Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center 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

   Select the area(s) of interest that you have experience or related activities with (please check all that apply). For each selected area, please list your experience and/or activities; completed, current or planned.

   150 words per selected area
2. 02

   Have you experienced any road bumps in your academic career? (low academic performance, dropping, retaking, or failing courses, etc.)

   Yes/No
3. 03

   If yes, please explain your circumstance.

   250 wordsOptional
4. 04

   Describe a meaningful setback in your academic, professional, or personal journey. How did you respond, and how has that experience shaped the habits, skills, and mindset you have developed to succeed in medical school?

   250 words
5. 05

   If you are applying to a dual degree program, please rank them in order of preference.

   No stated limitOptional
6. 06

   Are you applying to our MD & E program?

   Yes/No
7. 07

   Describe your motivation to pursue this program at TTUHSC, be sure to include how you expect to benefit from our program.

   No stated limitOptional
8. 08

   How do you anticipate this program making you a more efficient caregiver?

   No stated limitOptional
9. 09

   Please list the highest-level math/chemistry/physics course you have taken or are currently taking.

   No stated limitOptional
10. 10

    What projects have you been involved in that require programming and or machine languages? What languages do you prefer?

    No stated limitOptional
11. 11

    Are you applying to FMAT?

    Yes/No
12. 12

    What motivates you to participate in the FMAT program?

    200 wordsOptional
13. 13

    What experiences have you had that would prepare you for this intensive program?

    200 wordsOptional
14. 14

    What, in your opinion, distinguishes Family Medicine from other medical specialties?

    200 wordsOptional
15. 15

    Have you experienced any hardship or adversity; personally or professionally?

    Yes/No
16. 16

    If yes, please share your experience with us.

    200 wordsOptional
17. 17

    TTUHSC has a values-based culture. Its core values are One Team, Kindhearted, Integrity, Visionary, and Beyond Service. Choose one core value that you believe represents your greatest strength. Explain why you chose this value and how it will contribute to your success and impact in medical school.

    100 words
18. 18

    Please share with us your ideal practice. For example: Where would you practice? Who would your patients be? What would your specialty be?

    100 words
19. 19

    Do you consider yourself from West Texas or as having West Texas ties?

    Yes/No
20. 20

    If yes, what town or county did you reside in, or what other factors would you cite?

    100 wordsOptional
21. 21

    Have you ever participated in any TTUHSC special programs? Check all that apply.

    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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