Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

The 2026-2027 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

   Describe a significant sacrifice you had to make for someone else. How did you respond, what help-seeking behaviors did you utilize, and how did the experience shape your resilience, self-awareness, or personal growth?

   400 words
2. 02

   Describe a time when you stepped outside of your comfort zone to engage with individuals, communities, patient populations, or environments that were unfamiliar to you. What challenges did you encounter and what did you learn about yourself and others?

   400 words
3. 03

   At OUWB, we believe that effective physicians must be able to navigate differing perspectives with compassion and respect. Describe a time when you worked through conflict in a team (at a workplace, classroom, service activity, personal setting). What did you learn about communication, collaboration, and professionalism?

   400 words
4. 04

   Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your qualifications for medical school that are not already represented in your application materials? For example, if you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation. (Note: This space is provided for new information only, not to promote qualifications already highlighted in your other materials)

   400 words
5. 05

   Why did you choose to apply to OUWB'S Early Decision program (EDP)? Please explain your ties to OUWB.

   No stated limitOptional
6. 06

   Reflect on the experiences that sparked your interest in public health and your decision to pursue and MPH degree. How will the knowledge and skills gained through MPH training complement your medical education to achieve your professional aspirations?

   400 wordsOptional
7. 07

   If you are a reapplicant to OUWB, please describe the improvements you have made to your current application compared to previous cycles (please include academics, experiences, etc.)

   No stated limitOptional

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.

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