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July 24, 2022

Duke University School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 – 2023]

Duke University’s Medical School is ranked 6th by U.S. News for research and 78th for primary care, and is known for its focus on interdisciplinary learning . It aims to use medical research to solve global problems. Duke emphasizes diversity, inclusion, and attention to community health problems. Consequently it comes as no surprise that Duke’s secondary application questions ask you to consider your role as a physician in global and local communities.

For more information about the program, check out our podcast episode: Deep Dive Into Duke Medical: An Interview With Dr. Linton Yee, Associate Dean of Admissions >>

Duke secondary application tips 2022-2023

Duke secondary application essay #1: advocacy.

Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)

Advocacy is fighting for, recommending, or supporting – a person, cause, system or ideal. What is your style of advocacy? When have you helped someone after they experienced discrimination, hardship, or bias? When did you recommend someone often overlooked due to bias to receive recognition, opportunity or reward? Have you ever amplified a marginalized person’s viewpoint, supported services to improve the life of someone with a disability? What happened? What did you do? What was the outcome of your actions? Looking back, what was the risk of advocating in light of the situation? 

The prompt asks for an individual example, but you can also think about an individual you have worked with who represents a broader group of people. This question is asking you to think about your role as a physician-advocate, someone who will represent their patient in the quest to obtain fair and adequate healthcare. The question also addresses Duke’s emphasis on the physician as a member of the community with a duty to improve care for all.

Duke secondary application essay #2: Coping with Disappointment

Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you learned/gained from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)

This prompt challenges applicants to be truthful about a disappointing moment, an initiative or effort that didn’t have the desired results. If looking at oneself as “having failed” sounds too self-deprecating, then turn the table here. Tell the story of a setback as a growth moment. Keep in mind, hitting road bumps on the way to achieving life goals is inevitable. Being able to adapt and learn, perhaps, is the moral of this story because physicians adapt to circumstances and compensate for gaps in patient care often.

Duke secondary application essay #3: Value Systems

Describe a situation in which you had to utilize your values to interact with people from different backgrounds. How did those values impact the relationship? ( 400 words )

We are all shaped by our cultures, experiences and values. People respond to challenges often in keeping with ingrained cultural habits. For instance, was it common to have friends join your family at the dinner table? What value is associated with always having room to feed another person at the table? Have you invited international friends or friends whose families live far away to join you and yours when they had nowhere to go to celebrate Thanksgiving? Why did you do this? What belief led you to extend such an invitation? 

Were you ever asked to assist with a ceremony that was not part of your own spiritual practice? Was this challenging? How did this request feel like an honor? 

Did this experience change or build relationships?

One could take this prompt in another direction too, to engage with people of a different background whom you do not know. If you are white, did you ever attend a Black Lives Matters march because it was unequivocally the right thing to do? If you are straight, did you help others achieve LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, hang a “safe zone” sticker on your door and someone seeking a safe place came knocking? If you are a woman, did you ever endorse a white man for a leadership position even though leadership positions are saturated with white men? 

What relationship, if any, came from a “doing the right thing” experience? What did you learn about how to build multicultural, diverse friendships or relationships?

Duke secondary application essay #4: Leadership

Leadership, teamwork, and communication flow synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)

This is a very broad question about critical skills in medicine. Doctors are leaders, but they are also part of a medical team. Communication with patients, peers, and other members of the healthcare professions is mandatory.

When did you take on a leadership role ? How did that go? What guiding principles helped you lead effectively, or what guiding principles came to light while adapting to a leadership role? Discuss which skills and attributes contributed to your effectiveness as a leader and/or a team member . What worked for you when you were in a leadership role? How did this experience change how you “walk the walk” of a leader?

Duke secondary application essay #5: Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)

In your research, how do you analyze and evaluate the progress of your work to stay in line with the research goal? How do you provide context for a research outcome so others understand its value or potential impact in medicine? Effective critical thinking demonstrates cognitive ability to assess complexity. Your answer, therefore, should demonstrate how you think through an essential issue inherent in the research project. How does this research progress or propel medicine into the 21st century?

Duke secondary application essay #6: Understanding the Need for Health Care Changes

Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Describe your experience and reflection with race and its relationship to disparities in health, health care and society. Consider the values of justice, diversity, inclusion and equity (400 words)

Minority populations are often at risk for poor health and have limited or complicated access to care. Why is this so? Tell a story about race, your own or someone else’s experience, as it was affected by health care disparities. How was race a critical factor to a poor outcome? Be sure to briefly explain the reality of this truth. From here, what does this disparity mean regarding a doctor’s approach to patient care? How should physicians respond to this situation?

Duke secondary application essay #7: COVID-19 Implications

How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society? (400 words) 

Almost all medical schools require a response from applicants to the current COVID-19 pandemic . This prompt, like others, asks how you were affected. If possible, you should also answer with how you responded — did you start or participate in an initiative to help shut-ins obtain food, for example? However, the emphasis in this prompt, and the majority of one’s thought in addressing it, should be spent on the answer to the second question. Duke University SOM is asking you what this unexpected shift in preparing to be a doctor has done to you. Moreso, it is asking how this unexpected shift in preparing to be a doctor has revised your vision of “doctoring” in the future. This surely engages some insight and perspective about public health, the common good, the disparity of risk among less advantaged populations, cultures and demographics. It may also be an opportunity for you to reveal adaptability, initiative, grit, and/or resilience.

Duke secondary application essay #8: Tell Us Who You Are

Tell us more about who you are. This is your opportunity to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (500 words)

As schools are taking more factors into consideration when it comes to diversity, they are also asking applicants to put more thought into the relationship between diversity (of patients and colleagues) and their own identity. This is one such question. You should feel free to talk about aspects of your identity that might not be obvious from your application. I suggest doing so through the use of examples in order to illustrate how those parts of your personality inform your behavior towards others. You should also explain how these qualities or experiences will impact how you treat and interact with others. What story can you tell about yourself that defines you?

Duke secondary application essay #9 [Optional]: Race/Ethnicity/Geographic Origin/Socioeconomic Status/ Advantage/Disadvantage/ Religious Affiliation

Use the text box below to provide additional information on how these parameters have/will influence you.( Optional , 200 words )

Clearly, any aspect of yourself that identifies and is defined by Race, Ethnicity, Region/Country, SES, Advantage, Disadvantage or Religious affiliation suggests that this aspect of you will continue into the future, and perhaps influence how you regard others, practice inclusivity, and take action to help others. Avoid telling a story that makes one parameter an identity marker that limits your ability. For instance, don’t write about your family’s economic struggle when you were young as a reason you could not participate in exclusive academic programs, even though that may have been true, but rather tell the story in such a way that how you had to claim an education worthy of a noble career like being a physician was only possible by having ingrained resilience at a young age due to an economic struggle or disadvantage. How does this truth influence what you do for others – this should be a “never forget” story or “forever formed by” story that compels you to lift up others.

Applying to Duke? Here are some stats:

Duke average MCAT score: 518

Duke Medical School average GPA: 3.86

Duke Medical School acceptance rate: 2.9%

U.S. News  ranks Duke #6 for research and #78 for primary care.

Check out the Med School Selectivity Index for more stats.

Has this blog post helped you feel more confident about approaching your Duke secondary application? We hope so. It’s our mission to help smart, talented applicants like you gain acceptance to your top choice medical school. With so much at stake, why not hire a consultant whose expertise and personalized guidance can help you make your dream come true? We have several flexible consulting options— click here to get started today !

Duke University Med School application timeline 2022 – 2023

Source: Duke University School of Medicine website

Dr. Mary Mahoney, PhD, is the medical humanities director at Elmira College and has more than 20 years of experience as an advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. She is a tenured English professor with an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a PhD in literature and writing from the University of Houston. For the past 20 years, Mary has served as a grad school advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants.  Want Mary to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• School-Specific Secondary Application Essay Tips
• Deep Dive Into Duke Medical: An Interview With Dr. Linton Yee, Associate Dean of Admissions , a podcast episode
• What NOT to Write in Your Medical School Secondary Application Essays
• 7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

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Reviewed by:

Rohan Jotwani

Former Chief Resident in Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, & Admissions Officer, Columbia University

Reviewed: 10/13/23

Wondering how to write the Duke Medical School secondaries? Follow along for all the Duke med school essay tips and samples you need to get started. 

