Discussing my Academic record

[elyswim]

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Hello SDN,
Sorry if this has already been discussed, I have had a few semesters where my grades weren't so phenomenal. I wanted to address this in secondaries (for those that ask, "is there anything unique that we should know about your application?") but was wondering if it is frowned upon.
I wanted to say why I did poorly in summer organic chemistry (because my grandma was very ill and our family was struggling to take care of her) and why I did poorly fall of my senior year (because the same grandmother died 🙁) I wanted them to know that I am aware of my poor performance and have worked to do better I just don't want to sound like i'm making excuses.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[DRIN]

At the very least, you'll need to spin it into something positive. Don't just offer excuses.

 

[LXS17]

Hello SDN,
Sorry if this has already been discussed, I have had a few semesters where my grades weren't so phenomenal. I wanted to address this in secondaries (for those that ask, "is there anything unique that we should know about your application?") but was wondering if it is frowned upon.
I wanted to say why I did poorly in summer organic chemistry (because my grandma was very ill and our family was struggling to take care of her) and why I did poorly fall of my senior year (because the same grandmother died 🙁) I wanted them to know that I am aware of my poor performance and have worked to do better I just don't want to sound like i'm making excuses.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

My friend was in a similar situation. Two of our advisors said its fine as long as you don't use it for your most difficult challenge essays.

And like what the previous poster said, dont make it sound like an excuse.

 

[teenmachinery1]

Honestly, can't i just say it was fricking boring and I had better things to do then memorize stupid o-chem shiz that nobody remembers now that it's over with? 😕

 

[Jack Shephard]

I'm not talking about the OP, but this situation in general: I've heard really scary annecdotes about cynical adcoms who would reason, "Grandparents are old. They die" or "This is a case of selective 'ADD' or something (when students attempt to excuse their performance for some disorder)."

I consider this a legitimate reason for a dip in grades, but for it to be substantial, you should have some evidence that you made an attempt to do your best. Did you seek counseling? Were you not doing well specifically in those classes (of course, they're tougher than most non-science classes), but this experience might have impacted your whole academic performance.

It's tough to articulate, but if you're sincere about it, you'll be fine.

 

[njbmd]

Hello SDN,
Sorry if this has already been discussed, I have had a few semesters where my grades weren't so phenomenal. I wanted to address this in secondaries (for those that ask, "is there anything unique that we should know about your application?") but was wondering if it is frowned upon.
I wanted to say why I did poorly in summer organic chemistry (because my grandma was very ill and our family was struggling to take care of her) and why I did poorly fall of my senior year (because the same grandmother died 🙁) I wanted them to know that I am aware of my poor performance and have worked to do better I just don't want to sound like i'm making excuses.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

I would not use any portion of any application (that is totally under your control) to accentuate a negative. If you are asked about your grades in an interview, you can "explain" them then. Otherwise, keep everything about your answer to this question positive. It's not particularly unique to have poor grades (for any reason) which might not be much of a problem unless you call attention to them. Figure out an answer that will make you seem so interesting that they can't wait to meet you. I will give you a hint, poor grades is not going to do that for you.

 

[TopSecret]

Hello SDN,
Sorry if this has already been discussed, I have had a few semesters where my grades weren't so phenomenal. I wanted to address this in secondaries (for those that ask, "is there anything unique that we should know about your application?") but was wondering if it is frowned upon.
I wanted to say why I did poorly in summer organic chemistry (because my grandma was very ill and our family was struggling to take care of her) and why I did poorly fall of my senior year (because the same grandmother died 🙁) I wanted them to know that I am aware of my poor performance and have worked to do better I just don't want to sound like i'm making excuses.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Deaths and illnesses are what doctors have to deal with on a regular basis. Do you want to let the adcoms know that your work performance suffers under those conditions?

 

[not so calm now]

Deaths and illnesses are what doctors have to deal with on a regular basis. Do you want to let the adcoms know that your work performance suffers under those conditions?

Oh come on. A family member's death is just a little bit different than a patient's.

OP, for what it's worth, I talked about a dip in grades I had on some of my 2ndaries, and I haven't heard anything good from any of them.

 

[elyswim]

Thanks guys, I'll keep this in mind not sure, how i'm going to incorporate it into something positive, but we'll see.

 

[Bernoull]

Definitively address it. Without the explanation, they won't know if you were skipping classes or had legitimate difficulties. The key is to explain the death BRIEFLY (2 sentences max) then reflect on what it taught you, did I reinforce ur inclination for medicine, what steps did you take to better prepare yourself to handle similar future challenges.

So briefly state it, positively spin it then reassure them that you can cope with future challenges!!

Goodluck