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August 12, 2022

University of Pittsburgh Medical School Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 – 2023]

UPSOM places special emphasis on their collaborative problem-based curriculum and the fact that their medical students begin interacting with patients in their first year of medical school. Providing the best care to patients through research, education, leadership and diversity is central to their mission .

They seek future medical students who demonstrate high academic achievement, the attributes of curiosity and self-discovery, and an empathic will to serve others.

University of Pittsburgh 2022-2023 secondary application essay questions

Pitt med secondary essay #1.

Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. Include how the experience contributed to the person you are today. (250 words or less.)

Given UPSOM’s focus on one-on-one patient interactions, use an experience in which you were able to resolve a professional conflict. Emphasize the role that you played in finding a solution and the skills you employed to identify and implement a positive outcome that was mutually beneficial for all parties involved. I recommend using an issue that has a clear positive resolution.

The challenging problem you write about must have been important enough to you that it contributed to your maturity and growth. Rather succinctly, you’ll have to articulate the integration of this experience with “who you are today,” and explain how this challenging problem and its resolution imprinted you for the better, triggered growth, sensitivity, insight, understanding – or any other quality that is a mature attribute .

Pitt Med secondary essay #2

At UPSOM, diversity and inclusion are measures of distinction, integral to achieving institutional excellence, and essential to the development of future physicians who become leaders in medicine. Describe how you have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the past, and how you hope to grow that commitment in medical school. (250 words or less.)

This prompt replaces a broader prompt about diversity that asked applicants to address “opposing” racism, gender and identity discrimination, and misogyny. This new prompt flips the approach to your narrative about this relatively standard “diversity” secondary prompt . Instead of writing about “the fight” inherent in opposition, this prompt speaks to the higher order of diversity and inclusion as values of character and leadership. Also, they ask you not to speak to these values as ideals, rather, they ask for action – how have you demonstrated a commitment to these values? They seek a story, not a manifesto. The story should resonate with what others can expect to see from you in the future. What have you done to combat this problem? How have you advocated for diversity and inclusion?

Pitt Med secondary essay #3

Please write about anything else you would like to add to your application, or anything you would like to emphasize to the Admissions Committee. (250 words or less.)

Applicants may write about a hardship they encountered, if it is not addressed in another part of the application. Some applicants might explain a circumstance associated with an aberrant grade on a transcript, without blame, without complaint. 

Other applicants may write about a job opportunity or volunteer commitment that arose since submitting their AMCAS application. You may even respond with a positive situation. Perhaps explain some aspect of your talent that is not represented in the primary application and is not associated with medicine: will you judge a 4H competition, ride a bull, officiate at a wedding, play in a summer orchestra, run a marathon, have paintings displayed at a gallery opening, publish a short story, travel to provide humanitarian relief?

Applying to University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine? Here are some stats:

UPSOM average MCAT score: 516

UPSOM average GPA: 3.83

UPSOM acceptance rate: 3.5%

U.S. News  ranks UPSOM #14 for research and #10 for primary care.

Check out the Med School Selectivity Index for more stats.

Has this blog post helped you feel more confident about approaching your UPSOM secondary application? We hope so. It’s our mission to help smart, talented applicants like you gain acceptance to your top choice medical school. With so much at stake, why not hire a consultant whose expertise and personalized guidance can help you make your dream come true? We have several flexible consulting options— click here to get started today !

UPitt School of Medicine application timeline 2022 – 2023

Source:  University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s website

Related Resources:

• How to Create Successful Secondary Applications , a free webinar
• Writing About Overcoming Obstacles in Your Application Essays
• Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

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University of Pittsburgh Secondary Essays: Tips & Prompts

• Cracking Med School Admissions Team

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine cares deeply about social issues and recruiting a student body that solves healthcare issues through innovation . Pitt Med champions the fight against healthcare disparities. But, it wants medical students who approach these problems through out-of-the-box thinking and creative approaches. The University of Pittsburgh Medical School secondary application essay prompts reflects these values. Read all our University of Pittsburgh secondary essays tips below!

We would strongly recommend submitting the University of Pittsburgh early and it should be one of the first secondaries you submit. The prompts barely change each year, so we would also recommend pre-writing your Pitt Med secondaries. Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta have strong a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.  Read our tips below and contact us if you need help with your UPitt Med secondary essays.  