Secondary essays can seem like a major undertaking, which is why most students find getting started is the hardest part. If this sounds familiar to you, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, we discuss everything you need to know about writing memorable supplemental essays for Duke Medical School . 

Even if Duke isn’t one of your target medical schools, our expert tips can still help you to write stellar essays for any med school you apply to. Stick around to find out how to write the Duke Med School supplemental essays including tips, samples, and more.

Let’s get started!

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

Duke Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts & Tips

The Duke supplemental application is notorious for being extraordinarily long. There are nine essay prompts in total to get through, although not all of them are mandatory for submission. Nevertheless, you should get started on your supplemental essays as soon as you can to ensure you have enough time to write thoughtfully and review thoroughly. 

The Duke Medical School secondary essay prompts are the following:

Essay Prompt 1: Advocacy ‍

Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)

Essay Prompt 2: Coping with Disappointment ‍

Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you learned/gained from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)

Essay Prompt 3: Value Systems

Describe a situation in which you had to utilize your values to interact with people from different backgrounds. How did those values impact the relationship? (400 words)

Essay Prompt 4: Leadership

Leadership, teamwork, and communication flow synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)

Essay Prompt 5 : Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)

Essay Prompt 6 : Understanding the Need for Health Care Changes

Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Describe your experience and reflection with race and its relationship to disparities in health, health care and society. Consider the values of justice, diversity, inclusion and equity (400 words)

Essay Prompt 7: COVID-19 Implications

How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society? (400 words)

Essay Prompt 8: Tell Us Who You Are

Tell us more about who you are. This is your opportunity to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (500 words)

Essay Prompt 9 (Optional): Race/Ethnicity/Geographic Origin/Socioeconomic Status/ Advantage/Disadvantage/ Religious Affiliation

Use the text box below to provide additional information on how these parameters have/will influence you. (Optional, 200 words)

Essay 10 (Optional): Additional Information

Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application.

As you can see, the final prompt is optional. For more information on the Duke medical school application process, take a look at our complete guide on how to get into Duke medical school . There we discuss how to apply, application material requirements, and much more.

Duke Medical School Secondary Essay Tips 

Now that we’ve gone over the supplemental essay prompts, let’s go over some tips on how to answer each one. 

Tip #1: Choose an Appropriate Story

The Duke supplemental essays provide an opportunity for you to highlight what makes you a uniquely qualified med school candidate and, one day, an excellent doctor. However, demonstrating your soft skills can be challenging without sounding like you're bragging. That’s why it’s important to use anecdotal evidence to back up your claim.

For example, the “Leadership” essay asks you about your values as a leader and a team player. In this essay and others that ask you about a specific personality trait (coping skills, advocacy, critical thinking and value systems) you should select a compelling story from your past in which you demonstrated that skill. 

You can also select a story about how you developed that skill. Nobody gets everything right on their first try! Talking about a time you failed and learned from it is an excellent way to show humility, self awareness, and tie in the key trait in the essay prompt. Specifically, this is an excellent format for the “Coping with Disappointment” essay.

Tip #2: Stay Up to Date on Current Events 

Keeping up with current events in the medical field is an important part of the application process, especially when it comes to the “Covid-19” essay and the “Understanding the Need for Health Care Changes” essay . Both of these essays ask you to provide your views on healthcare and society. When formulating your answers, make sure to support your ideas!

You should always be “in the know” so that you can formulate an opinion based on medical reasoning, and you won’t be caught off guard. This is especially important in your interviews, and may come up later on throughout your career. A good doctor is able to remove themselves from the equation and consider the bigger picture. 

That said, both the “Covid-19” prompt and the “Understanding the Need for Health Care Changes” prompt ask you to outline your personal experiences in relation to the future of healthcare. So, you should be able to support your opinion with a personal experience as well. 

The strongest essay in this case is one that is able to tie in both personal and professional reasoning to ultimately present a solid case to back the main message of your writing. For example , “in my personal life I noticed Covid was having a negative impact on X. I did research and noticed more issues with X, so, as a future healthcare provider I want to improve X.”

Tip #3: Consider the Structure of Your Essay

When writing your essay, something you may find helpful is to go back to the basics. In a traditional essay, the intro sets up the rest of the story by piquing our interest and setting the scene. The body paragraph(s) explain important details about the story, and present the ‘problem’ of your essay. 

Next, the climax shocks you with the most interesting, key turn of events in the story. Finally, the conclusion sums up what you took away from the experience and conveys a message. Following this structure, no matter which prompt you’re writing, will help you to craft an interesting story that keeps the reader engaged the entire time.

Tip #4: Research Your School

One of the best things you can do to strengthen your essays is to do a ton of school research, especially when writing the “Understanding the Need for Health Care Changes” essay, and the “Value Systems” essay. Take a look at everything Duke has to offer. What attracts you to the school? What specific pieces of Duke’s history and values do you find inspiring?

Remember, you’ll be competing with some top-tier talent. Knowing exactly what you can get out of Duke will help admissions committees to see that you’ll not only be a great student, but you’re a perfect fit for this school specifically. This is also why, although not always necessary, you should edit your essays and adjust them for each school you apply to. 

Tip #5: Be Authentic and Don’t Repeat Yourself

When it comes to writing supplemental essays, one of the most crucial things you need to remember is that Duke wants to get to know you. Avoid trying hard to tell a university what you think they want to hear, as it can come off as ingenuine and is often more obvious than you may think. Write with your own voice, not someone else's! 

At the same time, you should also avoid repetition. It can be tempting to talk about the amazing awards you’ve won, but if they’re already on your application - don’t worry. They saw it! Your essays are the place to provide insight on who you are as a person. In short, be genuine, write in your own voice, and don’t repeat your resume. 

Tip #6: Only Write the Optional Essays if They Apply to You

The first Duke Medical School optional secondary is quite specific. It asks you to provide information on how your race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status, religious affiliation, or other unique advantages/disadvantages have influenced you and will continue to in the future. If this prompt does not apply to you, it’s better to not write it. 

Remember, the admissions committee wants you to be authentic. Do not go out of your way to search for a disadvantage to write about! If this prompt does apply to you, use this time to not only explain how your unique experience has been challenging for you, but talk about how you intend to pave the way for others like you in the future through the medical field. 

The same logic applied to the second optional essay. You should only write it if there’s a gap on your resume or something specific you want to explain.

Tip #7: Revise, Revise, Revise!

As always, revise your essays! Have a teacher, mentor, coach, friend, or guardian look over them before you send them in. There’s a lot of written work to submit, which means there’s a lot of room for error. Don’t let a simple grammar mistake put a stain on your hard work!

Now that we’ve gone over the Duke essay prompts and our expert tips, let’s dive into some examples! Here are some Duke med school essay examples that worked. 

Sample Essay #1: Coping with Disappointment (400 words)

“As a student with dyslexia, I have faced my fair share of academic setbacks and disappointments. Dyslexia has presented me with unique challenges in my academic journey, from struggling to read quickly to misinterpreting written instructions. However, I have learned that it is not my dyslexia that defines me, but rather how I choose to cope with it.

One of the ways I have coped with disappointment is by developing a growth mindset. I have learned to approach setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement, rather than as evidence of my limitations. For example, when I struggled to keep up with my reading assignments, I worked with my academic advisor to identify strategies for improving my reading speed and comprehension. By doing so, I was able to improve my grades and eventually develop a greater sense of confidence in my abilities.

Another way I have learned to work through my dyslexia is by seeking support from my community. I’m excited to take advantage of the wealth of resources at Duke University, such as the Disability Management System to the Office of Access and Outreach. Additionally, I have connected with other students with dyslexia through organizations like the Learning Disability Association, which has provided me with a sense of community and shared experience.

Finally, I have coped with disappointment by maintaining a sense of perspective. While my dyslexia may present me with unique challenges, it is important to remember that it does not define me as a person or as a potential medical student. By focusing on my strengths and working to develop strategies to overcome my weaknesses, I have been able to maintain a sense of optimism and resilience even in the face of setbacks. 

Overall, coping with disappointment as a student with dyslexia is an essential skill for any aspiring medical student. By developing a growth mindset, seeking support from the community, and maintaining a sense of perspective, I am confident that I can overcome any academic challenge and achieve my goal of attending Duke Medical School. While dyslexia may present me with unique challenges, I have learned that it is not a barrier to success, but rather an opportunity to develop resilience and perseverance.”

