Adversity Prompt

[Jaded03]

A couple short, fast questions as my main problem is that I haven't had difficult trying experiences that would directly affect me in my pursuit of medicine, preoccupy my mind, but nothing significant...I don't want to play the pity card:

1. Is going in-depth on what was stated on AMCAS PS redundant? Should this be avoided at all costs? (My answer would've been yes, but what do i know? )

2. Is having a more perfuse adversity too vague? It's not a specific situation that I can resolve. It's more like an environmental situation where I just cope with it in my own way. (I don't really know how else to explain it without writing the essay right here.)

3. Slighly off topic, how should one approach the diversity prompt (bringing diversity to a med school) without being a unrepresented minority?

Thanks in advanced

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[armybound]

Adcomms typically prefer to read as little as possible. They have a TON of applications to sort through and probably wouldn't want to read two essays on the same topic. I'd try to avoid that.

I can't help you with the second one without at least a little more detail, sorry.

You can think of anything that makes you slightly different. Do you have any interesting talents, like playing a musical instrument, singing, playing a particular sport at a highly competitive level? Were you raised in a way a lot of people weren't, such as moving around a lot or something? There should be something somewhere in your history that is somewhat "unique." If you really can't find anything like that, do you have a different sense of humor? Is there anything about you that's slightly different than most people?

 

[gotmeds?]

I can't help you with the second one without at least a little more detail, sorry.

I can't even understand the second one. What the heck is "perfuse adversity?" I agree, though, that you shouldn't repeat what you put in your personal statement, even if the question on the secondary is nearly identical. Rephrase it, or better yet, find a way add something that you didn't mention in your PS.

 

[Jaded03]

No worries. Thanks for the input.

The second topic was more on the lines of something much less obvious. Hmm...an athelete being told he was stupid all his life. Difficult to pinpoint specific incidences, but affecting his actions in life or who knows, medicine even. That's what I mean by perfuse, it is like something you could write about, but is it addressing the prompt kind of issue.

I'm just in a situation where it's really difficult for me to pinpoint a specific case where any obstacles were significant. While racking my brain over it, more esoteric ideas came out versus looking back on my autobiography and finding that one obstacle I failed to remember.

Thanks to armybound. Suggestions are totally welcome. Hearing the suggestions from someone else actually stimulated some serious thinking. Maybe it was the phrasing. Thanks!

 

[BC7106]

A couple short, fast questions as my main problem is that I haven't had difficult trying experiences that would directly affect me in my pursuit of medicine, preoccupy my mind, but nothing significant...I don't want to play the pity card:

1. Is going in-depth on what was stated on AMCAS PS redundant? Should this be avoided at all costs? (My answer would've been yes, but what do i know? )

2. Is having a more perfuse adversity too vague? It's not a specific situation that I can resolve. It's more like an environmental situation where I just cope with it in my own way. (I don't really know how else to explain it without writing the essay right here.)

3. Slighly off topic, how should one approach the diversity prompt (bringing diversity to a med school) without being a unrepresented minority?

Thanks in advanced

1. Yes, I think repeating anything in your AMCAS is probably a mistake. Unless you can introduce something new that you didn't say before, then I'd stay away from that.

2. Regarding the adversity issue, everything in your essay is about how you word it. If you can make this topic into a coherent essay which really says something about who you are, then go for it. Some topics are easier to make into a meaningful statement.

3. Diversity isn't always about being a minority. You can bring diversity to your school through your personality, skills, interests, etc.

Hope this helps.

Check out my blog at www.drbyron.blogspot.com. It may give you some incite into the medical field and help with your application.

 

[Fiddlergirl]

I think the trick is to think outside the box on the diversity/minority questions. I wrote one yesterday were I claimed I was in a minority because I transferred from a community college to a four-year school.

 

[TheRealMD]

I think if you try to call it a "diversity/minority" essay, you'll have some trouble. Instead, think of it as the "How am I different essay?" The real problem is that you don't actually know yourself as well as your friends will, so you need to talk to your friends to discover what's really different about you.

For me, I'm extremely interested in computers to the point where I can tell when a laptop was purchase, how much, and what type of person owned it without ever turning it on. An amazing but not TOO useful skill, but it sets me apart from most pre-meds. I'd relate it to medicine because just about everything will be computerized in the future and having those skills would be rather useful. Plus, I charge people to fix their computers!!

See how the essay can be rather easy if you only change the frame of reference?

*btw, I'm not using this because I have a much more compelling experience. Feel free to "borrow" ideas, I just ask for a $5 royalty *

 

[Jaded03]

I wasn't being too serious about the third prompt. I just list things in at least three. Haha.

I knew I would have to bank off personal traits or unique qualities. We all know that UCLA has been hounded by the diversity issue, so I was just more inclined to think race first.

