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College Essays

So you've decided to apply to Michigan State University. You've made a great choice—not only is it one of the top public universities in the nation, 94% of undergraduates land jobs or go onto graduate school after graduation ! Additionally, more than 25 of its undergraduate programs are ranked in the top 20 nationally , including the best supply chain management and logistics program in the country. And like most top schools, the MSU application requires you to submit an application essay.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about writing and submitting the Michigan State admissions essay, including:

• A discussion of the Michigan State admissions standards,
• Where to find the Michigan State application, and
• Five tips to write a Michigan State admissions essay that will get you in.

So let's get started!

What Is the Michigan State Admissions Essay?

The Michigan State essay is a required (and important!) element of your Michigan State application. The essay is basically a personal statement designed to help admissions counselors get to know you better. Sure, they'll see your transcript and test scores, but Michigan State also wants to know who you are beyond the data, too.

The essay is also important because Michigan State has an acceptance rate of 83% , which means that 83 out of 100 students who apply to MSU are admitted each year. T hat means your essay can make a difference in an admissions counselor's decision-making process. (If you're not familiar with the school's admissions requirements, be sure to check out this comprehensive guide on Michigan State's admittance policies. )

As we mentioned earlier, you'll submit one finished essay as part of your complete Michigan State application packet. As of 2021, Michigan State allows prospective students to submit all their application materials—including the MSU essay—either via their own online application system or via the Common App , which are online platforms that let you fill out one application and submit it to multiple universities.

Luckily for you, Michigan State doesn't require you to fill out an additional application supplement. In other words, the Michigan State admissions essay is the same essay you'll fill out for either the Common App or the Coalition App! But that also means that you only have one chance to help MSU's admissions counselors determine whether you're a good fit for the university.

Now that you have a general idea about what the Michigan State admissions essay is and how to submit it, here are three final, important things to keep in mind:

#1: MSU doesn't favor one application over the other. They treat their application system and the Common App equally in their decision-making process. 

#2: You can only submit one application per academic year. So if you have both applications filled out, send one or the other—not both. Sending two applications can cause errors in the admissions system and lead to your application getting rejected.

#3: The Common App and the Coalition App have different prompts. Each application asks slightly different questions, so it's important to pick the application that allows you to write the strongest essay.

Now it's time to take a closer look at the different Common App and Coalition App prompts and give you some general tips for picking the best MSU essay prompt for you.

The Common App Essay Prompts

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4.Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

For the Common App, you're given seven essay prompts and asked to answer one. The prompts themselves fall into a few general categories:

• Overcoming a challenge
• Solving a problem
• Showing personal growth
• Sharing your interests and personality

This list gives you a general sense for what admissions counselors expect to see in your essay. You will likely only discuss one or two of these in a prompt, so don't worry about having to address every single category in your response.

Having to choose just one prompt can be pretty overwhelming—it's hard to know where to start! Here are some things you can do to make picking a topic easier.

• Read through this guide that explains each prompt . Getting an expert explanation on each prompt can help you pick one that works for you.
• Eliminate the prompts you don't like—or don't understand. Go with your gut...as long as your gut doesn't make you cross every option off your list.
• Consider the categories. Take a look at the general categories we have listed above, and think back to the essays you did well on in school. Is there a category you feel most comfortable writing about? If so, pick a prompt that aligns with that topic.

Keep in mind that no matter the topic you choose, the Common App limits your response to 250 to 650 words. It's harder to write shorter responses, so make sure you plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to write a great essay.

Image courtesy of Joel Dinda

5 Tips for Writing a Killer Michigan State Admissions Essay

By now you've had a chance to consider—and hopefully choose!—the perfect MSU essay prompt. Here are our top five tips for writing a Michigan State University essay that makes you stand out from the crowd!

• Be authentic. Jim Cotter, the Director of Undergraduate Admissions for Michigan State University, says being authentic is the most important element of a strong Michigan State essay. He explains, "We don't want a student to create something that they're not. We want them to tell us who they are, what their real experiences are, and how they've developed as an individual because of those experiences." In other words, tell the truth...and be yourself!
• Tell a story. To write a stand-out MSU essay examples are key. That's why it's important to use storytelling to help answer the prompt! For example, if you want to talk about a time you gave back to the community, tell a story about a specific event (like shaving your head for charity)!
• Be descriptive. This ties into our "tell a story" tip above. Details are what make a story come alive! If you're writing about a challenging time in your life, do more than just tell the reader what happened. Show them where you were, what you saw, and how you felt by using descriptive language.
• Write long, edit short. Staying within word limits can be hard. That's why we recommend you don't worry about essay length when you write your first draft. Just focus on getting your answer down on paper even if you go hundreds of words over the maximum length. Then you can focus on whittling your essay down until you land in the word count sweet spot.
• Embrace the 3 Rs: re-read, revise, and review. Never, ever submit the first draft of your essay! Even the best writers in the world revise their work multiple times. Also, don't be afraid to ask your parents and teachers to give you feedback on your work. They'll be able to give you a new, fresh perspective on your work!

Your Next Steps

If you're looking to beef up your résumé to make sure you're one of MSU's ideal candidates, try fitting some community service into your schedule. Here's a list of the nine best places to do community service , and here's a discussion of how volunteering benefits both your college application and your life!

One key piece of your application are letters of recommendation, so you need to ask for those as soon as possible. Check out this guide that goes over how—and when!—to ask for letters of recommendation.

Now that you're ready to write your essays, get the skinny on how to write the perfect application essay introduction.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Home — Application Essay — University — Michigan State University

Michigan State University Admission Essays

Diversity and pursuing excellence.

Introduction As I stand on the precipice of my college journey, I am captivated by the timeless allure of Michigan State University. Renowned for its commitment to innovation, global leadership, and fostering an inclusive community, MSU stands as a beacon of academic excellence and limitless…

My Sister is My Role Model

In this essay, I will explore why my sister is my role model. Growing up, I admired her and aspired to follow in her footsteps. However, our relationship evolved when we moved to the United States, and I began to see her as not just…

Pride Before the Fall

When I chose to select this essay prompt, many of my friends thought I was insane. All things considered, for what reason would I tell strangers, particularly college admission officials, that I had failed at something. Besides, how do we even characterize failure? Does it…

A Second Chance

Disappointing your parents to the point where they start crying and questioning if all the sacrifices, they’ve made for you were worth it or not is the worst feeling a child can face. Especially after your parents left their home country, their parents, their friends…

My Motivation to Become a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

While the whole world is trying to survive during this Covid-19 pandemic, all the countries are trying to provide the best Financial support to businesses without considering the business size whether it is an SME or a large corporation. Businesses always require financial support. Throughout,…

Once Bitten Twice Shy

Finally, I’m starting to write my college essay. I don’t know what is hard, constructing it or trying to think of my achievements, I was raised to be modest about my achievements, whatever they might be. Applying for college is nothing but bragging, and it…

How My Physical Abilities Have Changed My LIfe

I was faced up, looking at the ceiling as I was being pushed down the hallway in a stretcher. I was able to see my reflection in the ceiling and thought that I looked funny with my hospital cap and gown. Everyone kept asking me…

My Philosophy of Education: Become a Teacher

Introduction To start with, this is why do you want to become a teacher essay where I will explaine my passion in teaching. I’ve known for 6 years now that I’ve wanted to be a teacher even with many people telling me it’s not the…

Personal Statement on Why I Want to Teach

What can be a purpose of becoming a techer? In “Why I want to teach” essay I will explaine my purpose of becoming a teacher. Moreover, within the “Why I want to become a teacher” essay I will share where I am going to study…

Breaking Boundaries with Mathematics

Michigan State University has always been at the top of my list when it comes to choosing a college. The outstanding reputation of the university’s Mathematics department and its strong emphasis on research and innovation are the primary reasons that have motivated me to apply…

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Michigan State University Undergraduate College Application Essays

These Michigan State University college application essays were written by students accepted at Michigan State University. All of our sample college essays include the question prompt and the year written. Please use these sample admission essays responsibly.

