med school adversity essay

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The Adversity Essay for Medical School

Our team of editors have put together a step by step process on how to approach the most common secondary essays . Follow the below 6 step writing process for the adversity essay medical school secondary. 

What is the Medical School Adversity Essay?

Writing the Adversity Essay

Adversity Essay Example Prompts 

Medical School Adversity Essay Examples

Introduction 

Adversity feels like an intense word, and in some ways, it is. Do a quick thesaurus search and you’re likely to find way more negative synonyms than positive ones. Bad luck, hardship, distress…and you have to write a secondary essay for your medical school application about it?

The adversity essay, sometimes known to applicants as the ‘challenge essay,’ is a common prompt on medical school secondaries . But contrary to the name, its purpose isn’t to make you rehash something terrible you’ve experienced, or list all the obstacles that have ever come onto your path. The adversity essay is actually a chance to infuse some positivity into your secondary application.

The key to demystifying and stunning your admissions committees with this essay is responding in a way that shows how you rose to meet a challenge…and why you’re better for it!

If you’re struggling to understand how to go about responding to an adversity essay prompt, don’t worry…we’ve got your back. With a clearer understanding of this secondary, as well as some tips and tricks to guide you, you’ll soon be well on your way to crafting an effective adversity essay; one that shows admissions committees how effectively you turn lemons into lemonade.

Why is the Adversity Essay a Secondary Prompt?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…med school is tough. But you knew that! After all, your premed journey hasn’t always been easy. You’ve worked exceptionally hard to get to this place; the place where you’re writing a secondary essay for your dream medical school. But because medical education is a marathon , and because becoming a physician is a serious undertaking, medical schools want to know that you’re up to the task. They ask adversity questions to get a sense of how you react when faced with a challenge or obstacle. They want to know that when the going gets tough, you have a toolbox and a means to respond.

What the Adversity Essay is…and is not

Importantly, the adversity essay is a place to show how an experience you faced brought you to be the person you are today. It is not a place to complain about something that happened to you, nor is it a place to process emotional events. The adversity essay is an opportunity to show how you can evolve and change . It’s an essay that should be mature, thoughtful, and introspective. It’s not a place to bemoan past events, express grievances, or unpack situations that you haven’t fully processed for yourself.

Writing the Adversity Essay: Begin with the End in Mind

Just like our other secondaries we need to start this one with a solid outline. In fact, for the adversity essay, I argue that the end is even more important than the beginning. Because this essay is intended to build a narrative, show growth, and change, we need to be mindful of our structure. Like any good story, the adversity essay for medical school must have a beginning, middle, and an end. This sounds overly simplistic, but it can be exceptionally hard to do. We don’t often think about the things that happen to us as having a narrative arc…but when we write about them for admissions essays, this is what we must work hard to accomplish. Let’s explore my approach to the 6 steps of this process and see if we can make this act of storytelling a bit clearer.

Step 1: Choosing Your Situation

Some students feel they haven’t faced enough hardship to successfully tackle this essay. They wonder how to choose a scenario when nothing ‘that bad’ has really happened to them.

This is a misunderstanding about the adversity essay, most likely born of its unfortunate name. When choosing what to write about, remember; you’re thinking about a challenge, or a struggle…not necessarily a terrible memory or a life event that caused you pain.

To be honest, I was intentional about NOT writing about the worst things that had ever happened to me. That was a lot of pressure for a small essay and it was much harder to articulate the skills and attributes I used to meet challenges when writing about topics like trauma or grief. That isn’t to say that you can’t or shouldn’t write about these topics if you are comfortable doing so.

Vulnerability in your application is a very personal choice. You must be mindful though, that whatever you chose to write about has to be reflective, and demonstrate growth. It is also fair game to be asked about on the interview trail; if you can’t talk comfortably about the experience and its impact on you, you shouldn’t write about it in your essay.

When considering what to write for this essay, reflect on a difficult situation or experience ; maybe this was a class in school, or a tricky research problem. Maybe you had a problem to solve at work or a difficult family dynamic to address. Ask yourself:

• What made this experience a challenge?
• What happened?
• Why was it meaningful?

As we start this essay, we begin by providing some context on the situation. I like to start with a little bit of background and storytelling. I will first introduce my setting and my characters before I move on to the next step: identifying the obstacle or explaining the problem.

Step 2: Identifying the Obstacle 

Once we’ve picked a situation, the next step in writing this essay is identifying the obstacle for readers. In order to build this narrative, I have to explain what the problem was ; this is the key element that we will ‘overcome’ if you will, in our response. Think back to what you identified as being challenging in the experience you chose. Once you’ve named the problem that you needed to solve, for your readers, you’re ready to move on to the next step of the process.

Step 3: the “Uh-Oh” Moment

This is the part of the essay, after we’ve laid out the background and the problem, where we, as central actors in the story, realize we’ve got a problem. I like to think of the “uh-oh,” moment in the adversity essay as the place where the protagonist (that’s you!) recognized there was a challenge to surmount . Maybe there were some feelings of hopelessness, worry , or fear. Maybe you didn’t know what to do and panicked. This is when you recognized the setback that ultimately set you up for the comeback. Be honest about your emotions, and the reactions you experienced as well as the emotions and reactions of other people in the story

Step 4: The Turning Point

The turning point is where we explain how things changed . For example:

• You were fearful, but you took a deep breath and kept going.
• It was mile 22 of the marathon and you gave yourself a pep talk; it wasn’t easy but you kept putting one foot in front of the other.

