2015-2016 Duke University Application Thread
- Thread starter Ismet
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No they don't screen at all
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Same here!!
Half of the essay prompts are not the same as in previous years......wooooo!
What are the new prompts?
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DESCRIBE THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH YOU WERE NURTURED OR SPENT THE MAJORITY OF YOUR EARLY DEVELOPMENT WITH RESPECT TO ITS DEMOGRAPHICS. WHAT CORE VALUES DID YOU RECEIVE AND HOW WILL THESE TRANSLATE INTO THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT YOU HOPE TO MAKE TO YOUR COMMUNITY AS A MEDICAL STUDENT AND TO YOUR CAREER IN MEDICINE? WHAT IMPROVEMENTS DO YOU THINK MIGHT MAKE THE DESCRIBED COMMUNITY BETTER?
DESCRIBE A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO ADVOCATE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS DIFFERENT FROM YOURSELF. WHAT DOES ADVOCACY MEAN TO YOU AND HOW HAS YOUR ADVOCACY DEVELOPED? HOW DO YOU SEE IT LINKED TO YOUR ROLE AS A PHYSICIAN/LEADER? WHAT RISKS, IF ANY, MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR CHOICE TO BE AN ADVOCATE?
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST HUMBLING EXPERIENCE AND HOW WILL THAT EXPERIENCE AFFECT YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH YOUR PEERS AND PATIENTS?
WHAT WILL CHALLENGE YOU THE MOST IN YOUR CAREER AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WHEN YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE UNLIKE YOURSELF (E.G. GENDER, RACE/ETHNICITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, SOCIAL BACKGROUND, AND OTHER DIFFERENCE)? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS THESE? WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU PLAN TO USE TO ADDRESS THESE?
[Optional] Pick one of the following:
Giving Back To Your Community: What is the value of giving back to your community? Is it a more important attribute of a physician than of others performing other roles within a community?
Toughest Feedback: What is the toughest feedback that you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it?
DESCRIBE A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO ADVOCATE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS DIFFERENT FROM YOURSELF. WHAT DOES ADVOCACY MEAN TO YOU AND HOW HAS YOUR ADVOCACY DEVELOPED? HOW DO YOU SEE IT LINKED TO YOUR ROLE AS A PHYSICIAN/LEADER? WHAT RISKS, IF ANY, MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR CHOICE TO BE AN ADVOCATE?
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST HUMBLING EXPERIENCE AND HOW WILL THAT EXPERIENCE AFFECT YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH YOUR PEERS AND PATIENTS?
WHAT WILL CHALLENGE YOU THE MOST IN YOUR CAREER AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WHEN YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE UNLIKE YOURSELF (E.G. GENDER, RACE/ETHNICITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, SOCIAL BACKGROUND, AND OTHER DIFFERENCE)? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS THESE? WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU PLAN TO USE TO ADDRESS THESE?
[Optional] Pick one of the following:
Giving Back To Your Community: What is the value of giving back to your community? Is it a more important attribute of a physician than of others performing other roles within a community?
Toughest Feedback: What is the toughest feedback that you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it?
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So...for the 'Judicial' part.
The wording is
The wording is
I have an alcohol IA which I reported in my primary. However, I'm not sure if that's what they're getting at...there was no committee, no big deal was made of it, etc. I guess I'll go ahead and enter it, since it's in the primary anyway, but still. Weird wording.Duke Secondary said:
Agree completely! I have a minor IA that was resolved in meeting with a dean, and writing a letter of apology. No judicial committee meeting. I would err on the side of caution and report it--are you going to provide a description that is in any way different from the AMCAS? Its weird if they just want us to repeat information we already provided.
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Good thing I was lazy with prewriting haha 
Good thing I was lazy with prewriting haha
Well, prewriting 2/4 ain't bad! Good luck to everyone!
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I pre-wrote for all of last year's (required) prompts and now I have to write two new ones, bully for me.
Anyone else not doing the optional essay?
Anyone else not doing the optional essay?
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After all the other essays, what could I say without repeating myself, my PS, my activities. Not gonna do it.
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Great idea. I sound selfish that I haven't really advocated for anyone either. Why am I applying to med school, working, volunteering? I should be advocating instead. Sigh, just when I think I'm ready to apply, SOME SCHOOL decides to point out my obvious weakness. AGGGGHH.
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How about my vegan best friend, and her choices about food products?? I support her decisions, make special food when she comes over, but is that "advocacy". It is just being a friend??
^ i think that could work! because you're showing that you put your own prejudices aside to help them express themselves? maybe? was there ever a situation where she was not able to personally make her vegan food, but you stepped in because you knew it was critical for her?
What sorts of clinical volunteer experiences do you have? Have you ever had to explain a patient's symptoms, requests, or desires to a physician or another clinician? Or the requests of a family member of the patient? In these moments you are acting as an advocate, and you could reflect on how you felt and what you learned during such a situation. I think any time you are doing something on a patient's behalf or for their benefit you could frame yourself as an advocate.
I am personally writing about helping a family member with a chronic illness (advocating with insurance, setting up appointments, applying for government assistance etc)...this should work yes?
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^I think that works well. I personally am writing about being part of a selection committee and advocating for an applicant who wasn't necessarily the type of person we were looking for, but I foresaw as someone who could bring something new and meaningful to the position.
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Does anyone have an idea about the max length to these essays? Seems like you can input an unlimited number of characters/words in the submission box.
No character or word limits, so write to your heart's content. My responses are no more than a page single spaced, longest one is ~4,000 characters. Seems like one of those things that will vary from person to person.
