McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Secondary Essay Prompts

The 2025-2026 prompts

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Collected from public applicant reports. Prompts occasionally change mid cycle, so confirm against your own secondary portal before you submit.

1. 01

   Please discuss one of the following: A challenging situation or obstacle you have faced in the past; OR Any academic road bumps in your academic career (low academic performance, failing course, dropping/retaking of courses). In your answer include: Why was it challenging? How did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently? What did you learn?

   2500 characters
2. 02

   Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. What did you learn from this experience and how have you applied this learning to your work and/or life?

   2500 characters
3. 03

   From what you understand about the rigors of medical school, what do you think will be the biggest challenge for you? How do you think you are prepared for these challenges?

   2500 characters
4. 04

   What advice would you give to a friend who is falling behind academically?

   2500 characters

How to write these well

• Turn secondaries around within 7 to 14 days of receiving them. Schools read speed as interest, and slow essays land in a bigger pile.
• Pre-write the universal question types (diversity, challenge, why us) once, then adapt per school. Adapting is rewriting the school specific half, not swapping the name.
• Name real programs. A why us answer that cites a specific clinic, track, or community partnership reads ten times stronger than praise for reputation or location.
• Stay under the limit without padding to reach it. Readers are working through thousands of these; a tight answer is a kindness they remember.
• Heads up: this school also requires CASPer, so build that into your timeline alongside the essays.

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