Should I write OIE essay?

[busypremed]

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Hello, I am in the process of finishing up my AMCAS application for this cycle and was curious if I should write an OIE essay. I was originally planning to write one about how I had to leave school in the second grade due to family issues and was not able to return until high school. I never had the opportunity to learn in a classroom setting or even enter a basic lab until then. I thought that this was an experience that was fitting for me to write about but I am worried that this comes off as not being as serious as some other situations such as homelessness or refugees. What do guys think, any advice would be appreciated.

 

[LizzyM]

That certainly sounds like an "Other Impactful Experience". What you lived through is unusual and clearly influenced your life; this is not meant to be a contest to see who has the saddest story but rather to help us understand your life to date.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'm going to raise the standard a bit. I agree that OIE is not a competition to tell us who has the saddest sob story. It is not a place where adcoms judge who is "worse off" when it comes to hardship. It is a place to give context for your professional journey.

First read what we have published

Other Impactful Experiences Essay: Exploring Your Unique Story | Student Doctor Network | SDN

Beginning with the 2024 cycle, the AAMC allowed AMCAS and ERAS applicants an opportunity to describe Other Impactful Experiences (OIE) that have helped

www.studentdoctor.net

The Weather on Your Application Journey | Student Doctor Network | SDN

In many literary epics, the protagonists’ journey is adversely affected by the weather or some force of nature. In Odysseus’s voyage home, Frodo’s quest,

www.studentdoctor.net

To answer the question, the topic you want to explore is about the period of time when you were homeschooled (?) between what would be your second grade and high school years (so 5-6 years between ages 7 and 13). How did you feel this experience helped you grow as an adult? How did you interact with your age-peers? It's hard to talk about what you missed if you can't articulate their value (so you didn't do as many active threat drills in school), but you could talk about what you gained (more opportunities for field trips, a specialist in math/science resources from another homeschooling STEM-trained parent, family support in general).

The important part of the prompt is the word IMPACTFUL. How did your topic impact you personally and provide insight into how you adjusted to independent life? It's figuratively a "most meaningful experience" essay for something you couldn't put on W/A, so treat it with a similar reflective approach. Again, focus on meaningful or impactful, not on experience/story.

 

[LizzyM]

Recently I read Demon Copperhead and it was a whole different situation in terms of a kid who didn't attend school regularly for a period of time due to "family issues". For some students, it isn't about more field trips and fewer fire drills, it is about calling 911 when mom OD's again and hopping among kin who don't put a lot of effort into seeing that you get to school.

BTW, I strongly recommend this novel (or audiobook version), for a look at the effects of the opioid epidemic on Appalachia.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I did write an OIE, but I am actually leaning towards using it as a "challenge" essay for secondaries instead. I am hesitant mostly because it is the first essay that is read on the application, and I don't really want to start my app on a negative note. I end the essay positively, I made it to college and was successful, but I just don't know if it's the foot I want to start on.

Just commenting, each school will use OIE differently. The OIE could be reserved reading for admissions leadership and not the entire committee. It is not necessarily the first thing all adcoms during file deliberations. My advice is to remember this is an extra MME; you wouldn't end your MME essays on a down note, I hope. You should include some retrospective reflection.

 

[LizzyM]

Applications readers don't read an application top to bottom in order. We all have our preferred ways of jumping to the sections that are most important to us first. Also, as mentioned, administrators can choose to mask certain sections of the application for some/all readers if they don't want it to be taken into account. E.g. race and ethnicity might be hidden from readers, MCAT scores can be hidden from interviewers )

 

[Mpsll]

Applications readers don't read an application top to bottom in order. We all have our preferred ways of jumping to the sections that are most important to us first. Also, as mentioned, administrators can choose to mask certain sections of the application for some/all readers if they don't want it to be taken into account. E.g. race and ethnicity might be hidden from readers, MCAT scores can be hidden from interviewers )

What's your preferred way of reading an application? Just to get an idea

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What's your preferred way of reading an application? Just to get an idea

I have run application essays through an interpreter (kidding, no offense intended... did this before AI became a thing)

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P.S. All of you still working on essays, you're welcome.

 

[LizzyM]

What's your preferred way of reading an application? Just to get an idea

If I'm reading to prepare for an interview, I read the work & activities section first, then the "why this school" and then skim info about parents (are they docs?), number and ages of siblings (just curious) and undergrad school and major.

 

[Dr.Freedman MedEdits]

I think this experience would be an important part of your overall narrative for your personal statement. If this experience was really impactful, which it sounds like it was, it likely influenced your overall educational path, growth, maturation, perspective, and motivation for medicine in some capacity. Therefore, even if you choose to discuss this in your other impactful information section, it seems these details about your personal background would be vital to detail in your personal statement.

Don't worry about whether your experience seems "serious enough" compared to others - admissions committees aren't ranking hardships. What matters is the genuine impact this had on you and how it shaped your journey toward medicine. Missing those foundational years of classroom learning and then successfully navigating your return to formal education demonstrates remarkable resilience and adaptability - qualities that are absolutely relevant to succeeding in medical school.

The key is focusing on the growth and insights this experience provided rather than just the hardship itself. How did this unique educational path influence your perspective on learning, perseverance, or helping others? Did it give you empathy for patients who face educational or systemic barriers? These connections to your motivation for medicine are what will make your narrative compelling.

 

[Dr.Freedman MedEdits]

It is all about balance. I agree it's best not to dwell or "spend too much space" on the past. But offering that context to demonstrate how you have persevered and overcome hardship is important. It sounds like you will have enough content to offer some background information in your personal statement as well as in the OIE section.