Can you talk about sexual assault in your secondaries?

[salsita1421]

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When asked "What field of medicine is most appealing to you at this time and why?"...I want to say a rape treatment clinic physician because I was sexually assaulted. Is that too taboo of a topic to put in your secondaries?

 

[MadameLULU]

i would stay away from that topic. just say you had a traumatic incident in your life. there is no need to be specific

 

[Davina3000]

I have an aquaintance who was a victim of domestic abuse (also a pretty taboo topic), wrote about it, and did get into a great med school. I think it all depends on how you handle writing it. It might be tough to really explain your feelings about it in a short "what field of medicine" question. but if that is really what inspired you, then I can see why you would want to incorporate it. Have you volunteered with rape victims at all? That would be a good way to show personal connection without getting TOO personal.
Also, don't forget that you may be asked about this by a complete stranger in your interview, so if you DO write about it, make sure you are 105% fine talking about it and being questioned about how it affected you.

Good luck.

 

[mcjay]

Although it will definitely set you apart from most applicants, it just isn't a good topic to discuss for medical school. You probably have been very active in the mov't to end sexual assaults, so I feel you would be better off discussing that work instead. 👍

 

[dhoonlee]

.

 

[gizmoduck]

If you're very honest and not creepy about it all, then say what you feel is right.

 

[jlee9531]

if you feel strongly about it and can write about it in an effective manner then by all means do it.

 

[Freakingzooming]

i think the secondaries should be personal but to a point... so try to focus on the experience as positive and uplifting.. try not to be bitter or cynical about it and try to reinforce a theme; your motivation has become a reality, you want to help others so they won't go thru what happened to you.

 

[sockandmittens]

if you are comfortable writing about it and having an interviewer sitting across from you knowing that about you- yes. i wish you the best of luck.

 

[CarleneM]

if the only reason that you want to go into that field is because of your personal experience, then I would leave it out. however, if your personal experience has already inspired you to become involved in rape crisis centers and you can talk about that work I would say definitely mention it. no need to provide details about your assault, mention it and then move on to how it has already influenced you to become involved in helping other victims.

i mentioned being sexually assaulted in the university of chicago app for the question about difficult circumstances and how you coped with them. it was one sentence. the rest of the essay was about how I became a stronger person and learned how to tap into appropriate support networks, etc. a lot of sdn'ers encouraged me to go forward with mentioning it so I'll do the same for you. if you want me to read it over or anything, feel free to pm it to me.

 

[ambrosia]

Only bring it up if you can do so tastefully and if you feel comfortable talking about it at an interview. Adcoms often want to talk about thing you've mentioned in your essays, so it might come up.

 

[katvu]

Being a good doctor will require you to communicate openly with your patients, your patients' families, and your co-workers. For those who are telling you not to write about your experience, I say: Our society needs to be able to talk about such things openly and professionally. These are very real situations. We can't let our tendency to become embarrassed or offended stop us from honestly discussing sex, drugs, crime, reproduction, and other "hot" topics.

Word of warning: Just saying you were assaulted will not be enough. You will have to explain thoroughly the connection between your experience and your motivations, like everyone else.

 

[hy2026]

When asked "What field of medicine is most appealing to you at this time and why?"...I want to say a rape treatment clinic physician because I was sexually assaulted. Is that too taboo of a topic to put in your secondaries?

I think you are a very brave person, and I think you should write about your reason. It is a bit taboo of a topic, but if this is the real reason why you are going into medicine then you should definitely talk about it.

I hope you are doing well, I am a man but sometimes all men are idiots.

 

[Tiddly of Winks]

Being a good doctor will require you to communicate openly with your patients, your patients' families, and your co-workers. For those who are telling you not to write about your experience, I say: Our society needs to be able to talk about such things openly and professionally. These are very real situations. We can't let our tendency to become embarrassed or offended stop us from honestly discussing sex, drugs, crime, reproduction, and other "hot" topics.

