Other Impactful Experiences

limestrees · Apr 4, 2023

Sorry if this has already been asked, but could anyone provide additional guidance on AMCAS replacing the disadvantaged essay with a new "other impactful experiences" essay for this upcoming cycle?

A couple questions:

(1) Is it still the same as the disadvantaged essay with different wording (i.e., not everyone needs to and not everyone should submit one)? Or is now more like an adversity/diversity essay that everyone should submit?

(2) If the latter, how should we go about answering it without being redundant in secondaries with very similar prompts?

(3) And finally, is this essay an area for storytelling? Or is being very factual and to-the-point the better approach?

chilly_md · Apr 4, 2023

See the AMCAS site for discussion regarding this change:

2024 AMCAS® Updates and FAQs

2022 AMCAS Updates and FAQs

students-residents.aamc.org

It is meant to be a similar question that hopefully encourages more applicants to fill it out instead of thinking it was strictly regarding their financial situation or that it would mark their application in a negative light. Not a place for storytelling.

Mr.Smile12 · Apr 4, 2023

limestrees said:
how should we go about answering it without being redundant in secondaries with very similar prompts?

That's why you prewrite secondaries first. #notabrokenrecord

Write Your Secondary Essays First - SDN

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limestrees · Apr 4, 2023

chilly_md said:
See the AMCAS site for discussion regarding this change:

2024 AMCAS® Updates and FAQs

2022 AMCAS Updates and FAQs

students-residents.aamc.org

It is meant to be a similar question that hopefully encourages more applicants to fill it out instead of thinking it was strictly regarding their financial situation or that it would mark their application in a negative light. Not a place for storytelling.

Great, thanks! So if I'm understanding it correctly, it's essentially the same question in spirit but just reworded to be more inclusive? So it's still truly optional?

I imagine I'm overthinking this, but just want to be sure.

chilly_md · Apr 4, 2023

limestrees said:
Great, thanks! So if I'm understanding it correctly, it's essentially the same question in spirit but just reworded to be more inclusive? So it's still truly optional?

I imagine I'm overthinking this, but just want to be sure.

That is correct.

Mr.Smile12 · May 10, 2023

For what it's worth, a similar essay is also new to the ERAS 2024 application.

Mr.Smile12 · Jun 8, 2023

Updating, the article is out