Accepted: The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences Secondary Application Essay Tips [2020

University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences secondary tips

UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences offers an education that emphasizes the importance of treating patients as individuals and incorporating the latest research available in their training. After the first year, students have the opportunity to participate in paid summer research positions. Students complete clerkships during their third and fourth years with the option of serving patients abroad in the fourth year.

Their mission statement is, “The mission of The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences is to improve health in the communities and region we serve. We do this by educating excellent clinicians and scientists, by providing patient centered and high-quality care and by producing nationally recognized research in focused areas.”

University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences 2020-21 secondary application essay questions

UToledo COM essay #1

We invite you to briefly discuss any other connections you may have to The University of Toledo, the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, the city of Toledo, or the region of Northwest Ohio or to provide additional information about the affiliations you noted above. (500 words)

On the one hand, UToledo COM wants to know if you have any affiliations with the region, the city or the institution that adds to your reasons for applying to UToledo COM. Their mission statement states they are committed to their regional communities’ needs. How have you served regional communities? How will you serve theirs? Speak to this prompt knowing clearly what their regional community needs are.

UToledo COM essay #2

If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school, we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.) (500 words)

The only way to answer this question is to answer it head on. Be honest. Be clear. Tell the story, tell the context, tell the lesson learned or tell of your growth since then. Keep in mind that there’s a necessary balance between what needs to be said and what might be too much information in the story details. At times, especially when it comes to telling about a mistake, a mishap, a misguided moment or even just a disappointing one, we’re vulnerable to over-telling. Write up this prompt and revise it down, cutting the details when you’re splitting hairs or blaming. This is a moment to own being human. No one is perfect. Mistakes happen. Own them. What did you learn from this experience?

UToledo COM essay #3

The Admissions Committee considers a wide variety of factors in evaluating applicants, including fit between applicants and our program’s mission, goals, and culture. In the essays below, we invite you to share information about yourself with regard to two aspects of our program. We encourage you to provide information and insights that may not be easily gleaned from other aspects of your medical school application. In responding to the essay prompts below, you should interpret the questions to the best of your ability.

One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves cultural competence. The competency involves several distinct domains, including:

a. Demonstrating knowledge of socio-cultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors;

b. Showing an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity;

c. Recognizing and acting on the obligation to inform one’s own judgment;

d. Engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work;

e. Recognizing and appropriately addressing bias in selves and others;

f. Interacting effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in one of the above domains. (Clearly indicate which of the six domains above that you are responding to.) As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will impact your future contribution to the culture of diversity and inclusion at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences and later in your career as a physician. (600 words)

This is quite an involved prompt. It is, essentially, their diversity question. Though this prompt is involved, the domains are revealing. Their six domains aim to categorize how applicants frame their response. It’s likely they provide these prompts to foster more explicit responses over vague or generalizing “pro-diversity” responses. To answer any one of the domains, one needs to engage diversity from a position of awareness and understanding of diversity as a necessary value for physicians. If you haven’t done so yet, take a little time to educate yourself on medicine and diversity, and on the key words in the domain you feel speaks to you.

For instance, upon answering domain a or b, select a story in which you played an active role in alleviating language or cultural barriers. Can you highlight the interpersonal communication skills that you have and any additional languages that you speak? Effective examples would include translating for people who don’t speak the same language or communicating religious or cultural differences that could cause confusion for others. For example, a student from a Hmong or Laotian background who understands this community’s lack of trust for Western Medicine could describe how they successfully helped organize and host free health clinics through a church in the community to provide health check-ups.

There are many different examples that would fit well for this essay question. The key will be answering one domain prompt with a story that demonstrates your level of awareness and sensitivity to others.

UToledo COM essay #4

One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves resilience and adaptability. This competency involves the ability to tolerate stressful or changing environments or situations and adapt effectively to them. Additional characteristics of this competency are persistence and the ability to recover from setbacks. (600 words)

Choose a story from your experiences where you explain the nature of the situation as notably stressful and how it caused you to stay the course or adapt effectively, either one. “Effectively” is an important word to keep in mind about staying the course or adapting.

UToledo COM essay #5 (Optional)

Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the corona virus (COVID-19) public health crisis. Possible topics might include, for example: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic; creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis; hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus or quarantine. (You will have an opportunity to specifically discuss impacts to your coursework/grades in a separate item.) (600 words)

Many schools ask a question like this one, this year. However, there is a distinct difference between this COVID-19 question and what many other schools ask. Most ask what is in the parenthesis. This prompt is about the broader learning, insight and inspiration — and about how this insight brought you to serve a community, an organization, or your family (if you were personally affected) during the pandemic. How did your knowledge of health and health care change due to the pandemic?

If you would like professional guidance with your University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences application materials, check out Accepted’s Medical School Admissions Consulting and Editing Services, which include advising, editing, and interview coaching for the University of Toledo’s application materials.

University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences 2020-21 application timeline

AMCAS application becomes available	First week of May
AMCAS submission deadlines	November 1st

Source: University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Mary-Mahoney-admissions-consultant Dr. Mary Mahoney, Ph.D. has over 20 years of experience as an advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. She is a tenured English Professor with an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a PhD in Literature and Writing from the University of Houston. For the last twenty years, Mary has served as a grad school advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. Want Mary to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!