Secondary Essay Prompts Database

SUNY Upstate Medical University – College of Medicine (Syracuse, NY)

These are the secondary application essay prompts for State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate School of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page.
Program Overview

SUNY Upstate Medical University – College of Medicine (Syracuse, NY)

Secondary Deadline
December 1, 2026
Secondary Fee
$110
FAP Waiver
Yes
Casper Required
No
Screens Applications
Yes
Accepts Application Updates
Yes
Mission

If you earned your baccalaureate degree prior to this past June, please provide a brief statement indicating your plans for the upcoming academic year

Vision

You might consider yourself disadvantaged if you grew up in an area that was medically or underserved or had insufficient access to educational opportunities.

Values

If you are interested in Primary Care, are you interested in receiving more information about potential scholarship opportunities

Application Cycles
2026-2027
Application Cycle
All questions have a 250-word limit.

1. Which medical specialty do you currently plan to pursue? (no stated limit)

2. Are there any areas of weakness in your application that you would like to clarify for the Admissions Committee? If yes, please describe. (1800 characters)

3. What experiences have you had with underserved communities/populations? What have you learned from these experiences? (1800 characters)

4. Describe any ties or meaningful experiences you have had related to Central New York or SUNY Upstate Medical University. (1800 characters)

5. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and The Norton College of Medicine? (1800 characters)

6. The Norton College of Medicine is committed to improving the healthcare of Central New York. How do your career plans advance this mission? (1800 characters)

2025-2026
Application Cycle
All questions have a 250-word limit.

1. Which medical specialty do you currently plan to pursue? (no stated limit)

2. Are there any areas of weakness in your application that you would like to clarify for the Admissions Committee? If yes, please describe. (1800 characters)

3. What experiences have you had with underserved communities/populations? What have you learned from these experiences? (1800 characters)

4. Describe any ties or meaningful experiences you have had related to Central New York or SUNY Upstate Medical University. (1800 characters)

5. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and The Norton College of Medicine? (1800 characters)

6. The Norton College of Medicine is committed to improving the healthcare of Central New York. How do your career plans advance this mission? (1800 characters)

2024-2025
Application Cycle
All questions have a 250-word limit.

1. If you earned your baccalaureate degree prior to this past June, please provide a brief statement indicating your plans for the upcoming academic year.

2. Which medical specialty do you currently plan to pursue?

3. You might consider yourself disadvantaged if you grew up in an area that was medically or underserved or had insufficient access to educational opportunities. Do you consider yourself within this description? If you answer Yes please explain your particular circumstances regarding why you consider yourself a disadvantaged applicant.

4. Describe any ties or meaningful experiences you have had related to Central New York or SUNY Upstate Medical University. (1800 character spaces or less, please type N/A if not applicable)

5. If you are a re-applicant, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy since your last application? (Please type N/A if not applicable, 1800 character spaces or less)

6. What experiences have you had with underserved communities/populations? What have you learned from these experiences? (1800 character spaces or less)

7. The Norton College of Medicine is committed to improving the healthcare of Central New York. How do your career plans advance this mission? (1800 character spaces or less)

8. How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and The Norton College of Medicine? Limit the response to 300 words or less.

2023-2024
Application Cycle
All questions have a 250-word limit.

1. If you earned your baccalaureate degree prior to this past June (2023), please provide a brief statement indicating your plans for the upcoming academic year.

2. Which medical specialty do you currently plan to pursue?

3. You might consider yourself disadvantaged if you grew up in an area that was medically or underserved or had insufficient access to educational opportunities. Do you consider yourself within this description? If you answer Yes please explain your particular circumstances regarding why you consider yourself a disadvantaged applicant.

4. Upstate Medical University is strongly committed to providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for the patients we serve and all who work at, study at, or visit our campus. In 500 words or less, please answer the following question: As a potential partner in this effort, please describe your commitment to eliminating health inequities, discrimination, or other forms of social injustice

5. If you are interested in Primary Care, are you interested in receiving more information about potential scholarship opportunities?

6. We understand that the COVID-19 crisis disrupted many aspects of our lives. Please share if you had any curricular impacts during this time, for example, change to pass/fail courses or to online coursework or if you anticipate any deficiencies in experiences as a result of COVID-19.

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