• Personally Tailored Essays
• Edits by Stanford & Harvard-trained Doctors
• We study your application strengths to see what unique attributes we’ll bring to the medical school

University of Pittsburgh Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024

University of pittsburgh secondary essays: md prompts.

• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (250 words max)
• At UPSOM, diversity and inclusion are measures of distinction, integral to achieving institutional excellence, and essential to the development of future physicians who become leaders in medicine. Describe how you have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the past, and how you hope to grow that commitment in medical school. (250 words max)
• Please write about anything else you would like to add to your application, or anything you would like to emphasize to the Admissions Committee. (250 words max)

University of Pittsburgh Secondary Essays: MSTP (MD/PhD) Essay Prompts

• Choose current graduate program of interest, choose 3 faculty from a given list, provide up to 2 additional faculty you could see yourself working with in graduate school, and then:
• Briefly describe what appeals to you about the faculty member(s) in your selection, and how the selected graduate program and our MSTP match your interests.

Tips to Answer UPitt Secondaries

University of Pittsburgh Secondaries Pre-Writing  Guidance:  We would strongly encourage medical school applicants to pre-write their University of Pittsburgh seconadries. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Admissions Committee reviews applications on a rolling basis and gives interviews on a rolling basis. But, it’s still important that you submit a strong University of Pittsburgh secondary application that is aligned with the school’s mission of innovation to improve health & society. If you need help with brainstorming or editing your secondary essays, contact us below!

• Download  all  our HIGH-YIELD tips for secondary essays:  Cracking Med School Admissions Secondary Essay Guide

University of Pittsburgh Secondary Essays Tip #1:  First, it’s important to know what UPitt looks for. These are qualities we’ve seen in medical school applications that receive interviews:

• Any background in engineering or math. 
• Innovation and creativity – especially shown in the problem-solving essay.
• Desire to improve healthcare and medicine through analytical thinking (not necessarily through research; you could have a desire to invent a new medical device!) throughout one’s medical career.
• Experiences solving problems in teams – shown in your primary application, letters of recommendation, and University of Pittsburgh secondary essays

This is the mission of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine:

One needs to be creative as a clinician because, despite all of the advances of modern medicine, each patient is unique, and diagnoses are not always obvious. One needs to be creative as an investigator because research, by its very nature, involves a quest for that which is unknown and, if discovered, constitutes the next piece of the vast, intricate puzzle we call life.

Compassion is a core principle of all the healing professions and should be the constant “north star” for any health care provider. One will be seeing people who are sick, at their most vulnerable, most freighted and dependent state. In that encounter, beyond any specific prescribed treatments for their illnesses, compassion is the most powerful healing act we can perform.

One needs leadership skills if one hopes to address the extremely complicated problems that we face in the delivery and financing of our nation’s health care. As a leader, one needs to embody the principles of justice and fairness and constantly strive to reduce health disparities in our society. Clearly, on this matter in particular, not to be part of the solution is to be part of the problem, which makes good leadership skills essential. 

University of Pittsburgh Secondary Essays Tip #2: For the University of Pittsburgh secondaries question, “ Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. Include how the experience contributed to the person you are today, ” do not talk about difficulties with transitioning to college or learning how to study for difficult premed classes. These are too common and will not allow you stand out! 

Topics of strong UPitt essays Dr. Rachel Rizal & Dr. Rishi Mediratta have read:

• Research challenge
• Engineering project at school
• Public health challenge and developing a new program to tackle a public health issue

University of Pittsburgh Secondary Essays Tip #3: You should ideally incorporate an example from your own life about how you have already contributed in combating systemic discrimination or how you’ve already tackled healthcare disparity issues, “ At UPSOM, diversity and inclusion are measures of distinction, integral to achieving institutional excellence, and essential to the development of future physicians who become leaders in medicine. Describe how you have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the past, and how you hope to grow that commitment in medical school .” Some students have successfully discussed a story through patient care or from a clinical experience. 

University of Pittsburgh Secondary Essays Tip #4: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is a very community-oriented medical school. Talk about how you want to engage at University of Pittsburgh and around the Pittsburgh community as a medical student. How will you bring in problem solving, research, and innovative thinking to improve the Pittsburgh community? You can include your ideas in your various UPitt secondaries. 

