Is it ok to use an academic setback/failure as an answer to the "greatest challenge" or "what was your biggest setback" interview question?

[eggsntoast]

I'm struggling to think of a challenge in my life that is "kosher" enough to talk about in a medical school interview. I have had bigger challenges in my life, but I'm not comfortable talking about them in interviews. Would talking about an academic setback seem shallow?

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[Goro]

I'm struggling to think of a challenge in my life that is "kosher" enough to talk about in a medical school interview. I have had bigger challenges in my life, but I'm not comfortable talking about them in interviews. Would talking about an academic setback seem shallow?

Talking about your academics telegraphs that you have no life outside of academics, and we seek to weed people like that out.

I submit that if your life challenges were ones that involved some sort of personal trauma, being able to talk about them will telegraph that you can relate to and communicate with patients better.

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

Being frank, when I read about academic setbacks in applications I assumed the person was boring. Sometimes the interview was a pleasant surprise, but I was still unflatteringly primed.

Won’t sink your application if it’s all you can write about, but if you have anything else at all you’re comfortable talking about go for it