Why this essay works:

This essay is successful because the writer comes from a perspective of growth when talking about their dyslexia. The main point to focus on when writing this essay is how you work through issues, not the issue itself. The writer also shows that they’ve done research on Duke Medical School by incorporating programs they found and resources they intend to use.

Sample Essay #2: Value Systems

“As an international student studying in the US, I have had several opportunities to interact with people from different backgrounds. One particular situation that stands out to me happened during a group project in my communications class. Our team consisted of students from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and we were tasked with creating a presentation on a topic related to cultural diversity.

Throughout the project, I found myself struggling to connect with some of my teammates. We had different perspectives on the topic and often disagreed on how to approach the project. However, I was determined to maintain a positive and respectful relationship with all of my teammates, despite our differences.

To achieve this, I relied on my core values of empathy, open-mindedness, and respect for diversity. I made a conscious effort to listen carefully to my teammates' perspectives, even when I disagreed with them. I tried to put myself in their shoes and understand how their cultural backgrounds may have influenced their opinions.

Additionally, I remained open-minded to new ideas and approaches. Rather than dismissing my teammates' ideas outright, I asked questions and tried to understand their reasoning. I was also willing to compromise and adapt my own ideas to fit the needs and perspectives of the group.

Finally, I maintained a strong commitment to respecting diversity in all its forms. I recognized that our team's diversity was one of our greatest strengths, and I encouraged my teammates to share their unique perspectives and experiences. I also made a conscious effort to avoid making assumptions or judgments based on cultural stereotypes.

Overall, my values of empathy, open-mindedness, and respect for diversity helped me to build positive and productive relationships with my teammates, despite our differences. By actively listening, remaining open-minded, and respecting diversity, I was able to contribute to a successful group project and develop meaningful connections with people from different backgrounds.”

This essay is short and sweet and focuses on how the student was able to overcome their differences with teammates to complete a group project. They highlight soft skills like empathy, open-mindedness, and respect for diverse perspectives. When it comes to writing this essay, its best to keep it light and not delve too heavily into the issue at hand. 

Sample Essay #3: COVID-19 Implications

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the world, and my journey to medical school has not been immune to its effects. As I reflect on the past year and a half, I can see how these events have changed my outlook on medicine's role in society and reinforced my commitment to pursuing a career in healthcare.

Firstly, the pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of healthcare workers and the need for a strong and resilient healthcare system. As I watched frontline workers selflessly put their own health at risk to care for others, I was struck by the incredible dedication and compassion that defines the medical profession. The pandemic has shown me that medicine is not just a job or a career path, but a calling to serve others and make a positive impact on the world.

Additionally, the pandemic has emphasized the need for innovation and adaptation in the healthcare field. The development of vaccines and new treatments in record time was a testament to the power of human ingenuity and collaboration. As a prospective medical student, I am excited to be entering a field that is constantly evolving and adapting to meet new challenges.

On a more personal level, the pandemic has also impacted my journey to medical school in practical ways. Virtual learning and remote coursework have presented unique challenges and forced me to adapt to new modes of learning. However, I have also found opportunities for growth and development in these new learning environments, such as developing stronger self-motivation and time-management skills.

The pandemic has also impacted my ability to participate in clinical experiences and volunteer opportunities. However, I have remained committed to finding ways to contribute to my community, such as volunteering at vaccine clinics and tutoring students remotely.

Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced my belief in the importance of medicine and the critical role of healthcare workers in society. It has also presented challenges and opportunities for growth in my journey to medical school. I am more determined than ever to pursue a career in healthcare and to make a positive impact on the world through medicine.”

The writer highlights several issues with the healthcare system they realized throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. They also highlight the importance of the healthcare system and reinstate their passion for medicine toward the end. The best way to end this type of essay is by explaining how the pandemic has affected your desire to pursue medicine.

FAQs: Duke Med School Secondary Essays

Here are our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Duke Medical School secondary essays

1. How Many Secondary Essays Do You Need for Duke Medical School?

The Duke Medical School secondary application is notoriously long, and has sometimes up to 10 secondary essay prompts with two being optional. The exact number of secondary essay prompts for the 2023-2024 application cycle has not yet been released. 

2. Does Duke Screen Before Secondaries?

According to the AAMC , Duke does not screen before sending secondary applications. Many students choose not to complete the Duke med school secondary application due to its length. However, the school is still highly competitive. 

3. How Do You Answer Duke Medical School Secondaries?

When it comes to writing memorable Duke med essays, there is no one size fits all approach. However, you’re sure to make a good impression if you keep these tips in mind:

• Choose appropriate stories that highlight your unique qualities
• Stay up to date on current events 
• Structure of your essay properly to keep your reader interested
• Research your school
• Be authentic and don’t repeat yourself
• Only write the optional essays if they apply to you
• Revise, and then revise again!

If you’re concerned about the strength of your application, consider hiring an experienced medical school admissions coach to help you craft a successful application from start to finish.

Final Thoughts

Writing the Duke Medical School secondaries is a lot of work, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to stand out from the crowd! In fact, because the secondary application to Duke is longer than average, many students don’t end up moving forward with their application. So, technically, even by finishing it you already have a leg up!

Of course, this is no excuse to slack off. Duke Medical School is highly competitive and well known across the country. Your essays should reflect what makes you uniquely qualified to study at Duke, highlight your soft skills, and contain compelling, memorable stories. By following our expert tips, you’re sure to have a much better chance of gaining acceptance to Duke Medical School. 

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Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts

• Cracking Med School Admissions

Getting accepted to Duke School of Medicine is hard. Very hard. Submitting an OUTSTANDING Duke Medical School secondary application is vital to receiving an interview invite, which ultimately can lead to an acceptance. Duke secondaries are notorious because the Duke secondary application is one of the longest secondary applications. If you look below at the year-over-year Duke secondary prompts, the Duke secondary application gets longer and longer over time! Because our Cracking Med School Admissions team has no word limits when it comes to our secondary essay editing , it is one of the most common secondary applications that we read each year. The Duke Med School Admissions committee gets an intimate look into each applicant. Duke secondaries are extremely personal and open-ended, allowing applicants to write about their passions and their backgrounds. 

We want to note a few things for applicants who are starting to write the Duke secondary.

• There have been a lot of changes in the Duke secondary recently. This would NOT be a secondary application we would suggest pre-writing before the official prompts are released by the medical school admissions office.
• Duke cares a lot about your personal background and how you relate (work with) diverse individuals. 

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to Duke School of Medicine year after year.  Get started and read our  Duke Medical School secondary application tips  below. To learn more about student life, read our  Duke Med School Profile, “How to get into Duke Medical School.”

• Personally Tailored Essays
• Edits by Stanford & Harvard-trained Doctors
• We study your application strengths to see what unique attributes we’ll bring to the medical school

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022-2023

• Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (500 words max)
• (Optional)  In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future.  (200 words max)
• New Question (worded slightly differently): Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy.  What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words max)
• Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you learned/gained from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words max)
• New Question: Describe a situation in which you had to utilize your values to interact with people from different backgrounds.  How did those values impact the relationship? (400 words max)
• Leadership, teamwork, and communication flow synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words max)
• Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words max)
• Potential sources of health inequities include race, gender, education, income, disability, geographic location, and sexual orientation. Moments to Movement (M2M) is Duke’s collective stand against systemic racism and injustice. The name signifies going beyond passive moments of reflection and becoming more active as we build to make lasting change for our patients, their loved ones and each other. Describe your understanding of race and its relationship to inequities in health and health care. (400 words max)
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society? (400 words max)
• Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application.  (no word limit)

Tips to Answer Duke Secondary Essays

Duke Secondary Essay Pre-Writing Guidance: We want to note a few things for applicants who are starting to write the Duke secondary.

• There are a lot of changes in the Duke secondary recently. This would NOT be a secondary application we would suggest pre-writing before the official prompts are released by the medical school admissions office. Additionally, writing 10 long essays is super intimidating. Work on some shorter secondaries first, and then you’ll be able to use those essays to help you finish this one! From our extensive experience, Duke is not a time-sensitive medical school, so you do not need to rush to submit this secondary.
• Duke cares a lot about your personal background and how you relate (work with) diverse individuals.  

