Essay Topics ('23 – '24)

1. The MSUCOM curriculum stresses the importance of intrapersonal competencies, including personal responsibility and adaptability. Please tell us a time when you were faced with a challenge in these areas and how that challenge impacted your professional growth.

2. What does professionalism mean to you as a future physician?

3. You may provide additional information, not stated elsewhere, you feel may help the Admissions Committee gain a better understanding of your candidacy. This may include major life achievements or explanations of academic or non-academic discrepancies on your application. You may also include interests or work experiences.

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Essay Topics ('22 – '23)

1. What steps have you taken or what activities have you engaged in to learn about the DO profession? (300 words)

2. Tell us about a time when you received difficult feedback and how you responded.What have you done to work with others different from yourself? (300 words)

3. What have you learned from these experiences? You may provide additional information, not stated elsewhere, you feel may help the Admissions Committee gain a better understanding of your candidacy. This may include major life achievements or explanations of academic or non-academic discrepancies on your application. You may also include interests or work experiences. (500 words)

Re-applicants:

4. What has changed since your last application? (500 words)

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‍Essay Topics ('21 – '22)‍

1. What skills and traits do you think are essential in becoming an effective osteopathic physician? (300 words)

2. As a student, how do you see yourself contributing to the educational community and diversity of MSUCOM? (300 words)

3. Is there any aspect of medicine you think you do not like? If so, what, and why not? (300 words)

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Essay Topics (’20 – ’21)‍

1. Why are you interested in osteopathic medicine and why are you applying to the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine? (limit of 300 words)

2. Other than healthcare access, what are some of the most important health care issues confronting underserved communities? How would you address them? (limit of 300 words)

3. Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from this experience? (limit of 300 words)

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Essay Topics ('19 – '20)‍

1. Why are you applying to Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine? (250 words)

2. What is your impact on your community? (500 words)

3. Describe an interpersonal interaction you experienced in which you were dissatisfied with the outcome. How would you approach it differently now? (250 words)

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Essay Topics ('18 – '19)‍

1. Which tenet of osteopathic medicine interests you the most? (250 word count)

2. How would you like to be remembered by your friends, family, and community? (250 word count)

3. Describe an interpersonal interaction you experienced in which you were dissatisfied with the outcome. How would you approach it differently now? (250 word count)

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Essay Topics ('17 – '18)‍

1. What knowledge do you have about Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine? Describe your exposure to the osteopathic profession. (500 words)

2. How would you like to be remembered by your friends, family, and community? (500 words)

3. If you were guaranteed a seat in medical school, but had one year off before starting, how would you spend that year? (500 words)

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Essay Topics ('16 – '17)‍

1. What exposure have you had to osteopathic medicine? (500 words)

2. How does the career of a physician fit with your characteristics and skillsets? (500 words)

3. What do you want your legacy to be to your friends, family and the community in the future? (250 words)

OPTIONAL QUESTION:

1. Below you may provide any additional information, not previously stated, you feel will help us gain a complete picture of your life experience. This may include major life achievements or explanations of application discrepancies. (500 words)

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Essay Topics ('15 – '16)‍

1. Describe in two to three paragraphs how you learned about the osteopathic profession and why you feel the profession is a good fit for you. (500 words maximum)

2. How does the career of a physician fit with your characteristics and skill sets? (500 words maximum)

3. What is your legacy to your family, friends and the community at this point in your life? (250 words maximum)

If you had to choose a different career path what would that be? (250 words maximum)

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Essay Topics ('14 – '15)‍

1. Have you applied to MSUCOM previously? Yes/No

2. Describe in two to three paragraphs how you learned about the osteopathic profession and why you feel the profession is a good fit for you. (500 words)

3. What is your legacy to your family, friends and the community at this point in your life? (250 words)

4. How would you handle a situation if you witnessed a colleague demonstrating unprofessional behavior? (250 words)

5. What are your expectations of medical school? (250 words)

6. If the committee viewed your social media page(s) (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), would it help or harm your application? (250 words)

7. If you had to choose a different career path what would that be? (250 words)

8. Please tell us how you learned about the osteopathic profession by checking all of the following selections that apply: have been a patient of a DO, referred by pre-medical advisor, visited an osteopathic college, met with an advisor from an osteopathic college, participated in a premedical osteopathic interest group, attended a presentation about osteopathic medicine, read about or reviewed website(s) regarding osteopathic medicine, attended an event at an MSUCOM site, shadowed, volunteered, and/or worked with DO(s)

9. Please list any pending exposures to Osteopathic Medicine, if applicable (if you have no pending activities, please note "not applicable" in the space below). (250 words)

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Essay Topics ('13 – '14)‍

1. Discuss a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone. What were the challenges? What did you learn?

2. Describe a personally rewarding experience. What did you learn about yourself through this experience? You are permitted to use an experience included in your AMCAS application, as long as you didn't go into great detail in your AMCAS application (including personal statement and experiences)

3. If you could present yourself to the Committee on Admissions, what would you want to make sure they knew about you?

4. Describe why you wish to enroll at WMU School of Medicine. You should describe any connection that you have to southwest Michigan. (2000 characters)