TMDSAS Optional Essay...what is it really asking???

[MedicineForLife 777]

Is the first optional essay for you to explain problematic areas in your application (bad grades one semester, break from school, disciplinary action from the school, etc.)? Or is it to elaborate more on your experiences?

Here's the prompt:

Briefly discuss any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application which have not preveiously been presented.

Any help is appreciated!!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Is the first optional essay for you to explain problematic areas in your application (bad grades one semester, break from school, disciplinary action from the school, etc.)? Or is it to elaborate more on your experiences?

Here's the prompt:

Briefly discuss any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application which have not preveiously been presented.

Any help is appreciated!!!

Seems self-explanatory to me.

If you can't think of any, then don't write the essay.

 

[pcarlson05]

For what it's worth, I filled this area in with a unique experience that I thought helped explain something unusual in my application. It was never really commented on during interviews, except at one school, when my interviewer said, "I wanted to ask you about this experience, because most people usually leave this essay blank..." He seemed pretty neutral that I decided to fill it out so I wouldn't really stress over it too much.

 

[Mizuno]

It's the only true 'optional' essay. Unless you have a really great story to tell, don't bother with it.

 

[MedicineForLife 777]

Then in the section overview, it states: This area is provided so that you may address any issues, which have not previously been addressed. (This is not an area for you to continue your essay or to reiterate what you've previously stated).

So from that statement, I concluded that it was an area for you to explain problematic areas in your application.

Do you think we can also write about other experiences as well?

 

[BlackBantie]

I THINK what they're looking for is some sort of problematic areas. I don't think that this is the place where you want to talk about a trip to Africa, etc. Yes, it's a life experience but save that for the PS.

If you don't mind me being nosy, what "other experiences" did you have in mind?

 

[MedicineForLife 777]

I THINK what they're looking for is some sort of problematic areas. I don't think that this is the place where you want to talk about a trip to Africa, etc. Yes, it's a life experience but save that for the PS.

If you don't mind me being nosy, what "other experiences" did you have in mind?

I volunteer at this place called Bryan's House, a home that cares for kids infected by HIV/AIDS and for kids picked up by CPS. So, I was thinking I could talk a little about that experience and how it affected me. There are some other experiences that I've considered also. But, I'm not sure if these things could be considered "life experiences." And also I thought the same thing as you, that this is a section to explain problematic areas. 🙂

 

[BlackBantie]

I volunteer at this place called Bryan's House, a home that cares for kids infected by HIV/AIDS and for kids picked up by CPS. So, I was thinking I could talk a little about that experience and how it affected me. There are some other experiences that I've considered also. But, I'm not sure if these things could be considered "life experiences." And also I thought the same thing as you, that this is a section to explain problematic areas. 🙂

Sounds like interesting stuff. I would work that into your PS, if possible. 🙂

Now if you were one of those kids picked up by CPS, then that would be something you would add in the optional essay.

Extreme hardships and problematic areas are good for optional, otherwise keep experiences in the PS. 🙂

 

[MedicineForLife 777]

Now if you were one of those kids picked up by CPS, then that would be something you would add in the optional essay.

hahaha...that's hilarious Thanks for your help!

 

[Zuerst]

I was born and raised in Taiwan and my family moved to the US when I was in fifth grade... unique...? contribute to a diverse student body...? something for the optional essay(s)?

 

[Anastasis]

I was born and raised in Taiwan and my family moved to the US when I was in fifth grade... unique...? contribute to a diverse student body...? something for the optional essay(s)?

sure, sounds good to me.

 

[notdeadyet]

I'd put the Taiwan thing in the Contributing to Diversity essay, NOT the unique situation essay.

The unique circumstances section are for just that: unique circumstances. Applicants look at white space and try to think of how to fill it. Like the instructions say, this is NOT space for an alternate essay.

Do not use it to write about your sibling/parent/friend's death and how it made you want to go into medicine. Do not write about racing through the rainy night as an EMT. Do not write about struggling to learn English and get good grades as a recent immigrant in your middle school years.

 

[Zuerst]

I'd put the Taiwan thing in the Contributing to Diversity essay, NOT the unique situation essay.

The unique circumstances section are for just that: unique circumstances. Applicants look at white space and try to think of how to fill it. Like the instructions say, this is NOT space for an alternate essay.

Do not use it to write about your sibling/parent/friend's death and how it made you want to go into medicine. Do not write about racing through the rainy night as an EMT. Do not write about struggling to learn English and get good grades as a recent immigrant in your middle school years.

Yeah, I'm not planning on doing that. The unique circumstances essay I think is reserved for people that had to work 20 jobs to supports an ill-divorce-single mom and 50 other siblings and things of that nature.

I don't plan on writing about my struggle to learn English or get good grade because of it, because I didn't really struggle. 😛 😀 I'm probably going to write about the different contrasting values held by the people in Taiwan versus the US...etc and how my upbringing in such circumstances will/might contribute to the diversity of the student body. Now I just have to decide if I really want to write it and whether it'll really contribute to my application or not...