However, no one has really discussed the "athlete being told he was stupid for most of his life" and his coping and development with that circumstance. What I want to know is if it's too vague or generalized to demonstrate what the secondary asks for which is basically how you handle issues, as it seems to be more appropriate for personal growth. I just wouldn't want to free write an inappropriate essay. Although I'm sure it will be coherent.

 

[TheRealMD]

I wasn't being too serious about the third prompt. I just list things in at least three. Haha.

I knew I would have to bank off personal traits or unique qualities. We all know that UCLA has been hounded by the diversity issue, so I was just more inclined to think race first.

However, no one has really discussed the "athlete being told he was stupid for most of his life" and his coping and development with that circumstance. What I want to know is if it's too vague or generalized to demonstrate what the secondary asks for which is basically how you handle issues, as it seems to be more appropriate for personal growth. I just wouldn't want to free write an inappropriate essay. Although I'm sure it will be coherent.

"athlete being told he was stupid for most of his life" - I know you aren't going to use these words but that's what you're trying to get across which would be an amazing essay. I'd focus on the opportunities you saw other people getting and weren't being extended to you. Explain how you tried to overcome the "athlete" stereotype of dumbness (everyone's guilty of it). Show how being an athlete means hard work, determination, and perserverance to accomplish your goals.

I always like to say "write BS first, edit with a fine comb later". When you first write your essay, write it with the "cruel" comments and then take them out later as your editing progresses. That's what worked for me.

 

[EBI831]

don't repeat amcas. please. it makes you seem insipid and hollow. just write about the environmental thing or whatever. my adversity was about not being assigned to housing close to my best friends in college and how it helped me to be independent and make new friends and learn new things about myself and life. not traumatic at all but effective as it didn't deter me from getting in to the places where i used it. as for the diversity prompt, i hate when people come online to ask me to tell them why they are diverse. come on think about it, is there anyone in the world exactly like you? no. so why not write about your interests that make you different ie your hobbies (bagpipe playing, acting, writing, etc) or things about your family (ie i come from a big family it has taught me this, or i'm an only child so i learned this), or your hometown (ie what you learned from growing up there), or your parents (what gems they passed on to you mentally), or even about your pets who knows its like an open field, there's ammo anywhere you look. diversity is not just skin deep and adversity is not limited to rape/death/etc. All things and questions are malleable and able to be bent to suit you in a way that defines you. good luck

 

[Jaded03]

Not to be a jerk, but do you really think this "perfuse adversity" you're referring to is real? Got to be honest, sounds like a load of B.S. to me. Perhaps before you write it, you should consider how your essay will read when compared to the woman who grew up in a single-parent household in the inner city.

There's no shame in saying you didn't experience significant adversity. But if you sound like you're trying to fake it, you'll undoubtedly get burned with at least a few schools.

Okay, whoa there. I never said my essay was going to be that. I'm saying it in a way that was a bit more easier to understand. What I meant by a generalized adversity is being stereotyped or under a certain condition, albeit not very physical like being a single mother, that would reveal something about ones character. I never meant to fake an adversity. However, I have known students whose parents/teachers/etc. have told them they would not amount to anything, etc. etc. I would not deny them that their life has to be more difficult than those who have been lauded for honors all their lives, but I wouldn't say it was appropriate for a medical school application, which is why I brought up the question in the first place.

I think it was a bit forward to assume that I would be facetious about my application.

 

[Jaded03]

don't repeat amcas. please. it makes you seem insipid and hollow. just write about the environmental thing or whatever. my adversity was about not being assigned to housing close to my best friends in college and how it helped me to be independent and make new friends and learn new things about myself and life. not traumatic at all but effective as it didn't deter me from getting in to the places where i used it. as for the diversity prompt, i hate when people come online to ask me to tell them why they are diverse. come on think about it, is there anyone in the world exactly like you? no. so why not write about your interests that make you different ie your hobbies (bagpipe playing, acting, writing, etc) or things about your family (ie i come from a big family it has taught me this, or i'm an only child so i learned this), or your hometown (ie what you learned from growing up there), or your parents (what gems they passed on to you mentally), or even about your pets who knows its like an open field, there's ammo anywhere you look. diversity is not just skin deep and adversity is not limited to rape/death/etc. All things and questions are malleable and able to be bent to suit you in a way that defines you. good luck

Ok, I guess I'm really getting burned for throwing out a question out there for newbies who may ask down the road. I know that I am an individual and that I bring diversity to any university I attend. I should be able to write that no problem, but for many, they think of this as a race/academic excellence issue. Since it is a common secondary topic, I thought I'd include on this thread. However, in all honesty, I believe your response helped a lot of people with their secondaries, which I thank you.

 

[TheRealMD]

Sorry, wasn't trying to imply that you were lying on your app. Just suggesting that maybe, while you think this is "adversity", most wouldn't. Perhaps I should withhold my opinion since we really don't know what you're talking about. But the "kid being told he's not smart" would just make me laugh if I ever saw it on an app under the 'adversity' section.

That's reacting more towards word choice than actual circumstances.