The West Virginia Medical School secondary application has several medium-length essays. The West Virginia University School of Medicine admissions committee wants to understand you as a holistic person, including how resilient you are. Read our West Virginia secondary application tips below so you can learn how to stand out question by question! Because the West Virginia University School of Medicine Admissions Committee changes its secondary essay prompts frequently, we would not pre-write this secondary. However, since this is a state school, we would still prioritize working on this secondary application soon after you receive the official secondary invite.
Our Cracking Med School Admissions team can help. you stand out on your West Virginia secondary application essays. Contact us below if you have any questions about your WVU essays or any other secondary applications!
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West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2025 – 2026
WVU SoM requested that their applicants refrain from posting this year’s secondary questions on public websites. No secondary data for WVU SoM is available publicly.
Tips to Answer West Virginia Secondary Essays
West Virginia Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance: West Virginia University School fo Medicine changes most of its prompts each year. This would not be a secondary application we pre-write.
- Download all our HIGH-YIELD tips for secondary essays: Cracking Med School Admissions Secondary Essay Guide
West Virginia Secondary Application Tip #1: The most important question is “Why did you choose West Virginia University School of Medicine?” It is important to do your research on WVUSOM. Reference specific aspects the curriculum and opportunities at West Virginia Medical School.
- Read our HIGH-YIELD blog post about how to answer “Why this Medical School:” Why this Medical School? Secondary Essay Example
West Virginia Secondary Application Tip #2: Tell stories to convey your impact on patients and individuals around you. We strongly advise including stories in your responses to these specific secondary questions:
- Which one of the AAMC Interpersonal or Intrapersonal Core Competencies is your strongest, and why? How will this competency enhance your ability to be an outstanding physician?
- What is your life motto, and why?
West Virginia Secondary Application Tip #3: The West Virginia University School of Medicine is a very community-oriented medical school. Talk about how you want to engage with patients in West Virginia state. Additionally, WVU School of Medicine favors students who have lived or had experiences in the state of West Virginia. So, write about any of your affiliations with West Virginia! Sometimes, students ask us, “What if I have not lived in West Virginia?” Then, we advise students to discuss if they have ever visited Virginia or write that they live in that area of the United States. What is important for your West Virginia Medical School secondary application is to show your commitment to serving the individuals in West Virginia.
West Virginia Secondary Application Tip #4: We love the West Virginia secondary question, “What is your life motto, and why?” Most people will give a quote or a short blurb in the beginning and then explain why they chose that blurb as a life motto. Based on Dr. Rizal’s and Dr. Mediratta’s experience, a strong secondary essay will have a story that reflects you living your life motto. We always enjoy reading this essay! Get our help to edit your West Virginia secondary application essays. We can help you through our secondary essay packages. Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below.
