2023-2024 Oregon Health and Sciences University

[garnmonster]

@optimus_prime_ Thank you for posting the essay prompts.

I have 2 questions:
1. Could you tell me about those "Supplemental Information section" questions? I see you numbered them 5, 7, and 8.
2. What are people referring to "20 activities"?

1. The secondary application is divided into multiple sections, including a "short answer" section (which covers question #1-8) and a "supplemental information" section. In the supplemental information section, there are questions about the area you grew up in, where you select one answer out of a list, as well as open-ended questions, which @optimus_prime listed as 5, 7, 8. I can't tell if these questions are optional.
2. There is also an "employment/activities history" section of the application. The instructions say, "Using the fields below, please provide a brief chronological account of your major activities and employment, including volunteer and summer activities, for the five years immediately preceding your proposed entry to medical school. This should include present and projected activities to the point of matriculation to medical school. Please do not include activities that ended prior to or during high school. Note: You are limited to 20 entries in this section."

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[wysdoc]

1. The secondary application is divided into multiple sections, including a "short answer" section (which covers question #1-8) and a "supplemental information" section. In the supplemental information section, there are questions about the area you grew up in, where you select one answer out of a list, as well as open-ended questions, which @optimus_prime listed as 5, 7, 8. I can't tell if these questions are optional.
2. There is also an "employment/activities history" section of the application. The instructions say, "Using the fields below, please provide a brief chronological account of your major activities and employment, including volunteer and summer activities, for the five years immediately preceding your proposed entry to medical school. This should include present and projected activities to the point of matriculation to medical school. Please do not include activities that ended prior to or during high school. Note: You are limited to 20 entries in this section."

Thanks @garnmonster, your fellow OHSU applicants and I appreciate the details

 

[kaleidoscope1202]

Is it hard to get a secondary if you are OOS?

 

[roundgarlic]

Is it hard to get a secondary if you are OOS?

MSAR says they send secondaries to everyone, it is extremely hard to get an interview if you're OOS from my understanding.

 

[kath00]

I am confused. They want us to RETYPE our 15 activities in our primary app that is fully available to them (and then maybe add more)??? Seriously?

 

[Feeny]

I am confused. They want us to RETYPE our 15 activities in our primary app that is fully available to them (and then maybe add more)??? Seriously?

Seems that way I don't understand why some schools do this.

 

[RuggedShark]

Do you guys think we have to have an entry for school? Like, one per year, or something else?

 

[DataDiva]

when were you verified?

I was verified on 6/1.

 

[Givemethejuice]

Do you guys think we have to have an entry for school? Like, one per year, or something else?

Yeah I have a question about that too, like should I put in time stamps of when I start and stop college?

 

[WilburTI]

For these two questions on the supplemental section, are you using the full character count?

5. Based on your own experiences or the experiences of family and friends, do you believe that the area in which you grew up was adequately served by the available health care professionals? Were there enough physicians, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and other health care service providers and how did that affect your experience and relationship with health care? Please explain. (4000 characters)

7. ["While you were growing up, did you experience any of the following types of adversity?" with options to select the severity of the following adversities: economic, educational, ethnic/cultural, family] Please describe the nature of the adversity and how social, economic, academic, or other circumstances affected you and your opportunities. (4000 characters)



I'm wondering how much these essays will factor in and if we need to use all the characters. Let me know what you guys are thinking and what you do. I don't know if I can fill 4,000 characters for both of them hahahah

 

[shewhobagstea]

For these two questions on the supplemental section, are you using the full character count?

5. Based on your own experiences or the experiences of family and friends, do you believe that the area in which you grew up was adequately served by the available health care professionals? Were there enough physicians, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and other health care service providers and how did that affect your experience and relationship with health care? Please explain. (4000 characters)

7. ["While you were growing up, did you experience any of the following types of adversity?" with options to select the severity of the following adversities: economic, educational, ethnic/cultural, family] Please describe the nature of the adversity and how social, economic, academic, or other circumstances affected you and your opportunities. (4000 characters)



I'm wondering how much these essays will factor in and if we need to use all the characters. Let me know what you guys are thinking and what you do. I don't know if I can fill 4,000 characters for both of them hahahah

no I'm not! probably closer to ~2000 characters.

 

[Feeny]

Idk about everyone else, but this secondary absolutely drained me 🥲. It just felt really exhausting! Just finally finished it.

