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- Jun 8, 2019
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Hello! I am a Texas ORM and applying this cycle! My MCAT is average for my dream school, so I really wanted my secondaries to be a strong part of my application. One of the secondary prompts is " Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. What did you learn from this experience and how have you applied this learning to your work and/or life?"
Here is what I've thought of so far. Please let me know if any of these are good options or if I should go back to the drawing board. Thanks so much : )
Option 1: Talk about how I am not fluent in my native language and how that's impact my relationship with my grandparents, who have helped raised me. I try to speak with my parents in our native language now so I can improve but my main takeway is how important it is to me to not lose my culture.
Option 2: I worked as a pharm tech in a super busy pharmacy ( we weren't really allowed bathroom or lunch breaks). Initially, I had many patients who walked away from their medications because they were too expensive and rather than focusing on each patient, I was just focused on helping the next one so I never took the initiative to see if there was anything I could do. Later, I saw a coworker use goodRX for a patient and I learned from her. After, I had a patient who needed expensive antibiotics for her sick daughter and although she could afford them, she commented on the price. I spent 20 mins finding her a coupon and the happiness on her face was incredible! It was a very rewarding experience and taught me that I valued personalized quality care over the quantity of patients I could help.
Option 3: My mother had a pretty severe spinal injury when I was a kid that dramatically altered our life, even to this day. We used to do everything together from shopping to visiting New York and eating at her favorite Chinese restaurant to riding bikes. She lost a lot of mobility after the incident, so I lost a lot of my relatipnship with her. I wish I had taken the time to figure out new things we could do together to continue building our relationship that was feasible for her. As a physician, I would want to help patients and their families maintain their relationships and help them find ways to live their life, especially if they have chronic conditions. Even today, we do things like shop occasionally or I help her with dinner or play her fav board games.
Here is what I've thought of so far. Please let me know if any of these are good options or if I should go back to the drawing board. Thanks so much : )
Option 1: Talk about how I am not fluent in my native language and how that's impact my relationship with my grandparents, who have helped raised me. I try to speak with my parents in our native language now so I can improve but my main takeway is how important it is to me to not lose my culture.
Option 2: I worked as a pharm tech in a super busy pharmacy ( we weren't really allowed bathroom or lunch breaks). Initially, I had many patients who walked away from their medications because they were too expensive and rather than focusing on each patient, I was just focused on helping the next one so I never took the initiative to see if there was anything I could do. Later, I saw a coworker use goodRX for a patient and I learned from her. After, I had a patient who needed expensive antibiotics for her sick daughter and although she could afford them, she commented on the price. I spent 20 mins finding her a coupon and the happiness on her face was incredible! It was a very rewarding experience and taught me that I valued personalized quality care over the quantity of patients I could help.
Option 3: My mother had a pretty severe spinal injury when I was a kid that dramatically altered our life, even to this day. We used to do everything together from shopping to visiting New York and eating at her favorite Chinese restaurant to riding bikes. She lost a lot of mobility after the incident, so I lost a lot of my relatipnship with her. I wish I had taken the time to figure out new things we could do together to continue building our relationship that was feasible for her. As a physician, I would want to help patients and their families maintain their relationships and help them find ways to live their life, especially if they have chronic conditions. Even today, we do things like shop occasionally or I help her with dinner or play her fav board games.
