Should I directly bring up being a reapplicant on the primary applications?

[lavacake]

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For essay prompts asking about unique circumstances or overcoming obstacles, should I bring up being a reapplicant? Or should that be something I only address when directly asked about?

Example: The TMDSAS asks for an application history, so I'm assuming all of the schools will see that I am a reapplicant. However, is that something that I should directly address in my essays? Or would that be highlighting an aspect of my application that I don't want to draw attention to necessarily? If asked, I have no plans or intent of lying, that's not what this is about (for clarification).


Also, for the TMDSAS school history, it says "In this section, you will indicate if you have previously applied to medical, dental or veterinary school. You will indicate the school(s) applied to, the entry year you applied for, if you were accepted and if you are currently enrolled. If you were accepted, indicate if you were ever dismissed or withdrawn from medical, dental, or vet school."
Would that include AMCAS applications as well?

 

[Sanguis]

Terribly sorry for hijacking but...

... I started my apps last cycle, AMCAS and TMDSAS, and ended up not completing them or submitting them. What kind of re-applicant am I? and, how can I approach those essays? Especially since I didn't submit my app to any school :/

 

[tantacles]

Terribly sorry for hijacking but...

... I started my apps last cycle, AMCAS and TMDSAS, and ended up not completing them or submitting them. What kind of re-applicant am I? and, how can I approach those essays? Especially since I didn't submit my app to any school :/

If you did not submit to any schools, you are not a reapplicant. You didn't apply!


Large dogs

 

[Sanguis]

If you did not submit to any schools, you are not a reapplicant. You didn't apply!


Large dogs

are you serious?
I thought starting the application meant you were an applicant, even if you didn't submit 😳! I made school designations though, but never clicked the submit button!

 

[bananafish94]

@gonnif even if it is not framed as an obstacle that one has overcome, should it be mentioned in the primary? I feel like if it isn't it might give the medical schools that idea that we are trying to avoid the obvious.

 

[tantacles]

are you serious?
I thought starting the application meant you were an applicant, even if you didn't submit 😳! I made school designations though, but never clicked the submit button!

Correct! I am serious! You didn't apply.


Large dogs

 

[Sanguis]

Just to confirm and clarify, for AMCAS you are not an applicant to a school until your application has been submitted, verified, and transmitted to that school. You can withdraw prior to transmission and you would not be an applicant. Additionally, for AMCAS your are only a reapplicant specifically and only to the schools you applied to before.

Correct! I am serious! You didn't apply.


Large dogs

thank you good sirs!

 

[timeflies]

n=1 here

I did not mention being a reapplicant in any part of my primary. For me, it has no significant weight in and of itself for my motivations to be a physician. And there was no real need to address "how committed" I am because of it. The fact that you're applying again says all it needs to say. They will know you are a reapplicant and that's enough.

A handful of secondaries will ask about whether you've applied before and give you an opportunity to address why you are a better applicant this time around. Most of the schools I applied to did not require such an essay and for the schools that dont, I would assume your reapplicant status is all they need to know, thus there's not really much more to be said. In fact, being a reapplicant was never brought up once at any point in any of my interviews. I'm not sure what the interpretation of that is, but take that as you will.

I can't speak to the TMDSAS, so I defer to the more senior members on this site.

 

[lavacake]

Thank you for all of the inputs, and no worries on the hijacking
Looking at the prompt again: "Briefly state any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application. This is not an area to continue your essay or reiterate what you have previously stated - this area is provided to address any issues which have not previously been addressed."

So TMDSAS does have a small section in the beginning of the application to very briefly explain what we've done to improve our application. Though being a reapplicant hasn't had a significant impact on my motivations to be a physician, I do feel as though it is relevant to my application for a few reasons.

1) During my gap years (I talk about my gap year experiences already in my PS), I juggled a full time job while studying for MCATs and volunteering on the weekends. I do feel like the workload and physical endurance I've built up from these past years as a professional have prepared me for the rigors of medical school.

2) I would like to draw some attention to the fact that I did handle a full time job while studying, and I was able to earn a competitive MCAT score. This was a huge accomplishment for me.

3) A part of me thinks that owning up to the blemishes on my applications will show maturity (of course depending on how I frame it).

But again, the application already shows that I am a reapplicant, and that I am a full time employee (works and employment section which is more so a description of what I do). So would it be taken as redundant? Or would it be better to write about something else?