Most of our medical school applicants who receive interview invites and acceptances to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School either have a home residency in New Jersey, grew up in New Jersey for a large portion of their childhoods, or attended a school in New Jersey like Princeton University. Robert Wood Johnson does value strong academic numbers, but other than a strong academic background, the way to differentiate yourself is through submitting a phenomenal Robert Wood Johnson secondary application essays and performing well on the RWJ Multiple Mini Interview. Rutgers wants to recruit medical students who want to serve the New Jersey community in the future. Additionally, as reflected by RWJ secondaries questions, the medical school wants students who reflect on the issues and communities around them. They want to recruit a civically-engaged class. Read all our Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School secondary application tips below.
Essays change every year, so we would not pre-write the RWJ secondaries before the official release of the secondary. You should work on it soon after you receive the official secondary though!
Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to both Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School each year. We do this by helping students tailor their Rutgers Medical School secondary questions and ace their medical school interviews. Contact us if you want help with your secondary essay edits and mock interviews.
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Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2025 – 2026
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions – MD Prompts
- RWJMS has identified the core values below as critical to our mission and vision. We strive to matriculate learners who embody these values. Please select a RWJMS core value that resonates the most with you. In two paragraphs or less, reflect on one of your experiences to discuss how you have built a foundation for this value and how it will contribute to our community of learners. (No Word Limit)
R — Respect, dignity and humanism for the diverse population we serve
W — Wellness and resilience
J — Joining learners hand in hand with care delivery
M — Making patients first with safe, compassionate, high-quality care
S — Science to advance human health - RWJMS strives to matriculate a student body that supports and enriches each other and the learning environment. Please share a life experience, personal attribute, and/or perspective that will help contribute to this learning environment. (250 words max)
- Discuss a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. What did you learn from this situation? (Please keep this under 250 words)
- Describe a time when you received feedback that you did not agree with. How did you handle this situation? What did you learn from this experience? (Please keep this under 250 words)
- Please use this space if you would like to provide additional information to the admissions committee.
Tips to Answer Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions
RWJ Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance: The RWJ secondaries are not ones we would recommend pre-writing because they change each year! However, Rutgers medical schools are all time sensitive, so you should fill out the Robert Wood Johnson secondary application and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School secondary application as soon as you receive them!
>> Download our Cracking Med Secondary Essay Workbook and Examples.
Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Tip #1: First, know what to emphasize in your RWJ secondaries and elements among medical school applicants we’ve noticed stand out to the RWJ admissions committee.
- Experiences and commitment to the New Jersey community, particularly any community service work and patient experience you’ve had in New Jersey. The Admissions committee is looking to recruit medical students who know how to work with New Jersey’s diverse population and engage in the surrounding New Jersey communities.
- Ample clinical experience and direct patient care experience.
- Research is a plus for Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, but not a requirement. Many medical students at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School pursue research, and the medical school has financial resources to support your research interests.
If you have questions about how to stand out, get your secondary essays edited by Dr. Rizal and Dr. Mediratta.
Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Tip #2: For the RWJ secondaries question, “Please select a RWJMS core value that resonates the most with you. In two paragraphs or less, reflect on one of your experiences to discuss how you have built a foundation for this value and how it will contribute to our community of learners” we think you should include the following elements:
- 1-2 stories regarding your community service, leadership, patient care
- You should have 1 story be about patient care. Reflect on your clinical experience and discuss how this has shaped your values.
- Why you want to go to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson medical school.
Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Tip #3: Answer as many Rutgers Medical School secondary questions as possible. Take advantage of the no word limit as well. Of course, don’t submit a 2-page response. But, elaborate on your activities and details for each question. For example, for the RWJ secondaries question, “Please use this space if you would like to provide additional information to the admissions committee,” you should write about all the elements in tip #1 above – Why Rutgers, experiences in New Jersey, patient care, and research.
Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Tip #4: How to answer Rutgers MCAT secondary question? This is the most common question we get asked, and here’s our advice. First, be frank and discuss your study skills in terms of acquiring the content.How did you study the content? Did you use certain books? Did you look about YouTube or the Khan Academy? Second, everyone improves as they take more practice MCAT tests, so then you should discussed how you improved your score throughout the weeks to months of studying. Did you approach practice tests a certain way? Did you study certain questions or topics you were studying on? Which question banks or practice materials did you use? Finally, if you took the MCAT more than once, you need to discuss how your preparation was different the second time around versus the first time around. Contact us if you have questions regarding your Rutgers MCAT secondary response.
What should you discuss in the Rutgers grades question?
When discussing any “bad” grades, it’s important to put yourself in the perspective of a medical school admissions officer. They are worried that you may struggle with the rigorous and fast medical school curriculum. Therefore, your explanation should ease the minds of admissions committee members and you need to convince them that rigorous academics will not be a problem in medical school. When discussing grades lower than a “B,” it’s important to note the following:
- Rationale as to why you received lower than a “B” in the class
- Did you improve your study skills during the course? Did you apply these new study skills to future science courses?
- What did you learn from the struggles in the class and what you would do differently?
- How you will thrive in medical school, particularly at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School? Make sure to look at its pre-clinical curriculum.
You may also want to discuss a lower-than-average semester. You should explain why you struggled that semester AND calculate the rest of your GPA without that semester.
Robert Wood Johnson School Secondary Application Tip #5: Throughout the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School secondary application, don’t forget to incorporate”Why Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson.” Talk about projects and research you want to do at Rutgers and the surrounding New Jersey area.
- Read an example “why this medical school” response and tips to incorporate “why Rutgers:” “Why This Medical School? Secondary Essay Example
Robert Wood Johnson School Secondary Application Tip #6: Start preparing for your Rutgers Multiple Mini Interview right after submitting your RWJ secondaries. The best way to prepare is through Dr. Rachel Rizal’s Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview course.
[Other Secondary Essay Tips: University of Pennsylvania Perelman (UPenn); Rutgers New Jersey Medical School; Mount Sinai (Icahn); Cooper Medical School of Rowan University]
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Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2024 – 2025
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions – MD Prompts
- RWJMS has identified the core values below as critical to our mission and vision. We strive to matriculate learners who embody these values. Please select a RWJMS core value that resonates the most with you. In two paragraphs or less, reflect on one of your experiences to discuss how you have built a foundation for this value and how it will contribute to our community of learners. (No Word Limit)
R — Respect, dignity and humanism for the diverse population we serve
W — Wellness and resilience
J — Joining learners hand in hand with care delivery
M — Making patients first with safe, compassionate, high-quality care
S — Science to advance human health
- RWJMS strives to matriculate a student body that supports and enriches each other and the learning environment. Please share a life experience, personal attribute, and/or perspective that will help contribute to this learning environment. (250 words max)
- Discuss a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. Be sure to include the skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. (250 words max)
- Are you interested in applying for PACCE? (Yes/Maybe/No) If Yes/Maybe (No Word Limit)
