Writing (or not writing) the COVID secondary essay

[opabiniafan]

I am very fortunate that the pandemic minimally affected my personal and financial circumstances. However, the pandemic closing traditional premed doors led me down paths that I would not have otherwise taken, and I think these paths contribute meaningfully to my perspective on medicine and my decision to apply for medical school. Is it appropriate to use the COVID essay to discuss this topic? The wording of prompts (Tulane: In what ways did the COVID-19 pandemic alter/interrupt your medical school application? USF: Do you believe the competitiveness (i.e. course requirements, experiences, academic performance, etc.) of your application for medical school has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?) makes it seem like it would be privileged to discuss the positive impacts of the pandemic on my application.

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[cj_cregg]

I would skip it. If COVID truly did lead you to explore some unique activities, skills, etc. then those will speak for themselves on your application, and you can discuss the perspective they've given you in the description essays.

 

[jhmmd]

Is the COVID essay optional? For UCSF, I don't think that there's a way around it; you can't lie and say that COVID didn't affect you in some way. Since so many of us have similar stories, I would use it as an opportunity to highlight your interests/experiences as an individual.