Explaining assault in application

[Roundup]

Hi everyone, new to SDN so let me know if this isn't the right place for this thread . (I just moved it because I accidentally posted it in the wrong place already, yikes)

I'm currently a rising sophomore with a current BCPM GPA of 3.36 (Although it's only for four classes and a lab) and an overall GPA of 3.71. Last semester, I was assaulted by a man I was on a date with, and it wasn't until recently that I sought out help for dealing with the trauma. The same semester I got a C+ in general chemistry II, tanking my GPA, because I was trying to help myself on my own rather than go seek professional help from the experience, digging myself a hole in the process.

My question is would it be advisable to list this as a reason for this major dip in my BCPM GPA come application time, or should I avoid talking about this grade and the incident completely? I'm worried because I was planning to major in the humanities (philosophy), which means that I really can't afford to mess with my BCPM GPA with lower grades in the science courses I can fit in my schedule on top of my future career path being hindered by a major circumstance I didn't have any control over. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated.

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[LizzyM]

Do you have anyone on the faculty whom you have confided in? Someone who could write a letter 2-3 years from now stating that you have made a strong come-back after suffering an assault as a freshman that left you struggling to maintain your previous level of academic excellence. If this person can write such a letter after knowing you for 3-4 years, you will be in fine shape.

If this turns out to be a single blip in a transcript that is otherwise, 3.7, it won't take too much explaining. Be sure that you are ready for o-chem next year as that is usually the most difficult pre-req.

 

[friendly.ghost]

I'm definitely not an expert, but... Something else to consider is how your other grades were that semester and whether it is truly a one-time occurrence. If you had all A's and one C+, I would think it would be harder to explain that C+ as being due to a situational factor. Likewise, if you received a similar grade again, it would also be difficult to explain the grade. Don't be too hyper-focused on your BCPM GPA just yet, you have plenty of courses left to take! Worry about doing the best you can in each course you take along the way. On some secondaries, there will be a spot where you are given room to explain things like this. I would imagine that would be when it is appropriate for you to discuss the assault, especially if it is not mentioned in an LOR.

I am glad to hear you are getting support, and I am sorry to hear that you had to experience this. Best of luck!

 

[HomeSkool]

I agree with @LizzyM and @friendly.ghost. You're a freshman and you've got plenty of time to bring both your cGPA and sGPA up (or down). From an academic perspective, that C+ will never hold you back if you're an otherwise outstanding student, and there's no reason at all for you to offer an explanation.

I'm very sorry to learn you were harmed, especially on what should have been an enjoyable occasion. Please take the time to get whatever treatment you need for physical or emotional injury you may have suffered. If that means taking a little time away from school to regroup, so be it. You've got plenty of time ahead of you for education and career, so don't feel like you have some kind of deadline if that means you have to ignore your own well-being.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

I was debating with myself whether I should say this or not, but what the hell, I'll say it. Please don't take offense at this because it's not a personal attack:

Nobody cares that you were assaulted or abused. But not because its not a big deal; it absolutely is. But it goes for everything else as well. No one cares if you are poor, no one cares if your mother died, no one cares if you are dealing with cancer... et cetera. You will not get special treatment because life sucked a bit more for you than other people, UNLESS you are able to be a competitive applicant despite the difficulties.

What people ACTUALLY care about is, despite these obstacles, you are able to overcome them and be a competitive applicant. Therefore I tell you, if you can rock the rest of undergrad and do just as well or better than your peers, you will have great success. This is what people need to understand; having gone through a sucky situation is not somehow valuable to medical schools, UNLESS you have shown that you can overcome.

Because, in the end, what medical schools want are not students who have gone through hell; they want students who have gone through hell and have made it out alive and well, battle wounds and all.

Sorry, no real advice here, other than: don't let an obstacle like this convince you that you don't need to deliver as much as others. Manage to deliver AND communicate your triumph over this difficult situation, and medical schools will give up their left nut to have you attend their school.

 

[drgweeds]

I was debating with myself whether I should say this or not, but what the hell, I'll say it. Please don't take offense at this because it's not a personal attack:

Nobody cares that you were assaulted or abused. But not because its not a big deal; it absolutely is. But it goes for everything else as well. No one cares if you are poor, no one cares if your mother died, no one cares if you are dealing with cancer... et cetera. You will not get special treatment because life sucked a bit more for you than other people, UNLESS you are able to be a competitive applicant despite the difficulties.