1. What are the factors that drive your interest in primary care?
2. Provide examples, experiences, or critical incidents that informed you about either the family medicine or pediatric specialty. - Please feel free to comment on any course grades, GPA trends, or MCAT scores and what you have learned about yourself. (No Word Limit)
- Please use this space if you would like to provide additional information to the admissions committee. (No Word Limit)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2023 – 2024
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions – MD Prompts
- RWJMS has identified the core values below as critical to our mission and vision. We strive to matriculate learners who embody these values. Please select a RWJMS core value that resonates the most with you. In two paragraphs or less, reflect on one of your experiences to discuss how you have built a foundation for this value and how it will contribute to our community of learners. (No Word Limit)
R — Respect, dignity and humanism for the diverse population we serve
W — Wellness and resilience
J — Joining learners hand in hand with care delivery
M — Making patients first with safe, compassionate, high-quality care
S — Science to advance human health
- Discuss a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. Be sure to include the skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. (250 words max)
- Please feel free to comment on any course grades, GPA trends, or MCAT scores and what you have learned about yourself. (No Word Limit)
- Please use this space if you would like to provide additional information to the admissions committee. (No Word Limit)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2022 – 2023
- Please use this space if you would like to provide additional information to the admissions committee. You may choose to elaborate on or clarify details you have previously provided. (1,250 characters max)
- Are you interested in participating in PACCE? (Yes/No) If yes, please provide a short paragraph explaining how you know a primary care focused specialty is your preference. (1,250 characters max)
- Please feel free to comment on any course grades, GPA trends, or MCAT scores and what you have learned about yourself. (1,250 characters max)
- If you are applying with a state of legal residence that is not NJ, please indicate your connection to NJ (mark all that apply) and explain this connection. (1,250 characters max)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2021 – 2022
Rutgers Medical School Secondary Questions – MD Prompts
- More than a year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, what do you believe are major needs in health care and how have your expectations for your role as a doctor changed? (250 words max)
- Discuss a time you tried to right a perceived wrong, felt moved to speak up for someone, or took a stand against a situation you felt was unjust. (250 words max)
- Were you, or are you, employed during the school year? If so please let us know the type of work, hours worked, etc. (No word limit)
- 4. If you have taken time off during your undergraduate training or if you have already graduated, please provide information to explain this time by providing a bulleted list of activities or explanation delineated by month/year to month/year. (250 words max)
5. If you would like, feel free to explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational/research/volunteering or employment plans. (250 words max)
6. If applicable, please comment on any science grade(s) listed on your application for which you received grades lower than a B. If applicable, please comment if there is a downward trend in your science and/or total grade point average (GPA). (250 words max)
7. Please let us know how you prepared for your most recent MCAT. If you have taken the MCAT more than once let us know if you prepared differently for prior tests. (250 words max)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2020 - 2021
Rutgers Medical School Secondary Questions – MD Prompts
- How has COVID 19 impacted your expectations for your medical education experience and your future work as a doctor? (No word limit indicated)
- Were you, or are you, employed during the school year? If so please let us know the type of work, hours worked, etc. (No word limit indicated)
- If you have taken time off during your undergraduate training or if you have already graduated, please provide information to explain this time by providing a bulleted list of activities or explanation delineated by month/year to month/year.
- If you would like, feel free to explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational/research/volunteering or employment plans. (No word limit indicated)
- If applicable, please comment on any science grade(s) listed on your application for which you received grades lower than a B. If applicable, please comment if there is a downward trend in your science and/or total grade point average (GPA). (No word limit indicated)
- Please let us know how you prepared for your most recent MCAT. If you have taken the MCAT more than once let us know if you prepared differently for prior tests. (No word limit indicated)
- If you are applying with a state of legal residence that is not NJ, please indicate your connection to NJ (mark all that apply) and explain this connection: (checkbox and then a box to explain further) (No word limit indicated)
- Please indicate if you and/or your parents are/were employed by RWJMS or other connections to Rutgers University. (No word limit indicated)
- Have you ever been subjected to disciplinary action by any college or university? Have you ever been charged or convicted of a criminal offense? Are there any disciplinary or criminal charges pending against you? If the answer is yes, please specify the details. (No word limit indicated)
- Is there anything you would like to share or anything you would like to clarify on your application? (No word limit indicated)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2019 – 2020
Rutgers Medical School Secondary Questions – MD Prompts
- If applicable, please comment on any science grade(s) listed on your application for which you received grades lower than a B. If applicable, please comment if there is a downward trend in your science and/or total grade point average (GPA). (No word limit indicated)