Word of warning: Just saying you were assaulted will not be enough. You will have to explain thoroughly the connection between your experience and your motivations, like everyone else.

I'm torn: I think katvu's point is excellent; however, there is another issue here--should you be progressive and honest at the risk of opening a pandora's box of unknowns?

 

[Tiddly of Winks]

I didn't mean to sound like a douche above. I just meant I think you should consider all possibilities. But if you write something great, no matter the topic (as long as it's a pertinent one), you have to be confident and have faith in yourself.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I don't see why this is a topic to be shying away from. It is personal to you, thus you feel a strong motivation to work in that area. Its real, its personal, its honest. Why not?

I do agree that it depends on how you write about it though. Although, really, that could be said for any topic.

i agree; just because it is unique and generally consoidered taboo, it really happens and if the victim can speak of it and wants to move forward and initiate change, good for her...write it in the essay. What could be more convincing than someone who has suffered as the result of a traumatic incident and wants to make the situation better for others?

And to the OP: i'm so sorry you suffered such a vicious attack; i'm also sorry to be part of a gender who would do that.

 

[uclabruin2003]

good luck!!!!

 

[45408]

Just make the connection very valid and significant towards what the adcoms are looking for.

 

[neoncandle]

Say what you want to say, but if they remember you as the "rape girl" when they are talking about you in committee, it may be a bad thing. It is certainly an important thing in your life, though. I just know that at least the doctors at work talk about their patients in short phrases and I suspect the admissions committee is no different. Also, these are the people who may be your professors later and you may want to have more control over who knows.

 

[leechy]

I say, as long as you're comfortable with your interviewer knowing, then go for it. It looks like you're going to be mentioning it as a motivation for you to someday work at a rape crisis center. That seems very logical to me. In fact, if you were going to say you wanted to work there and not mention your motivation, it might raise questions in the interview, since it's an unusual choice. Perhaps it's better to deal with it on paper first.

So yeah, there's no reason to cover it up unless you don't feel comfortable with them knowing. Sexual assault is a terrible crime but a reality in this world, and it's not indelicate to mention it if you want.

 

[Lefty]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned this, but most schools don't care about what you want to go into. Some schools may care about research, some may be specialty oriented, while others are primary care oriented. But every med school pumps out practicing physicians of all kind. Most med students change their mind several times regarding their specialty. I went into med school set on doing pediatrics. I even talked about pediatrics in my interviews. Now I am going into anesthesia. So, whatever you are interested in going into really doesn't have much influence on your application (generally speaking). So you don't necessarily have to be specific about what you want to do if you don't feel comfortable doing so. While you may have nothing to hide, your past history is none of their business. Good luck on making a decision.

 

[aparecida]

^^ yes, but this essay specifically asked the OP to discuss what she was interested in at the present time.

OP, I think that that's a fantastic idea. It's important, however, to make it clear that A) that isn't the only aspect or the only reason you want to do medicine, and B) you know that you have dealt with your own assault enough that you will have the strength to deal with it on a daily basis rather than finding it traumatic.

I briefly mentioned my own sexual assault and abusive relationship in my PS, but it was as an explanation for a sudden crash in my grades.

 

[PookieGirl]

First of all, I'm really sorry that that has happened to you. Having many friends that have been raped, I know how traumatic it can be and how it can disrupt your life. Hopefully you have had counselling to talk through your feelings.

It angers me that it is a taboo topic, as if by keeping the event silent we are protecting the person who perpetrated this attack. By keeping it silent, in some ways society perpetuates the sense of shame that accompanies this type of assault. I think as a society we need to openly talk about it and hopefully by talking about it, we can teach the men and women of our world that rape is never ok.

That said, I agree with some others that if you are at an emotional steadypoint and could talk about it with a stranger during an interview, then go for it. If you can talk about something so painful with honesty, peace in your heart and emotional stability, then that to me shows you are ready to handle the painful issues that medicine can sometimes bring up. Best of luck to you.