What people ACTUALLY care about is, despite these obstacles, you are able to overcome them and be a competitive applicant. Therefore I tell you, if you can rock the rest of undergrad and do just as well or better than your peers, you will have great success. This is what people need to understand; having gone through a sucky situation is not somehow valuable to medical schools, UNLESS you have shown that you can overcome.

Because, in the end, what medical schools want are not students who have gone through hell; they want students who have gone through hell and have made it out alive and well, battle wounds and all.

Sorry, no real advice here, other than: don't let an obstacle like this convince you that you don't need to deliver as much as others. Manage to deliver AND communicate your triumph over this difficult situation, and medical schools will give up their left nut to have you attend their school.

Not really sure what you even mean by this or how you think this addresses OP's solicitation for advice. First of all, OP is asking for advice on whether or not to disclose her assault as an explanation for her GPA. I'm not sure where in this thread you read something that cued you to produce arguments concerning whether or not people get special treatment in the medical school application process and if anyone is entitled to special treatment in general because of their experiences. Like this is so left field.

Second of all, people absolutely do care. Not sure when you developed the perception that people (admissions committee members included) don't care about an applicants personal experiences, but you are incredibly wrong. Medical schools absolutely use personal experiences and exposures as context during their review of applicants. I mean, many schools specifically include secondary prompts that allow applicants to explain these sort of situational obstacles. Furthermore, OP is applying to a profession that is fundamentally rooted in compassion. To think the people would not care (regardless of whether someone overcomes or not) about assault, poverty, or serious illness is just dumb.

I mean, I think we can all agree that the ability to overcome adversity is a quality that makes an excellent candidate, but you are making so many presumptions that really weren't ever brought up (people get special treatment, OP is asking about special treatment, OP may be convinced that her assault is in anyway related to academic expectations.

 

[The_Free_Elf]

Nobody cares that you were assaulted or abused. But not because its not a big deal; it absolutely is. But it goes for everything else as well. No one cares if you are poor, no one cares if your mother died, no one cares if you are dealing with cancer... et cetera. You will not get special treatment because life sucked a bit more for you than other people, UNLESS you are able to be a competitive applicant despite the difficulties.
.

Wow... Glad to know there are still lovely people like this out there.

 

[Xcar_]

I was debating with myself whether I should say this or not, but what the hell, I'll say it. Please don't take offense at this because it's not a personal attack:

Nobody cares that you were assaulted or abused. But not because its not a big deal; it absolutely is. But it goes for everything else as well. No one cares if you are poor, no one cares if your mother died, no one cares if you are dealing with cancer... et cetera. You will not get special treatment because life sucked a bit more for you than other people, UNLESS you are able to be a competitive applicant despite the difficulties.

What people ACTUALLY care about is, despite these obstacles, you are able to overcome them and be a competitive applicant. Therefore I tell you, if you can rock the rest of undergrad and do just as well or better than your peers, you will have great success. This is what people need to understand; having gone through a sucky situation is not somehow valuable to medical schools, UNLESS you have shown that you can overcome.

Because, in the end, what medical schools want are not students who have gone through hell; they want students who have gone through hell and have made it out alive and well, battle wounds and all.

Sorry, no real advice here, other than: don't let an obstacle like this convince you that you don't need to deliver as much as others. Manage to deliver AND communicate your triumph over this difficult situation, and medical schools will give up their left nut to have you attend their school.

Not saying this is always the given, BUT I feel the is the sort of "norm" I get when I read responses to some of these threads when people have a question involving personal events that may have led them to this website for some advice.

I may or I may not be speaking for other people. BUT I know there a few people out there that may feel like this...I'm sorta off steering out of conversation but that response sucked. I actually closed the thread and didn't want to say anything

 

[Deleted member 737595]

Not really sure what you even mean by this or how you think this addresses OP's solicitation for advice. First of all, OP is asking for advice on whether or not to disclose her assault as an explanation for her GPA. I'm not sure where in this thread you read something that cued you to produce arguments concerning whether or not people get special treatment in the medical school application process and if anyone is entitled to special treatment in general because of their experiences. Like this is so left field.

Second of all, people absolutely do care. Not sure when you developed the perception that people (admissions committee members included) don't care about an applicants personal experiences, but you are incredibly wrong. Medical schools absolutely use personal experiences and exposures as context during their review of applicants. I mean, many schools specifically include secondary prompts that allow applicants to explain these sort of situational obstacles. Furthermore, OP is applying to a profession that is fundamentally rooted in compassion. To think the people would not care (regardless of whether someone overcomes or not) about assault, poverty, or serious illness is just dumb.