This is the part of the essay where you indicate a change occurred . Tell readers how you made the pivot, and how you became more in that moment than you thought you could be. If we think about this in relation to our narrative arc, this is the climax of the story. All the action is building to this point; our hero (that’s you!) has finally realized how to solve their problem. Nothing can stop you now!

Step 5: Establishing Growth

As we wind down our essay, we want to consider;

• What did the turning point teach you?
• What lessons did you take away from the turning point?
• How did overcoming this challenge make you feel?

Show us how far you’ve come in this essay; remind us where you started, and show the impact of this story on your life today.

Step 6: Reflecting and Looking Forward

As we bring this story to its conclusion, we want to end by reflecting on those big lessons learned by you, our protagonist, over the course of this story. We also want to look ahead and comment on how you will apply these skills to your future work as a member of the academic community to which you are applying, and even later on, as a physician.

Important Points to Remember

When finishing up this essay, you’ll want to make sure of a couple things.

• Need help with this? Click here .
• Another thing to check is that you’re centering yourself as the main focus of the action. This is, I’ll reiterate, not an essay about something hard you went through. This is an essay about how you responded, how you grew, and how this event shaped who you are today. This difference is distinct and important. Make sure your emotions, responses, and reactions are center stage, but in a way that shows you in control of the narrative. This is not a place to express victimhood or complain; it’s an essay of strength and positivity.
• Finally, make sure that you’re connecting this essay to the skills that will be necessary in your medical career. What did this experience teach you about resilience? About persistence? How will your ability to transcend this obstacle serve you well in the future?

So while this might be an ‘intense,’ essay, it certainly does not have to be filled with hardship. You’re ready to write a strong, powerful essay about your ability to overcome…and get into a great medical school .

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Adversity Essay Medical School Example Prompts

Example 1: “What has been your biggest challenge in pursuing medicine? What have you learned as a result? (250 words maximum) “ (California Northstate University College of Medicine)

Example 2: “The admissions committee is interested in gaining more insight into you as a person. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Examples may include a moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity, or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome. Please include how you got through the experience and what you learned about yourself as a result. Please limit your response to 1 page (about 3,500 characters), and leave a blank line between paragraphs. ” (Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine)

Example 3: “Please discuss challenges in your journey thus far to medical school. (150 words) ” (Rosalind Franklin University – Chicago Medical School Secondary)

Example 4: “Describe how you have dealt with a personal challenge or major obstacle that you have overcome. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school. (2000 characters ” (Creighton University School of Medicine)

Example 5: “We seek students who are self-aware, resilient and adaptable. Discuss a personal or professional challenge you’ve experienced and how you resolved it. Please include insight on what you learned about yourself as a result. ” (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School)

Example 6: “Describe a time when you suffered a setback. How did you respond to this challenge? (Persistence/Grit) ” (University of Massachusetts Medical School)

Example 7: “Describe a situation in which working with a colleague, family member or friend has been challenging. How did you resolve, if at all, the situation as a team and what did you gain from the experience that will benefit you as a future health care provider? ” (New York University School of Medicine )

Example 8: “Other than work-life balance, what will be your greatest challenge in becoming a physician? (1550 characters) ” (Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine)

Adversity Essay Examples

This specific prompt asked me to consider a time when I had failed at something. I used variations of this adversity essay for multiple medical school secondary applications, always making sure to make adjustments to be specific for what the prompt was asking.

My first task, at my new job on the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Community Health team, was to create a database for Community Health Workers (CHWs) to enter Protected Health Information (PHI) secure data. I had a background in monitoring & evaluation & I knew all about data collection from my years in sociology. The problem?

I had zero background programming. I struggle to program the microwave to bake a sweet potato.

I was going to need help.

I started first by meeting with the CHWs— to create a system that met their needs, we needed to understand what they needed. They told me stories about their patients. We identified our collection goals. I met scholars in Dartmouth academia, asking for their advice. I read forums, watched videos, & created the first draft.

It did not work.

When our CHWs tried to enter data, it felt clunky. We had to start again.

Thomas Edison once said that he learned many ways not to make a lightbulb. We did the same; for databases. I sought out my boss & her boss. I enlisted programmers & web experts to join our team. The CHWs & I met again & again. Five months later, we succeeded. Our system has been rolled out to three separate population health programs; CHWs report an improved ability to care for patients through reduced burden of data collection.

Over those months, we became great at making bad databases. We did not give up, in part, because I pushed forward.  “Failure” is often a misnomer. Experience is not the sum of its parts. The same is true of people; in shared effort we create something far greater than we ever might have on our own. As a physician, I’ll apply this same spirit of collaboration to my team based care. If given the privilege of a ______Medical School education, I will bring this same problem solving ability to all my clinical and interpersonal endeavors.

View more Medical School Adversity Essay Examples Here.

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Medical School Adversity Essay

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The medical school adversity essay also called the "challenge essay" by applicants, is a typical question on medical school secondaries. However, it is not meant to make you relive a terrible moment in your past or compile a list of all the challenges you have faced. 

The medical school adversity essay is an opportunity to add optimism to your secondary application.

The secret to impressing your admissions committees with your medical school adversity essay is to react in a way that demonstrates how you met a challenge head-on and why it helped you become a better person. 

This article focuses on a medical school adversity essay. You will soon be well on your way to writing a successful adversity essay demonstrating to admissions committees that you are worthy of entry. 

What is a Medical School Adversity Essay? 

You will need to write an adversity essay when completing your secondary applications , in addition to a diversity essay . 

The medical school adversity essay is one of the most popular samples of secondary essays. Usually, the essay question will ask you to talk about a difficult time you have gone through and how you overcame it.

