unique experiences, obstacles secondary question - HELP

[Ranger47]

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I am really struggling with the following questions:

WashU
"(optional) Do you have unique experiences or obstacles that you have overcome that were not covered in
your application about which you would like to inform our Admissions Committee?
(maximum 3000 characters)"

Baylor
"Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information which you feel would be helpful in evaluating you.
2000 character limit."

I never had a terrible disease or a learning disability. Is that what these questions are asking for? Should I just talk about an normal obstacle that everyone has? Should I just leave it blank? Any help or examples would be great. Thanks!

 

[TheRussian]

Some stuff I talked about include immigrating to the US and dealing with racial persecution. I don't know if that would apply to you though

You can also talk about family troubles if you had any, unusual sickness or what not.

If your obstacle was getting a C in one class then that is not what they are looking for and it would be better to leave it blank though I don't think it will help your chances to leave it blank. For a couple of schools I had to leave a question blank because I didn't have an answer for it and I got swiftly rejected.

 

[adamj61]

I didn't respond to that...you don't have to have an obstacle

 

[Ranger47]

I didn't respond to that...you don't have to have an obstacle

I assume you still did OK in the process?

 

[Neuronix]

Believe me, 90%+ of applicants will not have had some significant obstacle to overcome in life. At least half will have been groomed for med school since high school or before by their family. Uniquely challanged applicants are so rare that the occasional school (especially the big names) would love to give you some props if this does fit you.

The point of this is, it's not going to hurt you if you don't fill these out.

 

[nomo15]

Is it better to just leave it blank or to say "I haven't faced the difficult obstacles that some people have" and then use the space to explain any trivial mental obstacles that were on the road to deciding to be a doctor (ie explain motivation)? I'm just wondering if it's a good idea to just take advantage of the opportunity to show them who you are more than you have already. But I'm really asking, because I'm clueless.. 😕

 

[Anka]

Don't fill up space just to fill up space. Leave it blank if you don't have a use for it. I'd avoid putting in more trivial things, as it might project an ignorance of some of the truely difficult things people go through (imagine you're reviewing these blurbs, and right after your discussion about how you stubbed your toe before the big exam, there's a person who came from a war-zone in Palistine, learned theoretical math from the Khmer Schuam's outlines and a Khmer-Arabic dictionary, wound up at MIT where she worked 50 hours per week to pay her way through, and still got a 4.0 and a 45 on her MCAT... what would you think?)

Anka

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Hmmm...i've been told a question is never optional. Do it, it's there to help you. Nothing like wishing you had a terrible disease or obstacle but I actually do understand. You can take anything obstacle no matter how small and show how you grew from it and how it made you a better person...even better if you can apply it to how it will enhance your abilities as a medical doctor.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

What is your "favoritest school in the whole wide world "? Congrats!! 🙂 (i;d give you a better smilie but it doesn't seem to be working)

 

[Anka]

UPenn.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

awesome! congrats!

can i ask you your stats?

 

[Ranger47]

I guess I also struggle with these questions because in my PS I talked about learning Spanish and living in Spain as an obstacle I overcame. So I basically have already answered that question in 3 paragraphs of my PS. Should I just repeat the experience in different wording?

 

[Aloha Kid]

Probably leave it BLANK. Sounds more like a "Rudy" question to me. BUT if you can really write something pretty good go for it. Anything is possible when it comes to fancy dandy writing. If you are the person evaluating essay after essay, it has to be something more than "The time my Kitty got stuck in the tree." 😛

 

[dankev]

Neither of these questions limit you to talking about obstacles you have overcome. Don't you have any "unique experiences" or "special experiences" you can talk about? If not, you might want to seriously consider taking a few years off to do something other than medicine. See the world. Have some fun. It's great. Really.

 

[WUgrl]

yeah i'm also trying to decide what to write for these...i don't really have an obstacle that has had a significant impact in my life, so i was thinking the same thing as dankev - just use this as another opportunity to describe a meaningful experience? i'm shadowing a pediatric oncologist this summer, and it's been a really awesome experience that i haven't really had the chance to talk about elsewhere, so i was thinking of writing about that...any thoughts?

 

[Ranger47]

Probably leave it BLANK. Sounds more like a "Rudy" question to me. BUT if you can really write something pretty good go for it. Anything is possible when it comes to fancy dandy writing. If you are the person evaluating essay after essay, it has to be something more than "The time my Kitty got stuck in the tree." 😛

Thanks for the reply brother-in-law. Hope all is well with the kids. We had a blast in Spain. Say hi to Sonia for me.

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

Personally, I think the Wash U question is terribly worded. It makes it sound like the "unique experiences" must be something you overcame. But the way I read it, its asking for either/both. So if you have some unique experience (at least unique in your life, possibly that led you to medicine) I think this is the time for it. I think of this question as almost a mini PS. I think the adcoms realize there is not always enough room, or not a way to piece together all of your significant opportunities, and they give you this space to add what you couldn't fit. If anything, its a good space to write something that will generate conversation during the interview.

 

[principessa]

I left this question blank on the WashU secondary, and I got in. If you have a unique experience that is significant enough to include in your application, you should have already described it somewhere else. This question is for people who have overcome obstacles that the ordinary applicant has not.