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College Application Essays accepted by Michigan State University

Friendship.com anonymous, michigan state university.

The "dot-com revolution" of the mid-to-late 1990s began to take hold just as I was entering my middle school years. I was eager to try new things, including this new Internet technology, because my inner self was also changing and becoming...

Looking to the Future Anonymous

It seems as though every day since elementary school people have been asking me the same daunting question: "So, what do you want to do when you grow up?" While my creative mind continues to come up with a different idea for each day of the week,...

Imported Culture Michelle Salman

“Lower your lids!”

Gilad, my drama instructor, paced back and forth on the stage, arms folded over his belly, Israeli impatience rising in his voice. His eyes narrowed, scanned me through bushy slits, and he barked new commands.

“Let your smile...

“Buenos días, ¿cómo estás?” Anonymous

When my dad first began working in Mexico, I nonchalantly changed my schedule to include seventh grade “Intro to Spanish.” Naturally, I didn’t think twice about what would later prove a crucial decision—few seventh graders realize how such simple...

Two Worlds as One Anonymous

“Τι κάνεις? Στην υγειά μας! Opa!”

“Howdy, partner. What’s in that iron skillet, ma’?”

Those phrases from opposite worlds represent my diverse cultural life growing up with a Greek mother and a father from North Dakota. From my mother I learned to...

New Experiences Samantha Jackson

One of the most significant reasons I want to attend Michigan State University is for the beloved “college experience.” To me, the best part of this experience is meeting people that I would have never met in my small hometown of Memphis,...

Notes From a Nomad Andrew Ronald Voigt

As I sit typing my final paper for eighth grade on a rainy Portland night in May, I hear my mother suddenly call, “Andrew, your father and I need to talk to you”. From her tone I know the subject of the conversation. She used that tone at the end...

The Learning Curve Anonymous

I carefully stepped down the steep gravel hill, making my way to the riverbank for my very first crew practice. The early March air chilled my skin and whipped my hair. I was nervous: each rocky step took me closer to a mass of athletic limbs, all...

Common App Short answer Anonymous

When I first heard the lyrics of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black,” it was from this little red contraption that I bought from a garage sale for ten dollars. I was hooked. That small record player eventually became the two Numark turntables and...

When World Collide Anonymous

2007: “Are y’all comin’?” I yell to the kids on the playground as I run over to the swings. They look at each other and laugh, clearly making fun of the way I speak. I put my head down, embarrassed, and walk to the swings alone. I wish I hadn’t...

Only Time Will Tell Anonymous

I’ll always remember that drive; there was a crisp summer breeze sailing in through my window and the taste of early-morning dew still hung in the air. My heart was beating so fast, I could hardly hear my favorite song, “Sweet Caroline”, blasting...

Devotion Anonymous

My mother’s hands tell the entire world of my life. They were the first to hold me when I was first born and feed me when I cried. It was her hands that have raised me on behalf of my busy dad, patting me when I behaved well and spanking me when I...

Chemistry, Conflict, and the Red Bean Bun Anonymous

So ubiquitously sold in the streets of cold breezes of winter in South Korea, a red bean bun brings deliberate warmth and joy to many people. Sold at a price of only forty cents back in the 90s, the red bean bun was more than just a snack; it was...

Shanghai for a Year Anonymous

The vibrant skyline stood dead. It was 4:30 A.M. and life ceased to exist on the streets of Shanghai. The sunrise peaked through the jungle of buildings across the river and shined onto our faces. I stared at the skyline, thinking how much the...

Acceptance Anonymous

“Sit still!” my mom shouted at me in Igbo, as she continued to press the scalding flat iron to my scalp. I hung my head, watching as the puddle of tears in my lap grew larger, each additional tear rolling off my chubby ten-year-old cheek,...

Heritage Living Victoria Katashev

Live musicians yell into their mics while the crowd jumps and sings along to their music. I’m out of breath, my chest hurts, and I know my voice will be gone, but I’ve accepted it. An older man stands up on one of the picnic tables, dancing and...

Change Michelle Ong

In middle school, my favorite song wasn’t Imagine Dragon’s Radioactive, but Matthew West’s 10,000 Reasons. I didn’t know who celebrities like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie were, but I knew who Jeroboam and Rahab were. I didn’t have a phone or iPod,...

Finding Veterinary Medicine through Research Animals Xiang Ji

I initially saw obtaining hearing aids as admitting defeat to a disability. Being Hard of Hearing, I struggled with following conversations for years. Even after learning three foreign languages to communicate better, I realized in college that I...

Building a Considerate City: Advocating for Mental Health and Homeless Solutions in Los Angeles nevaeh gutierrez

The notion of family in my Latino community is one that is extremely fluid, with the expectation that we treat others with respect. Albert, my “neighbor,” has occupied the bush in front of my house for over two years and has become a part of my...

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What Does It Take to Get Into Michigan State University?

With more than 37,000 applications coming in each year, Michigan State University currently has an acceptance rate of 66%. What can you do to make yours stand out to adcoms?

Love the idea of attending school in the Great Lakes State? Along with the breathtaking scenery that includes beautiful beaches and soaring slopes, Michigan State University is a world-renowned research institution boasts 200 academic programs across 17 different colleges and a plethora of extracurricular activities and opportunities for leadership.

Michigan State is also home to one of the nation’s only environmental journalism organizations, a solar car racing team and a student-run organic farm. Its graduate programs include the highly ranked College of Education and the well-regarded Eli Broad College of Business . And with a ranking of 85 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the best public universities for 2019, MSU is sure to look great on a resume.

Wondering if MSU can help you achieve your dreams? Find out what it takes to get into this East Lansing school, along with tips for standing out from the pack.

Applying to Michigan State University: A Quick Review

Michigan State University requires aspiring Spartans to submit a robust application package. If you’re set on being a Sparty, start gathering your application materials early so you can submit the following on time:

• Completed MSU application for admission , Coalition Application , or Common Application , including the  Michigan State Essay
• Official high school transcript
• ACT or SAT scores (Note that the writing test is recommended but not required.)
• $65 nonrefundable application fee

The Early Action deadline for Michigan State is November 1st, and the deadline for Regular Admission is February 1st. While MSU does offer rolling admissions after February 1st, the school advises students to submit their applications early. Once the available space has been filled, the school will stop accepting candidates, so students are encouraged to apply by November 1st for the best chance at getting in.

Michigan State University Acceptance Rate: How Difficult Is It to Get In?

With more than 37,000 applications coming in each year, Michigan State University currently has an acceptance rate of 66%.

