Can I reuse my Other Impactful Experiences as the adversity essay in secondaries?

[evenfeather]

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I'm wondering whether I can reuse my OIE essay for secondary essays that ask about adversities I've faced. Of course, I would not be copy and pasting it verbatim, but rather be telling the same story / circumstances using different words. Is this acceptable and/or common, or is it looked down on? Should I "save" this essay for my adversity essay and leave the OIE blank?

 

[hommefatale]

Personally, I wouldn't say the exact same story. Is there a different angle / perspective you can take from the experience? For example, in my OIE, I talked about growing up in a country with a lot of fighting / civil service issues that caused me to miss a lot of school, but I'm also using experiences from there to support my diversity essay but not at all the exact same story.

 

[LizzyM]

Some schools won't have an adversity essay so you might want to be sure your story is in the AMCAS application that every school you apply to will see. If your OIE was an adversity that fits the prompt, go for it with a rephrasing to match what is being asked (schools vary in how they ask the question and what they are looking for in terms of a response).

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Theoretically, you can write whatever you want as long as you address the prompt (or intended prompt). You only have 1350 characters though. Do not use the space for a trauma dump or a confessional.

Other Impactful Experiences Essay: Exploring Your Unique Story | SDN

Beginning with the 2024 cycle, the AAMC allowed AMCAS and ERAS applicants an opportunity to describe Other Impactful Experiences (OIE) that have helped

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[evenfeather]

What separates OIE from a trauma dump? Just by definition one of my most significant adversities in life could probably be considered a trauma, but I did only write 2-3 sentences about the incident itself and focused on growth and what I learned for the rest of the space provided.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What separates OIE from a trauma dump? Just by definition one of my most significant adversities in life could probably be considered a trauma, but I did only write 2-3 sentences about the incident itself and focused on growth and what I learned for the rest of the space provided.

Points to my article above. Also,

The Weather on Your Application Journey | SDN

In many literary epics, the protagonists’ journey is adversely affected by the weather or some force of nature. In Odysseus’s voyage home, Frodo’s quest,

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[LunaOri]

What separates OIE from a trauma dump? Just by definition one of my most significant adversities in life could probably be considered a trauma, but I did only write 2-3 sentences about the incident itself and focused on growth and what I learned for the rest of the space provided.

That is appropriate, and is not a trauma dump.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What separates OIE from a trauma dump? Just by definition one of my most significant adversities in life could probably be considered a trauma, but I did only write 2-3 sentences about the incident itself and focused on growth and what I learned for the rest of the space provided.

Trauma dump... is the contemporary moniker for "pity party." I think if the adversity comprised only a sentence or so of your OIE, you're probably fine, but without your actual essay, hard to say for sure.

 

[MD_Maker]

If you're going to respond to a secondary, I would prefer to see new information that frames who you are as an applicant. Repeating any previous essay, even if you change a few words here and there, isn't going to improve your application.