2023-2024 Toledo

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2023-2024 Toledo Secondary Essay Prompts

1. The Admissions Committee considers a wide variety of factors in evaluating applicants, including fit between applicants and our program’s mission, goals, and culture. In the essays below, we invite you to share information about yourself with regard to two aspects of our program. We encourage you to provide information and insights that may not be easily gleaned from other aspects of your medical school application. In responding to the essay prompts below, you should interpret the questions to the best of your ability.

One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves cultural competence. The competency involves several distinct domains, including:

a. Demonstrating knowledge of socio-cultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors;
b. Showing an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity;
c. Recognizing and acting on the obligation to inform one's own judgment;
d. Engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work;
e. Recognizing and appropriately addressing bias in selves and others;
f. Interacting effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in one of the above domains. (Clearly indicate which of the six domains above that you are responding to.) As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will impact your future contribution to the culture of diversity and inclusion at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences and later in your career as a physician. (600 words)

2. One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves resilience and adaptability. This competency involves the ability to tolerate stressful or changing environments or situations and adapt effectively to them. Additional characteristics of this competency are persistence and the ability to recover from setbacks.

Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in resilience and adaptability as described above. As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will help you meet new challenges you may face in medical school. (600 words)

3. (Optional) Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the corona virus (COVID-19) public health crisis. Possible topics might include, for example: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic; creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis; hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus or quarantine. (You will have an opportunity to specifically discuss impacts to your coursework/grades in a separate item.) (600 words)

4. We invite you to briefly discuss any other connections you may have to The University of Toledo, the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, the city of Toledo, or the region of Northwest Ohio or to provide additional information about the affiliations you noted above. (300 words)

5. Please briefly describe what activities you are/have been engaged in during the period between undergraduate school and medical school. (300 words, pops up if you answered "yes" to if you had a gap.)

6. If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school, we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.) (500 words)


Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback:
University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences Interview Feedback

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Hi everyone! Incoming M2 at Toledo, it feels like yesterday I was in your shoes :) if there's anything you'd like me to answer, please send the question in the thread and I'd be happy to help you out!!! Good luck this cycle :D
 
Hi everyone! Incoming M2 at Toledo, it feels like yesterday I was in your shoes :) if there's anything you'd like me to answer, please send the question in the thread and I'd be happy to help you out!!! Good luck this cycle :D
Can you please clarify if the 3 letter of recommendations have to be from science professors or any faculty.
 
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Can you please clarify if the 3 letter of recommendations have to be from science professors or any faculty.
I don't feel like they had a requirement about them being science prof recs but I would reach out and ask the admissions department if you want more certainty!
 
I don't feel like they had a requirement about them being science prof recs but I would reach out and ask the admissions department if you want more certainty!
Thank you! That will be great!
 
Hello, I have a couple questions regarding clerkships at Toledo, if anyone who has been through M3 year might be open to sharing. How has M3 been overall (like interactions with residents/attendings, vibes in general)? Also, what percent of students typically get honors/high pass/pass in a given rotation? If anyone has had experience with this I'd appreciate the insight. Thanks so much in advance!
 
Hello, I have a couple questions regarding clerkships at Toledo, if anyone who has been through M3 year might be open to sharing. How has M3 been overall (like interactions with residents/attendings, vibes in general)? Also, what percent of students typically get honors/high pass/pass in a given rotation? If anyone has had experience with this I'd appreciate the insight. Thanks so much in advance!
I'm an M4 and I think M3's been pretty great. Never felt like anyone was annoyed with me being there and residents/attendings are all generally pretty welcoming and helpful. Also everyone grades you very generously, so that means your final score will mostly be determined from your shelf exams. Around 1/3 get honors, 1/10 getting pass, and everyone else high pass. Objectively speaking, a good M3 environment and curriculum (though there are definitely some points for improvements)
 
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Hi everyone! Incoming M2 at Toledo, it feels like yesterday I was in your shoes :) if there's anything you'd like me to answer, please send the question in the thread and I'd be happy to help you out!!! Good luck this cycle :D
Is the interview for 30 minutes? How many people interview the student?
 
Is the interview for 30 minutes? How many people interview the student?
Entering M1 here, I'll watch this thread so I can help with questions! Interview is MMI format, so you have a series of mini interviews where you have 2 minutes to read your prompt, 8 minutes to respond and discuss with your interviewer, and then a 5 minute break. There are 8 interviews, so the whole process took 2 hours. I think I had 6 faculty members and 2 students.
 