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #1: Answer as many questions as possible on the Duke Med secondary. Our Cracking Med School Admissions team does not view Duke secondary essays as optional. Even if the first two questions are both diversity questions, think about how you can give a response to both essay prompts. Additionally, use the space allotted. Try not to submit 50-100 word essays.

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #2: Highlight your leadership, passion to change healthcare, and impact on society.  Your past experiences are often the best source for great answers.  Tell stories to convey your impact and leadership through your Duke secondary essays. For example, if you conducted research over a gap year, tell a story about a challenge you faced or a patient you met while conducting a clinical trial. 

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #3: Duke is an innovative school. Reflect how you’ve been innovative in your endeavors, whether it’s through writing composition or your research.

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #4:  For the teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking essays, you will be judged on how well you communicate. Make sure you explain your the context you are writing about. We also strongly suggest giving specific examples that show your leadership, teamwork, and critical thinking skills.

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #5: Be detailed and rigorous with how you describe your research. Your research essay will reflect how you critically think through a problem. Make sure to discuss a specific research problem you tackled; our Cracking Med School Admissions team often finds it less effective when a med school applicant writes about his or her research broadly.

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #6: For the health inequities question, incorporate your personal experiences as well as healthcare current issues. We have an entire healthcare current events blog post here , where you can read more about healthcare disparities.

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #7:  Write something for the last essay. It can be your “Why Duke Medical School” essay. Our Cracking Med School Admissions team also encourage students to write something for your essay #2 (optional question about race). Yes, we know this is a SUPER long secondary. But, Duke carefully considers its applicants and wants a diverse student body. Therefore, the more perspective you can give them about your background, the better!

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #8: Because you have the space, don’t forget to incorporate a little bit about “Why Duke Medical School” throughout the essays. Read our Cracking Med School Admissions advice and an example for answering   why this medical school ? Talk about projects, programs and research you want to do at Duke. Learn more about Duke Med’s unique curriculum in our Cracking Med School Admissions school profile  Duke School of Medicine.  

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #9: Start early and get our help. The Duke secondary not only has several essay, but the essays also have large word limits. Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below. Need editing help on your secondary? Dr. Mediratta and Dr. Rizal can personally help you through our secondary essay packages . 

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Tip #10: There are many similarities between the variety of questions between the Duke Medical School secondary essay prompts and the Duke Multiple Mini Interview. Read our tips for the Duke MMI here !

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

• (Optional)  In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future.  (200 words max)
• Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define advocacy as you view it. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate?  (400 words max)
• What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (400 words max)

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Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020-2021

• (Optional) In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. (200 words max)
• 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? What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words max)
• Success can arise from failure. What have you gained from your failed experiences and how does this translate in your current way of thinking? (400 words max)
• Leadership, teamwork, and communication operate synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and member of a team? What attributes do you possess as a leader and how will you apply them every day? (400 words max)
• Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience either enhances or perfects critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. Why is research or critical thinking important to your future career? (400 words max)
• Describe your understanding of race and its relationship to inequities in health and health care? (400 words max)

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2019 – 2020

• (Optional) If one of the above identities do not best describe you, then what identity do you feel most comfortable with? I self-identify as… (50 words max)
• (Optional) Race/Ethnicity/Geographic Origin/Socioeconomic Status/ Advantage/Disadvantage/ Religious Affiliation
• In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. (200 words max)
• Describe the community in which you were nurtured. What core values did you receive and how will these translate into the contributions you hope to make in medicine? What improvements do you think might make the community better? (500 characters max)
• 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? What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (500 words max)
• What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (500 words max)
• Success can arise from failure. What have you gained from your failed experiences and how does this translate in your current way of thinking? (500 words max)
• Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics including creativity, innovation, discernment, emotional intelligence, application and analysis. Describe a situation in which you utilized critical thinking. Why is critical thinking vital in your future? (500 words max)
• Leadership, teamwork, and communication operate synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and member of a team? What attributes do you possess as a leader and how will you apply them every day? (500 words max)
• Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application:

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2018 – 2019

• 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? (500 words max)
• 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? (500 words max)
• Describe a situation where you failed. What did you learn from the experience? Describe at least one functional impact of the experience. (500 words max)
• Critical thinking involves many aspects including curiosity, comprehension, application and analysis. Describe a time when you have utilized critical thinking. How do you anticipate critical thinking being used as part of your career? (400 words max)
• Many view medical care as an undeniable right. What responsibility does the medical profession have in taking care of all persons? (400 words max)
• (Optional) Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application:

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Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

Md essay prompts:.

• 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? (600 words max)
• 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? (600 words max)
• What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (600 words max)
• What qualities will you bring to the practice of medicine? (600 words max)
• Describe a situation where you failed. What did you learn from the experience? Describe at least one functional impact of the experience. (600 words max)
• What role has research had in your preparation for medicine? (250 words max)

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2016 – 2017

• What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients?  (600 words max)
• Describe an experience when you were confronted with an individual or group whose values differ from yours? How did you resolve the conflict/ challenge? Describe at least one outcome that the experience created. (600 words max)
• Describe a successful leader. What type of leadership skills do you want to cultivate in your training experience and how do you envision doing that? (250 words max)
• Have you engaged with the community in the past? How do you hope to understand and impact communities in the future? (250 words max)

Duke Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2015 - 2016

• 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?  (600 words max)
• What will challenge you the most in your life 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? (600 words max)
• (Optional) 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? 
• (Optional) 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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How to Get Into Duke Medical School: Requirements and Strategies

How hard is it to get into duke university school of medicine learn the duke medical school acceptance rate and requirements, plus read duke secondary essay examples.

Duke University School of Medicine is ranked #6 for research by U.S. News and World Report

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: duke medical school md programs, part 3: how hard is it to get into duke medical school, part 4: duke medical school secondary application essays (examples included), part 5: duke medical school interviews.

Like other prestigious medical schools in the U.S., Duke University School of Medicine offers students an unbeatable medical education, exceptional research activity, and a first-rate reputation. There are also a few aspects that set Duke apart from the rest of its top-ranked peers.

Located in North Carolina , Duke is the only top-ten medical school in the South. Furthermore, it was founded in 1930, making it one of the youngest institutions to consistently land in this top tier.  

Duke’s medical school boasts an innovative curriculum that allows students to work directly with patients earlier and to devote an entire year to pursuing their scholarly passions. Fittingly, Duke is ranked third in the country for NIH funding and is a pillar of the Research Triangle Park, the largest research park in the U.S.

If you’re a high-achieving premed, you likely have your sights set on Duke. However, you’ll need more than just a stellar GPA and MCAT score to get in. In this guide, we’ll reveal the essential components of how to get into Duke Medical School, from admissions statistics to application requirements to interview strategy. Most importantly, we’ll help you ace Duke’s secondary application prompts and show you example essays that fit the bill.

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Duke offers students two primary paths towards a medical degree:

The traditional, four-year MD program

The Medical Scientist Training Program ( MD/PhD )

However, Duke’s recently revamped MD curriculum includes a flexible third year that allows students to undertake in-depth research in an area of their interest. One way you can use this time is to pursue a second degree; possibilities include an MD/MPH , MD/MPP, MD/MBA, and MD/JD, among many other options. Around 40% of Duke medical students graduate with a dual degree .

Duke School of Medicine also offers two specialty tracks within its MD program: the Primary Care Leadership Track (PCLT), which aims to train future leaders in the primary care field, and the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship Program (LIC), which allows second-year students to work with a set group of patients longitudinally rather than in blocks.

If you’d like to apply to PCLT, you can indicate your interest on your Duke supplemental application. On the other hand, if you are interested in joining LIC, you’ll apply during your first year at Duke.

Duke Medical School tuition and scholarships

In the 2022–2023 school year, first-year tuition and fees at Duke School of Medicine are billed at $69,756. With the inclusion of housing, books, and other expenses, Duke estimates the total cost of attendance to be $98,112.

Among graduates in Duke’s class of 2021, the average medical school debt incurred was $141,606, significantly less than the national average .