 

[garnmonster]

Idk about everyone else, but this secondary absolutely drained me 🥲. It just felt really exhausting! Just finally finished it.

just reading it exhausted me

 

[Givemethejuice]

can you guys check, when I finished submitting, the supplemental information didn’t show up in the printed application. Did anyone have the same problem? Kind of freaking out

 

[Feeny]

can you guys check, when I finished submitting, the supplemental information didn’t show up in the printed application. Did anyone have the same problem? Kind of freaking out

Just went to print mine, and everything shows up fine. Maybe try a different browser and check again?

 

[WilburTI]

can you guys check, when I finished submitting, the supplemental information didn’t show up in the printed application. Did anyone have the same problem? Kind of freaking out

Mine doesn't show up either. On multiple browsers

 

[rockdrummer2809]

can you guys check, when I finished submitting, the supplemental information didn’t show up in the printed application. Did anyone have the same problem? Kind of freaking out

Same problem with mine, too. Did you ever figure out if it's a glitch or are we SOL with an empty supplemental section?

 

[andersen.k]

Same problem with mine, too. Did you ever figure out if it's a glitch or are we SOL with an empty supplemental section?

Mine too. I just emailed them. Has anyone else heard back?

 

[andersen.k]

Just heard back. They’re aware of it and are working with IT to resolve the issue.

 

[andersen.k]

They just emailed me back and said IT fixed the issue. I’d go back and double check your answers are saved since mine looked all fixed!

 

[WilburTI]

They just emailed me back and said IT fixed the issue. I’d go back and double check your answers are saved since mine looked all fixed!

Mine are fixed too.

 

[velvetcoffee]

How did you guys approach the new prompt 6?

 

[ophitis]

Can I get some help responding to this logistical question?

"If [your legal state of residence is] Oregon, please list the month and year you began fulfilling the 12-month residency requirement:"

I have lived here my whole life. Should I write one year past my birthday?

 

[Givemethejuice]

Can I get some help responding to this logistical question?

"If [your legal state of residence is] Oregon, please list the month and year you began fulfilling the 12-month residency requirement:"

I have lived here my whole life. Should I write one year past my birthday?

I think yeah that would work, did you go out of state for college?

 

[ophitis]

I think yeah that would work, did you go out of state for college?

I ended up just writing my birthday. It felt silly though! I don't think that going out of state for school matters. This is from their residency requirements page:

Do I qualify for residency if my permanent address is in Oregon but I have been attending school in another state?
Yes, as long as you return to Oregon within 12 months of finishing school (See policy section 5F.)

 

[velvetcoffee]

For: Using the fields below, please provide a brief chronological account of your major activities and employment, including volunteer and summer activities, for the five years immediately preceding your proposed entry to medical school. This should include present and projected activities to the point of matriculation to medical school. Please do not include activities that ended prior to or during high school. Note: You are limited to 20 entries in this section.

Most schools want things NOT on the primary. Does Oregon just not care? They will basically be reading the same thing twice + 5 more if not?

 

[ophitis]

For: Using the fields below, please provide a brief chronological account of your major activities and employment, including volunteer and summer activities, for the five years immediately preceding your proposed entry to medical school. This should include present and projected activities to the point of matriculation to medical school. Please do not include activities that ended prior to or during high school. Note: You are limited to 20 entries in this section.

Most schools want things NOT on the primary. Does Oregon just not care? They will basically be reading the same thing twice + 5 more if not?

Yes I think there will be some repetition in this section, which is annoying. Hopefully they will go to the AMCAS app for the longer descriptions of activities (especially most meaningful)!

 

[hulksmash15]

Wow that was officially the worst secondary of the cycle for me. It deleted an entire essay and now it wont take payment.

 

[kaleidoscope1202]

Finally submitted my secondary . I think I fit their mission based (from an underserved community looking to got into primary care to serve my community) so we'll see. I'm from Florida so I didn't even expect to get one

 

[rockdrummer2809]

From looking at last years forum, it looks like OHSU's first II's started getting sent out towards the end of this week/early next week. Anyone received II yet?

 

[Givemethejuice]

From looking at last years forum, it looks like OHSU's first II's started getting sent out towards the end of this week/early next week. Anyone received II yet?

They sent out secondary like 3 weeks later then last year, so I don’t know if we can base it off last year.

 

[peppysteppy]

Does anyone else's secondary portal keep timing out while in the middle of filling it out?? This secondary is driving me nuts

 

[rockdrummer2809]

Does anyone else's secondary portal keep timing out while in the middle of filling it out?? This secondary is driving me nuts

Yeah was super inconvenient. Had to just keep copy/paste/save an ungodly amount of times.