The question regarding your prior struggles is one that the admissions committees for medical school use to assess your ability to handle and handle adversity. In essence, they examine how you approach problems and move toward resolving conflicts in your life. 

The admissions committee will evaluate your level of communication, resilience, and maturity based on how you handle moral and ethical quandaries.

The adversity prompt depends on whether you should write about a personal or professional experience. The prompt might, however, leave it up to your judgment. 

Since your main application already delves into the specifics of your academic experiences, the adversity essay is a fantastic chance for you to share fresh and pertinent experiences. 

Medical school adversity essays highlight your capacity to surmount challenges and cope with the pressure outside of the classroom.

5 Tips for Answering Medical School Adversity Essays

The purpose of asking about adversity is to help admissions committees for medical schools understand how you handle challenging circumstances. They want to know that you are resilient, responsible, and capable of improvement so that you may succeed in medical school.

In other words, medical schools are not attempting to establish a contest to see whose students have faced the most hardship. Instead, they would like to know who you are. 

Here are the most effective tips on how to write a solid medical school adversity essay:

Read the Prompt Thoroughly

To start with, make sure you read the prompt carefully and comprehend what it is asking. 

For example, the admissions committee may ask you to talk about a professional obstacle in some situations while they may be searching for a personal challenge. 

If a certain kind of example is required for the med school adversity question, it will be noted in the prompt. Check the word or character limit next, and structure your response accordingly. 

Start by thinking back on your past experiences when responding to various prompts, as you probably did when you prepared your personal statement for medical school . 

Consider a period when you had to deal with a challenging circumstance. 

Frequently, you will not have a lot of words or characters to respond to the question, so you must be sure that your response is concise and direct.

Start with the End in Mind

Like our other secondary assignments, you must begin this secondary with a strong framework. In fact, the conclusion of the adversity essay is much more significant than the start. 

The medical school adversity essay aims to develop a story, demonstrate progress, and demonstrate change.

Adversity essays for medical school need a beginning, middle, and end, just like any excellent story. Although it may seem overly straightforward, doing this can be incredibly difficult.

You do not frequently consider the events in your life as having a narrative arc. 

Still, when you write about them for admissions essays, you must make a concerted effort to achieve this. 

Start your essay with a succinct description of the circumstance or experience. The least significant aspect of this essay is the description of what occurred and all the specifics surrounding the incident.

Avoid getting lost in the story, or you will not have enough words to express the crucial details in the body paragraph. This includes your feelings, how things affected you, and what you discovered. 

The admissions committee will better grasp how you think when faced with difficulty and how you handle these circumstances if you talk about how you feel.

Focus on How and What You Learned 

Describe your approach to the specific difficulty. 

For instance, did you seek scholarships or land a job if you were writing about your struggles to make ends meet? 

On the other hand, if you are writing about academic difficulties, have you improved your study techniques or humbly sought assistance from your peers or professor?

To get through your struggle, concentrate on your justifications and cognitive processes. 

Whenever you think it is appropriate, express your emotions to the reader and let them enter your mental space. It is crucial to explain your thought process since admissions committees want to know how you approach conflict resolution. 

Be Honest and Objective 

Explain the circumstance that challenged you at the outset of your essay. Make sure to state facts when describing your challenge. This will demonstrate your ability to be objective to the reader.

However, if you describe your difficulty subjectively, it might sound like you are looking for pity. 

As an illustration, the statement " My teacher talked to me about my poor performance in class " is objective, and " My teacher rolled her eyes and berated my performance in class " is subjective.

In a similar spirit, only include background material that advances the plot. For example, for some types of hardship stories, details like the precise date or the city you lived in might not be pertinent.

Medical School Adversity Essay Sample Prompts 

A medical school adversity essay can be challenging to write. However, you must be humble while still making an impression on the admissions committee. Therefore, it would be beneficial if you gave creating a fantastic essay much thought. 

Here are a few samples of medical school adversity essay prompts that you might see when applying to medical schools to get you started:

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

We are looking for students who are resilient, adaptive, and self-aware. Talk about a problem you've faced personally or professionally and how you handled it. Please elaborate on the lessons you took away from the experience regarding yourself.

New York University School of Medicine

Give an example of when working with a friend, family member, or coworker was difficult. What lessons did you learn from the event that will help you in your future work as a healthcare provider? How did you address the matter as a team, if at all?

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Tell us about a time when you faced a setback. What response did you have to this challenge?

California North State University College of Medicine

What has been your toughest obstacle in pursuing a career in medicine? What have you learned as a result?

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

The admissions committee is eager to learn more about you personally. Please give an example of a significant personal difficulty you have overcome that you believe has molded you. Examples could include a moral or ethical problem, a circumstance involving personal adversity, or a challenge you overcame. Please mention how you overcame the situation and what you discovered about yourself.

Sample Medical School Adversity Essays 

Without a solid medical school adversity essay, your application to medical school will fall short of the mark. Remember that you are competing with a large number of other applications. Put forth your best effort. 

Here are a few medical school adversity essay examples for you to reference.

Medical School Adversity Essay Sample 1:

At my new position on the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Community Health team, my first assignment was to build a database where Community Health Workers (CHWs) could enter secure PHI data. I have experience in monitoring and assessment and was well-versed in data collecting because of my time studying sociology. The issue?

I did not run any background programs. I have trouble getting the microwave set up to roast sweet potatoes. I would require assistance...