Duke Medical School admissions statistics

With an acceptance rate of just 2.9%, getting into Duke School of Medicine certainly isn’t easy. Let’s examine the admissions numbers for the class of 2026:

Applications: 7,883

Complete applications: 4,798

Interviews: 541

Matriculants: 105

Median GPA: 3.9

Median MCAT score: 520

(Suggested reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School )

Duke Medical School admissions requirements

Unlike the majority of medical schools, Duke doesn’t require applicants to have taken specific courses in order to apply. That said, serious applicants are expected to have prepared themselves through coursework in the subjects below:

Biochemistry

Cellular biology

Statistics/biostatistics

Expository writing 

Specific numbers of courses aren’t given for most subjects, so you’ll want to review Duke’s admissions website for a more complete sense of their academic expectations . Take note that Duke seeks out students who have a “broad and balanced” interdisciplinary education.

Applicants must also submit an MCAT score . For Fall 2023 admission, you’ll need to have taken the exam sometime between January 2018 and September 2022.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is currently possible to submit your application and be invited to interview without an MCAT score. However, your application will be reevaluated once your score is in, and an MCAT score is ultimately required in order to be accepted.

(Suggested reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide )

Duke Medical School application timeline

Below is a timeline of key dates and deadlines to keep in mind as you complete your Duke application. Duke’s dates for 2023-2024 applications have not yet been released.

May 2, 2023: AMCAS application opens

May 30, 2023: AMCAS application can be submitted

June 25, 2022: AMCAS transmission begins

July 2022: Duke secondary application opens

September 2022–January 2023: Interviews conducted

Mid–late February 2023: Admissions decision released

October 15, 2022: AMCAS submission deadline

November 15, 2022: Duke secondary application deadline

Unlike some other medical schools, Duke doesn’t pre-screen applicants, so once your AMCAS application is verified, you will receive an invitation via email to complete the secondary application.

Duke releases all admissions decisions towards the end of February instead of admitting students on a rolling basis. Nevertheless, rather than wait until the fall to submit your application, we encourage you to submit both your primary and secondary applications as early as you can—without sacrificing quality.

(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline )

Once you’ve submitted your primary AMCAS application, you’ll want to focus your energies on writing your Duke secondary essays. Duke’s secondary application is notoriously long and features a number of unique prompts, so it’s a good idea to get started ahead of time. You can look to the fact that only 60% of initial applicants end up submitting a secondary to get a sense of the effort that is required!

Duke notes that the secondary application is an important component of their holistic application review. The wide range of required prompts , many of which focus on demonstrating personal characteristics, signals that they are looking to your secondary essays to better understand who you are as a person, what unique life experiences you’ll bring to the table, and what you have to offer beyond excellent grades and test scores. They also want to ensure that you have clear, well-thought-out reasons for committing yourself to medicine and serving others.

Therefore, get ready to dig deep and bring your complete self to the fore. Below, we’ll walk you through each of Duke’s secondary essay prompts, offering strategies for tackling each essay as well as real-life example essays that worked.

Question 1: Advocacy: Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)

Duke highlights through this prompt that there’s more to medicine than diagnosing and treating illness; being a physician also comes with a social responsibility. Physicians must work to empower patients and improve access to healthcare, whether on an individual or societal level.

In brainstorming topics for this prompt, consider times when you’ve stood up for the rights of others, helped someone find their voice, or enabled them to access something they needed.

Since many applicants understandably think of volunteer experiences for this essay, keep in mind that not all volunteer work necessarily involves being an advocate. For example, serving meals to the unhoused, while worthwhile, may not in and of itself be viewed as advocacy. On the other hand, accompanying an unhoused individual to appointments or helping them fill out paperwork might better fit the bill of “empowering others.”

Here's an example that works:

Toby turns his computer towards me. “Does this look good?” I nod as I read the email, which confirms his extra time accommodations for an English in-class essay. I can tell he’s unconvinced as he hesitates to send it. Toby is typically apprehensive when approaching teachers and worries that his classmates find his learning differences weird. Despite these fears, I encourage him to ask for help when struggling in class, assuring him that I will proofread his emails so that he can feel confident. I give Toby a thumbs up and remind him that using his voice is something to be proud of. “I used to be nervous talking to teachers,” I tell him. “Different learning is not bad learning! Just because Beyoncé has a vocal coach doesn’t mean she’s a bad singer.” Toby hits send.

Though I myself have not experienced the physical challenges of having cerebral palsy nor the social anxiety and distractibility associated with ADHD, I still support Toby’s goals by leading with empathy. I advocate for Toby every day by learning from his perspectives, encouraging him to identify and communicate his views, and anchoring him through difficult academic and social experiences.  

Coming from an all-boys K-8 in Los Angeles that espoused speaking up for the voiceless, my understanding of advocacy was previously limited to providing services to the underserved and increasing education around inequities. Working as a personal aide with Toby has since expanded this definition. I’ve learned that advocacy comprises inherently selfless actions that focus on guiding people to feel empowered by their own decisions. It means empathetic listening first, then providing advice if called for. It requires challenging internal biases. In addition to sharing his experiences with disability, Toby has taught me about the nuanced manifestations of ableism: “toxic positivity,” viewing disabled people as broken humans who need to be fixed, and savior complexes are all harmful. I try to reflect upon and unlearn any attitudes that veer towards ableism and incorporate disability awareness into conversations with family and friends.  

Being an advocate risks facing conflict with those who don’t believe in your cause. Not everyone will prioritize your advocacy goals, but this extra effort is worth it when you know that you’ve helped someone else. As a physician, I will encounter patients with varied conditions and health determinants; I will approach every individual with empathy and a readiness to support their health decisions.

Why does this work? 

This student recounted a specific experience and demonstrated how it was an opportunity for them to empower someone else. They didn’t just talk about helping Toby, nor did they use this as a chance to pat themselves on the back. Instead, they illustrated how their work with Toby provided him with what he needed to complete an important task. 

This student defined “advocacy”—in line with the prompt—and explained how their definition has been shaped by varying life experiences. In doing so, they also explained how that definition was influenced by the work they did. 

One word stands out, “empathy.” This student’s experience allows him to frame his definition of advocacy within the idea of empathy, a necessary attribute for doctors. The way these ideas are linked shows clear communication skills and an ability to consider the profession on a deeper level.

The response concludes by tying advocacy to their future work as a physician.

Question 2: Coping with Disappointment: Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you learned/gained from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)

Question 3: Value Systems: Describe a situation in which you had to utilize your values to interact with people from different backgrounds. How did those values impact the relationship? (400 words)

Question 4: Leadership: Leadership, teamwork, and communication flow synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)

Question 5: Critical Thinking: Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words) 

Question 6: Understanding the Need for Health Care Changes: Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Describe your experience and reflection with race and its relationship to disparities in health, health care and society. Consider the values of justice, diversity, inclusion and equity. (400 words)

Question 7: COVID-19 Implications: How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society? (400 words)

Question 8: Tell Us Who You Are: Tell us more about who you are. This is your opportunity to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (500 words) 

Question 9: Race / Ethnicity / Geographic Origin / Socioeconomic Status / Advantage / Disadvantage / Religious Affiliation. Use the text box below to provide additional information on how these parameters have/will influence you. (200 words) (Optional)

Question 10: Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application. (No word count given) (Optional)

Gain instant access to med school secondary essay examples for every single prompt required by every medical school in the United States and Canada. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.

Being invited to interview at Duke Medical School is an accomplishment in and of itself; in the most recent application cycle, fewer than 7% of applicants made it to the interview stage.

Duke’s website notes that you should think of your interview day as a window through which you can assess fit. Just as they hope to get a sense of “the depth of your intellectual curiosity, commitment to a career of service, and ethical values,” you should approach the interview as an opportunity to learn as much as you can about whether Duke matches what you’re looking for in a medical program.

Duke uses an MMI interview format, and in the 2023–2024 application cycle all interviews will be held virtually. Your Duke MMI interview will consist of eight interview stations: five ethical scenarios, two traditional interviews, one team scenario (visited twice), and a video interview station. Each station will take about nine minutes to complete, and your performance at each station will be assessed by different faculty, staff, or student raters who are members of Duke’s admissions committee.

To help you prepare, we’ve provided a comprehensive guide to acing the MMI interview , which includes strategies for thinking through each type of station, example answers, and 150 practice questions.

On the Sunday before your MMI, you’ll also have the opportunity to partake in a virtual campus tour, plus panels and breakout sessions that will give you the opportunity to learn more about Duke.

