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UND

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Grand Forks, ND

Historical and predicted secondary essay prompts. Use these to understand how schools have framed their questions over time.

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49 prompts in the archive

Have you read the UND SMHS Standards of Capacity policy ( https://med.und.edu/policies/_files/docs/4.14-standards-of-capacity.pdf ), and are you prepared to meet these standards with or without reasonable accommodations?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

What are your career plans if you do not ever get admitted to medical school?

600 characters2023-2024, 2025-2026School Staple

You will be living in ND during the current academic year?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

A current legal MN resident?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Expand and reflect on leadership and team experience. This may include a summary of leadership roles or teamwork in employed positions, extracurricular activities, organizations, volunteer services, or any other leadership or team experiences.

1200 characters2023-2024Historical

Do ALL the following apply to you:

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Describe your research activity. Examples include the outcome of a formal research experience, course-dependent undergraduate research, thesis, or capstone project. (600 characters)

600 characters2023-2024Historical

Are you currently a legal resident of North Dakota for five consecutive years or longer at the time of your application to UND SMHS?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Have you participated in any of these pathway programs: Scrubs Camp, Med Prep, CLIMB, Summer Institute, Pre-Med Day, etc? Please indicate all that apply. (Radio option)

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Excluding online degrees, are you, or will be at the time of matriculation, a graduate of a North Dakota college or university?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

You currently are a legal ND resident for less than one year OR you are currently not a resident of ND?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

The primary purpose of the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences is to educate physicians and other health professionals for subsequent service in North Dakota and to enhance the quality of life of its people. Please explain how your past medical/clinical and community service experiences and your career goals are consistent with this purpose.

1200 words2023-2024, 2025-2026School Staple

Reflect on personal experiences of resilience and emotional intelligence throughout your life and how this has prepared you in your pursuit of a career in medicine. (1200 characters)

1200 characters2023-2024Historical

What is your state of current permanent residence? (This would be where your driver’s license is from, what state you pay taxes to, etc...) (Required)

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

UND SMHS REAPPLICANTS ONLY: When was your previous application, and, subsequently, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? Note any relevant academic, employment, clinical, and personal experience and/or development. (1200 characters)

1200 characters2023-2024Historical

A current legal MN resident for one year or more at time of your application to UND SMHS?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Are you currently enrolled in a grant-funded and/or degree-granting post- baccalaureate program and/or advanced degree? If so, what is your timeline for completion? (600 characters)

600 characters2023-2024Historical

Residency History: List each permanent residence starting with your place of birth and number of years at each residence. The last two questions in this section are required.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Excluding online degrees, do you have a first-degree family member (mother, father, sibling, child, or spouse) who is attending or is a graduate of a North Dakota college or university? List the family member(s) and the college or university they attend or attended.

No character/word limit2023-2024, 2025-2026School Staple

Your spouse is currently attending or has been accepted into a ND university or college at the time of your application to UND SMHS?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Are you a current legal resident of Minnesota and graduated from a high school in Minnesota Red River Valley? List high school and county (Applicant Eligibility)

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

You have resided in a MN Red River Valley county for one year or more at the time of your application to UND SMHS?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

You live outside the Red River Valley area?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Are you a current resident of a WICHE-sending state Wyoming or Montana?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

The following question is used to identify applicants for the Indians into Medicine (INMED) Program. For information regarding this program, contact [email protected]. If not applicable proceed to the next Question Set.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

If applicable answer the following questions below:

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Are you an enrolled member of a U.S. federally recognized tribe?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Do you agree to have your application shared with the Indians Into Medicine office? If you answer no to this question, you will not be reviewed for the INMED program.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Answer questions 4 – 11. Do not leave any questions blank.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Describe your experiences with diverse populations. Examples include a summary of a volunteer experience, study abroad, employment, self-taught endeavor or a formal course on diversity that includes direct interaction with individuals or groups from socio- economic disadvantaged, diverse cultures, rural, or other backgrounds. (1200 characters)

1200 characters2023-2024Historical

Describe your creative activity. Examples include the on-going production of art forms, artistic performance, or other creative efforts, such as photography, painting, musical talents, needlework, cooking, wood-working, building cars, yoga instructor, dancing, theatre performance, writing, gaming etc. (600 characters)

600 characters2023-2024Historical

Expand and reflect on medical and/or clinical experience as it relates to the mission of the School of Medicine & Health Sciences. This may include a summary of physician shadowing, clinical observation, community service, volunteer work, and/or employment. Examples include, but are not limited to, work in a clinic, hospital, as a first responder, clinical lab, public health, home health visits, assisted living, nursing home care, youth camps, or relevant military duty. (1200 characters)

1200 characters2023-2024Historical

If needed, update the information in your AMCAS application (i.e., grades in recent courses, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation, additions to extracurricular activities, unreported legal and institutional infractions, etc.).

600 characters2023-2024, 2025-2026School Staple

List the high school, city, and zip code you graduated from. (Required)

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

If this applies to you, list county you have resided in for one year or more.

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Do you meet one of the UND SMHS residency preferences?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Are you currently a legal resident of North Dakota and graduated from a North Dakota high school?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Are you currently and have you been a resident of North Dakota for more than one but less than five years at the time of your application to UND SMHS?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Do ALL the following questions apply to you:

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

A North Dakota high school graduate?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

A previous legal resident of North Dakota for ten years or more?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Your parents are current legal residents of North Dakota?

No character/word limit2023-2024Historical

Do you have family members who have permanent residence in North Dakota? List the family members, their relation to you, and what city in North Dakota they currently live in.

N/A2025-2026New

Describe an ethical dilemma that presented itself to you. Identify your choices, potential consequences and your resolution of the dilemma. In hindsight, what did you learn about yourself?

1200 characters2025-2026New

Describe and reflect on a specific experience you have had with people of a different socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, cultural or religious/spiritual background than yourself. What preconceived notions did you have prior to the experience? How did the experience challenge your preconceived notions?

1200 characters2025-2026New

The UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences invests in the discovery of knowledge that benefits the people of this state and enhances the quality of their lives. Reflect on your personal experience with the process of scientific discovery. What aspect was most frustrating? Most rewarding? How might these lessons be transferable to the practice of medicine?

1200 characters2025-2026New

Reflect on an experience in which you demonstrated creativity and innovation where you generated an idea and implemented it to achieve an outcome. Examples may include a musical or theatrical performance, work of art, publication, invention, start-up, public service or any other major production or installation. How did this performance or work enrich the lives of others?

1200 characters2025-2026New

The UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences is a community-based medical school, and because of the unique circumstances of our regional location, we place special emphasis on the unique skills needed to provide care for patients and populations in rural and Native American communities across all competencies. Reflect on a specific health care disparity affecting rural and/or Native American populations that you may have engaged with or studied and how you, as a future physician, might help to alleviate that disparity.

1200 characters2025-2026New

Reflect on your role in a particularly impactful leadership or team experience in which your efforts resulted in a meaningful outcome.

1200 characters2025-2026New