I began by meeting with the CHWs since we wanted to learn what they needed to design a system that satisfied those demands. They shared tales with me involving their patients. We determined what we wanted to collect. I sought the opinions of academics I met at Dartmouth. I wrote the first draft after watching videos and reading forums.

It was ineffective and felt awkward for our CHWs to enter data. It was time to start over.

As Thomas Edison famously remarked, he discovered numerous methods not to create a lightbulb. The same was done for our databases. After five months, we were successful. Our technology has been implemented in three different community health initiatives. CHWs indicate that the decreased workload associated with data gathering has enhanced their capacity to provide patient care.

In those months, we mastered the art of creating useless databases. I kept moving forward, which is partly why we didn't give up. "Failure" is frequently a misnomer. The total experience is not what it is. The same is true of humans; we do far more than we could have done separately through teamwork. As a doctor, I'll use this collaborative attitude to provide team-based patient care. If granted the opportunity to attend ______ Medical School, I will use the same problem-solving skills in my clinical and interpersonal pursuits.

Medical School Adversity Essay Sample 2:

I had trouble adjusting when I was diagnosed with vitiligo in my last year of college studies. I initially paid little attention to the first dim light spot near my eyes. That spot eventually turned whiter, and I saw two more small areas forming nearby and another one around my lips. At that moment, I started to worry about my health.

Peers started noticing the white blotches on my face at this point. People were looking at me strangely and making whispered remarks about what was on my face. I dismissed what was going on with my face as some skin rash. I was unsure of how to explain it to them. As I thought about my future and how my condition would affect my objectives of finding a partner and a job without being judged or discriminated against, my mind filled with self-doubt.

My primary care physician finally saw me and merely informed me that I had vitiligo without thoroughly inspecting my face or performing any extra tests to confirm the diagnosis. Hearing this verdict devastated me, and I was upset with myself for allowing this condition to become so bad in the first place. After my quick consultation with the primary care doctor and a little booklet explaining my problem and how to apply the cream, I was prescribed a steroid cream to treat my spots. I chose to get a second opinion from a dermatologist, Dr. Maggie, who meticulously examined my skin under a wood light because this made me doubt my diagnosis.

Once more, learning that I have vitiligo broke my heart. I was afraid that the disease would spread to other regions of my body or my entire face because the booklet I had initially gotten was not very informative. After receiving this diagnosis, my heart started to race with fear and panic as I thought about what my life would be like. I was worried that because of social shame and societal isolation, this issue would only worsen and may limit my chances. Dr. Maggie, on the other hand, thoroughly and carefully described my problem to me, unlike the first doctor I visited.

He added blood testing and numerous allergy tests to my treatment. He comforted me by saying there was a good chance my skin's pigmentation would come back naturally. He added that laser light therapy would be an option in the worst-case situation. He patiently answered all of my inquiries and assisted in developing a food strategy that would strengthen my immune system.

Following this reassuring consultation, I decided to continue being the same person I have always been, regardless of what other people thought of my vitiligo. With Dr. Maggie's assistance, I concluded that vitiligo does not impact me inside. Eventually, my condition shouldn't stand in the way of achieving my goals of starting a family and becoming a doctor.

After a few months, I saw that my face's pigmentation had improved, and the vitiligo had not migrated to other parts of my body. I could arm myself with the knowledge and awareness of my condition under Dr. Maggie's direction. She changed my life perspective and fortified my will to treat my vitiligo.

This first-hand experience demonstrated a doctor's beneficial impact on a patient's life when given the proper care and consideration. To soothe their concerns and assist them, I aim to one day comfort my patients in the same way and with the same level of care Dr. Maggie has shown me.

Medical School Adversity Essay Sample 3:

One of the biggest life lessons I've learned so far is how to live with a sister who has been diagnosed with autism. When my sister was just a few months old, her diagnosis was initially made public. I was just five years older than her, so I never thought her individuality was terrible. Not until I entered my teenage years.

We all tend to pay greater attention to other people's viewpoints as teenagers. That is what happened to me. I became increasingly ashamed to be around my sister when I started observing adverse reactions from the public and hearing disparaging remarks. Our relationship started deteriorating. Until I happened to read a book entitled Following Ezra. This turned out to be a mind- and heart-altering event; it persisted throughout my high school and college years.

After finishing the book, I continue to come to know and understand my sister, which makes me a stronger, more compassionate, and more self-assured person overall. And although if it still presents challenges occasionally, for me, it serves as a daily opportunity for learning and improvement.

Additional FAQs - Medical School Adversity Essay

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Adversity Essay Medical School: What Medical Schools Actually Want to Know About You

May 1, 2024 · In: Applying to Medical School

As you work on your medical school application secondaries , the infamous adversity essay may be looming over you. I remember feeling the pressure to share my story in a positive light, all the while wondering if I had faced enough adversity to actually make an impression on the admissions committees. 

If you’re feeling lost on how to approach this essay prompt (like you’re feeling adversity to writing about your adversity—LOL), I’ll walk you through it! I’m sharing all the insights I gained from successfully writing my adversity essay. Plus, you can take a look at what I wrote so you gain some inspo!  By the end of this guide, you’ll be equipped with the tools and strategies to craft a compelling adversity essay that demonstrates your ability to turn setbacks into triumphs. Get ready to ace the adversity essay on your medical school application !

This post is all about adversity essay medical school.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure  here .

All About Adversity Essay Medical School

What’s the Adversity Essay?

Once you’ve finished your personal statement and handed in your primary application, you still have secondary essays to look forward to writing. It’s highly likely that one of them will include a prompt for the adversity essay. Usually, medical schools will ask you to talk about a tough situation you went through and how you managed to push through it.