(Suggested reading: How to Ace Medical School Interviews (Questions Included) )

Final thoughts

Getting into a medical school of Duke’s caliber can seem like a formidable challenge, especially when it requires you to write numerous lengthy essays. However, graduating with an MD from Duke is well worth the effort and will provide you with countless opportunities along the way. Start early and take the time to write application essays that highlight what makes you unique and which demonstrate your commitments to service and intellectual rigor. By following the advice in this guide, you’ll be one step closer to opening an acceptance letter from Duke School of Medicine. 

About the Author

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.

Duke University School of Medicine Secondary Questions

Here are Duke University School of Medicine’s secondary questions.

1. Tell us Who You Are: Share with us your story. This is your opportunity to allow us to know how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. ( 500 words )

2. Working with Others: Trust and rapport are essential in your day-to-day interactions with people. How do you cultivate a relationship with a person who may be very different from you?  (400 words)

3. Advocacy: Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate?  (400 words)

4. Coping with Disappointment: Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you discovered from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking?  (400 words)

5. Leadership: What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis?  (400 words)

6. Critical Thinking: Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or similar experience in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career?  (400 words)

7. Understanding the Need for Healthcare Changes: Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Discuss your experience with disparities in health, health care and society.  (400 words)

8. COVID-19 Implications: How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society?  (400 words)

9. Further Information: Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application

• Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (500 words)
• Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define advocacy as you view it. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)
• Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you learned/gained from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)
• What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (400 words)
• Leadership, teamwork, and communication flow synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)
• Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)
• Potential sources of health inequities include race, gender, education, income, disability, geographic location, and sexual orientation. Moments to Movement (M2M) is Duke’s collective stand against systemic racism and injustice. The name signifies going beyond passive moments of reflection and becoming more active as we build to make lasting change for our patients, their loved ones and each other. Describe your understanding of race and its relationship to inequities in health and health care. (400 words)
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society? (400 words)
• In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. (optional) (200 words)
• 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? What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)
• Success can arise from failure. What have you gained from your failed experiences and how does this translate in your current way of thinking? (400 words)
• Leadership, teamwork, and communication operate synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and member of a team? What attributes do you possess as a leader and how will you apply them every day? (400 words)
• Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience either enhances or perfects critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. Why is research or critical thinking important to your future career? (400 words)
• Describe your understanding of race and its relationship to inequities in health and health care? (400 words)
• Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (Words left: 500)
• If one of the above identities do not best describe you, then what identity do you feel most comfortable with?(optional)
• I self-identify as… (Words left: 50)
• Race/Ethnicity/Geographic Origin/Socioeconomic Status/ Advantage/Disadvantage/ Religious Affiliation(optional)
• In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. (Words left: 200)
• Describe the community in which you were nurtured. What core values did you receive and how will these translate into the contributions you hope to make in medicine? What improvements do you think might make the community better? (Words left: 500)
• 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? What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (Words left: 500)
• What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (Words left: 500)
• Success can arise from failure. What have you gained from your failed experiences and how does this translate in your current way of thinking? (Words left: 500)
• Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics including creativity, innovation, discernment, emotional intelligence, application and analysis. Describe a situation in which you utilized critical thinking. Why is critical thinking vital in your future? (Words left: 500)
• Leadership, teamwork, and communication operate synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and member of a team? What attributes do you possess as a leader and how will you apply them every day? (Words left: 500)
• Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application:
• Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. 500 words
• (Optional) In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. 200 words
• 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? 500 words
• 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? 500 words
• What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? 500 words
• Describe a situation where you failed. What did you learn from the experience? Describe at least one functional impact of the experience. 500 words
• Critical thinking involves many aspects including curiosity, comprehension, application and analysis. Describe a time when you have utilized critical thinking. How do you anticipate critical thinking being used as part of your career? 400 words
• Many view medical care as an undeniable right. What responsibility does the medical profession have in taking care of all persons? 400 words
• (Optional) Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application:

Regular MD prompts:

• 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? 600 words
• 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? 600 words
• What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? 600 words
• What qualities will you bring to the practice of medicine? 600 words
• Describe a situation where you failed. What did you learn from the experience? Describe at least one functional impact of the experience. 600 words
• What role has research had in your preparation for medicine? 250 words
• Good luck to everyone applying!
• 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?
• Describe an experience when you were confronted with an individual or group whose values differ from yours? How did you resolve the conflict/ challenge? Describe at least one outcome that the experience created.
• Describe a situation where you failed. What did you learn from the experience? Describe at least one functional impact of the experience.
• *All above are 600 word limit
• Additional prompts for those pursuing the Primary Care Leadership Track: Describe a successful leader. What type of leadership skills do you want to cultivate in your training experience and how do you envision doing that? (250 words)
• Have you engaged with community in the past? How do you hope to understand and impact communities in the future? (250 words)

*All have 600 word limit

• What will challenge you the most in your life 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?
• Pick one optional essay:
• 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? (Optional)
• Toughest Feedback: What is the toughest feedback that you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it? (Optional)

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• College Application

Duke Supplemental Essay Examples

Writing essays can be a tricky business, especially if you can’t see samples, which is why reading over some Duke supplemental essay examples will be just the ticket for your own essay writing process. This should give you a good idea of how to proceed, whether you need help with how to start a college essay , or are trying to edit and refine your first draft. Following the examples laid out below is a great way to make your college application stand out.

In this article, we cover all six possible short essays required by Duke for their supplemental section. Some of the essays are optional, but we provide examples for all of them; carefully read the prompts to find the examples relevant to your application. These are the essays that are truly unique to Duke. Then, we provide some notes on essay writing in general, and some expert college essay tips for Duke, in particular.

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Article Contents 11 min read

Short essay.

For all Duke applicants: “What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.”

Word limit: 250 words, max.

Numbers never lie, and with Duke’s commitment to intellectual honesty, I know that I will feel at home in your institution. My interest in mathematics has been life-long, and from the time I was little and played with number-based toys, through my developing years applying math to music and music to math, I have allowed numbers to permeate my very way of life. Math is beautiful. It describes our universe and fills me with awe and wonder. It is because of this that I seek out unique experiences and understandings of mathematics, and novel approaches to the subject. Consequently, I have several reasons for wanting to study math at Duke.

The Lyceum is a concept that fascinates me. The idea of approaching the exploration of advanced mathematics through social interaction is strangely unique. I would think that more people would want this, but Duke has it. This forum would allow me to engage with my peers, my mentors, and those who have gone before and, when I am an older student, with first-year students as well – all of us learning together, from each other. What could be better than that?

Numbers don’t lie, as I said, and Duke’s high academic standard also means that my admission would truly mean something; acceptance from a discerning institution is valuable, indeed, and would provide a wonderful sense of accomplishment, while imbuing a sense of responsibility.

The Lyceum is one of my favorite concepts as a learning tool, and I itch to participate; I hope you will allow me that opportunity.

Duke emphasizes that these questions are optional for all applicants and notes the following:

“Feel free to answer them if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application. Four optional questions are available – a maximum of two can be selected. Please select 0–2 optional essay topics.”

Word limit: 250 words, max. per essay

Optional Essay No. 1: “We seek a diverse student body that embodies the wide range of human experience. In that context, we are interested in what you’d like to share about your lived experiences and how they’ve influenced how you think of yourself.”

My parents got divorced, and I know that that’s the oldest story in the book at this point, but this family schism – at first traumatizing and upsetting for me and my siblings – became a very important aspect of my life and shaped my worldview into what I think is a unique perspective.

My family is biracial, with my Black mom and white dad starting a family together. Although they parted ways, both sides of my heritage have remained intact, and I feel like I get two perspectives. We live in a racially charged world, and my experiences and sympathies allow me to understand the many facets that go along with current conversations about race.

You will be writing in a standard essay format: opening paragraph, body, conclusion. You will present a central idea, theme, or college essay topic , and work from there to deliver that idea quickly, and concisely.

Your opening paragraph should start off with a “hook” sentence that draws in the reader and makes it impossible for them to stop reading. The better the hook, the better the start, which will greatly help your readers enjoy your work. You also need to present your main focal point in the opening paragraph.

This is particularly important in Duke’s essays, as they have a 250-word limit; these essays are very short, and you don’t have a lot of space to include extra material. Check out some college essay introduction examples to boost your writing in this area, specifically.

In the body of your essay, you will have a few, short paragraphs to deal with your topic and answer the prompt. Get into as much detail as you can but stick to two or three main points. Again, you are constrained by the word limit, and you don’t have room to add a lot of detail.

