Ya'll care to chime an opinion

[sharpieLIFE]

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Hia Ya'll
Do you thik talking about a fear of public speaking is ok for a challenge essay?
Or would my cousin getting cancer be more appropriate to mention?

 

[JustintheDoctor]

If that public speaking issue has impacted you tremendously then I would personally go with that, especially if you have overcome a great obstacle with that working against you.

 

[gothicfoxes]

Has your fear of public speaking had such an influence on your life that you were a different and more capable person once you conquered this fear?

 

[GCS-15]

I think the public speaking one is better because it has more opportunity to show how that challenge made you a better person and was critical in your success

 

[efle]

Cousin might make sense for "why medicine", but that's not really a challenge for you to have overcome.

For public speaking: what was your fear holding you back from doing? What did you do to become more comfortable with public speaking? Did you then achieve whatever your fear was standing in the way of?

 

[sharpieLIFE]

What topics did ya'll go with for your essays?

 

[JustintheDoctor]

What topics did ya'll go with for your essays?

I haven't done an essay yet, but when it comes down to it and if it's a challenge question I will definitely do weight loss. I have struggled so much with it.

 

[NotYou20]

Have you overcome your fear of public speaking? If not, I would avoid the topic. If so, I think it could make a good essay if you focus on how you overcame the challenge

 

[hypericum]

I think that if you do go with public speaking, you can easily tie it back to medicine. I think it's good for a doctor to sound confident to reassure patients, right?

 

[sharpieLIFE]

Hmm do you think it may seem or can be viewed negatively since it may come back in the future.

 

[gothicfoxes]

Hmm do you think it may seem or can be viewed negatively since it may come back in the future.

Your fear may come back in the future? Understandable. But unless you can say you've wholly overcome this fear and are changed because of it, I'd write about something else.

 

[steelersfan1243]

Your fear may come back in the future? Understandable. But unless you can say you've wholly overcome this fear and are changed because of it, I'd write about something else.

I would have to disagree with this. When it comes to these challenges they do not have to be life altering. People have cited challenges such as setting up a family bbq, learning the tricks and trade of a barista, as being good challenges to write about. It is all about how you write them. For example the barista learning to perfect the task shows determination, dedication, and persistence in achieving their goals, the inherent ambition to succeed.

I think the public speaking is a good one, depending how you write it, what you did to improve. I do not even think you have to relate it to medicine, adcoms will figure that out themselves

 

[efle]

@Goro, how would you react to an overcoming challenge essay about learning to be a barista or setting up a family BBQ?

Who was saying these were good topic choices?

 

[Glazedonutlove]

It depends on how you spin it. I wouldn't use the bbq or barista for my biggest challenge but it can be a challenge of it somehow results in significant growth. Again depends on how one writes about it

 

[steelersfan1243]

@Goro, how would you react to an overcoming challenge essay about learning to be a barista or setting up a family BBQ?

Who was saying these were good topic choices?

Rule 2: Trust Your Gut

what adcoms want to see is something that gives them insight into you. Many applicants look at this from an external content point of view, such as the OP here in repairing his/her academics to reapply. But what does that say about you, how did you feel when not being able to apply, what values, internal qualities that he/she engage within themselves to face and overcome this obstacle. So my "fable" about the family BBQ was about bringing members of a tension filled, somewhat broken family back together, not how itself how to make good burgers.

As to the OP here, while the story of repairing yourself and the internal obstacles in doing so could lend itself to this, it raises another issue. You are laying bare your direct academic faults and negative factors for the adcom. That tends perhaps to be a bit more of gamble than other topics but it begs the question: do you sweep the dirt under the rug or do you take your skeletons out of the closet and dance with them. I actually tend to the latter but the only way to do figure this out is to write it up for yourself and see if it works. You can always decide to go another route but if you go this way, be completely bold, do not try to minimize, do not try to write thinking about what the committee will think but only how you want to express it. For this to be effective it must read true, passionate, motivated and committed. This should feel right to you if you go this route.

 

[sharpieLIFE]

I'm just worried they might be like - wow this kid is/was shy/quiet/reserved etc

 

[gothicfoxes]

I would have to disagree with this. When it comes to these challenges they do not have to be life altering. People have cited challenges such as setting up a family bbq, learning the tricks and trade of a barista, as being good challenges to write about.

Must be some pretty intense BBQs to warrant essay inspiration heh heh. But I see what you're saying.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

I'm just worried they might be like - wow this kid is/was shy/quiet/reserved etc

A lot of confident people have anxiety about public speaking too. If you show how you have overcome it I think it's fine

 

[sharpieLIFE]

But do you think the word "anxiety" will be a buzz word for them an it will set off red flags? I'm just worried they might connect this to mental health.

 

[sharpieLIFE]

@Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik do you think it will set off alarms?

 

[Goro]

Not at all.

As med schools like evidence of resilience, and problem solving, it will be best if you showed how you overcame your fear of speaking.

@Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik do you think it will set off alarms?

 

[Doctor Bob]

Talk about a time when you gave a public speech about your cousin's cancer.

Bam. Problem solved.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

But do you think the word "anxiety" will be a buzz word for them an it will set off red flags? I'm just worried they might connect this to mental health.

Doubt it!

 

[sharpieLIFE]

thanks!

 

[NeuResurgens]

Whichever one better illustrates your ability to adapt, grow and cope in a healthy way.

 

[Catalystik]

@Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik do you think it will set off alarms?

What Goro and UNMedGa said.