None yet. I graduated from Toledo undergrad and from what I hear, they tend to send secondaries like mid-August. Just hearsay though
Toledo both starts and ends their application cycle later than other schools, personally I got my II in late September of my app cycle and I was one of the earliest to get it
 
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anyone know if this MD/ PhD program is fully funded
"Students are supported financially during the years of medical school by the medical school tuition scholarship or by personal funds and loans. All M.D./Ph.D. students receive a living stipend and tuition waiver while in the Ph.D. portion of the program." this is what I just fund on there website. I'm assuming this is what you meant by fully funded.
 
"Students are supported financially during the years of medical school by the medical school tuition scholarship or by personal funds and loans. All M.D./Ph.D. students receive a living stipend and tuition waiver while in the Ph.D. portion of the program." this is what I just fund on there website. I'm assuming this is what you meant by fully funded.
Thank you!
 
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Do you mind sharing the prompts, please?
Absolutely! Sorry, was a bit frazzled at time of posting.

All 600 words:

1. The Admissions Committee considers a wide variety of factors in evaluating applicants, including fit between applicants and our program’s mission, goals, and culture. In the essays below, we invite you to share information about yourself with regard to two aspects of our program. We encourage you to provide information and insights that may not be easily gleaned from other aspects of your medical school application. In responding to the essay prompts below, you should interpret the questions to the best of your ability.

One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves cultural competence. The competency involves several distinct domains, including:

a. Demonstrating knowledge of socio-cultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors;
b. Showing an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity;
c. Recognizing and acting on the obligation to inform one's own judgment;
d. Engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work;
e. Recognizing and appropriately addressing bias in selves and others;
f. Interacting effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in one of the above domains. (Clearly indicate which of the six domains above that you are responding to.) As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will impact your future contribution to the culture of diversity and inclusion at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences and later in your career as a physician. (600 words)

2. One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves resilience and adaptability. This competency involves the ability to tolerate stressful or changing environments or situations and adapt effectively to them. Additional characteristics of this competency are persistence and the ability to recover from setbacks.

Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in resilience and adaptability as described above. As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will help you meet new challenges you may face in medical school. (600 words)

3. (Optional) Please use the space below for anything you might wish to discuss related to the corona virus (COVID-19) public health crisis. Possible topics might include, for example: your biggest lessons and insights from the pandemic; creative ways in which you were able to serve your community during the crisis; hardships you may have faced as a result of the virus or quarantine. (You will have an opportunity to specifically discuss impacts to your coursework/grades in a separate item.) (600 words)

4. We invite you to briefly discuss any other connections you may have to The University of Toledo, the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, the city of Toledo, or the region of Northwest Ohio or to provide additional information about the affiliations you noted above. (300 words)

5. Please briefly describe what activities you are/have been engaged in during the period between undergraduate school and medical school. (300 words, pops up if you answered "yes" to if you had a gap.)

6. If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school, we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.) (500 words)
 
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I just got a confirmation email that they received my application, no secondary yet. Verified 6/27, OOS
 
Entering M1 here, I'll watch this thread so I can help with questions! Interview is MMI format, so you have a series of mini interviews where you have 2 minutes to read your prompt, 8 minutes to respond and discuss with your interviewer, and then a 5 minute break. There are 8 interviews, so the whole process took 2 hours. I think I had 6 faculty members and 2 students.
Is it open file interview or closed file interview?
 
Is it open file interview or closed file interview?
I wouldn't classify it as either? MMIs are short "interviews" where you read a prompt on the door and go in and talk abotu or act out the prompt. I don't think many of them actually ask question about you. The practice MMI that I did this summer were all prompts and the only prompt that directly asked about me was something like "what is one thing you have learned from any of your hobbies?"
 
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Are most of the OOS students at Toledo from over the Ohio/Michigan border? I have some ties to Ohio and would love to attend Toledo. On MSAR they actually appear quite out of state friendly based on the map of states where students come from. However, I've also heard some people say the majority of their OOS students are from the Ohio/Michigan border.
 
Are most of the OOS students at Toledo from over the Ohio/Michigan border? I have some ties to Ohio and would love to attend Toledo. On MSAR they actually appear quite out of state friendly based on the map of states where students come from. However, I've also heard some people say the majority of their OOS students are from the Ohio/Michigan border.
Toledo is often seen as OOS friendly due to this. They do still accept some out of state, but I would approach their MSAR statistics with some caution because yes, a good chunk of the OOS people accepted are from Michigan which is 10 minutes from Toledo, and I think another portion of their out of state students originate from the Bacc2MD program, where people attend UT for undergrad for a chance at getting into their medical school and I have friends in that program who are from Washington, Texas etc which I am not certain but I think would add to the OOS statistics.

However, if you have ties to Ohio I think that gives you a much better shot than someone OOS with no ties
 
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Is it open file interview or closed file interview?
What @neuroaspiree said is correct, the MMI portion is just meant to gauge how you'd respond to different kinds of events. The interviews have no knowledge of your application so yes it is closed file! If you get the interview then it means they liked your whole app enough to make it to the interview and they won't bring it up ever again unless you want to bring it up during your interview. Personally I brought up some parts of my app because they were pertinent to answering some of the questions!
 