Try to pack in some reflection on how you have grown as a person or student due to each event you discuss. The prompt can be answered, plus you can allude to academic achievements or some other accomplishments that the admissions committee will take a closer look at on your resume.

Your conclusion should focus on wrapping up the essay and summarizing anything set up in the opening paragraph. However, as noted, your conclusion should also make the committee want to hear more from you; give them someone they would want to meet in an interview. How to write a college essay can be tricky but following these steps will already get you headed in the right direction.

Remember to edit and refine! No essay is perfect from the start, so give yourself time to get feedback, do re-writes, and triple-check for spelling and grammar.

Please note that Duke also requires applicants to write other essays: one from a selection of Common App essays or Coalition Application essays, depending on which application you are using. Transfer students are required to write an additional essay as well. We have not written samples for these essays in this article.

Essay writing is a lot less intimidating once you have seen it done by someone else. These essay examples should prove invaluable to you while you create your own essays for your application.

Read as much as you can, both in terms of example essays and general technique, and focus on answering the prompts directly and skillfully.

Yes. Every option you have available to you should be exercised because each one is an additional opportunity to showcase your talents and abilities to the admissions committee.

Not formally, but they are reviewed by the committee, so a quality essay makes a big difference. Make sure every part of your application is the best you can make it.

About three weeks to write and refine your essays should be sufficient. This doesn’t mean 40 hours a week, but just that you’re setting aside time to ponder the prompts, brainstorm, write, and edit, which does take a lot of time if done well.

Yes. Never exceed any word counts, page counts, or character limits. Note that if you apply somewhere with a character limit, that limit probably includes spaces, so calculate carefully and err on the side of safety. Don’t let your essay or application fail because of an exceeded word count.

This goes double for deadlines: cutoff points are cutoff points, and you can’t exceed them.

You could ask teachers if they would look at your essays, but you can also check out college essay review services for assistance.

You can confidently submit your essay when you know you have corrected all errors, fully explored the prompt, answered any questions, put yourself into your essay – so that your character and individuality shine through – and shown your potential.

These are both application systems that streamline the application process to universities and colleges. The Common Application is more widely used, so you have access to more schools through it; the Coalition Application is intended for disadvantaged students, who might come from lower-income districts, or who have some other roadblock to higher education in their lives.

If your schools-of-choice are only available through the Common Application, you will probably use the Common App as your system. On the other hand, if you are from an underrepresented group, or need additional assistance, you might have a better overall experience with the Coalition App.

Yes. In fact, they accept students from many backgrounds. From their website: “Whether you’re an international applicant, one that is undocumented, homeschooled, transferring, or one with a disability – we are here to help you navigate the application process.”

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2 Strong Duke Essay Examples

With a very low acceptance rate, Duke is one of the most competitive U.S. colleges to get into. Alongside killer stats, extracurriculars, and letters of recommendation, admissions officers are looking for engaging, concise, and thorough essays to put you over the top.

In this post, we’ll share a Duke essay written by a real student and analyze what it did well and where it could be improved. Hopefully, you can take away some insight that will help you write your Duke essays.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our Duke essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. 

Duke Pratt School of Engineering Essay Example – Why Engineering?

Prompt:   If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as a first year applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke (250 words).

One Christmas morning, when I was nine, I opened a snap circuit set from my grandmother. Although I had always loved math and science, I didn’t realize my passion for engineering until I spent the rest of winter break creating different circuits to power various lights, alarms, and sensors. Even after I outgrew the toy, I kept the set in my bedroom at home and knew I wanted to study engineering. Later, in a high school biology class, I learned that engineering didn’t only apply to circuits, but also to medical devices that could improve people’s quality of life. Biomedical engineering allows me to pursue my academic passions and help people at the same time.

Just as biology and engineering interact in biomedical engineering, I am fascinated by interdisciplinary research in my chosen career path. Duke offers unmatched resources, such as DUhatch and The Foundry, that will enrich my engineering education and help me practice creative problem-solving skills. The emphasis on entrepreneurship within these resources will also help me to make a helpful product. Duke’s Bass Connections program also interests me; I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary problem-solving comes by bringing people together from different backgrounds. Through this program, I can use my engineering education to solve complicated societal problems such as creating sustainable surgical tools for low-income countries. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field. Duke’s openness and collaborative culture span across its academic disciplines, making Duke the best place for me to grow both as an engineer and as a social advocate.

What the Essay Did Well

A strength of this essay is how it grows in specificity as it progresses, and in college-essay-writing, specificity is key. In the first paragraph, there’s a smooth yet concise transition from a general childhood fascination with engineering to a more mature and specialized field of interest. We learn more and more about this student, almost in layers; first we learn they loved math and science, then engineering, and then biomedical engineering. In every sentence, each of this student’s personal qualities and traits builds off of the one before it, adding more dimension and nuance to their character.

In shifting from her past experiences to Duke’s academic offerings, this student uses their similarly interdisciplinary natures to connect the two. This penchant for smooth, concise transitions is an especially important asset when working with a sub-300 word limit. This applicant chose Duke-specific opportunities to discuss, giving no generic desires for “great professors,” a “top” program, or empty appeals to emotion (“The campus just felt like home!”)

The final sentence serves to nicely tie the essay up, re-affirming the student’s personal qualities and how they suit the student for Duke, personally and academically.

What Could Be Improved

This essay could be made stronger with some improvements to the second paragraph. When including Duke opportunities they want to take part in, this student tells us “ I am fascinated by ,” and it “ interests me ,” but this is fairly basic writing. The reader shouldn’t have to be told about your interest and excitement over something; it should jump off the page.

Rather than telling us they are fascinated by interdisciplinary research, they could write something like this: “ I’d take the thrill of finding connections between two seemingly unrelated topics, knee-deep in library archives, over the drop on the Kingda Ka rollercoaster.”  Notice how this sentence doesn’t explicitly say anything about how they find research fascinating, but by describing it as a more thrilling experience than a rollercoaster, the reader gets a strong visual of the student’s passion.

Another thing missing from this essay is the  why behind this student’s interest in helping others. They clearly flush out their motivation for pursuing engineering, but they never explain what draws them into being a social advocate. Throwing in how they want to “ improve people’s quality of life “, “ create sustainable  surgical tools for low-income countries “, and be a “ social advocate ” has little impact if we don’t understand the importance. A sentence or two that provides background on this student’s compassionate side and where it originated from or what it looks like in action would help bring more weight to their claims of becoming a social advocate.

Duke Essay Example – Why Duke?

In the last six years, my community has been disconnected from the national grid. The result? I watched my mother spend so much money on fuel and patronizing nearly every generator technician in town so we could access electricity. I developed the habit of going to my tutorial centers with my phone charger, hoping that by some streak of luck, the generator would be on. However, with Duke’s minor in Energy Engineering, all these could become things of the past. I especially look forward to courses like ENERGYER 310: INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY GENERATION and ENERGYER 490:RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, which will equip me with the knowledge I need to design cheap and environmentally friendly energy systems.

Outside the classroom, I hope to contribute to Duke’s mission of supporting positive change worldwide by participating in some of Duke’s signature programs, especially the Duke engage gateway program. I am a big fan of math competitions and math in general. As a result, I worked with some of my friends in 2019 to set up a math enrichment organization for high schoolers. I plan to someday have the Duke engage program work with our organization to help provide STEM classes and encourage hand on design projects among Nigerian high school students. I look forward to the academically challenging classes, interactions with strangers, and all the other things that come with being a blue devil.

This essay, which is responding to a textbook example of the “Why This College?” prompt, does a nice job of clearly explaining this student’s motivation for pursuing the specific opportunities at Duke they mention. Because of the story at the beginning about what this student and their mother went through to access energy, the reader understands the personal connection this student has to energy engineering. That personal connection, coupled with the fact the student names specific energy engineering classes at Duke, proves that their interest in the subject is genuine.

The student’s discussion of the Duke engage program is also backed with a personal story that deepens the connection between their past experiences and the things they hope to accomplish at Duke. Rather than just saying they want to join the engage program because they like creating positive change, their description of creating a “math enrichment organization” in high school shows Duke admissions officers that they have already embodied that value of making the world a better place.

