Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center School of Medicine

1. Using specific examples, discuss how your mission and values align with those of the VCU School of Medicine.

1. Describe the doctor you aspire to be and explain how a career in family medicine will help you achieve that goal.

1. How do you define "grit," and how have you demonstrated it in the past?

2. How do you define "grit," and how have you demonstrated it in the past? (2000 character limit)

1. You are approached by a friendly neighbor who knows you are headed to medical school. She seeks your opinion on whether she should have her healthy 3-year-old child vaccinated against COVID. The neighbor is well-researched and thoughtful, presenting data that suggests limited long-term benefits of vaccination while also highlighting concerning, documented side effects. How would you respond to this dilemma? (Comments are limited to 2000 characters. Research on the topic is encouraged.)

2. Imagine that you are a volunteer premed working in a free clinic that serves a large immigrant population. Your duties include taking patients' medical histories. Today, you are working with an elderly patient who does not speak English, and her adult son is translating for her. You notice that he is answering many of the questions for her without translating. During the conversation, the son tells you that if his mother has cancer, he does not want her to know because the news "will kill her." He states that in his family, he speaks for his elderly mother and does not want a translator. How will you approach this situation? (You may seek help to answer this question.)

3. Describe your understanding of Family Medicine and explain the specific influence that shaped this perspective.

1. If this has not been addressed in your application, what are you currently doing?

1. Please briefly explain any gaps in your journey to medicine that are not addressed in your application.

2. Please briefly explain any instances of low GPAs or poor grades.

3. Please briefly explain any gaps in your undergraduate education that are not addressed in your application.

4. You are living in a world affected by the ravages of the Coronavirus, which has impacted millions of people since December 2019. Please discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected you personally. What have you learned from your experiences? Additionally, please share what you believe may have been some realities that others experienced. How has your experience with COVID-19 influenced your desire to become a physician?

1. Imagine you are volunteering as a medical assistant in a pediatric clinic. Due to several walk-in urgent cases, the clinic has fallen behind schedule by about an hour. While you are gathering intake information and vitals on a child, the parent becomes visibly angry and starts cursing about the amount of time they have waited to be seen. The parent demands that you get the pediatrician immediately, but you know she is currently performing a medical procedure in the next room. How would you handle this situation? (2000 characters)