Admissions decisions are based not only on academic performance and test scores, but also on the strength of an applicant’s high school curriculum, class rank, skills, talents, and leadership endeavors. Additionally, MSU takes into account a student’s diversity of experience and looks at any recent trends, either positive or negative, in academic performance. 

So, How Does One Get Into Michigan State University?

MSU favors students who pursue a challenging coursework while still in high school. Ideally, applicants will have completed:

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of math (2 algebra and 1 geometry)
• 3 years of social studies
• 2 years of science
• 2 years of a foreign language

Additionally, Michigan State University puts a strong emphasis on grades and test scores. The average GPA of an incoming freshman at MSU ranged from 3.5 to 3.9 last year. ACTs ranged from 23 to 29, while SATs averaged between 1130 and 1300.

How to Make Your Application Stand Out

Of course, getting accepted at Michigan State University isn’t just about earning high grades. The university is looking for students who challenged themselves before coming to college. If you want to gain a leg up on the competition, think about adding some honors and advanced placement classes to your high school schedule. You could also take IB courses if your school offers them.

Academics are certainly important, but they won’t seal the deal at MSU. To stand out from the pack, devote some extra time and attention to the Michigan essay. A key part of the undergraduate application, this essay allows students to respond to one of seven prompts, including:

“The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

Essays range from 250 words to 650 words and may boost admissibility in addition to helping students win scholarships. Need help crafting your MSU essay, check out How to Write the Michigan State University Essays 2018-2019 . Also, be sure to ask a trusted teacher or college admissions counselor to look over your essay and give you notes for improvement.

What If You Get Rejected?

If you’re just embarking on your college admissions journey, then you might be wondering about the possibility of being rejected from some of your schools. The truth is, admission is incredibly competitive, and top schools regularly reject students they admit are very qualified. After all, colleges can only take on so many students each year, and sometimes great candidates simply don’t make the cut.

The good news is the U.S. is full of exceptional academic institutions. If you’re concerned about getting accepted to Michigan State University, consider applying to some of the other great schools in the Great Lakes State, such as:

• University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
• Grand Valley State University
• Central Michigan University
• Western Michigan University

Other MSU competitors include Bard, Vassar, and Tufts University. Any one of them could be a great place to earn your degree. For help adjusting to a different dream school, read our post, Envisioning a New Future: Preparing for Life at Your Second-Choice (or Third, or Fourth) School .

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!

What is the University of Michigan Ann Arbor Acceptance Rate?

Tufts University Acceptance Rate & Admissions Requirements

The Ultimate Guide to Applying to the University of Michigan

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Apply as a first-year student if you are currently in high school (regardless of total college credits completed while in high school) or you have graduated from high school but haven’t enrolled at a college, university or any other school after high school. This includes early/middle college students who complete a high school diploma at the same time as an associate’s degree.

Apply as a transfer student if you have attended a postsecondary institution after graduating from high school (with the exception of attendance during the summer term immediately following graduation) OR if you have earned a bachelor’s degree at another college or university and are seeking to earn another bachelor’s degree or teaching certificate. Early/middle college or dual-enrolled students are considered first-year students.

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Writing a Personal Statement

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Writing a personal statement is a necessity when applying to graduate or professional school. The format, length, and topic will vary according to academic discipline and program type, but there are some general guidelines you can follow.

Identify Resources:  Find useful online resources such as those available on the Purdue OWL website to help you draft your essay(s) and review samples. Seek additional program-specific guidelines when available, like the ones offered through the MSU Pre-Health Advising office and information on writing personal statements for medical school  for those applying to health professional programs.

Determine Your Message:  Avoid writing a generic statement. Develop a well written essay that conveys your knowledge and maturity, shows your sincere interest in the academic discipline, and draws a connection between what they are looking for and what you have to offer. Make sure your message clearly states why that particular program is right for you.

Review Before Submitting: Follow up with your career advisor, academic advisor, professional mentor, and/or a representative from the MSU Writing Center to help you refine your essay(s) before submitting. Constructing a personal statement takes time; plan to write, edit, and rewrite several times before landing on the final product.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Tailor your statement to each program or school
• Make sure to answer the question or prompt
• Stick to the guidelines provided for length, format, etc.
• Follow a traditional essay format with an introduction, body, and conclusion
• Find a compelling angle or hook to tell your story
• Provide strong examples to support your claims
• Emphasize what is unique, distinctive, or impressive about you
• Be positive and sincere Avoid using general or obvious statements and cliches
• Thoroughly check your spelling, grammar, and overall quality of writing

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August 3, 2022

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 – 2023]

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine “educates exemplary physicians and seeks to improve health through discovery and responding to the needs of the medically underserved in our communities.” Their research focus is in “groundbreaking” biomedical research about the prevention, control and treatment of disease – and mechanisms underlying human disease. (source: MSU website )

Median MCAT/GPA is 510/3.77. They expect applicants to have long term, in-depth clinical work, paid or volunteer.

MSU CHM’s dean, Aron Sousa, MD, characterizes the curriculum as having robust clinical experience in each year of medical school, and academic content organized by chief complaint rather than organ system or discipline.

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine 2022-2023 application essays

Michigan state university college of human medicine secondary essay #1.

Imagine and reflect upon your life and medical career at the time of retirement. What do you envision being your proudest/most significant accomplishment? ( 500 words )

Your proudest / most significant career accomplishment might relate to MSU CHM’s mission or focus , namely serving the underserved, making an impact in medically underserved communities at home or abroad, or having performed and discovered groundbreaking research that sheds insight into the prevention, control or treatment of disease.

Another approach might be to describe what you would consider to have been a physician’s life well-lived in service to others. What would that service have looked like? Stay humble. Do you define this life of service by its corresponding humanitarianism rather than conceit, clichés or dogma?

Perhaps you think of retirement not as an end but as a transition, like book chapters? How did your career in medicine bring you to this next life adventure? Perhaps you have no intention of retiring? How does your life as a physician change once past your prime or after a significant accomplishment? 

In real life, there is no such thing as a crystal ball. Life will be full of surprises, achievements, disappointments, joy and pain much of which you cannot predict today. So this prompt isn’t really about life plans and details. It’s a narrative about hopes and aspirations – and your imagination.

MSU CHM secondary essay #2

American society may be experiencing a watershed moment as it reckons with various systemic injustices. Use the space below to share your thoughts about this statement. ( 500 words )

A watershed moment is a moment that changes the direction of belief. A watershed moment is a historic epiphany, a moment when looking back one can see the moment when a standing belief changed direction. It is an event or an action that changes the course of normalcy. 9/11 is a watershed moment in US culture. The reversal of Roe vs Wade is a watershed moment in US culture. The electric car is a watershed moment in sustainability and climate change.

“Reckons with” is a pivotal verb phrase suggesting systemic injustice is a force to be reckoned with. Yet, reckon also means to settle, as in reconciling or settling a bank account. How is American Society settling discrimination in its institutions and systems once and for all? 

The American Medical Association has adopted bold guidelines to confront systemic racism with the aim of dismantling racist policies and practices in health care. This prompt infers that right now we are changing the infrastructure and methods of institutions to eliminate inherent bias, inequality, inequity and prejudice. Most medical schools have adopted similar positions in their mission statements. However, this prompt does not limit your answer to addressing systemic injustice solely in healthcare. You may talk about healthcare, but you do not have to.