 

[rockdrummer2809]

They sent out secondary like 3 weeks later then last year, so I don’t know if we can base it off last year.

Ah, I hadn't noticed that. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[soontobedr1]

Does anyone know if the secondary has to be turned in by the "deadline date" listed on the email? I'm waiting for my MCAT score which won't be back by the end of September and I don't know if I should hold off on submitting despite my secondary deadline being 8/25. Thoughts?

 

[beepmeep]

Does anyone know if the secondary has to be turned in by the "deadline date" listed on the email? I'm waiting for my MCAT score which won't be back by the end of September and I don't know if I should hold off on submitting despite my secondary deadline being 8/25. Thoughts?

I think you should submit by your specified deadline even if you're awaiting your MCAT

 

[rockdrummer2809]

Does anyone know if the secondary has to be turned in by the "deadline date" listed on the email? I'm waiting for my MCAT score which won't be back by the end of September and I don't know if I should hold off on submitting despite my secondary deadline being 8/25. Thoughts?

I agree with beepmeep, I definitely wouldn't wait to send it after the deadline. They will most likely just wait to fully review your app until they receive your mcat scores - if you don't submit your secondary before your specified deadline that might create more issues.

 

[soontobedr1]

I agree with beepmeep, I definitely wouldn't wait to send it after the deadline. They will most likely just wait to fully review your app until they receive your mcat scores - if you don't submit your secondary before your specified deadline that might create more issues.

Gotcha! My only reasoning for not submitting by the deadline is because my first MCAT is <500 so I'm worried my app would be automatically rejected based off my first score

 

[rockdrummer2809]

Gotcha! My only reasoning for not submitting by the deadline is because my first MCAT is <500 so I'm worried my app would be automatically rejected based off my first score

Ah that's fair. If it's below a 497 then that might be the case. You could always reach out to them and ask as well.

 

[beepmeep]

Gotcha! My only reasoning for not submitting by the deadline is because my first MCAT is <500 so I'm worried my app would be automatically rejected based off my first score

I wouldn't worry too much about that because when you fill out your AMCAS application there is a spot for any upcoming tests you're taking, so if you added your expected MCAT test date I'm sure they'll know

 

[andersen.k]

Just got an interview invite this morning. Complete 7/26 IS reapplicant.

 

[rockdrummer2809]

Just got an interview invite this morning. Complete 7/26 IS reapplicant.

Congrats!!

 

[squeels_on_wheels]

+1 IS II (non trad, >20,000 hours research experience, 6 pubs, LM 72) complete 7/22

 

[Givemethejuice]

+1 IS II (non trad, >20,000 hours research experience, 6 pubs, LM 72) complete 7/22

Are you doing md phd?

 

[andersen.k]

Just got another email… this is kinda different from previous years. It says that before your interview they ask you to do some more short answer response questions…. They haven’t gotten the system up yet it just says that within the next week I’ll be getting another email with the portal for the questions.

 

[Givemethejuice]

Just got another email… this is kinda different from previous years. It says that before your interview they ask you to do some more short answer response questions…. They haven’t gotten the system up yet it just says that within the next week I’ll be getting another email with the portal for the questions.

Thanks for the info! But also wow haha 6 secondary question, 3 supplemental, and now more short response questions. 😭

 

[rockdrummer2809]

Just got another email… this is kinda different from previous years. It says that before your interview they ask you to do some more short answer response questions…. They haven’t gotten the system up yet it just says that within the next week I’ll be getting another email with the portal for the questions.

lol cool the first ever tertiary app

 

[squeels_on_wheels]

Are you doing md phd?

Regular MD!

 

[kel3445]

Do you include an answer for "5. Based on your own experiences or the experiences of family and friends, do you believe that the area in which you grew up was adequately served by the available health care professionals? Were there enough physicians, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and other health care service providers and how did that affect your experience and relationship with health care? Please explain (4000 characters)." If you did not come from an underserved community? Should I just write "N/A"?

 

[velvetcoffee]

Do you include an answer for "5. Based on your own experiences or the experiences of family and friends, do you believe that the area in which you grew up was adequately served by the available health care professionals? Were there enough physicians, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and other health care service providers and how did that affect your experience and relationship with health care? Please explain (4000 characters)." If you did not come from an underserved community? Should I just write "N/A"?

I did. But mostly because for me we had enough doctors but not enough (any) specialists for what my mom was going through and regardless it still affected my relationship with healthcare. I don't think it matters.