• Read our Cracking Med School Admissions Top 10 Current events to gather ideas about how you can help communities!

University of Pittsburgh Secondary Essays Tip #5: Don’t forget to incorporate a little bit about “Why University of Pittsburgh Medical School” throughout the essay(s) you respond to. Talk about projects and research you want to do at UPitt Med. 

• Read out helpful blog post:  Why this Medical School? Secondary Essay Example

University of Pittsburgh Secondary Essays Tip #6: Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below. If you want help with editing your UPitt Med secondary application, we can help you through our secondary essay packages . 

[ Read Essay Tips From Other Innovative Medical Schools:  Yale School of Medicine; Stanford School of Medicine; Duke School of Medicine; Mount Sinai Icahn Medical School ]

Your medical school application Coaches, Mentors, & Cheerleaders

We Personally Advise Every Student We Work With.

Rachel Rizal, M.D.

Changing the trajectory of people’s lives.

Undergraduate Princeton University, cum laude

Medical School Stanford School of Medicine

Residency Harvard, Emergency Medicine

Awards & Scholarships Fulbright Scholar USA Today Academic First Team Tylenol Scholarship

Rishi Mediratta, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.

Advising students to attend their dream schools.

Undergraduate Johns Hopkins University, Phi Beta Kappa

Residency Stanford, Pediatrics

Awards & Scholarships Marshall Scholar Tylenol Scholarship Global Health Scholar

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University of Pittsburgh Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023

• Worded slightly differently. At UPSOM, diversity and inclusion are measures of distinction, integral to achieving institutional excellence, and essential to the development of future physicians who become leaders in medicine. Describe how you have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the past, and how you hope to grow that commitment in medical school.  (250 words max)

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University of Pittsburgh Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

• UPSOM is committed to building a diverse and talented community that will train physicians in delivering culturally competent, person-centered care, and promoting a supportive, collaborative learning environment. To achieve this, we want our fellow students to recognize health disparities and advocate for health equity. We are interested in combating all forms of systemic barriers, and would like to hear your thoughts on opposing specifically: systemic racism, anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, and misogyny. How will you contribute? (250 words max)

University of Pittsburgh Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020 – 2021

University of pittsburgh medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2019 - 2020, university of pittsburgh medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2018 – 2019, upitt md application essay prompts.

• UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? (250 words max)
• Is there anything additional that you would like to address that is not already reflected in your application? (250 words max)

University of Pittsburgh Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

University of pittsburgh medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2016 – 2017, university of pittsburgh medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2015 – 2016, contact us with questions, we'll answer any and all your questions about medical school we typically respond within 1 business day..

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University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page .

About University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Secondary Deadline : November 15, 2023 Secondary Fee : $100 FAP Waiver : Full Fee Waived CASPer Required : No Screens Applications : No Accepts Application Updates : Yes/Email

The mission of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is to improve the health and well-being of individuals and populations through cutting-edge biomedical research, innovative educational programs in medicine and biomedical science, and leadership in academic medicine. We strive to implement this mission with the highest professional and ethical standards, in a culture of diversity and inclusiveness, and in an environment that enables all students, faculty, and staff to develop to their fullest potential.

MD Program Prompts have a  250-word limit .

1. Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it.

2. UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application

3. Is there anything additional that you would like to address that is not already reflected in your application?

1. Choose current graduate program of interest, choose 3 faculty from a given list, provide up to 2 additional faculty you could see yourself working with in graduate school, and then:

2. Briefly describe what appeals to you about the faculty member(s) in your selection, and how the selected graduate program and our MSTP match your interests.

1. Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (250 words)

2. UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application. (250 words)

The secondary application essay prompts from this medical school application cycle are the same as above.

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.

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University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Secondary Questions

Here are the secondary prompts for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

1. Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. Include how the experience contributed to the person you are today. (250 words or less.)

2. At UPSOM, diversity and inclusion are measures of distinction, integral to achieving institutional excellence, and essential to the development of future physicians who become leaders in medicine. Describe how you have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the past, and how you hope to grow that commitment in medical school. (250 words or less.)

3. Tell the Admissions Committee why you are applying to Pitt Med and why you think this school would be a good fit for you? (250 words or less.)

