should I include this?

[sportsfreak]

---

Members do not see this ad.

so for the last two years of college I have been the primary person taking care of my grandparents (basically responsible for everything: shopping, taking care of the house, their medical appointments and medications, taking them to doctors, etc...), this has had considerable effect on my studies and activities as I have spent a lot of time traveling between their house and my campus, spending half the nights at their house

now while I have missed a lot of class my gpa is good (science and overall both 3.70), I have MCATs in a week and expect a score in low 30s, I think the biggest effect has been on my activities

so what I am asking if I should somehow work my responsibilities into my application, and try to explain some of the deficiencies of my activities?

and if so how would one go about including this?

 

[Mattabet]

It sounds like it might be a formative experience for you; I'd think about using it as part of your personal statement.

It feels a little bit disingenuous to say "I loved my grandparents" as an extracurricular though.

 

[locus000]

I would put it in your personal statement or in the secondary. I am in your situation right now, taking care of my grandmother and I talked about it in my personal statement and it worked out great!!

 

[sportsfreak]

i don't think this would go into my ECs, I am just not sure if I should write about this in my PS or in my secondaries, do all secondaries usually have a place to include things like this?

 

[locus000]

A lot of secondaries are essay based and you can talk it there, you just have to work the story of you taking care of your grandparents in there.

For me I put it on my PS because it was the first time I was in charge of someone else's health and wellbeing which was a big deal for me

 

[Mattabet]

Agree. PS or secondaries...

Either way you run a bit of a risk. In my opinion (of course, you know more about it that I), your situation would be great for a 'challenges' or 'caring' essay, which are fairly common secondary prompts. However, some secondaries may not have you write essays, make you write a very short essay, or will have prompts that aren't amenable to your topic. As such, only a PS guarantees that all your schools will see it. Of course, if you go this route, you need to mold the story onto the 'why medicine?' framework.

It's your call, you know your story and writing best.

 

[Disinence2]

Regardless where you choose to include this. Although it does show some caring and compassion, It's not going to mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.

Unless of course you can really sell it as your desire to pursue medicine.