Describing illness in explanation statement?

[saratogian]

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Hello all,

So I am applying to vet school this year. Last year, I had a back injury due to a horse riding accident that eventually lead to sugery to correct it in december 2008. Because I lived in pain for almost a year before it got fixed, my grades suffered a little bit in some courses. Should I explain this in the explanation statement in my application? I dont want to sound whiny but it was a major thing in my life. How detailed should I be? Should a say that I had a back injury or should I just say I had an illness?

P.S. I am completely better due to the surgery and physical therapy, should I also put that in the explanation statement. Thanks for your help!

 

[oregonhopeful]

I would, personally. That's what it's there for. Especially if your GPA backs it up (IE you had a good gpa before the accident, and are recovering now that you're healed). You have a word limit on the explanation statement I think so you'll have to not be too detailed, but it was a significant event for you, so I think it's important to mention.

And I'm sorry about the accident. I had a near miss a couple of years ago that so easily could have been serious. Taught me respect for those horses.

 

[sumstorm]

You are not required to give details, so up to you on how much information you provide. You could go as basic as 'My GPA was lower in X semesters due to an injury that was repaired in Month of Year' or you could share more details if you think it would help your case. The biggest challenge with sharing more information is that if you do, they are allowed to use it to consider whether or not you will be able to successfully complete the program. If you do the very basic statement, they can't really ask, but they could still wonder. I also know people who have backed up such information with statements from medical professions (being sure to have thier medical professional of choice also note that it will not affect their future abilty to perform ABC tasks.)

 

[david594]

How bad did your grades really suffer? Was it significant enough that someone looking at your transcripts would say "huh, here grades really fell this year?" or was it something less subtle?

I would keep it short and sweet personally.

During X and Y semesters I had suffered a back injury due to horse back riding which required me to undergo surgery and necessitated follow up physical therapy. This took a significant amount of my time and prevented my academics from being at the level that I feel most accurately represented my abilities as I have demonstrated in all other semesters.

 

[THEOSU2012]

Hey There,

I personally think you should say something about it. I used my explanation part of the VMCAS to state that I lost my mother during college. Now my grades didn't suffer, but it still was a major part of my life, just like your accident.

I saw it as this. The admissions people don't know you, they don't know your life or your experiences. You need to take every advantage to explain who you are. This obviously affected you and telling them about it won't hurt you. If anything, it'll show them, that despite tremendous adversity (which I would call any back injury), you were still able to continue your courses.

It shows you are determined and passionate about pursing this course towards a degree in veterinary medicine.

I think the explanation statement is there to allow us to do exactly that, explain something that isn't covered elsewhere in the application. I personally struggled on deciding whether to include this in my application. I didn't want to appear like I wanted sympathy, but in the end its the truth and it affected me and who I am.

I hope this helps.

 

[GeeQued]

I would if it was me. I know how much medical stuff, aside from just the appointments but everything else goes along with it. I applied last year and 2 weeks after apps were over (thank god it was after) I got diagnosed and from then till March I spent nearly 3 days a week in the hospital getting treatments and what not and aside from just being in pain 90% of hte time there was no way I could focus on my classes the way I needed to.

I did use the explanation part to explain a quarter of bad grades where my dad was in the ER twice a week for 2 months straight were I had to sit there and watch them restart my dad's heart at least 4 of those times, its nerve wracking and my grades beyone sucked that quarter. If you can explain the situation, state that this was unexceptable to your standards to have those grades, and how then event/experience made you grow as a person and what not I dont see how they would dock you for it. If the grades are that bad that you plan on retaking the courses state that. I decided to retake my ochem that quarter, I had a passing grade but not good enough for me. So I just said that In X Quarter I plan to retake X course in order to earn a grade more acceptable to my standards.


How I would word it is that In (Month Year) I suffered a serious injury to my (I would list the particular location of the injury but you dont have to) in an accident (you can say horse related if you want). Through the following months I went through extensive treatments (if you did physical therapy or anything like that) in hopes to repair the damage until the decision was made that surgery would be the only option. Throughout this time between the initial injury and the the surgery my focus in my classes and my GPA suffered and fell below the standards to which I hold myself. Then go on to say now that the you are fully recovered or say that the surgery was a success go on and say that your grades, after the surgery are impoving/back to your expectations.

 

[DVMorBust]

How bad did your grades really suffer? Was it significant enough that someone looking at your transcripts would say "huh, here grades really fell this year?" or was it something less subtle?

Definitely take a look at this. I've talked to a lot of people who refer to 'suffering grades' when it's 2 Bs and an A versus their usual 2 A- and an A. I guess I'd only probably write something if the GPAs for that semester fell below a certain amount below my 'usual' GPA (before and after averaged). Not positive what that cutoff would be... .5? .75?

 

[sumstorm]

One caution, be sure the injury/illness is not something that could be viewed negatively. I do worry with a back injury a question could come up about future performance. It isn't suppose to matter, but if you bring it up, it can be considered. I find that many organizations are more cautious about pre-existing injuries and performance. You don't want an adcom thinking 'gee, could this person reinjure working in the clinic and hold us responsible?' I may be overly cautious in this manner, since I watched my late husband face repeated discrimination due to a permenant disability. Since he worked in the med field, even just the work gap combined with the treatment period and sudden recovery indicated transplants to medical experts...and it did go against him. Never the stated reason, obviously. And we did see it in trying to obtain re-education/re-training.

 

[saratogian]

Thanks for all the resonses, you guys are very helpful! I do think I will include my injury in my explanation statement, but I don't know as to how specific I shoul be regarding what injury I sustained like sumstorm said above, which I completely agree with. I know that back injuries get a negative stereotype with them and that some people think that you cant do anything after a back injury, and I dont want the adcoms to think that. I am fully recovered from the surgery and injury and granted I do have to be careful about what I do, but my surgeon said I should have no trouble performing all the tasks a normal large animal vet can do.

So should I be specific as to my my injury was? If I dont put where the injury was, will they be suspicious as to why I didnt put it?

 

[Pistol Pete]

I don't know that I would be that specific. Again, depending on the impact it had on your GPA, it may not even be worth mentioning....think about it from a screeners perspective and keep in mind ....it is often clerical folks that are making the first cut for potential interview offers. As an example, I was granted an interview at a particular school and when I introduced myself to the secretary who apparently hadn't been there long, she jumped up and exclaimed."I know you!", your application was my first application to learn how to score.

In my opinion, personal statements are a way to seperate yourself from the pack or a way of pulling yourself into an interview at a college that wants to know more about you. Overcoming an illness can be a courageous story but it typically would need to be a significant hurdle to be memorable.

As sumstorm mentioned....specifics could possibly hurt your chances if the school had a bad experience with prior students having similar medical history.

PP