Where do you see the dismantling of injustice? What does that look like? How is it done? How effective is it? Is there backlash or turmoil? Where have you seen justice in action? How are we never turning back in time regarding injustice?

MSU CHM secondary essay #3

Use the space below to reflect upon your COVID-19 public health crisis experiences, challenges, and/or insights. ( 500 words )

All medical school applicants have had a disruption to their medical school activities, from classes to shadowing to taking the MCAT. Feel free to mention your readjustment to your medical school path briefly. Then, how did you get involved in the pandemic? What did you do to help people through this crisis? How does COVID-19 change healthcare for physicians? For hospitals? For communities? For patients?

MSU CHM secondary essay #4

In the most general sense, create a list of ten (or more) words or phrases you might use to describe or characterize yourself to someone you just met. From this list of words or phrases, are any associated with your decision to pursue medicine as a career? If yes, select up to 3 and explain. If no, explain. ( 500 words )

This prompt is the most “outside the box” prompt yet. Obviously, whatever words or phrases you choose to describe your character paint a self-portrait with words. So, it stands to reason that several entries would correspond with being a physician, whether in your humanitarian values, beliefs, spirituality, love of science, guiding principles (like altruism), or intersectionality (the Venn Diagram of who we are, the circles of our beliefs or the roles we play and their overlap). Just as your activities on the AMCAS application fit a variety of categories, so should your list of characteristics. Be honest, and be yourself. 

Most applicants will likely explain a few characteristics that fit with pursuing medicine. This is a reasonable approach. However, it is possible that an outside the box thinker could be so original in how they explain a “no” that their answer is original and fascinating. For instance, an applicant with a philosophy background might have a wonderful time with this prompt. However, chances are, answering “no” will pose an unnecessary risk. 

MSU CHM secondary essay #5

If you could present yourself to the Admissions Committee, what would you want to make sure they knew about you? ( 500 words )

Some applicants explain a life circumstance, a story, a situation, a challenge they’ve overcome , or a nontraditional path to medicine that sets them apart from the pack or deepens their portrait in the big picture of the application.

Do not answer this question with filler. However, do not overlook an opportunity to enhance the school’s sense of who you are, especially if the secondaries they provide exclude the opportunity to share an important story . Be sure the story ends well and demonstrates what you learned or how you changed for the better with insight and humility.

Do not repeat stories told in other parts of this secondary or in your primary. This essay, like all essays, should add to the reader’s understanding of you.

You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are. Now that you’re ready for your next achievement, make sure you know how to present yourself to maximum advantage in your MSU applications. In a hotly competitive season, you’ll want a member of Team Accepted in your corner, guiding you with expertise tailored specifically for you.  Check out our flexible consulting packages today!

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine 2022-23 application timeline

Source:  MSU website

Related resources:

• The Ultimate Guide to Secondary Essay Questions from Top Med Schools
• Here’s How to Match Your Values to the Medical School Mission Statement
• 5 Dont’s for Your Medical School Personal Statement

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College essays that worked and how yours can too.

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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 08: A view of Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University on ... [+] July 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have sued the Trump administration for its decision to strip international college students of their visas if all of their courses are held online. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The college essay is a pivotal piece of the college application showcasing your individuality and differentiated outlook to admissions officers. What makes an essay truly shine? Let’s dive into the words behind three standout essays highlighted by university websites and a school newspaper's brand studio so you can get into the right mindset for crafting your own narrative.

Embracing Differences: Finding Strength In Uniqueness

Essay Excerpt: ‘Bra Shopping ’ (Harvard)

Featured by the Harvard Crimson Brand Studio , Orlee's essay recounts a student's humorous and insightful experience of bra shopping with her grandmother, weaving in her unique family dynamics and challenges at her prestigious school.

What Works:

• Humor and Honesty: The student's humor makes the essay enjoyable to read, while her honesty about her challenges adds depth.
• Self-Awareness: She demonstrates a strong sense of self-awareness, embracing her uniqueness rather than trying to fit in.
• Resilience: Her narrative highlights resilience and the ability to find strength in differences.

For Your Essay : To write an essay that embraces your uniqueness, start by identifying a quirky or challenging experience that reflects who a key insight into your experience. Think about how this experience has shaped your perspective and character. Use humor and honesty to bring your story to life, and focus on how you have embraced your differences to become stronger and more resilient.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, finding connections: humor and self-reflection.

Essay: ‘Brood X Cicadas ’ (Hamilton College)

As an example on Hamilton's admissions website, Nicholas writes about the cicadas swarming his hometown every 17 years and draws a parallel between their emergence and his own transition to college life. He uses humor and self-reflection to create a relatable and engaging narrative.

• Humor: Nicholas uses humor to make his essay entertaining and memorable. His witty comparisons between himself and cicadas add a unique twist.
• Self-Reflection: By comparing his life to the cicadas’, he reflects on his own growth and readiness for change.
• Relatability: His narrative about facing new experiences and challenges resonates with readers who have undergone similar transitions.

For Your Essay: To infuse humor and self-reflection into your essay, start by identifying an ordinary experience or object and think about how it relates to your life. Write down funny or insightful observations about this connection. Use humor to make your essay more engaging, but ensure it still conveys meaningful self-reflection. This balance can make your essay both entertaining and profound.

Persistence and Multicultural Identity: Life Lessons From Tortilla Making

Essay: ‘ Facing The Hot Griddle ’ (Johns Hopkins University)

In this essay published by Hopkins Insider, Rocio uses the process of making tortillas to explore her multicultural identity and the challenges she has faced. Her story beautifully weaves together her Guatemalan heritage and her experiences growing up in the United States.

• Metaphor and Symbolism: The process of making tortillas becomes a powerful metaphor for the student’s journey and struggles. The symbolism of the masa harina and water mixing parallels her blending of cultural identities.
• Personal Growth: The essay highlights her perseverance and adaptability, qualities that are crucial for success in college.
• Cultural Insight: She provides a rich, personal insight into her multicultural background, making her story unique and compelling.

For Your Essay: To write an essay that explores your identity through a metaphor, start by thinking about an activity or tradition that holds significant meaning for you. Consider how this activity relates to your life experiences and personal growth. Use detailed descriptions to bring the activity to life and draw connections between the process and your own journey. Reflect on the lessons you've learned and how they've shaped your identity.

A winning college essay isn’t simply about parading your best accomplishment or dramatizing your challenges. It’s not a contest for which student is the most original or entertaining. Rather, the essay is a chance for you to showcase your authenticity, passion, resilience, social awareness, and intellectual vitality . By sharing genuine stories and insights, you can create an essay that resonates with admissions committees and highlights your unique qualities.

For you to have the best possible essay, mindset is key. Here’s how to get into the zone:

• Reflect Deeply: Spend time thinking about your experiences, challenges, and passions. Journaling can help you uncover deep insights.
• Discuss and Share: Talking about your stories with friends, family, or mentors can provide new perspectives and emotional clarity.
• Immerse Yourself: Engage in activities that you are passionate about to reignite the feelings and memories associated with them.
• Draft Freely: Don’t worry about perfection on the first try. Write freely and honestly, then refine your narrative.

The secret to a standout college essay lies in its authenticity, depth, and emotional resonance. By learning from these successful examples and getting into the right mindset, you can craft an essay that not only stands out but also provides a meaningful insight into who you are. Remember, your essay is your story—make it a piece of writing that you will always be proud of.