What’s the purpose of the adversity essay?

Basically, this essay is your opportunity to show medical schools your skills at managing obstacles in your path and, well, your ability to overcome adversity .  It’s a way for you to paint a more holistic picture of who you are as a person and as a future medical professional. 

Medical schools understand that the road to becoming a physician is a challenging one. They want to see if you’ve got what it takes to handle the inevitable hurdles that come with a career in medicine. When they pose questions about adversity, they’re not trying to trip you up. They’re trying to gauge how you face challenges – do you crumble at the first sign of difficulty, or do you have the grit and resilience to push through?

What Medical Schools Want (and Don’t Want) You to Share on Your Adversity Essay 

Medical schools aren’t just looking for straight-A students. They want resilient people who can handle the pressures of the medical field. The adversity essay, often called the “challenge essay,” is your opportunity to showcase your ability to conquer hurdles and come out stronger on the other side.

So what exactly resonates with admissions committees? 

Your essay should be reflective and show what you’ve learned from your struggles. It’s about demonstrating your emotional maturity, problem-solving skills, and ability to persevere in the face of push-back. Think of it as an opportunity to demonstrate your strength in being able to navigate challenges.

Here are some specific qualities and attributes that medical schools are looking for in applicants through the adversity essay.

• Resilience —Medical schools want to know that you can bounce back from difficult situations. They want to see how you’ve overcome obstacles and setbacks. How have you used those experiences to become a stronger, more determined individual?
• Perseverance – Adversity essays are a way for you to demonstrate your commitment to your goals. Medical schools want to see that you have the drive and determination to keep pushing forward, even in the face of challenges.
• Self-awareness —Medical schools want to see that you have reflected on your experiences, learned from them, and clearly understood how they have shaped you as a person.
• Empathy and Compassion – This essay is your chance to show that you have a deep understanding of the struggles others face and how you can use your own experiences to connect with and support your future patients.
• Growth Mindset —Are you open to learning from your experiences and constantly striving to improve yourself? Show them that you embrace challenges as opportunities for growth.

What to Avoid in Your Adversity Essay

Your essay shouldn’t come with a trigger warning! Avoid these mistakes that will turn off admission committees and may limit your chances of getting into the medical school of your dreams.

The adversity essay is NOT :  

• About impressing the admissions committee with a perfect life story
• A long list of every single bad thing that’s ever happened to you
• A place to play the blame game or vent about your misfortunes 
• A space to wallow in self-pity
• The time to air your grievances
• Where you share situations that you’re still grappling to make sense of
• A dumping ground to unload emotional baggage

What if I don’t feel like I’ve faced adversity in my life worth writing about?

So, you’re sitting down to write your adversity essay, and you’re thinking, “Wait… have I even faced any significant adversity in my life?” 

It’s a common concern, but, actually, adversity can come in all shapes and sizes. Just because your challenges may not seem as dramatic as others, it doesn’t mean they are any less valid or impactful.

Here are a few tips to help you identify and reflect on personal challenges that can be used in your essay:

• Broaden Your Definition of Adversity – Adversity doesn’t always have to be a major life trauma or hardship. It can be any situation or experience that has tested your resilience, character, or beliefs. Think about times when you felt overwhelmed, out of your comfort zone, or faced with difficult decisions.
• Consider Personal Growth – Reflect on moments of personal growth or self-discovery. Maybe you overcame a fear, learned a valuable lesson from a mistake, or navigated a challenging interpersonal relationship. These experiences can also be examples of adversity.
• Think Beyond the Obvious – Adversity can manifest in various aspects of your life, such as academic setbacks, family dynamics, health challenges, or cultural experiences. Don’t overlook the everyday struggles and obstacles you’ve faced, as they can provide valuable insights into your resilience and adaptability.

Seek Feedback from Others – Sometimes, it’s hard to recognize our own strengths and challenges. Consider talking to friends, family, or mentors who know you well. They may offer a different perspective on the adversities you’ve encountered and how you’ve handled them.

Tips on How to Best Approach the Adversity Essay

At this point, you may have a few topics in mind and are getting ready to start writing about a significant challenge you faced and how it shaped you positively. So, how do you get started? How do you go about telling your story? Follow these steps to write a strong essay about overcoming adversity for medical school.

Nail Down the Details of the Prompt

Before you start brainstorming and writing, make sure you understand the prompt . Take note of exactly what it’s asking so you can tailor your response accurately and effectively. Some prompts may specify the type of example they want, either a personal or professional challenge.

Also, double-check the word count and any instructions about the structure of your answer. You want it to fit within the specified constraints so you don’t raise red flags with the admissions committee.

Reflect on Past Experiences and Decide on the Situation You’ll Write About

Before you start writing, take some time to reflect on the adversity you’ve faced. What challenging situations have you encountered in the past? Consider what happened, the steps you took to overcome the obstacle, and the lessons you learned from the experience. Think about how it has shaped you as a person and what you have learned from the experience. This reflection helps you prepare a focused and concise response.

Outline and Structure Your Essay

Before you start writing, take some time to outline your essay. Having a clear outline will help you stay focused and keep your essay flowing smoothly.

First, list the key points you want to include, such as the challenges you faced. Take note how you navigated through them, and the lessons you learned. Then, organize these details into a narrative structure to tell your story. Starting with an engaging introduction that sets the scene, a body containing the challenges you faced. Then finishing with how you overcame them and the lessons you learned.