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West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2024 – 2025
- Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? (150 words max)
- Describe a time when you worked closely and successfully with another person who had a background different from your own. (150 words max)
- How do you see yourself serving the state of West Virginia if accepted? (150 words max)
- Which one of the AAMC Interpersonal or Intrapersonal Core Competencies is your strongest, and why? How will this competency enhance your ability to be an outstanding physician? (150 words max)
- What is your life motto, and why? (150 words max)
West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2023 – 2024
- Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? (150 words max)
- Describe a time when you worked closely and successfully with another person who had a background different from your own. (150 words max)
- How do you see yourself serving the state of West Virginia if accepted? (150 words max)
- Which one of the AAMC Interpersonal or Intrapersonal Core Competencies is your strongest, and why? How will this competency enhance your ability to be an outstanding physician? (150 words max)
- What is your life motto, and why? (150 words max)
West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2022 – 2023
- Why do you want to attend the WVU SOM? (150 words max)
- Describe one of your experiences that will provide evidence to the Committee on Admissions that you will be able to contribute to the culture of collaboration at the WVU SOM. (150 words max)
- Describe a time when you worked closely and successfully with another person who had a background different from your own. (150 words max)
- Name a medical condition that is particularly prevalent in West Virginia. Describe one experience in which you cared for a patient with that specific medical condition. If you did not have the opportunity to care for an affected patient directly, please share a relevant shadowing, leadership/educational, research or service experience. (150 words max)
- Which one of the AAMC Interpersonal or Intrapersonal Core Competencies is your strongest, and why? How will this competency enhance your ability to be an outstanding physician? (150 words max)
- What is your life motto, and why? (150 words max)
West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2021 – 2022
- Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? (150 words max)
- The mission statement of our School mentions that we prepare our learners to be “resilient.” However, every incoming student is expected to already have some degree of resilience as described in AAMC Pre-Professional Competencies. Please describe how you have demonstrated resilience and adaptability. (150 words max)
- Describe a time when you worked closely and successfully with another person who had a background different from your own. (150 words max)
- Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia. (150 words max)
- Every accepted student to the Class of 2026 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them? (150 words max)
- (Optional) question on how the pandemic adversely affected your application. (100 words max)
West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2020 - 2021
- Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? (150 words max)
- The mission statement of our School mentions that we prepare our learners to be “resilient.” However, every incoming student is expected to already have some degree of resilience as described in AAMC Pre-Professional Competencies. Please describe how you have demonstrated resilience and adaptability. (150 words max)
- Please respond to two of the following prompts (150 words max):
- Tell us one unique fact about yourself.
- What is your theme song and why?
- Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia.
- Every accepted student to the Class of 2025 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them?
West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2019 - 2020
- Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? (150 words max)
- The mission statement of our School mentions that we prepare our learners to be “resilient.” However, every incoming student is expected to already have some degree of resilience as described in AAMC Pre-Professional Competencies. Please describe how you have demonstrated resilience and adaptability. (150 words max)
- Please respond to two of the following prompts (150 words max):
- Tell us one unique fact about yourself.
- What is your theme song and why?
- Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia.
- Every accepted student to the Class of 2024 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them?
West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2018 - 2019
- Why did you choose to apply to West Virginia University School of Medicine? (150 words max)
- Please respond to two of the following prompts (150 words max):
- Tell us one unique fact about yourself.
- Every accepted student to the Class of 2023 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them?
- Advocacy in medicine can come in many forms. Please describe a situation when you advocated for someone else.
- Name a character to whom you can relate from any book and tell us why.
- While shadowing physicians, you have likely witnessed excellent role models. In some instances, you may have witnessed a negative doctor-patient encounter. If you have witnessed a negative encounter, please describe how you would have handled the situation differently if you were the physician.
- Students are a crucial part of the medical team, and often students bring innovative ideas to challenging situations. Please provide a creative solution to a major health issue in West Virginia.
West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2017 - 2018
Please answer 4 out of the 5 essays below. Each answer must be 150 words or less.
- Why have you chosen to apply to WVU SOM? What opportunities do you foresee yourself taking advantage of during your time here?
- Describe the community in which you spent the majority of your early development. What core values did you receive there and how will these translate into the contributions that you will make in medical school and beyond?
- What has been your most humbling experience, and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients?
- Describe a situation where you have chosen to advocate for someone who is different from yourself. How do you see advocacy linked to your role as a physician?
- Describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician.
West Virginia Medical School Secondary Application Questions: 2016 - 2017
Please answer 4 out of the 5 essays below. Each answer must be 150 words or less.
- Why have you chosen to apply to WVU SOM? What opportunities do you foresee yourself taking advantage of during your time here?
- Describe the community in which you spent the majority of your early development. What core values did you receive there and how will these translate into the contributions that you will make in medical school and beyond?
- What has been your most humbling experience, and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients?
- Describe a situation where you have chosen to advocate for someone who is different from yourself. How do you see advocacy linked to your role as a physician?
- Describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician.