University of Colorado 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

   The pillars of our curriculum are Leadership, Curiosity, and Commitment. Tell us about how you have embodied one or more of these attributes in your path to medicine thus far. In which of these areas do you see the most opportunity for personal growth and why?

   500 words
2. 02

   Please describe how your experiences have shaped your approach to creating welcoming, respectful, and collaborative environments for all your future patients.

   300 words
3. 03

   Please explain how you and your application has changed since your previous submission.

   1500 charactersOptional
4. 04

   Please tell us why you are interested in being a part of the 4-year CUSOM at CSU (Fort Collins Branch campus)? With the background that FCB's smaller class sizes and unique structure lead to a highly interactive curriculum, please tell us how this campus matches your learning style and personal philosophy.

   1500 characters (approximately 300 words)Optional
5. 05

   The CS LIC Program exists at the intersection of academic and community medicine. CS LIC students experience the myriad of academic, private, corporate, military, non-profit, and public service organizations that come together to care for a community. Clinical, didactic, and project-based learning emphasizes how physician leadership and community engagement can promote the health of communities. Didactic education is based in Colorado Springs with clinical sites spanning small cities along the Southern Front Range including Pueblo, Cañon City, Monument, and Woodland Park. Please describe how participation in the CS LIC would advance your career goals and how your life experiences align with an interest in our program. If applicable, you may also note any ties to Colorado Springs or the Southern Front Range.

   1500 characters (approximately 300 words)Optional
6. 06

   Why are you interested in being a rural physician? How will rural life and work fit your personal and professional goals? You may include your past experiences and ties or interest to rural Colorado.

   1500 characters (approximately 300 words)Optional
7. 07

   What has led you to commit to a career in rural family medicine? Please describe any life experiences that have contributed to this commitment. As a rural family physician, describe the impact you will make on your community.

   500 wordsOptional
8. 08

   What has led you to commit to a career in urban primary care? Please describe any life experiences that have contributed to this commitment. As an urban primary care physician, describe the impact you will make on your community.

   500 wordsOptional
9. 09

   What has led you to commit to a career in infectious diseases and public health? Please describe any life experiences that have contributed to this commitment. As an infectious diseases physician, describe the impact you will make on your community.

   500 wordsOptional
10. 10

    What has led you to commit to a career in pediatrics? Please describe any life experiences that have contributed to this commitment. As a pediatrician, describe the impact you will make on your community.

    500 wordsOptional
11. 11

    Combined MD-MS (Aerospace Engineering): CUSOM has joined with the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at CU Boulder to offer a combined MD-MS degree program. The goal of this program is to prepare trainees to lead the next generation of human spaceflight in clinical, research, engineering, and programmatic positions. The 5-year curriculum includes spending one year at CU Boulder obtaining an MS in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on bioastronautics. Participants can also elect to complete an MS thesis or develop more hands-on engineering experience via Graduate Projects courses. Describe your career path up to this point and how that has led to your interest in human spaceflight. What is your motivation for seeking a dual degree in Aerospace Engineering and how does this fit into your vision for your career?

    1500 charactersOptional
12. 12

    CUSOM has partnered with the Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder to offer a combined MD-MBA degree program. The goal of this program is to prepare trainees to lead innovation and progress at the intersection of medicine and business. What are your career aspirations and professional development goals for your studies in the MBA program, and why is Leeds your choice? How will your background, values, academics, and leadership skills enhance the experiences of your fellow MBA students during your studies? In what ways do your core values guide your approach to leadership?

    750 wordsOptional
13. 13

    Public health is both a science and a calling, requiring practitioners to bridge the gap between clinical medicine and population-level health improvement. As a medical student applying to the Master of Public Health program, write a statement, reflecting on the following: What inspired you to pursue an MPH degree in addition to your medical training? What public health issue or field (e.g., epidemiology, health systems, management and policy, climate and environmental health, biostatistics, community and behavioral health, etc.) are you most passionate about? How does the chosen public health field align with your personal and professional goals?

    5000 charactersOptional

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.