Write a Succinct Introduction That Identifies Your Situation

Present a brief overview of your adversity experience. You can start by setting the scene and providing some context for the challenges you will be discussing. Try to grab the reader’s attention and set the tone for the rest of your essay. But avoid getting caught up in unnecessary details, as the main focus should be on drawing the reader in.

Describe the Challenges

Once you have set the stage, dive into the challenges you faced. Be honest and reflective in discussing the obstacles you encountered. Whether it was a personal struggle, a difficult academic situation, or a setback in your journey to medical school, be open about the difficulties you faced.

Describe how the adversity made you feel and how it impacted you personally. Be honest and vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to open up about difficult experiences you’ve faced. Share your emotions, thoughts, and reflections genuinely. This emotional aspect provides valuable insights into your coping mechanisms and thought processes during difficult times.

Discuss How You Overcame Them

After sharing the facts and emotions created by your challenges, now shift the focus to how you overcame them. Describe in detail how you demonstrated resilience and the specific actions you took to rise up against the adversity you faced. Highlight the strategies you used , whether it was seeking support, developing new skills, or changing your mindset. Use this section to showcase your problem-solving skills and determination. 

Share the Outcome and Reflect on Your Personal Growth 

What happened as a result of the actions you took? And, in what ways has the experience changed you? Write about whether you have emerged stronger, more compassionate, or gained a deeper understanding of complex issues. 

Admissions committees want to see how you have grown from this adversity . So also tie in how the experience has shaped your perspective, values, and goals. Give examples of how you were resilient and had the strength to overcome this particular challenge.

Use the Conclusion to Connect This Experience to Your Goals in Medicine

Finally, wrap up your essay by reflecting on the lessons you learned from overcoming these challenges. Discuss how these experiences have shaped you as a person and as a future medical professional. Tie your experience of adversity back to your motivation for pursuing a career in medicine. How has this experience influenced your desire to help others or your approach to patient care?

Never want to sit in front of a blank page again with no idea how to tackle your secondary essays?

Then you need The Ultimate Guide to Secondary Applications . It’s basically a start-to-finish course on secondaries for medical school applicants who want to share unique and compelling essays (within just a 2 week turnaround time). Inside, you’ll learn all the steps to make your essays stand out while staying fully organized in the jungle of to-dos. 

This includes video lessons, writing frameworks, my own productivity tips and an extensive essay library with 70+ examples. Plus, you’ll learn the easily overlooked aspects of secondaries you don’t want to miss!

7 Example Prompts for the Adversity Essay

Secondary essay prompts on adversity often ask about difficult situations you’ve faced, obstacles you’ve had to overcome, or hurdles you’ve pushed past in order to succeed. Here are seven examples of the type of adversity prompts that you might come across when applying to medical school.

• Can you share a major problem or adversity you have faced in life and explain how you navigated through it, as well as how it impacted your personal growth?
• Reflect on a challenge you have successfully overcome and detail the insights about yourself that you gained during that experience.
• In your journey towards medical school, what obstacles have you encountered, and how did you confront a personal challenge or significant barrier? What did you learn about yourself in the process, and how will this learning aid you in facing challenges as a future medical student?
• Have you handled a personal or professional challenge that showcases your self-awareness, resilience, and adaptability? If so, can you describe the challenge and the lessons you learned from it?
• Share a setback you’ve experienced and elaborate on how you responded to this setback. 
• Describe a situation where you faced challenges while collaborating with a colleague, family member, or friend. How did you manage to resolve the situation as a team, and what did you gain from the experience that you believe will benefit you as a healthcare provider in the future?
• Aside from achieving work-life balance, what do you anticipate will be your biggest challenge in the pursuit of becoming a physician?

To give you a better picture of what exactly medical schools want to know about your experiences with adversity, I’m sharing the exact secondary essay that helped me secure ten acceptances to medical school. 

My Own Adversity Essay Example for Medical School 

Before moving to Seattle, I had various nanny jobs where all of the families had kids who were accustomed to nannies. When I moved to Seattle and became a nanny for three boys (3, 5, and7) the situation was very different. The boys were used to being picked up from school by their parents, not someone they viewed as a stranger. Ben and Jamie, the oldest and youngest respectively, adapted to the new situation relatively well. Marcus, the five year old, was more sensitive to the change though. Additionally, I started at the beginning of the school year and he had just switched from preschool to a new school for kindergarten.

My first week was filled with more tantrums and tears than I had experienced in all of my other nanny jobs put together. Marcus had a completely new schedule, one that did not include naps like he was used to in preschool. He was so tired after school he would almost immediately fall asleep in my car during the drive home. When we got to their house, Marcus would wake up and start crying and yelling because he did not want to go inside. He would yell at me to leave him alone in the car and that he wished his mom were there because he hated having a nanny. I was not accustomed to a kid who did not like having a nanny, but I did not take it personally. I could completely relate to Marcus because my “nanny” growing up was my Aunt Holly. If my mom hired a nanny, I am sure I would have acted just like Marcus. Also, I realized that if I were as tired as he was at the end of the day, I would not be in my best mood either. For these reasons, I was resilient and chose not to dwell on the day prior. Every day I picked up Ben and Marcus from school with a smile on my face and was happy to see them. 

The next few weeks, I adapted to Marcus’ needs to help him cope with the new changes he was facing. The first strategy that helped was keeping him awake during the car ride home. Marcus was more likely to have tantrums after falling asleep, so Ben and I made a point to keep him engaged in conversation until we got home. This worked well, but the second event that caused daily tantrums was when we had to pick up Jamie from preschool. My next strategy was to tell Marcus well in advance about our daily plan. As soon as we walked in the door I would remind him, “Marcus, don’t forget we will leave in an hour to pick up Jamie!” Then fifteen minutes before we had to leave, I encouraged him to find a toy or something to entertain him for the drive.There was no way to completely avoid bad days, but each week we made progress and had more good days. After an especially good day, Marcus ran up to me before I left, hugged me and said, “I had so much fun with you today!” 