I mean, I think we can all agree that the ability to overcome adversity is a quality that makes an excellent candidate, but you are making so many presumptions that really weren't ever brought up (people get special treatment, OP is asking about special treatment, OP may be convinced that her assault is in anyway related to academic expectations.

First of all, this is a forum: a place to exchange ideas and views. The point here is not to be exactly on topic. Others have satisfactorily answered OP, that is not what I was doing. I was adding a thought which may, or may not, help. Take it or leave it.

Secondly, I never said that admissions committees do not care about personal experiences. I said they do not care IF you are coming in with a GPA and MCAT which simply won't work at that school, a lack of experiences in healthcare or other important EC's of a strong applicant, or a sense of weakness. Medical schools, I'm afraid to say, are not some benevolent fair God who pays special attention to you solely on your difficulties and wants to help you out. First and foremost, they need students who are stable and can successfully complete the medical school curriculum. What do you notice about almost every secondary dealing with adversity? ALMOST all of them ask about how you overcame that difficulty. Medical schools do not care about your personal life, as much as we would like to believe. They care about experiences that make you an individual they want in their school. Sorry, they are not trying to help you.

BUT, like I said, if you come with a strong application with adversities having been overcome or at least posing an extra challenge compared to other students, they DO in fact care about this, because it adds to your accomplishments. Someone who was a victim of (insert challenge here) and was able to, regardless, do well, shows incredible resilience in the face of adversity.

Finally, NONE of this may be related to what OP is thinking, doing, or will do in the future. But it might. I am simply adding to a conversation here, a thought.


Not everything in SDN is 100% relevant to the OP.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

Not saying this is always the given, BUT I feel the is the sort of "norm" I get when I read responses to some of these threads when people have a question involving personal events that may have led them to this website for some advice.

I may or I may not be speaking for other people. BUT I know there a few people out there that may feel like this...I'm sorta off steering out of conversation but that response sucked. I actually closed the thread and didn't want to say anything

The truth hurts sometimes. If you want foofy advice and love, go elsewhere. This a pre-professional forum to help people get into medical school, not give them a pity party. Yes, some people have gone through really tough stuff, but we're not here to cry for you.

My post was simply an idea which the OP may or may not have considered, and may or may not help

 

[Roundup]

Thanks to all the responses, they've all helped to figure out where to go from here as well as reassure me that it's not over 'til it's over .

I would like to say though, that in response to @premstudent , I appreciate your input and candor. However, I want to say first and foremost that I do not want to use my experience as an excuse to coast by and wasn't intending on doing so in the first place; I've absolutely been putting my utmost effort into my studies. I was worried, apart from the other circumstances stemming from the assault, that this could have significantly hurt my application from the objective, purely quantitative perspective that GPA shows and was only looking for guidance on where to proceed from this point regarding disclosure of my assault to explain a significant dip in GPA and whether or not I should be concerned about my standings for medical school admissions, particularly more selective ones (not to say that there are any medical schools that are "easy" to get into). Again, I bear no ill will towards you, just wanted to clear things up if my intentions were not apparent.

Also just to clarify for some other posters, I'm also a guy lol.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

Thanks to all the responses, they've all helped to figure out where to go from here as well as reassure me that it's not over 'til it's over .

I would like to say though, that in response to @premstudent , I appreciate your input and candor. However, I want to say first and foremost that I do not want to use my experience as an excuse to coast by and wasn't intending on doing so in the first place; I've absolutely been putting my utmost effort into my studies. I was worried, apart from the other circumstances stemming from the assault, that this could have significantly hurt my application from the objective, purely quantitative perspective that GPA shows and was only looking for guidance on where to proceed from this point regarding disclosure of my assault to explain a significant dip in GPA and whether or not I should be concerned about my standings for medical school admissions, particularly more selective ones (not to say that there are any medical schools that are "easy" to get into). Again, I bear no ill will towards you, just wanted to clear things up if my intentions were not apparent.

Also just to clarify for some other posters, I'm also a guy lol.

Excellent, I'm happy that you are not using your circumstances as an excuse for a lower GPA, but rather trying to grow from it and move on. I would recommend that if/when you do mention the circumstance, that you stress what you have learned from the experience in terms of using coping mechanisms and being able to persevere despite awful situations.

Cheers

 

[Welshman]

I had a 3.23 my freshman year and I brought it up to a 3.73 and was inducted into PBK, you can make an excellent comeback still! Your GPA is not tanked