2021-2022  

• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (Limit your response to 250 words or less .)
• UPSOM is committed to building a diverse and talented community that will train physicians in delivering culturally competent, person-centered care, and promoting a supportive, collaborative learning environment. To achieve this, we want our fellow students to recognize health disparities and advocate for health equity. We are interested in combating all forms of systemic barriers, and would like to hear your thoughts on opposing specifically: systemic racism, anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, and misogyny. How will you contribute? (Limit your response to 250 words or less .)
• Please write about anything else you would like to add to your application, or anything you would like to emphasize to the Admissions Committee. Limit your response to 250 words or less .)
• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)
• UPSOM is committed to building a diverse and talented community that will train physicians in delivering culturally competent, person-centered care, and promoting a supportive, collaborative learning environment. To achieve this, we want our fellow students to recognize health disparities and advocate for health equity. We are interested in combating all forms of systemic barriers, and would like to hear your thoughts on opposing specifically: systemic racism, anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, and misogyny. How will you contribute? (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)
• Please write about anything else you would like to add to your application, or anything you would like to emphasize to the Admissions Committee. Limit your response to 250 words or less.)
• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)*
• UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.)*
• Is there anything additional that you would like to address that is not already reflected in your application? (Optional – Limit your response to 250 words or less.)
• Choose current graduate program of interest, choose 3 faculty from a given list, provide up to 2 additional faculty you could see yourself working with in graduate school, and then:
• Briefly describe what appeals to you about the faculty member(s) in your selection, and how the selected graduate program and our MSTP match your interests.*

2017 – 2018

Same as previous year (see 2015-2016).

2016 – 2017

Same as previous year.

2015 – 2016

• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (250 words)
• UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application. (250 words)

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• Secondary Essay Prompts

Secondary Essay Prompts – University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Secondary Essay Prompts for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh. PA.

2019 – 2020

• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (250 words or less)*
• UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application. (250 words or less)*
• (Optional) Is there anything additional that you would like to address that is not already reflected in your application? (250 words or less)

Choose current graduate program of interest, choose 3 faculty from a given list, provide up to 2 additional faculty you could see yourself working with in graduate school, and then:

• Briefly describe what appeals to you about the faculty member(s) in your selection, and how the selected graduate program and our MSTP match your interests.*

2018 – 2019

• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.) *
• UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application. (Limit your response to 250 words or less.) *
• Is there anything additional that you would like to address that is not already reflected in your application? (Optional – Limit your response to 250 words or less.)

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

2017 – 2018.

• The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. Please describe how your personal characteristics or life experiences will contribute to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine community and bring educational benefits to our student body. (1000 characters)
• 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? (1000 characters)
• Why have you chosen to apply to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and how do you think your education at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (1 page, formatted at your discretion, upload as PDF)

2016 – 2017

• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. (limit 250 words)
• UPSOM is a culturally diverse and talented community. How would you enrich/enliven the UPSOM community? The essay should discuss material that is not included in the rest of your application. (limit 250 words)

Secondary essay webcast with Dr. Jessica Freedman, founder and president of MedEdits Medical Admissions.   Read more about Dr. Freedman.

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Topics covered in this presentation:

• When should I submit my secondary essays?
• Pay attention to the word/character limits.
• Can I recycle secondary essay prompts for multiple schools?
• Identify topics that you left out of your primary application.
• And, much more.

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Admissions Requirements

Learn more about this school:

Secondary Essay Prompts for Other Schools

Do you want to see secondary essay prompts for other medical schools?

Select a school below:

Secondary Essay Prompts By School

*Data collected from MSAR 2022-2023, 2022 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book, and institution website.

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on each medical school’s website. MedEdits does not guarantee it’s accuracy or authenticity.

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University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine - Secondary Essay Prompts

Access our complete list of all Secondary Essay Prompts from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh , PA for the 2018 - 2023 admissions cycles.

1 . Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it. Include how the experience contributed to the person you are today.

2 . At UPSOM, diversity and inclusion are measures of distinction, integral to achieving institutional excellence, and essential to the development of future physicians who become leaders in medicine. Describe how you have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the past, and how you hope to grow that commitment in medical school.

3 . Tell the Admissions Committee why you are applying to Pitt Med and why you think this school would be a good fit for you.

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