This was a challenging experience that further strengthened my ability to handle stressful situations and setbacks. Between working as a nanny and my many experiences as an equestrian, I have developed into a person comfortable with adaptability and resilience. I am confident that when I am faced with challenges during medical school, I will have the tools necessary to stay motivated, keep things in perspective,and continue working towards my goals.

Final Takeaways About the Adversity Essay on the Medical Application

What’s important in your adversity essay is not how huge the challenge was that you faced but rather how you’ve approached it,. Also what you’ve learned from it, and how it’s shaped your journey toward becoming a future physician. 

The admissions committee wants to know more about you as an individual, focusing on qualities like self-awareness, resilience, and adaptability. So, impress the medical schools you’re applying to with your ability to reflect on your experiences . Describe your personal growth, and articulate how adversity has influenced your motivations and aspirations. 

Remember, the adversity essay isn’t about showcasing a single traumatic event. But rather about demonstrating your ability to overcome challenges and grow from them. So, take some time to introspect, identify those moments of resilience and growth. Share your authentic story in your essay.  Everyone faces challenges in life. But what sets you apart is how you’ve navigated those challenges and grown from them. So, embrace the opportunity to share your unique story in the adversity essay and let your authentic self shine through. Good luck!

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• Medical School Application

Medical School Secondary Essay Examples from Accepted Applicants!

Plus tips for answering the 5 most common med school secondary essay prompts.

Before we jump into medical school secondary essay examples, you need to know that the main purpose of the secondary medical school application is to determine whether you are a good “fit” with the mission and values of the school you are applying to. Medical schools send out secondary essays to further assess the unique characteristics of each applicant that have not been addressed in the  AMCAS Work and Activities  section or your medical school personal statement . This post will go over medical school secondary essay examples from students who were accepted, and tips for writing strong essays that application committees will love. 

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Medical school secondary essays: "why our school" prompt.

The most important component of answering this prompt is doing your research. Do you have a thorough understanding of the school's mission statement and values? What population or populations are they most interested in serving? How do they describe their student body? What curriculum-enriching activities are available to their students? Do they have a strong research program? Is their curriculum a good fit for your learning style? Are all of these things in line with your own values, career goals, and learning needs?

Being informed will demonstrate an interest in the program, allowing you to write a response showing that you will be a genuinely good fit for the school.

“Questions like these are an opportunity for you to shine and show the faculty what sets you apart from the other candidates … In your response, it is important to highlight things that are relevant to the institution’s mission and values while also explaining qualities that would make you a great asset to the program … it is important to always tailor your response to the school and program you are applying to, including for this question.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

Would you like us to help you with your medical school secondary essays ","buttontext":"free strategy call","buttoncolor":"#ffffff","addtrustpilot":"false","bannerundertext":" ","belowbuttontext1":null,"belowbuttontext2":null,"trustpilot":false}' :url='"https:\/\/bemoacademicconsulting.com\/contact-schedule-free-strategy-call"' code='banner1' background-color='#000066' button-color='#ffffff' banner-image=''> to answer this prompt, it can be useful to think about how to choose a medical school and what you’re looking for. “my main priority [in choosing a med school] was location. since i knew i was going to spend four years there, i wanted it to be in a location that i could see myself having support and enjoying. beyond that i looked at opportunities for research support, patient population diversity, and locations where students matched. i also thought about where rotations occur during third year as i wanted to focus on hospitals where rotations were not scattered and centralized to a main hospital center.” – dr. monica taneja, md, university of maryland school of medicine..

What are you most excited about when you think of attending this school? Research? Global health? Community outreach? "}]' code='timeline1'>

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Why Our School?

Write a critical analysis of your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine, the realization of your professional ambitions, and why you are choosing to apply to our school.

When I was in kindergarten, I was playing tag with my friends when I noticed a kid sitting on the bench. He seemed visibly anxious and left out of the fun so I felt compelled to invite him to play with us. This sense of compassion lay the foundation for my desire to study medicine. As I grew older, I became more inquisitive about the natural world and wanted to know how everything worked and fit together. I started to become passionate about chemistry, mathematics and biology, finding that those subjects gave me the tools to understand my surroundings. I felt empowered with every new concept I would learn; however I never quite felt as though I knew enough. It was only when my friend asked for help with her mental illness that I realized just how much I did not know and how unequipped I was to help someone in this situation. The clash between my sense of compassion and my lack of knowledge and ability to help drove me to want to study medicine.

As I ventured into college, my knowledge-seeking tendencies manifested in an interest in biomedical engineering. I chose this degree for its ability to teach me about the design and manufacturing of groundbreaking medical technologies such as skin-grafts, medical imaging devices, and prostheses. I dreamt of pushing clinical innovations and finding the next technology to revolutionize patient care. Aside from educating myself in medical technology, my college years gave me a lasting perspective and understanding of the Hispanic community’s struggles. I once accompanied my friends to volunteer in a mobile clinic. It was early in the morning when a nurse told me to put up a sign that read: “We do not check IDs.” At first, I was confused, but after careful consideration, I realized that it was to not deter illegal immigrants from seeking medical aid. As the day went on and patients came in, I noticed that most did not have the means to afford regular health and dental care. Most of them prayed that their illnesses would go away on their own because they did not have the means to get professional help. This experience really opened my eyes to the plight of underserved communities and reinforced my decision to pursue medicine so that I could help serve those who were unable to help themselves.