One way this essay could be improved would be to more empathetically drive home the theme of making the world a better place. Between this student’s passion for bringing energy solutions to their community and helping Nigerian students access STEM resources, they clearly have a genuine desire to be a force for positive change. Right now, however, the essay feels somewhat like two distinct anecdotes stuck together, rather than a cohesive story focusing on this aspect of their personality, with Duke-specific opportunities woven into that story.

Centering the essay on this quality would shift the focus from the programs at Duke, and how the student fits into them, to the student’s personality, and how Duke aligns with it. It might seem like a subtle difference, but the result would be an essay that both flows naturally and highlights the student’s admirable character.

How would the student go about making this change? The essay could start with a sentence that shows us their passion for helping others in general, rather than in the context of their local power grid of the math organization they cofounded. This line could be quite simple, for example: “ ‘To help others!’ That’s how I answered my mom every year when she asked what I wanted for my birthday. ” 

Then, the student could move into talking about the helplessness they felt not being able to fix the power grid, and how that feeling motivated them to pursue energy engineering. Their story would continue by transitioning into a discussion of how they hope to help people in a variety of ways, not just by improving their access to electricity. They could cite their math organization as an example of another way they’ve worked to make people’s lives better, and demonstrate their commitment to that organization by describing how they hope to grow it with the skills they learn from the Duke engage program.

This version of the essay, by centering on their personality from start to finish, would feel more cohesive, while still incorporating why the student wants to attend Duke specifically.

Where to Get Your Duke  Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Duke essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Duke School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for Duke University School of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page .

About duke university school of medicine

Secondary Deadline : November 15, 2023 Secondary Fee : $100 FAP Waiver : Full Fee Waived CASPer Required : No Screens Applications:  No Accepts Application Updates:  Yes

Advocacy Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)

Coping with Disappointment Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you learned/gained from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)

Value Systems Describe a situation in which you had to utilize your values to interact with people from different backgrounds. How did those values impact the relationship? (400 words)

Leadership Leadership, teamwork, and communication flow synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)

Critical Thinking Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)

Understanding the Need for Health Care Changes Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Describe your experience and reflection with race and its relationship to disparities in health, health care and society. Consider the values of justice, diversity, inclusion and equity (400 words)

COVID-19 Implications How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society? (400 words)

Tell Us Who You Are Tell us more about who you are. This is your opportunity to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (500 words)

Race/Ethnicity/Geographic Origin/Socioeconomic Status/ Advantage/Disadvantage/ Religious Affiliation Use the text box below to provide additional information on how these parameters have/will influence you.(Optional, 200 words)

For PCLT (Primary Care Leadership Track) applicants:

Community Engagement PCLT values community engagement. What is your understanding of community engagement and its value? How does community-engagement impact either research or working in a community to improve health outcomes? (250 words)

Why PCLT What distinguishes you from other applicants to the PCLT program? (250 words)

1.Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. (500 words)

2.Optional stuff on gender, sexuality, race, etc.

If one of the above identities do not best describe you, then what identity do you feel most comfortable with?(optional) I self-identify as… (50 words)

3.In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. (optional) (200 words)

4.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? What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)

5.Success can arise from failure. What have you gained from your failed experiences and how does this translate in your current way of thinking? (400 words)

6.What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (400 words)

7.Leadership, teamwork, and communication operate synergistically. What do you value most as a leader and member of a team? What attributes do you possess as a leader and how will you apply them every day? (400 words)

8.Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience either enhances or perfects critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or another situation in which you utilized critical thinking. Why is research or critical thinking important to your future career? (400 words)

9.Describe your understanding of race and its relationship to inequities in health and health care? (400 words)

10.How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your journey to medical school? Have these events changed your outlook on medicine’s role in society? (400 words)

1. Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. 500 words

Choose 1-3 components of this prompt (self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics) which are particularly unique for you and help define you as a person. Brainstorm how these unique traits affect your personal values and influence your desire to be a physician. One component of this question which is crucial to answer is how will these traits help you interface with similar and dissimilar people. Answer this specifically. It may be helpful to use examples of each during which you have been successful in the past, or times that you have been unsuccessful and learned a lesson.

2. (Optional) In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. 200 words

This question is difficult to answer without overlap with question #1 above. One way to do this would be to answer in #1 how these traits inform your ability to interact with diverse people such as patients and colleagues. On the flip side, you can answer in #2 how your personal values or defining characteristics influence your overall desire to become a physician and your goals within the medical world.

3. 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? 500 words

To answer this question, first describe your background and living environment. Paint a picture of the people and circumstances surrounding you in your youth, perhaps with an anecdote. Then choose 1-2 key values which were influential to you and help inform your desire to be a doctor. Consider the following core values: togetherness and family connection, compassion for those in need, interpersonal connection, hard work, discipline, altruism, curiosity and passion for learning. The last component which may be the hardest to answer is what to improve about the environment. Try to think of a shortcoming of your environment which did not allow you or those around you to grow and flourish as you might in another scenario. How might one correct this If you are able to identify a possible improvement, you can transform this answer into a positive one.

4. 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? 500 words

Duke demonstrates with this question that they really value diversity and being a champion for diverse and underrepresented populations. Think back to an experience which may fit this scenario. Perhaps you worked with homeless or underpriveleged communities and have a clear answer. If not, you may have to be more creative. Was there a time during which you had to stand up for someone whom you might not otherwise interact with? Use this anecdote to discuss the physician role as educator and advocate for the patient. This is a large responsibility for a doctor, to use their knowledge and resources to empower their patients and help them better themselves.

5. What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? 500 words

Brainstorm experiences or accomplishments which were particularly formative. Think of a scenario in which you overcame particular adversity. Tie the experience to what lesson it taught you and how it made you encounter your own limitations, and was thereby humbling. Then focus on what skill or trait you gained that made you a stronger person. Be humble; do not emphasize our tout your personal excellence but rather show your introspection and personal growth.

6. Describe a situation where you failed. What did you learn from the experience? Describe at least one functional impact of the experience. 500 words

Choose an experience during which you worked hard and strived for greatness but did not achieve the outcome you desired. Focus on an experience that can demonstrate a learning experience or growth as a person. Make sure this does not overlap with #5 above.

7. Critical thinking involves many aspects including curiosity, comprehension, application and analysis. Describe a time when you have utilized critical thinking. How do you anticipate critical thinking being used as part of your career? 400 words

Strong answers to this question may include experiences in the following categories:

• Working with a team on a project which required collaboration, and finding a way to bridge the gap between different opinions on how to solve a problem
• A unique idea or method to study and answer a research question in your lab or clinical research
• Crafting a solution to a problem or improving on existing system that are in place in a previous job, student organization, etc. This would be analogous to the concept of quality improvement which is very important in medicine

Connect an experience in this category to a skill it helped you develop which will allow critical thinking as a physician, which is important for team collaboration, research, quality improvement (all fields similar to the experiences listed above).

8. Many view medical care as an undeniable right. What responsibility does the medical profession have in taking care of all persons? 400 words

Medicine is a unique field in that we strive to care for any and all persons in need, regardless of any ethnic, educational, or socioeconomic factor. This is something all physicians should likely at least believe in principle, so try to coincide with this opinion in your answer. Relevant economic and philosophy concepts to look into to craft your answer might include social justice and resource allocation. Focus on benefiting patients and providing to those in need.

9. (Optional) Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application:

Answer this question as appropriate with a unique paragraph that does not repeat any of your prior answers.

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 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? 600 words

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? 600 words

3. What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? 600 words

4. What qualities will you bring to the practice of medicine? 600 words

5. Describe a situation where you failed. What did you learn from the experience? Describe at least one functional impact of the experience. 600 words

6. What role has research had in your preparation for medicine? 250 words

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 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? (600 words)

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? (600 words)

3. What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients? (600 words)

4. Describe an experience when you were confronted with an individual or group whose values differ from yours? How did you resolve the conflict/ challenge? Describe at least one outcome that the experience created.

5. Describe a situation where you failed. What did you learn from the experience? Describe at least one functional impact of the experience. (600 words)

Additional prompts for those pursuing the Primary Care Leadership Track: 6. Describe a successful leader. What type of leadership skills do you want to cultivate in your training experience and how do you envision doing that? 250 words

7. Have you engaged with community in the past? How do you hope to understand and impact communities in the future? 250 words

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.

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