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Anyone want to bounce ideas off each other regarding these prompts? I have rough drafts for almost all of them, and would be happy to help others with theirs too.
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Submitted! Thank goodness I had written my greatest challenge essay about advocacy. What a beast of a secondary.
Duke does not screen, so if you didn't receive an email, hold on tight! You will receive it soon.
Duke does not screen, so if you didn't receive an email, hold on tight! You will receive it soon.
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Nope. I don't know that Duke screens, I think all get the monster of the secondary essays!!
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I sincerely doubt it. If they screened, I would have definitely been screened out and I got the secondary this morning. I assume they're sending in waves like a lot of schools.
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From their website: Each applicant must submit four (4) letters of recommendation, two of which must be from science faculty. Going forward, if your school submits a "composite letter" or "a committee letter", be advised that this composite or committee letter trumps the four letter rule. In other words, if you have a committee or composite letter, you won't need to submit four letters of recommendation.
Do you have a committee letter? :/
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No character limit.
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I have a great essay where I failed to properly advocate for someone, but see, I actually really want to get in to this school!
(It was a response to a prompt for some other application about a time where my morals were incongruous with my employer's. I talked about a time where I caved and said what my boss wanted instead of giving my real opinion to the patient, in a very, very minor instance...and what I learned from it).
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I've been having the same problem trying to email Mr. Wallace. Though I figured I'd tackle the bigger problem first, which is trying to write these essays!
I believe Richard Wallace have retired from DukeMed. You might find better luck just emailing the regular Duke Admissions email or Dr. Armstrong (Admissions Dean) directly.
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Ohhhhh, good to know! Thank you!
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My god this is intense. My humbling experience is hilariously bad. They seem to love to deal in extremes.
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Do any of you know if Duke accepts pre-interview updates?
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I've heard that Duke places a lot of emphasis on the secondary essays since they're such behemoths. Can anyone comment on this and tell me if it's true or not? I have great answers for every single question, and Duke is definitely a reach school for me, so I would love it if they put more weight on my secondary essays
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Can I put a future activity down as an advocacy answer? I have not yet really been in a position to consistently advocate for anyone. However, while I was working in the hospital system in California, I have come to realize the horrible extent to which a language barrier can adversely affect the quality of care a patient receives. Thus, I have made plans in my gap year to become fluent in Spanish (I'm currently 'Fair/Good' level) and to familiarize myself with rural healthcare so that I will be better able to communicate with and advocate for my future patients. Translators do wonderful work, but they are not always available - and even when they are, it's not the same as having a fluent, one-on-one conversation between doctor and patient.
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Also, reposting @Dr. Retractor 's so that I can tag @Ismet so that hopefully the first post will be updated...
1. Describe the community in which you were nurtured or spent the majority of your early development with respect to its demographics. What core values did you receieve and how will these translate into the contributions that you hope to make to your community as a medical student and to your career in medicine? What improvements do you think might make the described community better?
2. Describe a situation where you have chosen to advocate for someone who is different from yourself. What does advocacy mean to you and how has your advocacy developed? How do you see it linked to your role as a physician/leader? What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate?
3. What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients.
4. What will challenge you the most in your career as a health care provider when you have to deal with people unlike yourself (e.g. gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, social background, and other difference)? How do you plan to address these? What resources do you plan to use to address these?
[Optional] Pick one of the following:
(5a) Giving Back To Your Community: What is the value of giving back to your community? Is it a more important attribute of a physician than of others performing other roles within a community?
(5b) Toughest Feedback: What is the toughest feedback that you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it?
No character limits
1. Describe the community in which you were nurtured or spent the majority of your early development with respect to its demographics. What core values did you receieve and how will these translate into the contributions that you hope to make to your community as a medical student and to your career in medicine? What improvements do you think might make the described community better?
2. Describe a situation where you have chosen to advocate for someone who is different from yourself. What does advocacy mean to you and how has your advocacy developed? How do you see it linked to your role as a physician/leader? What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate?
3. What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients.
4. What will challenge you the most in your career as a health care provider when you have to deal with people unlike yourself (e.g. gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, social background, and other difference)? How do you plan to address these? What resources do you plan to use to address these?
[Optional] Pick one of the following:
(5a) Giving Back To Your Community: What is the value of giving back to your community? Is it a more important attribute of a physician than of others performing other roles within a community?
(5b) Toughest Feedback: What is the toughest feedback that you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it?
No character limits
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I hate that they use such extreme words. I can talk about important issues and relate a humbling story just as well with an average one as with my most humbling experience ever. In fact, I can probably talk more intelligently about it.
Note: this is probably what I will end up doing - going with an average instance rather than the extreme. It bothers me a bit, as it's dishonest, and it makes me worry about being judged because my 'most' humbling experience is too light. But to be frank, I think it would be unprofessional to actually discuss the extreme versions on many of these questions. Yet they continue to phrase it that way as if they really think they want the 'real talk' version (when, really, they don't).
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Oh for sure I'm gunna do the same.
No wait, I was nominated for the Nobel but lost to Obama, that sure was humbling. I also advocated for a slave on a ship coming from the Congo to Morocco when I was working towards a cure for cancer in my native village on the outskirts of Casablanca where I was raised by shamans.
No wait, I was nominated for the Nobel but lost to Obama, that sure was humbling. I also advocated for a slave on a ship coming from the Congo to Morocco when I was working towards a cure for cancer in my native village on the outskirts of Casablanca where I was raised by shamans.
