AdComs of SDN, how are secondaries evaluated compared to primaries?

[ayjaystudent]

I've been reading mixed recommendations that secondaries should not repeat stories from the primaries. But I'm wondering, if AdComs rely more on secondaries, wouldn't it be more important to repeat the stories/essays mentioned in the primaries?

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[Lucca]

Moved to PreAllo

 

[Catalystik]

I've been reading mixed recommendations that secondaries should not repeat stories from the primaries. But I'm wondering, if AdComs rely more on secondaries, wouldn't it be more important to repeat the stories/essays mentioned in the primaries?

Depending on the school, application readers may or may not have access to both the Primary and the Secondary essays. Some schools give more attention to Secondary essays, and others, the Primary. It may depend on adcomm preference or opinions of the usefulness of the prompts. So you need an approach that will cover every scenario.

I suggest that to cover all parts of the spectrum you should not use identical essays in both locations, but that doesn't mean you can't repeat information. Just be sure to use different vocabulary, different presentation, and an alternate anecdote. And also be sure the essay can stand on its own without the information included in the Primary.

 

[LizzyM]

And don't be a one trick pony. If every essay draws on the same experience, it gets old. I remember an adcom member saying, "We get it, he's gay, but what else does he have going on?" In other words, if the school has two or more secondary essays, don't make them both about the same thing.

 

[Goro]

I've been reading mixed recommendations that secondaries should not repeat stories from the primaries. But I'm wondering, if AdComs rely more on secondaries, wouldn't it be more important to repeat the stories/essays mentioned in the primaries?

I look at both, but frankly, I pay little attention to PS's. They're all the same.

Do not assume that secondararies ask for the same thing as the pS.

the PS is:

Why Medicine

Who are you?

At least my school's secondary prompts are different enough to avoid stuff like the above.

 

[Goro]

And don't be a one trick pony. If every essay draws on the same experience, it gets old. I remember an adcom member saying, "We get it, he's gay, but what else does he have going on?" In other words, if the school has two or more secondary essays, don't make them both about the same thing.

Welcome to the world of CATS!

 

[deleted804295]

And don't be a one trick pony. If every essay draws on the same experience, it gets old. I remember an adcom member saying, "We get it, he's gay, but what else does he have going on?" In other words, if the school has two or more secondary essays, don't make them both about the same thing.

I suppose that makes sense but what if one essay asks him to talk about his experiences and his experiences were with gay youth. Or another essay asks for challenges that makes him diverse- cant they go into specifics about how being gay and having difficulty being gay makes them diverse?

I get how it can get annoying but it's often one's identities that help shape their decisions, their extracurriculars, and their experiences

 

[deleted804295]

And don't be a one trick pony. If every essay draws on the same experience, it gets old. I remember an adcom member saying, "We get it, he's gay, but what else does he have going on?" In other words, if the school has two or more secondary essays, don't make them both about the same thing.

Oh my. I didnt even recognize it was you because of the new profile pic 😳

 

[Catalystik]

Please @LizzyM, change the picture back. You are commanding as "M" from James Bond/007 but as a furry cat, there are some things you can not unsee

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[strappysandals]

cats

 

[deleted804295]

I see this issue all the time and it is about theme and focus for each essay. You may have similar content but framing it for the specific question matters. For example, using the previously LGBT, the "Challenge/Adversity" essay could be how you told parents, dealing with issue that may have arisen in schools, etc. The "Uniqueness/Diversity" essay could be about what you could bring to your patients and relationships with them as a being part of an often discriminated or stigmatized group.

Adding to this, what I often see lacking in essays is the conceptual jump from the specific activities and experiences you have had, to what you learned from it or impact it had, and how that can be applied to your practice of medicine.

Thanks so much. Still have around 6 secondaries to finish so I'll be sure to incorporate your advice into my essays.