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2023-2024 Michigan State

• Thread starter PapaGuava
• Start date Mar 21, 2023

The Real PG

• Mar 21, 2023

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Interview Feedback

cytomegalovirus123

Full member.

• May 8, 2023

Anyone else here apply early assurance? I am wondering how quickly everyone got their conditional acceptance once their MCAT score comes in. I am also wondering how heavy the CASPER is used to judge whether or not we get the conditional acceptance or not.  

• May 9, 2023

cytomegalovirus123 said: Anyone else here apply early assurance? I am wondering how quickly everyone got their conditional acceptance once their MCAT score comes in. I am also wondering how heavy the CASPER is used to judge whether or not we get the conditional acceptance or not. Click to expand...

• Jun 18, 2023

helloitsme1234

• Jun 21, 2023

Has anyone received a secondary from MSU-COM yet? I submitted my application (not early assurance, but regular decision) but never received a confirmation email saying they received it or any communication from them.  

• Jun 23, 2023

helloitsme1234 said: Has anyone received a secondary from MSU-COM yet? I submitted my application (not early assurance, but regular decision) but never received a confirmation email saying they received it or any communication from them. Click to expand...

stony24k said: AMCAS primaries won’t be transmitted to any medical school until June 30th Click to expand...

• Jun 30, 2023
• Jul 10, 2023

+1 IS secondary  

Aundercoverdoc

avacadoman said: +1 IS secondary Click to expand...

All of these essays have 500 word limits, questions 2 and 3 updated version of past prompts. 1. Imagine and reflect upon your life and medical career at the time of retirement. What do you envision being your proudest/most significant accomplishment? 2. American society has been reckoning with a variety of systemic injustices throughout its history. Considering your life experiences up to now, share your thoughts and perspectives about this statement using the lens from which you view the world around you. 3. Consider three or four words and/or phrases from your medical school application that you use to describe or characterize yourself. Pick one (or a completely different one) that is underdeveloped to provide additional written narrative to the committee as to why you’ve decided to pursue a career in medicine. 4. Use the space below to reflect upon your COVID-19 public health crisis experiences, challenges, and/or insights. 5. If you could present yourself to the Admissions Committee, what would you want to make sure they knew (or remembered) about you?  

demetriusclair

• Jul 13, 2023

OOS secondary received  

demetriusclair said: OOS secondary received Click to expand...

harry_potter138

Happypremed11234.

How are people answering #2?  

firstfundamentalform

Does anyone know how long it takes to get through the primary review after submitting the secondary?  

• Jul 15, 2023

Are you guys trying to hit the full 500 words per prompt? I keep finding myself only getting around ~350 words each. Not sure how important it is to get super close to the full word count.  

2°: 26 | II: 3 | A: 2

Feeny said: Are you guys trying to hit the full 500 words per prompt? I keep finding myself only getting around ~350 words each. Not sure how important it is to get super close to the full word count. Click to expand...

thenew_man1415

The system literally did not let me click the "I certify that all written passages from this secondary application are my own and have not been written, in part or in whole, by another author and are not the product of artificial intelligence." and it submitted anyways, I really hope that doesn't raise red flags.  

Michelle Derevyansky

• Jul 17, 2023

How are you approaching question #3 "Consider three or four words and/or phrases from your medical school application that you use to describe or characterize yourself. Pick one (or a completely different one) that is underdeveloped to provide additional written narrative to the committee as to why you’ve decided to pursue a career in medicine?" Are you stating the 3 or 4 words that are used to describe yourself first and going into detail as to why or going straight into the word you chose?  

Michelle Derevyansky said: How are you approaching question #3 "Consider three or four words and/or phrases from your medical school application that you use to describe or characterize yourself. Pick one (or a completely different one) that is underdeveloped to provide additional written narrative to the committee as to why you’ve decided to pursue a career in medicine?" Are you stating the 3 or 4 words that are used to describe yourself first and going into detail as to why or going straight into the word you chose? Click to expand...

Maybesomeday

thenew_man1415 said: I did 3 small paragraphs for 3 words/phrases, then 1 large paragraph for the underdeveloped/weakness Click to expand...

Ooof, I interpreted that as just taking ONE of the words and expanded on it.  

• Jul 18, 2023

I am once again asking if anyone else is applying early assurance. Just received my mcat score and I was wondering how quickly you guys hear back from admissions and how they tell you if you're accepted or not.  

jelky said: don't they want us to write just one paragraph based on our underdeveloped trait? I'm so thrown off by this question lmao Click to expand...

• Jul 19, 2023

thenew_man1415 said: IMO the way they said "additional" made it seem like they want brief commentary on the first three words. I'm sure either way would be fine as long as you sell it well, I just didn't feel great about listing 3 words with no other context. Click to expand...

klipaloe said: but it literally says to pick 1? i don't think describing all 3 is what it's saying Click to expand...

picklechips

Does anyone have a good explanation of what they mean by "underdeveloped" for question three. Do they mean like a trait that can be approved, or one that we did not talk about a lot in our app and should touch on more?  

Considering adapting some of the ideas I included on MSU-COM prompts to the MSU-CHM responses, do you think this would be dinged against me? I'm pretty sure it's different admissions departments but am unsure.  

deleted1168662

• Jul 20, 2023
• Jul 21, 2023

Got my early assurance conditional acceptance. Im thinking the formal acceptances will roll out after October?  

Plain-spoken Texan

avacadoman said: All of these essays have 500 word limits, questions 2 and 3 updated version of past prompts. 1. Imagine and reflect upon your life and medical career at the time of retirement. What do you envision being your proudest/most significant accomplishment? 2. American society has been reckoning with a variety of systemic injustices throughout its history. Considering your life experiences up to now, share your thoughts and perspectives about this statement using the lens from which you view the world around you. 3. Consider three or four words and/or phrases from your medical school application that you use to describe or characterize yourself. Pick one (or a completely different one) that is underdeveloped to provide additional written narrative to the committee as to why you’ve decided to pursue a career in medicine. 4. Use the space below to reflect upon your COVID-19 public health crisis experiences, challenges, and/or insights. 5. If you could present yourself to the Admissions Committee, what would you want to make sure they knew (or remembered) about you? Click to expand...

irdkwym_z said: did you hear back? im hoping to apply 24-25; would love to see how you worked on your app Click to expand...

Ali Salman said: Regarding your question about CASPER I can tell you that each school weighs the test differently so it depends on the school you are applying to. And not all the medschools actually look at the CASPER test. I know for McMaster that they take it as 1/3 of your application I believe. Click to expand...

billybob321

• Jul 22, 2023

Is it worth applying to Michigan State as an OOS with no connections to the state? The interview rate looks rather low...  

• Jul 24, 2023

billybob321 said: Is it worth applying to Michigan State as an OOS with no connections to the state? The interview rate looks rather low... Click to expand...

any ideas on how to approach the second question?  

grilledcheese

Sam325 said: any ideas on how to approach the second question? Click to expand...

• Jul 26, 2023

Does MSU CHM have lgbt interests groups? I cant seem to find one  

cytomegalovirus123 said: no Click to expand...

