Chances and should I avoid mentioning this?

[cdp1996]

I was abused as a child for a good portion of my childhood. It was dealt with and legal action was taken. However, it left many scars and I suffered anxiety and depression throughout high school. However, in college, I have learned to manage it and put these mental issues to rest.
I understand that mental problems are a red flag. However, this is such a big part of my journey towards medicine and why I want to be a doctor. I've made so much progress from being a depressed high schooler who barely got into college, to thriving in college and pursuing something I love. I've received mixed opinions about mentioning this so I would appreciate any feedback. I'm a junior wanting to apply this upcoming cycle.

cGPA - 3.88
sGPA - 3.81
MCAT - 516 ( my scores aren't distributed well which I've been told is a negative, 126 in chem/phys, 131 in CARS, 131 in bio/biochem, 128 in psych/soc)
Major - Double in Biochemistry and Spanish
ECs - Lab TA, student worker in the chemistry office, campus media team, mortar board, servant leadership team, camp counselor, Spanish tutor
Research - 2 semesters and 2 presentations. 2 abstracts published in the convention's manuals, but I'm not sure if these get listed as publications or not.
Volunteering - 200 hours at a safe home (probably will get about 50-75 more before applying in the summer), 100 hours of mentoring urban youth, 50 hours at an animal shelter, other various volunteer work around my college with the service team I'm in ( about 150 hours to be conservative).
Clinical Experience - worked part-time as a patient transporter the past year (about 300 hours), 60 hours volunteering at a free clinic, 50 shadowing hours

White male, NC resident

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[Catalystik]

Here is a thread on a related topic you might like to read. Particularly see post #23 from LizzyM, which directly addresses your issue: Assault as personal challenge for secondary inappropriate?

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Huge red flag. Do not mention personal psych issues.


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[calivianya]

You have a beautiful app with a great GPA, good MCAT score, and great ECs. I wouldn't risk mentioning something negative.

 

[cdp1996]

You have a beautiful app with a great GPA, good MCAT score, and great ECs. I wouldn't risk mentioning something negative.

I understand. It's just I'm not the same person that I was four years ago and I've grown so much from this experience. It's been such a big part of my journey.I feel like I wouldn't be completely honest if I weren't mentioning it.

 

[pooppooppoop]

I am not sure that I agree with the two posts above me. I think, depending on how you present it, that this experience could allow you to connect with patients with similar experiences in a unique way that most doctor's would not be able to do. It seems like you have grown from this, and since your college years it has made you stronger. I would lean towards mentioning it, but focusing less on the abuse itself and more of how you have grown and how it will make you a better physician.

 

[cdp1996]

I am not sure that I agree with the two posts above me. I think, depending on how you present it, that this experience could allow you to connect with patients with similar experiences in a unique way that most doctor's would not be able to do. It seems like you have grown from this, and since your college years it has made you stronger. I would lean towards mentioning it, but focusing less on the abuse itself and more of how you have grown and how it will make you a better physician.

That's what I'm leaning towards, but hearing it being a red flag makes me second guess. I wouldn't want to have come all this way to not get in because of a part of my life I couldn't control.

 

[Jamisan]

I was abused as a child for a good portion of my childhood. It was dealt with and legal action was taken. However, it left many scars and I suffered anxiety and depression throughout high school. However, in college, I have learned to manage it and put these mental issues to rest.
I understand that mental problems are a red flag. However, this is such a big part of my journey towards medicine and why I want to be a doctor. I've made so much progress from being a depressed high schooler who barely got into college, to thriving in college and pursuing something I love. I've received mixed opinions about mentioning this so I would appreciate any feedback. I'm a junior wanting to apply this upcoming cycle.

cGPA - 3.88
sGPA - 3.81
MCAT - 516 ( my scores aren't distributed well which I've been told is a negative, 126 in chem/phys, 131 in CARS, 131 in bio/biochem, 128 in psych/soc)
Major - Double in Biochemistry and Spanish
ECs - Lab TA, student worker in the chemistry office, campus media team, mortar board, servant leadership team, camp counselor, Spanish tutor
Research - 2 semesters and 2 presentations. 2 abstracts published in the convention's manuals, but I'm not sure if these get listed as publications or not.
Volunteering - 200 hours at a safe home (probably will get about 50-75 more before applying in the summer), 100 hours of mentoring urban youth, 50 hours at an animal shelter, other various volunteer work around my college with the service team I'm in ( about 150 hours to be conservative).
Clinical Experience - worked part-time as a patient transporter the past year (about 300 hours), 60 hours volunteering at a free clinic, 50 shadowing hours

White male, NC resident

I like what someone said in another thread. "Just because someone should be understanding of your experience, doesn't mean they will be. Whoever views your app is a person with his or her own individual experiences and biases, which may or may not work in your favor." I'm truly sorry for what happened to you. I had a traumatic experience involving abuse when I was 15 and 16 and every time I have spoken about it with anyone (I'm totally comfortable discussing it cuz it doesn't affect me at all anymore) the person I'm talking to has ended up being uncomfortable. So I think that's part of the worry - not so much how you will be affected by discussing it but how the adcoms will feel about discussing it. I would also worry that someone would think I was trying to get a pity vote - obviously that's not what you're doing but I would just worry about that and it kinda goes back to the quote.

 

[thenucleusaccumbens]

I am not sure that I agree with the two posts above me. I think, depending on how you present it, that this experience could allow you to connect with patients with similar experiences in a unique way that most doctor's would not be able to do. It seems like you have grown from this, and since your college years it has made you stronger. I would lean towards mentioning it, but focusing less on the abuse itself and more of how you have grown and how it will make you a better physician.

I also think it really depends on how the OP presents this in the personal statement. I personally know 2 people at my med school (Mayo) who discussed similar topics in their applications and got in. To quote the wise adcom LizzyM

This can be done badly or done well. I've seen the essay and it was done very well, IMHO.

I liked that the OP used the term assault without a modifier which put the emphasis on violence and not on sex.

 

[LizzyM]

I'd go oblique in a situation like this. "I was abused as a child for a good portion of my childhood. The person who did this faced the legal consequence but I was left with the scars. It was not until I reached adulthood that I learned to live with the damage that was done to me and I made peace with my scars."

This avoids sharing any information out your psychiatric diagnoses, and ends with the idea that you have bounced back and recovered from the damage done to you.

Of course, the only point of bringing up these scars would be to build on that idea of scars to talk about how you have interacted with patients who are scarred, physically or emotionally, and how you have the desire to help those who are suffering from their own scars. What people should walk away with after reading your essay is the idea that you've had experience seeing and/or helping people in need and you are motivated to make medicine your life's work. In other words, your own horrific experience should fade into the background and merely be the springboard that propelled you into the world of caring for others.

 

[btuck]

Obviously this is so different, but I wrote about about my struggle with being diagnosed with a learning disability, how it affected me both academically and psychologically. Then I talked about how I grew from it and how it will make me a more passionate physician. As you can see, I got five interviews.