University of Chicago Pritzker Medical School Admission Counselors

A Guide to the Pritzker Admissions Process - Essays, Interviews & Deadlines

Pritzker Mission Statement

At the University of Chicago, in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity.

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University of Chicago Pritzker Medical School Admissions Counselor

Pritzker Secondary Application Questions

Our Mission Statement above is an expression of our core purpose and educational philosophy. In particular, it highlights the value we place on diversity since we regard the diversity of entering class as essential for educational excellence. Please write an essay on how you would enhance diversity at Pritzker and advance the Pritzker mission.

We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words.

This is an important question that highlights the central core of what Pritzker is about (and may even be more important in some ways than the primary personal statement).

Before you answer it, take a look around the Pritzker website (pritzker.uchicago.edu) to get a better sense about the school and its values (you should probably do this for every school you are writing a secondary for). I would approach this question in 2 parts:

Reflect on the Mission Statement

More specifically, discuss why you would be a good “fit” for Pritzker, based on the mission statement. This can focus on any aspect that is more pertinent to your application: research, service, education, etc. The key thing here is showing that you would be an ideal fit for the interdisciplinary atmosphere that permeates Pritzker and the University of Chicago as a whole, and would contribute to that culture of discovery. Pritzker prides itself on cultivating leaders in medicine and healthcare and if you are able to demonstrate your potential in this regard (i.e. via prior leadership in service activities, education, multidisciplinary research, etc) it will elevate your application as a top one in terms of fit.

Importance of Diversity

Diversity can take on many forms, be open-minded when thinking about your past experiences. Many applicants believe that diversity is limited to gender, race, age categories. While it is true that this is indeed important in creating a well-rounded class, “diversity” can have many different interpretations and you should focus on the strengths of your own application to see how you would enhance the Pritzker community. Do you come from a business background? Do you have prior experience in policy work? Have you done any unique collaborative research? Emphasize any positive experience you have had where you have worked with individuals who are different from you. Being a medical student at Pritzker, and an effective doctor means being a good team player. This is what “diversity” is all about. Discuss your experience with this, in the context of the mission statement, and you will be successful!

Further Questions

Tell us about a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. In your response, identify both the coping skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 400 words.

These questions are always somewhat tricky. However, my best advice is to first think about any situation (especially those that were non-medically related) where you had to take a pause and think, or ask others for advice. Those are the situations that test you. Write down why you had to take a pause to think, whom you talked to, and what made that situation difficult. The first part of the question (in no more than 150-200 words) should describe the experience itself.

The second part of the answer should focus on why it was important and the lessons you learned from it. This section reveals your thought process to the reader and gives her a glimpse into your perspective. The final section of the answer should be how you would apply these lessons to medicine. This part can be short (no more than a paragraph), however is important in showing how you would address the many challenging situations ahead of you as a medical student.

Please feel free to use this space to convey any additional information that you might wish the Committee to know. We suggest that you limit your text to about 200 words.

Don’t feel obligated to answer this! However, you SHOULD discuss any lapses in your training (admissions committees will want to know what you have been doing with your time), any failed or repeated courses, any downward trends in your academic record, if you have taken the MCAT more than once, or anything else you think would draw a red flag about your application.

Don’t feel that you must use this space to reiterate your love for Pritzker. However, if you have a convincing personal reason for wanting to attend Pritzker, you can document it here. Make sure not to go over 200 words!

Pritzker School of Medicine Application Timeline

AMCAS Application Deadline: November 15

Supplemental Application Deadline: December 1

Letters of Recommendation: December 1

Interview Dates: August – February

Decision Notification: Rolling Acceptance from October 15

Additional Application Information:

https://pritzker.uchicago.edu/admissions/admissions-process

Check Out the Top Medical School Acceptance Rates - it's a highly competitive admissions environment, and we strongly recommend considering professional Medical School admissions consulting.

 

For more information about the Pritzker process, reach out to us via any of the contact options below.