Is being first generation (immigrant or college student) an "obstacle"?

[pfieldston]

A lot of secondaries ask about "the biggest obstacle you have faced" and "how your most difficult experience has shaped your motivation for medicine," and I am reusing bits and pieces of an essay I wrote about being a first-generation immigrant to the U.S. and college student. Is this an appropriate example of an "obstacle," or are they looking for a more concrete "event" (that, for example, took place, you moved on, and it's done vs. lasts forever)?

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[MadridistaI]

I have a similar situation. You could talk about how hard it was to get accustomed to the new language, culture, and making new friends. As for motivation, Did something happen to you in your home country that had a significant effect on you and caused you to pursue this field? If so, talk about it.

 

[kthxbai]

I'm an immigrant, English is my third language, and the road to assimilation has been a rotten female dog.

If that's not an obstacle, I don't know what it.

Your life story should be told again and again.

 

[dr.sartorius]

If that really was your biggest obstacle then write about it, if you have a more unique important obstacle then write about that instead. They are just trying to get to know you and your background, how it lead you into choosing medicine.

 

[Taco Time]

It is definitely a huge obstacle. I wrote about it in my ps/secondaries because school was never really a foregone, I 'got this in box', easy-squeezy conclusion--high school or college. Each step was another big step that I had to adjust to. I feel that it stressed a persistent work ethic and a positive attitude. If you're twenty-some and haven't recovered from a horrible disease or had a close loved one go through something terrible, don't think there aren't any obstacles that you can write about. Congrats on making it this far op and good luck this app cycle!

 

[Cinabonchik]

Yes, it is! But don't focus your writing on describing your immigration/moving to a new country process, but write about how it changed/affected you and how it made you a better person/doctor!

 

[Lamel]

Yeah it is a good topic to talk about. The challenge questions can be tricky sometimes. The way they are worded sometimes suggest they want a one-time event (challenge), or sometimes they want a long-term thing (adversity).

 

[Mad Jack]

It is a substantial obstacle, certainly.

 

[Heplayer92]

Good thing to write about, like everyone else has said. Be careful not to sound "whiny" though or embellish. There are many first generation college students and immigrants applying to medical school who will have similar stories. It's what you learned/overcame that will make you stand out! Best of luck

 

[kthxbai]

Yeah it is a good topic to talk about. The challenge questions can be tricky sometimes. The way they are worded sometimes suggest they want a one-time event (challenge), or sometimes they want a long-term thing (adversity).

Challenge and adversity are not differentiated in this way. Challenge is an obstacle. Adversity is a misfortune.

They're not defined by a length of time. Just FYI!

 

[Lamel]

Challenge and adversity are not differentiated in this way. Challenge is an obstacle. Adversity is a misfortune.

They're not defined by a length of time. Just FYI!

Yeah I know but schools often give examples of what they mean, and sometimes these challenge or adversity essays want you to talk about something more long term, and sometimes you get the feel they want a single event. I was just speakings towards the "feel" of the prompt.

 

[Goro]

It can be if it negatively affected your upbringing or education. It's not easy being ESL, for example.

However, if you're the typical child of a Tiger Parent (who come in ALL cultures, not just Asian) and said parents are professionals, you might not get cut some slack on this, as opposed to say, the kid from Appalachia or South Texas.

A lot of secondaries ask about "the biggest obstacle you have faced" and "how your most difficult experience has shaped your motivation for medicine," and I am reusing bits and pieces of an essay I wrote about being a first-generation immigrant to the U.S. and college student. Is this an appropriate example of an "obstacle," or are they looking for a more concrete "event" (that, for example, took place, you moved on, and it's done vs. lasts forever)?

 

[NTheo91]

Like Goro said, it depends on your situation.

I think the answer to questions like this is pretty straightforward. Just stop and think. Can you list of any situations that made being 1st generation/immigrant an obstacle for you? Even if you are ESL, if you didn't feel challenged by the fact that you are 1st generation than I wouldn't put this as an answer on the "obstacle" question. If you are from a wealthier background or if your parents are professionals themselves, you probably didn't think of this as an obstacle.

For example, my parents immigrated to the US from Greece and neither of them received a college education. I was raised in a household in which only Greek was spoken and most of the people my family interacted with were Greek. However, my parents made decent money and I live in New Jersey which is decently welcoming of immigrants (at least in my situation). I had to navigate the education system alone, my parents didn't understand how hard college could be at times, and it sucked that most of my family wasn't around because they were still in Greece, but I wouldn't say it was an obstacle for me. I would say it was more of a diversity thing for me rather than anything else.

If you don't really have any obstacles to speak of and are looking for an obstacle, I'm sure you could twist your situation around to make an answer.