• Jul 27, 2023

cytomegalovirus123 said: I am not sure how much weight casper holds but my 2nd quartile score did not hurt me like I thought it would. Click to expand...

camt_spel said: phew. Casper is... interesting. I got 2nd quartile casper and 92nd quartile PREview. You would think there would be a slight correlation between the two. Click to expand...

thecookiemonster1012001

• Jul 28, 2023

if i submitted secondary today, does it hurt my chances? I've been reading that they love early applicants.  

harry_potter138 said: can i ask why you said no? Click to expand...

harry_potter138 said: opposite for me, top quartile in Casper lowest quartile for PREview - hoping the low PREview doesn’t hurt me too much Click to expand...

cytomegalovirus123 said: They just take 85% of their class in state but it would not hurt to apply still. You never know truly. Click to expand...

purrrxoxo said: It's a little less than that. As per their website: "As a state-funded school, residents of Michigan are given preference. However, approximately 20-30% of each entering class is from outside of Michigan" Click to expand...

purrrxoxo said: I did horrible on PREview and perfect on Casper... I got in just fine Click to expand...

deleted1140515

• Aug 2, 2023

Hilove said: Does MSU CHM have lgbt interests groups? I cant seem to find one Click to expand...

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, do michigan state supplemental essays exist.

Hey guys, I'm applying to Michigan State and I can't seem to find any info on supplemental essays. Have they done away with them or am I missing something? Could you give me more information on this? Thanks!

Hello! If you're looking for information on supplemental essays for Michigan State University, you may be relieved to find that, for the 2023-2024 application cycle, they don't require any specific supplemental essays. Their application process primarily focuses on the Common Application essay that you submit to all colleges on your list, along with your academic and extracurricular records.

Since there aren't supplemental essays, make sure that your Common Application essay is strong and polished, as it will play a significant role in their evaluation of your application. Also, if you have any specific information about your interest in Michigan State or an aspect of your application that you'd like to elaborate on, you can usually find a way to include it in your main essay or the 'Additional Information' section of the Common App.

Best of luck with your application to Michigan State!

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What students can expect after Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action

Big changes are coming to how elite colleges choose future students – and how those applicants vie for coveted seats. 

A Supreme Court ruling Thursday concluded that Harvard and the University of North Carolina violated the 14th amendment to the Constitution by considering students’ race as one of many factors in admissions decisions. This form of affirmative action, which is common at the country’s several hundred highly selective institutions, is no longer allowed. 

Students of color say the decision is devastating and sharply changes their outlook on the admissions process. “It made me wonder immediately, how is this going to affect my senior year?” said Rikka Dimalanta, 17, who will be a senior this fall in Los Angeles. “If our identity as students isn’t going to be taken into account, what else am I supposed to put on my application?”

There are other ways for colleges to pursue diversity goals, however, and for students of color to access those institutions, including in some cases by bringing race into the conversation.

Here’s an early look at how college admissions could change. 

For most colleges, business as usual

Though Thursday's decision is historic, it’s important to note it won't mean much for many colleges. Of the more than 1,000 institutions that use the Common Application , just 70 admit fewer than 25% of their applicants, CEO Jenny Rickard has said . 

And plenty of schools are in one of the states that banned affirmative action in college admissions before this week's ruling, including Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan. Arizona State University quickly declared Thursday that it was one of those institutions that won’t be affected. It “will have no impact on the diversity of the Arizona State University student body or ASU’s commitment to having a student body which reflects the population of the State of Arizona,” the university said.

Will affirmative action ruling matter? Thousands of college and universities already accept almost everyone

How the decision affects college admissions tests, essays

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of highly selective colleges began making standardized test scores an optional part of applications . One of the hopes was that it would lead to a more diverse student population. Then when the pandemic hit, test-optional policies became the default for logistical reasons : As of this past spring, submitting SAT or ACT scores was still optional at most schools.

Although studies have shown the shift from these tests has meant only small changes in what the student body looks like at small, private institutions, experts predict the court's affirmative action decision will cement those policies. And that could mean more emphasis on personal statements and essays – an area where race often comes up. 

Observers have focused on one line in particular from the ruling : “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”  

But the justices also wrote – directly challenging the dissent – “universities may not simply establish through application essays or other means the regime we hold unlawful today.”

“For any students my age – myself included – this decision doesn’t prevent us from talking about the way that race has impacted us," said Aina Marzia, 17, a rising senior in El Paso, Texas, who was infuriated by the court's decision. "It’s just that we don’t have a box to check for our application this fall.”

Anurima Bhargava, a civil rights lawyer who formerly served with the U.S. Department of Justice, urged future applicants not to shy away from highlighting their racial identity when applying to colleges.

“It’s not that diversity isn’t something that universities can pursue. It’s not that you can’t tell your own stories, stories of your racial experiences, about your identity or your background,” she said in a discussion Thursday hosted by Whiteboard Advisors, a research and consulting firm. “How universities are going to take account of that is still going to be a question for them, but it’s not that students can’t tell those kinds of stories.”

Jeff Selingo, a higher education journalist who spent a year behind the scenes with college admissions officers , said one next step for those gatekeepers is to deliberate what to make of students whose essays deal with race.  

What to know: A breakdown of the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision

What does this mean for legacy admissions?

Another item for college officials to deliberate: legacy admissions, the practice of giving preference to applicants whose family members attended the institution. 

Richard Kahlenberg, a progressive scholar who served as an expert witness for the plaintiffs in the Harvard and UNC cases, said he believes at least some elite colleges will abandon the practice now that they can no longer consider race in admissions.

“If our identity as students isn’t going to be taken into account, what else am I supposed to put on my application?” Rikka Dimalanta, who will be a high school senior this fall in Los Angeles

Before, he said, affirmative action allowed them to achieve some racial diversity without necessarily ensuring their campuses were socioeconomically diverse as well. One study found more than half of Harvard’s students, however racially diverse, for example, came from the top 10% of the country’s income distribution. Another analysis found that 43% of Harvard’s white admits in 2019 were legacy students, recruited athletes, children of faculty and staff or on applicants affiliated with donors.

Before, he said, affirmative action allowed them to achieve racial diversity without necessarily ensuring their campuses were socioeconomically diverse as well. One study found more than half of Harvard’s students, for example, came from the top 10% of the country’s income distribution. Another analysis found that 43% of Harvard’s white admissions in 2019 were legacy students, recruited athletes, children of faculty and staff or on applicants affiliated with donors.

Some highly selective universities, including in states that banned affirmative action, already had stopped practicing legacy admissions. They include the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles. Elsewhere, Texas A&M University and the University of Georgia also have ended the practice.

In remarks denouncing the court's ruling, President Joe Biden also said he is asking the federal Education Department "to analyze what practices help build a more inclusive and diverse student bodies and what practices hold that back, practices like legacy admissions and other systems that expand privilege instead of opportunity."

A shift to using affirmative action – in recruitment

The onus will be on colleges to recruit from a wide range of communities at the front end of the admissions process, said Forrest Stuart, the vice president of enrollment management at Lafayette College.

“This is really about building a diverse applicant pool,” Stuart said. “There’s nothing in the decision that I’ve seen that says you cannot ensure that the applicant pool is representative of all backgrounds.” Lafayette, a small private college in Pennsylvania where about a quarter of students are people of color, has under Stuart’s leadership partnered with community-based organizations to ensure students from underrepresented backgrounds put their names in the hat as well.

