Thoughts on adversity essay topics?

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[hubbsbubbs]

2 is more specific. I lean that way. Not sure 1 will give the impression you are seeking.

 

[theonlytycrane]

2 I guess... but you'll have to overdramatize it.

Everything else has been chill?


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[Skydive Fox]

I would pick #2 over #1... If you write well and effectively elaborate on the experience I'm sure it'll be perfectly fine, but are these two things seriously the only adversity topics you have??? They seem really really mild...

Then again my life has always been a circus and I seem to have a major adversity at least once a year (just during undergrad: nearly dying, major injuries, life-altering diagnosis, being robbed, stalked by potential psychopath, attempted murder of family, etc.). Sometimes I forget how atypical my life is, haha

 

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[laxbrah20]

Hi SDN forums. Could anyone give me some feedback on which of these topics sounds best for an adversity prompt on secondaries? Whatever I do write I was planning to start off by mentioning that I've been pretty fortunate in life (is that appropriate or would it be weird to say?)

1) I'm a non-trad, and one of my ideas is to write it on generic non-trad difficulties - dealing with things that are probably pretty much universal for non-trads. ie, juggling work, school and personal/family life, and some of the specific instances of that, and what coping mechanisms I used. I don't have children (so obviously have had a lot less adversity than a lot of non-trads who have had to juggle that as well). I was thinking more just the transition from undergrad to adulthood, looking for work, getting married, moving various places, while also trying to do well in all my prerequisites. I realize it's an insignificant struggle compared to a lot of people, and my worry is that, even if I do give the caveat that I've been fortunate in my life, adcoms will just think "so you're a non-trad, so what."

2) Being diagnosed with a joint disease in my 20s. It's mild and very rarely debilitating (to the point that I only just now thought about mentioning it), but I could talk about how I've had to deal with the frustration of having mysterious joint pains, seeing multiple doctors before being diagnosed, then later being proactive with my health and seeing the dramatic positive effect of exercise, etc. This is truly a pretty minor issue but it has the advantage of being a discrete "problem" with a "solution," whereas number 1 is more like "being a person." Also the implications of number 2 in regard to a future career in medicine are obvious. My worry is that I really don't want to over-dramatize something that has not been a major struggle in my life compared so many people with much more serious illnesses.

Any thoughts on which sounds better?

Thanks!

#1 because your experiences will demonstrate growth, maturity, and ultimately diversity that isn't seen normally amongst traditional candidates. Option #2 may question your ability to physically handle med school and may inadvertently hurt your chances.

 

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[CyrilFiggis]

As a former non-trad with a similarly boring background, I struggled with this. This may not be very helpful, but when I was thinking about mine, I was cognizant of the size limitations on many of these essays. So with 1,200 characters being your average, what narrative can you spin that has the format: problem-solution-growth

I know this doesn't help you choose between your options, but 80% of your essay should be on the solution and growth, so whichever problem you can effectively express in the fewest words while elaborating on how you dealt with it will be your best option.

 

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[DrfluffyMD]

First, if you have to think that hard, maybe better off with no adversity essay. I was a first generation minority immigrant and I did without.

Second, I would stay very far away from things that can call my ability to work in question. This can be a kiss of death.

Hospitals are allowed to fire residents for that kind of thing.

 

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[DrfluffyMD]

Here's another thought: I've noticed that some schools ask about "a problem" or "an obstacle" whereas others ask about "greatest adversity" or "most significant obstacle" or something to that effect.

I'm thinking that for schools that just ask about "a" problem, I could talk about the joint thing, and maybe just mention a specific injury where I had to modify my activities (used to be a runner and had to stop doing that), without really talking about being susceptible to injuries in general. And discuss how I dealt with the problem and what I learned. This is a concise, though minor, problem with a specific solution.

And for schools that ask about the "single greatest" adversity, I could talk about non-trad, quarter-life crisis, balancing work/school/family stuff. It is less specific but has more depth.

Either way I could give the caveat that I've been fortunate to not face many great adversities so that it's clear I have perspective on my privilege.

I would appreciate any thoughts! I'm struggling with this.

Seriously, don't talk about the joint thing. In a nontransparent setting like medical school application you don't want them to know anything about your health.

 

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[DrfluffyMD]

Would a single injury really be considered a red flag? LizzyM says here that "Coping with an injury or with a sick relative is a popular topic." And the Kaplan site here says "examples include dedication to a sport and then an injury that ends your participation temporarily or permanently... or an illness or injury that disrupted school and made for a tough semester."

And if I don't talk about that do you think the non-trad stuff would be a better topic for schools that have a non-optional problem/adversity prompt?

You made it sound like it's a rheumatoid condition. I think an injury (recoverable, sports injury, etc) is acceptable but you have to let them know that you are now fully functional.

If you can't say that you are fully functional now I would not use the topic.

 

[Conflagration]

OP, you ever been stranded somewhere? You ever end up lost and had to use your wits to get back home?

Ever go to a foreign country and have to make it work even though you don't speak the language?

Adversity is a broad topic because it's different for every person. Did you lose a lot of weight? Did you help a family member while they were sick? Did you have a bad semester because of more stringent demands from work, family, or school? Did you solve a big problem at work? Did you grow up poor or disadvantaged?

It's okay if you don't have a Lifetime movie plot of a story. But have you struggled before? How did you cope with that? Showcase your levelheadedness, your drive, your ability to overcome obstacles, maybe perseverance as appropriate. And problem -> solution -> growth is a good skeleton to use.

 

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[Conflagration]

Yes, but honestly "having trouble navigating and getting temporarily lost in a foreign country I chose to visit because I wanted to go there" sounds even more lame to me. You really think that's better than the other ideas? And if so what do you think of my idea of using something like that for the "a problem" prompts and the non-trad stuff for the "greatest adversity" prompts?

I'm simply trying to get your head out of the box here; that example was actually provided by LizzyM a couple of years ago on a similar thread. You have your story, OP. If being nontrad is your greatest struggle, then that's what you write about. Just be sure to shift it more towards what you learned than dwelling on the problem.

 

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[Conflagration]

Thank you, I appreciate you helping me think of other ideas, and your post did in fact make me think of a time I had to think on my feet and navigate when I organized a trip for myself and a few others while studying abroad. I guess I'm asking whether, from an outsider perspective, this seems like something that would immediately scream "privileged" or "lack of perspective" if I wrote about it as an adversity.

And also is it appropriate to acknowledge how fortunate I've been in these essays?

I'm under the impression that these essays were supposed to highlight the applicant's ability to adapt to situations- certainly, more of those come up if you're from a disadvantaged place, but it's not ungrateful to acknowledge that you have struggles too. I forget who said it, but I really resonate with the philosophy that to an extent, we're all the walking wounded. Something has happened to all of us that we had to be uncomfortable and confront that.