner. My father, in particular, influenced me in the value of passionate but care-driven debate.

This means that, no matter how hard I argue, I do so in the pursuit of truth and with the care of my fellow debater in mind. Pursuing the truth at the expense of the wellbeing – physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual – of my fellows is antithetical to the care and love shown by my family, even during the most heated exchanges we have.

I don’t think that the pursuit of truth needs to exclude kindness or charity. Furthermore, I know that my upbringing gives me a unique perspective on what it means to live as part of a pluralistic society, filled with conflicting values, while maintaining love and peace. I can bring all of this to your school.

Short Answer Essay Number 2:

“Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application?”

Limit: 1,000 characters

What is being asked with this essay?

This is a question which can be answered in several different ways. Use your answer to provide information you didn’t have room for elsewhere. This might be a rundown of certain important activities and causes in which you have partaken – altruistic endeavors, for instance. It can also, as below, be used to lower a red flag, so to speak. You might have certain deficits in your application. This is your chance to explain those deficits. If done artfully, you can turn those potential negatives into positives.

Sample answer:

I am aware that my transcript is strange, with two years of almost random homeschooling and studying abroad in a small Australian village, and I know that will require some explanation. My family are missionaries, and I have moved more times than I can even remember, given that the first two occurred when I was an infant.

My family accompanied a mission services group to an Indigenous community in rural Australia – far into the outback – where we lived and learned with a local tribe. While my mother kept my siblings and me up to date with math, spelling, and history, a lot of my education was with the tribe, learning their crafts, knowledge, and arts. All that education was unusual and sporadic.

My transcript will show that I have not suffered academically – I am competitive in most subjects – but I feel you should know that I have arrived via a unique path that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Looking for college essay tips? Check out the infographic below:

Georgetown Essay Question

“Why have you chosen to apply to the Georgetown University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future?”

Limit: 1 page, formatted at your discretion

A note on formatting: This allowance – to format as you please – is a bit of a test to see if you can set up your information in a legible, effective way. Use standard margins and 11- or 12-point font, for starters. Radically re-inventing the essay format is a big risk. So, before you do anything too “out there,” really make sure that you know what you’re doing; preferably, run this through expert college essay review services to see whether your essay will be effective.

What is being asked with this essay?

This essay question is another version of the “why this school?” question. Take note: most questions can be boiled down to this, and if you always answer questions assuming that you are trying to show why you fit with a school, you can’t go wrong.

So, is there a difference between this prompt and the previous one about ideology? Yes, and this is a perfect example of how the exact wording of a prompt really matters. While the previous prompt was focused specifically on ideology and the founding goal of the school, this essay can be used to show how you will study and grow at the school. You might want to talk about classes or programs you are looking forward to, or as in the essay below, you might show how your ultimate goals are best served by the ideology of GUSOM.

Sample answer:

Above the din of the street and the chaos below my apartment’s balcony rested my consciousness as I meditated over the noise and fury of the city below. Why was I even trying to meditate in such an environment? A challenge? Maybe, but for me, I always liked calming my mind by connecting to people, not tuning out. I’m a bit of an extrovert by nature, so maybe that has influenced me. But it isn’t just that; it is my belief in connection. I have used meditation to calm my ADHD for years and to keep me focused, but I never liked the practice. This is not just because it’s difficult for me to focus sometimes but because I didn’t like the idea of seeking an enlightened state by cutting myself off from people.

When I was a young girl, I was a people person, and I have maintained that love of people. Perhaps that is what drew me to Georgetown, with its motto of “Cura Personalis” as a true-north star, guiding you forward. I resonate completely with that idea – that we are complete persons and need complete, holistic care. I guess I just want to take that idea further, by suggesting that we, as a society, are a full entity that needs curing, and that curing individuals means curing communities.

This has long been a feeling of mine, even though I couldn’t articulate it until my job working at a seniors’ center during the pandemic. Our residents were locked down, unable to visit or be visited. If you have ever visited an “old folks’ home,” you will appreciate the looming shadow of loneliness that whispers through corridors like the wind. I worked as a care worker, helping with changing, bathing, laundry, mealtimes, and other such duties, but I knew that the most important – and best – part of the job was spending time caring for the social aspects of the people there. Whether I was striking up a conversation while changing a bed, playing chess with a veteran chess player, or singing with a resident on our daily walk, knowing that healing was taking place through human interaction was almost miraculous.

During the pandemic’s lockdowns, family could not visit, and all day trips were put on hold. The residents clearly suffered, both emotionally and physically, as without support and interaction, they atrophied. I tried to compensate as much as I could, but social distancing took a horrible toll on us.

My appreciation of all-aspects healing has led me to understand that Georgetown is perfect for me, because I gel completely with your ideology, and because I want to dive deeper into my ability to care for people under that aegis. I think, in that way, I can have a true give-and-take relationship with your institution, where I learn how to best continue my already-begun journey of holistic care, and Georgetown can have somebody on board who understands and loves that philosophy.

Although I have applied to other institutions, there really is one true choice for me, and that is Georgetown. It is a place of understanding more than just love or learning because understanding sits at the nexus of both.

I bring my experiences to Georgetown, my frustration at the unfairness those residents went through, my care for their full being, and my passion for holistic care. And, yes, I also bring my meditation, my extroversion, and even my ADHD, because I apply to you as someone with understanding – a whole person – and wholly committed to your values and institution.

How to Write a Georgetown Essay

Your primary focus in all essays needs to be on why you are a perfect fit for Georgetown. That, above all else, is what you should be talking about in your application. With that in mind, focus on Georgetown’s core value: Cura Personalis.

Cura Personalis is a Latin phrase which translates to “care for the entire person.” Georgetown is holistic, focused on people, and care oriented. These essays should demonstrate the all-encompassing nature of care and show you as a candidate who holds and adheres to this value.

Between the philosophy of Cura Personalis and the Jesuit nature of Georgetown, you might find that your secondary essays have room to move out into the “spiritual” realm, but don’t feel like this is necessary. You don’t need to be religious or talk about meditation and prayer to be accepted to Georgetown. Don’t worry, you will not be penalized no matter how much or how little you adhere to spirituality or religion. Just know that you can explore those facets of your life, if they are applicable to your essay, and if you are comfortable doing so.

If you choose to talk about hard sciences, that’s perfect; just make sure that they still connect to that holistic approach. Mentioning that your studies in biological science opened you up to zoology or made you a better caregiver for your pets at home, for instance, can be a great way to take a heavy academic background and place it under the Cura Personalis umbrella.

Showing an understanding and appreciation for all aspects of life, and focusing on humanity, is welcome at any institution but particularly at Georgetown. At their core, all secondary essays seek to partially answer the “why this school?” question, and Cura Personalis is the key to connecting with Georgetown medical school.

Confused about how to respond to your secondary medical prompts? This useful video can help you stay ahead!

Conclusion

With these essays at your fingertips, you should have a far easier time composing your own work for your personal application. Carefully observe the ways these essays are put together, from opening hook to closing notes, and you will have an excellent grasp of how to write the optimum medical school secondary essay.

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Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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