Hi guys, long-time lurker here, but finally decided to post because I am having a really tough time deciding what to write about for the secondaries that ask me to describe a setback in my life, and how I overcame it or what it taught me.
Here are my two options:
1) Moving to the US at the age of 9, not knowing any English and facing major culture shock. Many people I asked for advice have been pushing me to write about this, but I don't really know how exactly. It only took a few months for me to adjust and speak English fluently, and now this story seems like a thing of the past. I mean sure, it was really hard and I cried in class for weeks, but I'm not sure how I would go about describing what I did to overcome it, or what went through my head besides the inital shock and stress. After all, I was just a child.
Personally I think this experience does have many positive qualities that medical schools would appreciate - moving to a completely new environment where I did not even speak the language, and quickly adjusting so well that people were surprised to find out I had only recently moved from a different country. But it is the transition between those two phases that I am having difficulty explaining, because it was at a young age.
2) My mother got diagnosed with breast cancer when I was a sophomore in college and had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy. She is fine now, but this was by far the most unexpected and difficult event I had to deal with in the more recent past. However I'm nervous to write about it because I don't want it to come off like a sob story where I'm looking for sympathy. I also don't want to come off as "weak," something others have warned me about when writing about such personal topics. For instance, I did get poor grades around that time but I do not want it to be connected with the circumstances. Instead, I would want to discuss how I dealt with such an emotional ordeal without letting it consume my life. While I could not help being upset or worried often, I knew I had to remain composed, realistic, and most importantly positive.
I would realllllly appreciate any input you guys have on which topic I should write about, and why. I've been putting saving the applications with this question for last, and I cannot put them off any longer. Thanks!
Here are my two options:
1) Moving to the US at the age of 9, not knowing any English and facing major culture shock. Many people I asked for advice have been pushing me to write about this, but I don't really know how exactly. It only took a few months for me to adjust and speak English fluently, and now this story seems like a thing of the past. I mean sure, it was really hard and I cried in class for weeks, but I'm not sure how I would go about describing what I did to overcome it, or what went through my head besides the inital shock and stress. After all, I was just a child.
Personally I think this experience does have many positive qualities that medical schools would appreciate - moving to a completely new environment where I did not even speak the language, and quickly adjusting so well that people were surprised to find out I had only recently moved from a different country. But it is the transition between those two phases that I am having difficulty explaining, because it was at a young age.
2) My mother got diagnosed with breast cancer when I was a sophomore in college and had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy. She is fine now, but this was by far the most unexpected and difficult event I had to deal with in the more recent past. However I'm nervous to write about it because I don't want it to come off like a sob story where I'm looking for sympathy. I also don't want to come off as "weak," something others have warned me about when writing about such personal topics. For instance, I did get poor grades around that time but I do not want it to be connected with the circumstances. Instead, I would want to discuss how I dealt with such an emotional ordeal without letting it consume my life. While I could not help being upset or worried often, I knew I had to remain composed, realistic, and most importantly positive.
I would realllllly appreciate any input you guys have on which topic I should write about, and why. I've been putting saving the applications with this question for last, and I cannot put them off any longer. Thanks!
