Medical Should I mention family addiction history in secondary response?

[Goro]

Hi,

Some prompts mention concerns about your app you'd like to make known and I was thinking of underlining the fact that my close family member has struggled with drugs. I want to take full control of this narrative and leave no room for conjecture since it was a parent and addiction can be hereditary. This plays a big part in my app so I thought it would be good to address the 'elephant in the room'.

Would this be shooting myself in the foot? I've heard people usually say 'just leave as N/A' and don't draw attention to negative things but I feel that is more applicable to metrics.

It's NOT your fault you have a family member who is a substance abuser. But why mention this? The prompt is usually for something that is not asked about in the secondaries.

It would be an ADA violation to discriminate against you due to a genetic disease.

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[Goro]

This prompt is "Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee.", so I understood it as about any part of your application, qualitative or quantitiative.

I want to mention this to not leave any room for conjecture because even though it's illegal to discriminate, I'm sure MDs and PhDs know that addiction is genetic which could cause implicit bias.

Your parent's drug addition would not of concern to the Adcom. If it relates to your wanting to go into medicine, then that belong sin your PS.

In my view, the prompt is more for things like needing accommodations, or explain a semester of bad grades to to, say, gramma dying of cancer or mom getting hit by a car

Do NOT give the Adcom a reason to scratch their heads and wonder "why is she telling us this?"

 

[MusicDOc124]

Is the addiction in your family member written about in your PS? If not, then how would they even know in the first place for you to want to combat conjecture?

I feel like making a statement there when it is otherwise irrelevant and unknown to them, that you'd be the one bringing about potential conjecture and potential bias on yourself.

 

[Goro]

Yes, it's in my PS and one of my experiences is very closely tied to it. I think much of my narrative stems from addiction in the family and how it facilitated my involvement with vulnerable communities. On the secondary, it would be discussed to ideally portray myself as a responsible and conscientious person.

Do you still think it's still unwise to mention this @Goro ?

You're worrying needlessly. As you mention this in your PS, you can leave the prompt unanswered

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I guess it's not so much as being worried as wanting to take the opportunity to present myself in a positive light. I will take your advice though and remove it since there's probably going to be many chances to talk about this experience and it'll probably sound annoying if I keep mentioning it everywhere

With my expert colleagues, the point of your PS is to present yourself in a professional light with insight into your motivations and perspectives to go into health care. If the statement doesn't present you in a positive light, you'll need to reconsider your PS. Heed the remaining advice already given otherwise. Think of another way to answer the secondary questions you are anticipating.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My PS very briefly mentions addiction in the family and being low-SES and how I want to overcome these barriers and the activities that I partook that led me to medicine. It doesn't talk about what I mentioned in OP.

So how did you respond to any prompts wondering how you are a disadvantaged applicant, or how you would contribute to the diversity of the class?

 

[Goro]

I answered Yes for disadvantaged. Talked about rough upbringing being 1st gen immigrant, addiction impact on finances, first in family to finish HS, etc. Those experiences, while working quite a bit with LGTBQ and people of color, and other disadvantaged communities give me a unique perspective which is diversity through experience.

I was thinking for the OP prompt in post #2, I can probably talk about upward GPA trend as it's better than leaving it "N/A"? I was going through strenuous circumstances and I don't think adcoms will make the connection unless I mention it, and it would portray me in a positive light as well

Do NOT answer #2 with anything about grades!!!! You already have an answer in the text you wrote above that

My mistake, I mean't the prompt I mentioned in post #3 of this thread, not #2. Okay, I'll leave as N/A

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yeah, #2 can be a trap. I would normally welcome responses that talk more about interruptions in your education (semester withdrawals, personal or family withdrawals) or institutional actions as the most relevant issues for that prompt. Grades, no. (Goro already listed other examples earlier in the thread.)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes, definitely going for N/A. Thanks!

For diversity prompts, do ya'll think it's best to focus on my demographic (first gen immigrant/college student of low SES and how I have helped my family out) or to talk about how I like working with my hands and tools and how I was able to teach my younger sibling techniques and make some money by fixing things?

I have included both so far because I think they both do contribute to my perspective, coming from a rural and traditional area and all

For the diversity prompts, it's important to show how you overcame those disadvantages being rural, low SES, or first-generation (easier to define for this prompt). I'm not sure about working with your hands unless it's germane to why you think these skills are valued as part of "diversity" of your class.