“It really helps because you’re then choosing from a broader base,” said Stuart, who expects this affirmative action-esque approach to recruitment to gain more popularity as colleges work to ensure diversity on campus without considering race in the actual admissions process. “If your net is cast wide enough and broad enough on the building of your applicant pool, I don’t think it’s going to be as difficult for us – at least at Lafayette.” 

Biden also encouraged colleges to build a diverse class by factoring in applicants' family’s income and where they grew up and to consider students’ experiences with hardship or discrimination, including racial discrimination.

Counselors: Colleges need to send a new message to students

Without proactive measures like diversifying applicant pools, educators worry, many students who would’ve applied in an affirmative action world will decide it’s not worth it. 

At the American School Counselors Association, Executive Director Jill Cook has been fielding lots of questions. Many counselors are worried students of color will decide against applying to their reach or dream schools because they don’t think they’ll get in. What if some students choose not to apply at all, perceiving higher education to no longer be a welcoming place? (Legislation seeking to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs at colleges can make the campuses seem even less inviting.)

There are also high school counselors who worry about the reverse – students overexerting themselves and applying to too many schools because they fear their chances of getting in are reduced after the court’s ruling.

David Hawkins, chief education and policy officer for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said his group will continue to urge high school counselors to push students to meet with admissions officers at their schools of interest.

“Colleges are looking for a diverse group of students, and the decision should not discourage students at all from applying,” Hawkins said. “We will be swimming against the tide, and it can be discouraging. But we also want to ensure that students know it won’t change the fact that colleges are looking for them.”

Some students may take that message to the extreme. 

Allen Koh, founder/CEO of Cardinal Education, an educational consulting firm in California catering to the very affluent, said he has seen mostly white clients move to states like Montana and Wyoming to pursue a perceived geographic advantage based on what they see as a desire on the part of elite universities to boast student enrollment from all 50 states.

“Harvard calls these states ‘sparse country,’ and different universities call them different things,” he said. “But if you think about the sparse population that ‘sparse country’ implies, the pool of students you’re going after isn’t very large. So they actually get a significant advantage.”

Can anything really replace what the court struck down?

Probably not.

Education experts say universities will likely become less diverse as a result of the ruling, and while the court nonetheless acknowledged the importance of diversity in higher education and left the door open for schools to achieve it through other measures, such efforts could take years to see results – if at all.

“Those measures will be expensive and take years to bear fruit,” said Jennifer McAward, an associate professor of law at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. “In the meantime, we are likely to see a substantial drop in racial diversity at highly selective universities.”

Some point to California, where voters in 1996 passed a proposition prohibiting race-conscious college admissions. Despite numerous outreach efforts, University of California system officials have been unable to restore enrollment to levels of diversity representative of the state.

More: Ahead of Supreme Court affirmative action case ruling: Do Harvard, UNC discriminate?

“The shortfall is especially apparent at UC’s most selective campuses,” they wrote in an amicus brief filed to the Supreme Court last summer, “where African American, Native American and Latinx students are underrepresented and widely report struggling with feelings of racial isolation.”

And even with race conscious admissions for years, Black enrollment in college has dropped nationwide over time . 

At elite colleges, admissions will always feel 'arbitrary'

According to Mitchell Chang, a UCLA chancellor and professor of higher education and organizational change and Asian American studies, the decision will do little to make college admissions seem more equitable. 

“There’s always going to be this sense that it’s unfair,” he said, pointing to the Ivy League and other elite schools that admit fewer than 10% of their students and enroll classes of just a few hundred people. “If we remove race-conscious admissions, it’s not like these institutions are going to accept more students. The numbers and percentages of winners will remain the same.

“Someone’s always going to be upset that they didn’t get admitted yet were highly qualified, because in many ways, when you’re trying to select between hyper-qualified people, the difference between getting in and rejected is almost arbitrary.”

Contact Alia Wong at (202) 507-2256 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at  @aliaemily .

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This Year’s Annie Li Yang Student Essay Contest Winners

March 7, 2024

Three students were named winners of the 2024 Annie Li Yang Student Essay Contest. Students were asked to reflect on the connections between their clinic and classroom experiences and share how it has impacted their growth as future physicians. Congratulations to first place winner Jake Haver, second place winner Andrew Harris, and third place winner Eliza Burr.

Read their essays below.

Speaking with Silk

Not as strangers.

by Andrew Harris Most aspiring medical students seem to dream of their white coat ceremony. It’s one of those days that shouts “your life is changing” and serves as a lookout or rest stop on the steep ascent to becoming a physician. My outlook was a little different. I was not dreaming of my white coat ceremony. Rather, I was dreading it. Perhaps it was white coat syndrome amplified, as I walked onto the stage and announced my name to the crowd, my smiling face masking a deep, visceral ache. My core throbbed, a tight and unrelenting constriction from a fear that lurked inside me that whispered “I do not belong.” As I walked across the stage, I saw those around me as insiders. It was as though everyone else glided to shake the Dean’s hand and smile for the camera, meanwhile I felt like I tracked mud across the floors. It was a day to celebrate finding my path, yet I felt out of place and hesitant of the future.

The semester began, and the ache continued. They say that learning medicine is like learning a foreign language. In my opinion, it’s more like being thrown out of a plane and parachuting into an unfamiliar culture. My mind rattled with the cacophony of jargon and unfamiliar diagnoses, set against a new rhythm of process and formality. I’d nod and feign understanding while racing to look up seemingly basic topics like “what is a CBC.” I felt like I was a wandering microorganism, somehow having breached the defenses of my host via a lucky form of molecular mimicry. Out of place, but undetectable. From my past career in business, I was familiar with this style: fake it till you make it. But in medicine, I wasn’t so sure we wanted anyone faking anything.

I felt like a stranger, but thankfully the ache of feeling out of place began to crack and erode. This mindset change was mostly thanks to the people around me. Time spent with caring faculty and incredible students enabled me to chip away my fears and access my underlying confidence.

And then I started my clinic rotation, and I realized that many patients face similar feelings of outsider-ness. The ways that the body functions, both correctly and incorrectly, and the complex organization of delivering care are behemoths that many patients find foreign and hard to understand. In the clinic, I watched an elderly patient drip with anxiety as they discussed their profound concern over a recent note in their chart. A few months prior, they had an ultrasound which incidentally showed a cyst on their left kidney. They went through a follow up investigation and came to the clinic confused and afraid. Pulsing with fear from the implications of a disease, they explained how they had read the imaging report in their chart and had no idea what it meant. The physician declared that the cyst was not a cause for concern, and the patient erupted with tears of relief. Offering a hug, the physician remained in the room for a long time. As the patient asked more questions and listened, their fear evaporated and their confusion turned into curiosity.

I met another patient, a professional musician, who came to the clinic terrified about recent pain in their arms. They described how the pain forced them to stop performing in the middle of their set, and they admitted their fear that this condition would prevent them from playing. “I feel lost in my own body,” they said, as the provider asked how they were coping. During the visit, the provider explained, with no hint of jargon, how the body responds to pain and carries out movement. The patient leaned in as the provider drew a rough sketch of a nerve pathway, and while the provider could not yet point to the cause of the pain, the patient expressed their satisfaction in understanding more about the situation.