 

[Anastasis]

I'd put the Taiwan thing in the Contributing to Diversity essay, NOT the unique situation essay.

The unique circumstances section are for just that: unique circumstances. Applicants look at white space and try to think of how to fill it. Like the instructions say, this is NOT space for an alternate essay.

Do not use it to write about your sibling/parent/friend's death and how it made you want to go into medicine. Do not write about racing through the rainy night as an EMT. Do not write about struggling to learn English and get good grades as a recent immigrant in your middle school years.

I agree. Zeurist I thought you were talking about the diversity one. Don't put it in the "unique circumstances" one.

I filled out the diversity one (nontrad) but not the unique circumstances.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

I'd put the Taiwan thing in the Contributing to Diversity essay, NOT the unique situation essay.

The unique circumstances section are for just that: unique circumstances. Applicants look at white space and try to think of how to fill it. Like the instructions say, this is NOT space for an alternate essay.

Do not use it to write about your sibling/parent/friend's death and how it made you want to go into medicine. Do not write about racing through the rainy night as an EMT. Do not write about struggling to learn English and get good grades as a recent immigrant in your middle school years.

Disagree. The wording is "any unique circumstances OR life experiences...." I used this essay to talk about my father's serious illness and subsequent care and how it shaped my view of medicine.

Honestly, I think the optional essays will be skimmed even more than the PS. TTU's secondary even repeats the "unique circumstances or life experiences" question.

 

[Pemberley]

I agree. Zeurist I thought you were talking about the diversity one. Don't put it in the "unique circumstances" one.

I filled out the diversity one (nontrad) but not the unique circumstances.

I did the same thing as Anastasis... but now I'm working on the Baylor secondary, so I have to talk about "Special Experiences" anyway! I really hate open-ended questions. I'm already dreading the "so, tell me about yourself"...

 

[Anastasis]

I did the same thing as Anastasis... but now I'm working on the Baylor secondary, so I have to talk about "Special Experiences" anyway! I really hate open-ended questions. I'm already dreading the "so, tell me about yourself"...

I actually used the same essay for both. All the things I talked about were experiences. Yeah - kinda lazy I guess.

 

[Pemberley]

I actually used the same essay for both. All the things I talked about were experiences. Yeah - kinda lazy I guess.

Not lazy, efficient! It's all in the phrasing.
Unfortunately, I'm not certain my TMDSAS essay was brilliant. It wasn't awful, but I'm writing something a little more academic-medicine focused and a little less diversity-focused for Baylor (since my non-trad claims to "diversity of experience" were a little... well... strained, I guess you could say. "Funny" you could say instead, if you weren't feeling particularly kind.)

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

I actually used the same essay for both. All the things I talked about were experiences. Yeah - kinda lazy I guess.

I WOULD'VE used the same essay, but because Baylor's secondary wasn't available before I submitted my AMCAS, I put some of the key points from that second essay into my AMCAS PS. DOH! Now I have to make it a little bit different. If I knew that that was a secondary question, I would've used the same PS for both AMCAS and TMDSAS.

 

[Anastasis]

Not lazy, efficient! It's all in the phrasing.
Unfortunately, I'm not certain my TMDSAS essay was brilliant. It wasn't awful, but I'm writing something a little more academic-medicine focused and a little less diversity-focused for Baylor (since my non-trad claims to "diversity of experience" were a little... well... strained, I guess you could say. "Funny" you could say instead, if you weren't feeling particularly kind.)

Let's just say I'm not happy that I used it. I just kinda rushed through the Baylor secondary before I got my MCAT because I figured I had no shot anyway. Now that I may have a shot I wish I had spent more time. 🙁

 

[Fidgety]

Could you use that essay to explain a unique circumstance to why you're applying to Texas schools? I know that probably comes up in the secondary but some of the schools don't have secondaries. My circumstance is that I am a new permanent resident looking for a state to settle in, I have family and friends in Texas and have always heard great things. I have no ties to any state, except the one where I attend my undergrad and am not in any way set on staying here. Thoughts?

 

[DokterMom]

I volunteer at this place called Bryan's House, a home that cares for kids infected by HIV/AIDS and for kids picked up by CPS. So, I was thinking I could talk a little about that experience and how it affected me. There are some other experiences that I've considered also. But, I'm not sure if these things could be considered "life experiences." And also I thought the same thing as you, that this is a section to explain problematic areas. 🙂

If your Bryan's House work was discussed at length in your PS, then it's probably not a good idea to 'beat it to death' here. But if it was just mentioned in passing, then an essay here describing your experiences would not be 'non-responsive' to the prompt.

Here's the prompt:

Briefly discuss any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application which have not preveiously been presented.

That seems pretty open-ended to me, and certainly not limited to the 'excuses' stuff

 

[clairephillips]

I applied and was accepted last cycle. I talked about a tutoring experience tutoring underprivileged kids and how our made me realize how limited their healthcare access was. It's good to go ahead and answer all the questions because some schools don't have secondaries and you have limited opportunities to separate yourself from the pack. That essay is wide open, so use it to your advantage.