- Please let us know how you prepared for your most recent MCAT. If you have taken the MCAT more than once let us know if you prepared differently for prior tests. (No word limit indicated)
- Were you, or are you, employed during the school year? If so please let us know the type of work, hours worked, etc. In addition, please indicate if you and/or your parents are/were employed by RWJSM. (No word limit indicated)
- If you have taken time off during your undergraduate training, or if you have already graduated, please please provide information to explain this time by providing a line-by-line description of activities or explanation delineated by month/year to month/year. (No word limit indicated)
- If you’re applying with a state of legal residence that is not New Jersey, please indicate your connection to New Jersey and explain this connection. (No word limit indicated)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2018 – 2019
Rutgers Medical School Secondary Questions – MD Prompts
- If applicable, please comment on any science grade(s) listed on your application for which you received grades lower than a B. If applicable, please comment if there is a downward trend in your science and/or total grade point average (GPA). (250 characters max)
- Please let us know how you prepared for your most recent MCAT. If you have taken the MCAT more than once let us know if you prepared differently for prior tests. (250 characters max)
- Provide a very short reflection of what you have learned about your preferred strategies for pursuing knowledge in areas of interest to yourself. (250 characters max)
- Were you, or are you, employed during the school year? If so please let us know the type of work, hours worked, etc. In addition, please indicate if you and/or your parents are/were employed by RWJSM. (No word limit indicated)
- If you have taken time off during your undergraduate training, or if you have already graduated, please please provide information to explain this time by providing a line-by-line description of activities or explanation delineated by month/year to month/year. (No word limit indicated)
- (Optional) Is there anything you would like to share to clarify your application? (500 characters max)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2017 – 2018
Rutgers Medical School Secondary Questions – MD Prompts
- If applicable, please comment on any science grade(s) listed on your application for which you received grades lower than a B. If applicable, please comment if there is a downward trend in your science and/or total grade point average (GPA). (No word limit indicated)
- Please let us know how you prepared for your most recent MCAT. If you have taken the MCAT more than once let us know if you prepared differently for prior tests. (No word limit indicated)
- If you applied as a non-resident (i.e., your legal residency is a state other than NJ), please let us know if you grew up in NJ, attended school in NJ, have parents who reside in NJ, work in NJ, etc. (No word limit indicated)
- Were you, or are you, employed during the school year? If so please let us know the type of work, hours worked, etc. In addition, please indicate if you and/or your parents are/were employed by RWJSM. (No word limit indicated)
- If you have taken time off during your undergraduate training, or if you have already graduated, please please provide information to explain this time by providing a line-by-line description of activities or explanation delineated by month/year to month/year. (No word limit indicated)
- (Optional) Is there anything you would like to share to clarify your application? (No word limit indicated)
- In the next series of prompts, you will reflect upon experiences, activities or accomplishments that demonstrate each of the indicated pre-professional competencies.
Your response should be limited to one paragraph and include: The situation where you demonstrated the competency, Your actions and the resulting consequence, and What you learned as a result of your experience(s).
Pre-professional Competencies:- Integrity and Ethics
- Reliability and
- Dependability
- Desire to Learn
- Commitment to serving others/volunteering
- Social Interpersonal and Teamwork Skills
- Cultural Competence
- Resilience and Adaptability
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Secondary Application Questions: 2016 – 2017
Rutgers Medical School Secondary Questions – MD Prompts
- If applicable, please comment on any science grade(s) listed on your application for which you received grades lower than a B. If applicable, please comment if there is a downward trend in your science and/or total grade point average (GPA). (No word limit indicated)
- Please let us know how you prepared for your most recent MCAT. If you have taken the MCAT more than once let us know if you prepared differently for prior tests. (No word limit indicated)
- If you applied as a non-resident (i.e., your legal residency is a state other than NJ), please let us know if you grew up in NJ, attended school in NJ, have parents who reside in NJ, work in NJ, etc. (No word limit indicated)
- Were you, or are you, employed during the school year? If so please let us know the type of work, hours worked, etc. In addition, please indicate if you and/or your parents are/were employed by RWJSM. (No word limit indicated)
- If you have taken time off during your undergraduate training, or if you have already graduated, please please provide information to explain this time by providing a line-by-line description of activities or explanation delineated by month/year to month/year. (No word limit indicated)
- (Optional) Is there anything you would like to share to clarify your application? (No word limit indicated)
- In the next series of prompts, you will reflect upon experiences, activities or accomplishments that demonstrate each of the indicated pre-professional competencies.
Your response should be limited to one paragraph and include: The situation where you demonstrated the competency, Your actions and the resulting consequence, and What you learned as a result of your experience(s).
Pre-professional Competencies:- Integrity and Ethics
- Reliability and
- Dependability
- Desire to Learn
- Commitment to serving others/volunteering
- Social Interpersonal and Teamwork Skills
- Cultural Competence
- Resilience and Adaptability