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I have around 400 words for each response. the 600 word limit feels very high for some of the questions. does it reflect badly not to try to use more of provided space?
 
What @neuroaspiree said is correct, the MMI portion is just meant to gauge how you'd respond to different kinds of events. The interviews have no knowledge of your application so yes it is closed file! If you get the interview then it means they liked your whole app enough to make it to the interview and they won't bring it up ever again unless you want to bring it up during your interview. Personally I brought up some parts of my app because they were pertinent to answering some of the questions!
Is the interview only MMI format or will there be a traditional interview format as well. (Like combined MMI and traditional?)
 
Is the interview only MMI format or will there be a traditional interview format as well. (Like combined MMI and traditional?)
MMI format, no traditional interview. 8 different MMI prompts asking about how you'd act or what your opinions are in different scenarios. Once you get your interview they will never bring up your primary or secondary again. Closed file.
 
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For the final question, I wanted to talk about my low MCAT score since they are much lower than the average due to CARS. I know it's not good to talk about excuses for the MCAT. How should I frame it so that it is not looked at as negative?
 
For the final question, I wanted to talk about my low MCAT score since they are much lower than the average due to CARS. I know it's not good to talk about excuses for the MCAT. How should I frame it so that it is not looked at as negative?
"Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average"
As long as your composite is within range do not highlight negative portions of your app.
 
"Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average"
As long as your composite is within range do not highlight negative portions of your app.
It’s unfortunately not within the range. That was why I asked :(
 
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Whats the consensus for OOS(nonbordering state) with no ties to Ohio? Worth the $95 submission?
 
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i wouldn't
Dug a little deeper. I straight up would not apply unless you have ties or are from Ohio or Michigan. I'm going to assume that those OOS had ties. Class Profile

Screen Shot 2023-08-02 at 12.11.38 PM.png
 
What if I lived in Michigan for like 4 years when I was younger? Seems like a stretch but also sucks knowing I wasted $45 on this school
I feel this sentiment about doubling down, but you can still save yourself the remaining $95 and time you would be drowning into this.
 
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I feel this sentiment about doubling down, but you can still save yourself the remaining $95 and time you would be drowning into this.
True. I want to get these last few secondaries out of the way anyways so one less is honestly a blessing. Good luck to you!
 
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What if I lived in Michigan for like 4 years when I was younger? Seems like a stretch but also sucks knowing I wasted $45 on this school
Tbh I would, we get so many people coming from umich to our school. That said, most of the people coming from out of state either did the Bacc2MD (4 years UG -> med school straight through), MedStart (apply in your 3rd year of undergrad I think, get direct entry without taking the MCAT), or MSBS (special masters program post undergrad that anyone can apply to, earning higher favor of an interview and acceptance after completion of the program). Or have ties to the area. Or don't! I know several people who came from other states with zero ties and were just cool enough to become students here.
 
Tbh I would, we get so many people coming from umich to our school. That said, most of the people coming from out of state either did the Bacc2MD (4 years UG -> med school straight through), MedStart (apply in your 3rd year of undergrad I think, get direct entry without taking the MCAT), or MSBS (special masters program post undergrad that anyone can apply to, earning higher favor of an interview and acceptance after completion of the program). Or have ties to the area. Or don't! I know several people who came from other states with zero ties and were just cool enough to become students here.
Fair enough. I'll put it at the end of my completion list for now and submit it if I have the energy. My ties to Michigan are pretty weak since I was only like 10 years old. Thanks!
 
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Fair enough. I'll put it at the end of my completion list for now and submit it if I have the energy. My ties to Michigan are pretty weak since I was only like 10 years old. Thanks!
Also as previously stated, Toledo seems to start their interview cycle way later than other schools. Even if you do the secondary application now they're not gonna even send out IIs until September.
 
I wanted to address certain aspects of my application under the adaptability and resilience essay, but that same information applies to the prompt asking for us to address any of these components of our app. Any suggestions on what I should do, as I don't want to be redundant?
 
I wanted to address certain aspects of my application under the adaptability and resilience essay, but that same information applies to the prompt asking for us to address any of these components of our app. Any suggestions on what I should do, as I don't want to be redundant?
Since they put that aspect in a separate essay question, I suggest you write about it in question #2,
and choose another of the 6 domains for question #1.
 
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Since they put that aspect in a separate essay question, I suggest you write about it in question #2,
and choose another of the 6 domains for question #1.
I'm referring to the negative components of my application essay and then the essay referring solely to the competency of resilience and adaptability. I have another response, completely different for the 6 domains prompt.
 
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