In those moments when I met fearful and lost patients and watched caring physicians offer support, I better understood my feelings of outsider-ness. Somehow, I had the conception that in training to become a doctor, I would have to discard my humanity. I realized I’m not training to be some sterile, robotic, pseudo-machine. I’m immersing myself in medicine so that I can be a guide to those who come to me feeling scared and uncertain. To many, like me, medicine is a foreign world, and I’m training to be a bridge into that world, to be adept in the complexities and technicalities so as to make it understandable and personal for my patients. I’m training to care for those who feel like strangers, and in the process to see them not as others, but as full human beings, with hopes and dreams and stresses just like me.

I realize that encouraging strangers to feel known and providing a foothold to those who feel lost are lofty tasks. Some people think consideration and empathy are finite resources. Some see kindness and concern like pitchers of water that we must ration as we pour ourselves into others, afraid our springs will run dry. Certainly, when we are fatigued from hard work and tackling our own stressors, it is hard to muster the energy that is required to mask our feelings and focus on patients. Certainly, there are times when the feelings poke through, and even in our best efforts, there are patients who do not feel satisfied. But my challenge to myself, at least, is that as I venture deeper into the world of medicine, I never forget my feelings of being an outsider. My challenge is for me to remember the radiating ache that I felt during my white coat ceremony, and for me to remember that many patients experience similar, if not more magnified feelings. My challenge is to remember that I’m not an automaton or some prestigious purveyor of science: I’m simply a human, learning medicine, in order to help other humans

Myco-Medicine

When I arrived in Michigan, I had been foraging mushrooms for a few years. I first became interested in mycology, the study of fungi, at college in upstate New York. The environment was luscious, the kind of environment that encourages mycorrhizal structures lying beneath our feet to fruit, and it is the fruit that catches our attention. There’s amanita muscaria, also known as the “Mario mushroom,” not to be eaten; puffball mushrooms pallid like softballs; laetiporus, lovingly referred to as the “chicken of the woods.” And beneath our feet, the networks of rhizomes, the real organisms, stretch out for miles. They commune with the roots of trees, providing necessary nutrients. They respond to subtle shifts in temperature, moisture, and light. Fungal networks have been referred to as the “wood wide web,” transmitting information throughout the giant organism of our ecosystems. When I began medical school at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, I was already looking for mycorrhizal networks everywhere. It was not difficult to see the underlying web of interconnected needs in health care as a mycorrhizal network itself. My medical training has been preoccupied with the investigation of where one entity ends, and another begins. This dissolution of the individual is visible on the molecular level, where systems blend into each other to interact and influence the operation of the body as a whole. It is evident on the level of the healthcare system, in which patient care is only as effective as our communication with everyone involved. But as someone who went into medicine for the human interactions, I am most interested in the community that is built between those of us who provide care and the patients who receive it. If I imagine this generative space, I begin to fill it up with all the ways in which we are connected to our patients. There is the physical connection, the foundation of medicine, in a clinical examination of another person. Touch is the most tangible form of connection. The link between my ears and their heartbeat is a message murmured between S1 and S2. Then there is the emotional connection between us, the empathy that we are taught to carry to each room on our rounds. The subtle cues in a patient’s glance or tone tell us about their fear, or their sorrow, or their impatience. Even before we exchange words, a connection is formed based on the way we enter their room and the way they greet us. Then, the conversation, the history; we are taught its importance even before we learn physical cues. Human society is built on the backs of words as they string together one discrete body to another. The History of the Present Illness, or HPI, is much more than the story of a symptom. Rather, it is a door into the patient’s experience. In trusting us to care for their health, patients trust that we will not abuse the bridge they are building between their needs and our solutions. They are inviting us in with the hope that we will take them along. The HPI is an experience in duality, a building of community. Admittedly, this framework has not been supported by the power of fungi alone. CHM has reaffirmed the framework of community-building on every level. In lecture halls we are taught to understand discrete biological systems by building “mental bridges” from one concept to another. This is a virtue of the C3 curriculum that encourages thinking outside the traditional medical structure of learning one bodily system at a time. In simulation sessions we were encouraged to pay attention to stories and nonverbal cues alike from our standardized patients. I will never forget the session during the second year Structural Competencies rotation in which we were able to sit down with the people who had been our standardized patients all year to get to know them as themselves. One of those sessions ended with both me and the patient in tears, grateful to have been able to find community in each other’s stories. These experiences allowed me to feel the power of mutualism when it is practiced in healthcare settings. Understanding the universality of mycorrhizal networks has helped me access the invisible threads that tie me to the patients I see. One of the valuable lessons I have gained in medicine is the ability to let go of ego and lean into the community that surrounds us. Finding that community with a patient helps us help each other, making the collective experience of seeking care and providing it run more smoothly. Finding community within our healthcare systems allows us to feel less isolated in a field that is often full of grief. I remember during my first rotation of third year, I walked into the Hurley Medical Center student lounge to find a circle of peers decompressing from the exhausting and often frustrating experiences of their clerkship rotations. In that moment, I felt recharged by the mutual support I was witnessing. This kind of community-building allows us to accomplish the shared goal of providing high quality patient care without sacrificing our mental health and wellbeing. In my clerkship rotations in Flint, I have used the lessons of community-building gleaned from MSU and mycorrhizal networks every day. When I see patients, I feel the network stretching between me and them, them and their community, their community and my community, and my community and me, all wrapped up in the time I take gathering their history. When I talk to a patient’s nurse or try to coordinate care between two specialists, I see us all as nodes in the healthcare network, each one of us providing nutrients and information to the other. From the patient to the physician to the administrator, we’re all part of a system with collective goals. My hope as I move forward in medicine is to hold fast to this network to foster community that stretches for miles, perhaps invisible, nourishing us all.

IN MEMORY The contest is named in honor of  Annie Li Yang  (1995-2019), one of the inaugural essay winners. Annie was a first-year medical student at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She held a BA from Princeton and would have received her MD in 2022. In her winning 2019 Inaugural Student Essay Contest entry titled  “ Patiently Gazing into Patients’ Lives,”  Annie candidly delved into her fear of and journey to overcome reductive thinking, stressing the importance of always keeping sight of the individuality of patients and their lives outside of the hospital or clinic. In her words, “what it truly means to become a physician [is] to see the patient as someone much like myself, a member of a wider community and family.”

View previous essay winners

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Early action simply means that you have submitted your application and all required materials by Nov. 1 and that you selected the early action application option when you applied . If you take these steps, you will receive a decision about your admission by Jan. 15 with automatic maximum scholarship consideration. Students who apply for regular or rolling admission will still be automatically considered for any remaining awards/scholarships. Choosing to apply by Nov. 1 does not make it easier to gain admission to MSU and the Office of Admissions promises no special privileges to early action candidates in the admissions review, such as giving your application a higher priority or a more lenient review. Applying by the early action deadline is simply a way to receive a decision on your application by Jan. 15 and increase your scholarship consideration. Early action is non-binding, which means that you do not have to attend Michigan State University if you are admitted.

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Deposit deadline (May 1 - extended to June 1, 2024)

Due to the nationwide impact on students and families from delays in the U.S. Department of Education processing financial aid (FAFSA) applications, MSU has extended our deposit and refund deadline for domestic first-year students from May 1 to June 1, 2024.

All admitted students should submit their Advanced Enrollment Deposit (AED) as soon as they have decided to enroll at MSU but no later than June 1. First-year students starting fall semester must submit their AED no later than the June 1 deadline or their offer of admission may be canceled. 

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