Challenges question: What if you've had almost no obstacles to overcome?

[openstage]

Hello SDN helpers,

First off I realize how obnoxious and whiny this subject probably seems! Some people may be thinking (picture eye rolling): "What a terrible problem it must be, to be a white male who had a peaceful, low key, happy childhood!" I get it.

But it's the truth. So what do people in this position typically do? Some background: 2 parents, 1 sibling, middle class family in a small rural New England town. It was a bit of a challenge moving out of state for college from this town of 3000 and no stoplights. Both my parents are elementary school teachers. I had very stable school years with success in academics, sports etc.. No major problems, other than the fact that one of my parents has very debilitating Rheumatoid Arthritis - I've had to help a lot with her care. One year I lost both of my grandparents at a young age to cancer (55 and 68) - I imagine that's a cliche' to even mention.

Is being honest that you've had no significant challenges acceptable to write or a deal breaker? Do I need to think harder and be creative?

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[IlDestriero]

You can write of the horrors of having to stay at the Ritz Carlton because there was an inexcusable problem with your reservation at the Four Seasons. Maybe how your helicopter parents forced you to go the the Elite boarding school and leave all of your townie friends behind. Not to mention how unbearable the winters were in Exeter. Thank goodness for cashmere.
That’s pretty much my life now, and it’s fine. Aspirational essay.

 

[openstage]

Yeah, here we go with the snarky responses...

 

[curbsideconsult]

Hello SDN helpers,

First off I realize how obnoxious and whiny this subject probably seems! Some people may be thinking (picture eye rolling): "What a terrible problem it must be, to be a white male who had a peaceful, low key, happy childhood!" I get it.

But it's the truth. So what do people in this position typically do? Some background: 2 parents, 1 sibling, middle class family in a small rural New England town. It was a bit of a challenge moving out of state for college from this town of 3000 and no stoplights. Both my parents are elementary school teachers. I had very stable school years with success in academics, sports etc.. No major problems, other than the fact that one of my parents has very debilitating Rheumatoid Arthritis - I've had to help a lot with her care. One year I lost both of my grandparents at a young age to cancer (55 and 68) - I imagine that's a cliche' to even mention.

Is being honest that you've had no significant challenges acceptable to write or a deal breaker? Do I need to think harder and be creative?

A challenge is a challenge. I think any of those are fine to write about as long as it's done in a respectful way. But if you don't like those topics, you really can't think of any other challenges you may have had in life? Not with a school project? Group work? Athletics? Sibling rivalry? Learning a new language/sport/whatever?

 

[ChymeofPassion]

It doesn't always have to be a horrible, life-changing problem. Adcoms want to see how you faced a problem, what you did about it, and what you learned. Most importantly, how can those lessons learned be applied to success in medical school. This isn't a pissing contest on crap lives. Have you ever had trouble at work? Personal relationships? Even the Kardashians could write a challenge essay.

 

[openstage]

You actually gave me a good idea! Thanks!

 

[Rachapkis]

The key to the challenge essay is to use it to show that you possess what it takes to be an excellent medical student and doctor. Did you face adversity in the lab (e.g., getting an experiment to work or learning a new technique)? Did you face adversity fulfilling a dream (e.g., becoming first chair in the school orchestra)? Did you face adversity in a personal relationship? Find the story you can use as a springboard . . .

 

[907914]

It doesn't always have to be a horrible, life-changing problem. Adcoms want to see how you faced a problem, what you did about it, and what you learned. Most importantly, how can those lessons learned be applied to success in medical school. This isn't a pissing contest on crap lives. Have you ever had trouble at work? Personal relationships? Even the Kardashians could write a challenge essay.

Do ADCOMs more highly value different varieties of challenge or different difficulty of challenge?

 

[IlDestriero]

Yeah, here we go with the snarky responses...

Those are real problems man.

 

[curbsideconsult]

Do ADCOMs more highly value different varieties of challenge or different difficulty of challenge?

I'm not an adcom, but I was student interviewer. It's not so much the variety of challenge or difficulty of it, it's more about how you dealt with it and how good you are at conveying this in your writing.

 

[LizzyM]

Having a mother with a physical disability and being pressed into caring for her at an age when most kids are still being cared for in many ways by their parents would be a reasonable obstacle and you could describe the ways that it disrupted your life and how you rose to meet the challenge.

 

[psychgirl95]

Having a mother with a physical disability and being pressed into caring for her at an age when most kids are still being cared for in many ways by their parents would be a reasonable obstacle and you could describe the ways that it disrupted your life and how you rose to meet the challenge.

Adding on to this (as my mother was diagnosed with RA when I was young as well), personally speaking, I have more memories of my father than my mother because of her health issues.

When I remember thinking of fun family adventures or even mundane daily activities, I don’t picture her as being there with us. It was kind of like being raised by a single parent, and so when she actually became my sole parent, I know I had to miss out on things my peers didn’t because she didn’t feel like taking me places.

Obviously I can’t speak for you but if you’ve had a similar experience, I definitely think it’s worth mentioning.

 

[Peter Pan.]

You can talk about the challenges of writing this essay due to not having any challenges.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

On the other hand, you could talk about that one time your family's G6 had to taxi for 30 extra minutes due to a hailstorm and you missed the all-you-can-drink caipirinhas in Punta Cana.

 

[Peter Pan.]

It doesn't always have to be a horrible, life-changing problem. Adcoms want to see how you faced a problem, what you did about it, and what you learned. Most importantly, how can those lessons learned be applied to success in medical school. This isn't a pissing contest on crap lives. Have you ever had trouble at work? Personal relationships? Even the Kardashians could write a challenge essay.

Kardashian’s challenge essay. The hardships from all the anesthesia with the surgeries.

 

[907914]

Kardashian’s challenge essay. The hardships from all the anesthesia with the surgeries.

I don’t know, being the victim of robbery at gunpoint while you are alone in your hotel room is a pretty big challenge.

Dealing with ridicule in your adolescence from the general public who thinks your father (OJ’s Lawyer) is helping a murderer can probably do some damage.

Trying to live up to the expectations of beauty you have imposed on yourself because it has been your only means of feeling validated despite also accomplishing some genuinely impressive humanitarian efforts in today’s appearance based culture can make one feel less-than.




I know you are just trying to poke fun at someone because the struggles and challenges of the rich, from an external standpoint, really don’t seem like that big of a deal to us laypersons. But we are all only human and stress/feelings of less-than, challenge and success are all relative to our own lives experiences.

 

[Cornfed101]

I don’t know, being the victim of robbery at gunpoint while you are alone in your hotel room is a pretty big challenge.

Dealing with ridicule in your adolescence from the general public who thinks your father (OJ’s Lawyer) is helping a murderer can probably do some damage.

Trying to live up to the expectations of beauty you have imposed on yourself because it has been your only means of feeling validated despite also accomplishing some genuinely impressive humanitarian efforts in today’s appearance based culture can make one feel less-than.




I know you are just trying to poke fun at someone because the struggles and challenges of the rich, from an external standpoint, really don’t seem like that big of a deal to us laypersons. But we are all only human and stress/feelings of less-than, challenge and success are all relative to our own lives experiences.

Case and point... everyone should be able to write a challenge essay unless you have been in a coma for the last 20 years. I guess that would be a challenge too, but your ECs would be garbage.

"What have you been doing since you graduated?"
"Um... I've been unconscious."

 

[907914]

Case and point... everyone should be able to write a challenge essay unless you have been in a coma for the last 20 years. I guess that would be a challenge too, but your ECs would be garbage.

"What have you been doing since you graduated?"
"Um... I've been unconscious."

“I spent 20 years as a live-in hospital volunteer.”

 

[Cornfed101]

“I spent 20 years as a live-in hospital volunteer.”

Man, finding ways to spin everything! You are gonna kill it in interviews.

 

[Goro]

Hello SDN helpers,

First off I realize how obnoxious and whiny this subject probably seems! Some people may be thinking (picture eye rolling): "What a terrible problem it must be, to be a white male who had a peaceful, low key, happy childhood!" I get it.

But it's the truth. So what do people in this position typically do? Some background: 2 parents, 1 sibling, middle class family in a small rural New England town. It was a bit of a challenge moving out of state for college from this town of 3000 and no stoplights. Both my parents are elementary school teachers. I had very stable school years with success in academics, sports etc.. No major problems, other than the fact that one of my parents has very debilitating Rheumatoid Arthritis - I've had to help a lot with her care. One year I lost both of my grandparents at a young age to cancer (55 and 68) - I imagine that's a cliche' to even mention.

Is being honest that you've had no significant challenges acceptable to write or a deal breaker? Do I need to think harder and be creative?

What if you've had almost no obstacals to overcome?

Then you are incapable of introspection. No one leads a charmed life.

 

[Kardio]

I'm a man. I will (presumably) never feel the pain of giving birth to a child.

That doesn't mean that, when I get a papercut or break a bone, it doesn't hurt. It's meant to gauge your ability to cope with stress and "rise to meet a challenge", not your score in the oppression olympics.

 

[deleted939001]

You could write about the challenge you face in spelling the word obstacle? Or the challenge getting serious answers to this post?

 

[stayathomemom]

I'm a man. I will (presumably) never feel the pain of giving birth to a child.

That doesn't mean that, when I get a papercut or break a bone, it doesn't hurt. It's meant to gauge your ability to cope with stress and "rise to meet a challenge", not your score in the oppression olympics.

THAT'S IT! I'm writing my essay about giving birth (multiple times!) naturally without pain meds. I'd like to see how well that goes over during an adcom meeting 🤣

 

[deleted972488]

THAT'S IT! I'm writing my essay about giving birth (multiple times!) naturally without pain meds. I'd like to see how well that goes over during an adcom meeting 🤣

I haven't given birth with or without pain meds and it is probably worse than what I've gone through, but I have had a PDPH and it was the worst I've ever felt, so you at least dodged that bullet.