I applied to X University for its opportunities to allow me to work with underserved communities and develop the technical and interpersonal skills to provide patients from these communities the best care. I hope to combine my experience within medicine and engineering to push clinical technologies and advancements further to provide cheap and effective alternatives to current medications and treatments to drive down the cost of healthcare so that it can become available to more people.  

Questions surrounding cultural competency delve into your ability to interact with people whose culture, beliefs, or values are different from your own. Are you able to help people in a way that is in line with their values and belief system, even if these values and beliefs are not in line with your own? It is also important to realize the vital role that effective communication plays in bridging cultural differences.

Similar to the TMDSAS personal characteristics essay, your essay should focus on the barriers you encountered, the communication strategies you employed to overcome these barriers, how you helped the person in a way that respected their beliefs, and how you will apply this lesson in the future.

Great ideas for narratives that could address the diversity secondary essay prompt include:

• A time when you used your problem-solving skills to help someone from a socio-cultural background different from your own.
• A time you advocated for someone from a different socio-cultural background from your own.
• How you used your communication skills to overcome a language barrier and help someone.
• A reflection on what you learned from working with people with a different background from your own.
• A reflection on communicating with people with a different background from your own.
• A reflection on learning about and accepting the difference in beliefs of people with a different background from your own.
• A reflection on an interaction with an individual whose values were different from your own.

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Diversity Essays

A. Describe how you relate to someone who is very different from you. Examples of differences may be cultural, racial, religious, economic, gender/sexual orientation, lifestyle.

The world is so diverse and it can be easy to resign to only care for and be informed of one’s own personal interests. To connect with someone else is to choose to forgo ignorance and aim to understand other people and their backgrounds. This is a choice that is made every day when we decide how to interact in society.

In my first year of university, I roomed with a person who immigrated from Colombia. I saw how difficult it was for her to transition to a new country and to overcome cultural barriers. Instead of accepting the fact that our cultures rendered us incompatible, I decided to educate myself on her culture. I started to read of the political unrest in Colombia, I found Latin music we could listen to, and I utilized my basic Spanish to try to make her feel at home. Five years later, we still live together and are the best of friends. It's clear that a little effort trying to understand the life and journey of someone else can go a long way to building connections and trust.

Would you rather watch a video? Here are the most common medical school secondary essay prompts:

B. Please discuss the diversity that you would bring to our school of medicine and the profession of medicine.

The challenges I faced as a first-generation immigrant has taught me several valuable lessons, which have influenced my pursuit of medicine. Here in the States, I am granted liberties that are otherwise unattainable in Vietnam- specifically access to quality healthcare and opportunities for growth and enrichment. My first exposure to medicine did not transpire in a hospital but instead took place in a small tent affiliated with a roaming clinic.

The significant gap in healthcare accessibility, advancement, and quality between the States and the developing countries were increasingly apparent when I returned to Vietnam to visit my family. In time, I also realized that these similar circumstances and situations exist in my local community as well. This has inspired me to advocate for the underserved population because I, myself, can identify with their struggles. During our financial crisis, my family received overwhelming support and generosity from several neighborhood communities. I wish to return the kindness. Now more than ever, in a time where immigrants are restricted access, I must fight to give them a voice.

I also bring with me the traditions and culture of a Vietnamese American. I have developed my own understanding of the diverse facets of the Asian American identity and the ripple effect it has on the community. Through lion dancing and partnering with the Vietnamese and Chinese communities, I grasped the important role that communities play in providing resources. To become one of the few Vietnamese doctors in the area would allow me to address the needs of the community and give me a platform to collaborate with other communities of color. One of my goals is to break down the language barriers and stigmas surrounding the older Asian community and help them achieve their health goals.

I bring a steadfast mindset of advocating for the underserved in my community and as an immigrant Vietnamese American, I aim to use my position to influence decisions that will benefit the entire community.

Medical School Secondary Essays: "Overcoming Challenges" Prompt

This prompt is looking at what medical schools typically refer to as “resilience”. The reality is that you will be faced with a wide variety of challenges during your medical training. Medical schools are looking for candidates who are equipped with mature coping strategies, enabling them to proficiently navigate whatever life, or medical school, decides to throw at them.

You can use any example from your own life to address this prompt. Ideas include:

• A time when things did not go according to plan.
• Overcoming a setback.
• Overcoming an illness or injury.
• Dealing with the illness of a loved one.

The important thing to remember with this prompt is to keep it positive. Focus on the strategies you used to overcome the hurdle that presented itself to you, and what you learned from the situation. Review some adversity essays for medical school for inspiration.

“It is not only important to highlight the situation in detail but to also reflect on your actions. Drawing upon lessons from this experience and how you used what you learned to make changes the next time around is key to demonstrating a growth mindset.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD.

Describe a challenging situation you faced and what you did to address it.

My sister was diagnosed with epilepsy at 3 months old, and it has been a continual learning experience. She never qualified for an autism diagnosis, but her behaviors resembled an autistic or neurodivergent individual. As an 8-year-old, I did not notice public reactions to my sister’s behaviors.

But, as we both grew older, I became embarrassed when people would stare at her, or notice her behavioral differences. Behavioral incidents continued to occur throughout my time in high school and college. However, I have grown into a more empathetic person who better understands the difficulties my sister faces. I won’t deny that sometimes it is still embarrassing, but I remind myself that she struggles to control her behaviors and it is not her fault.

The best way I can help her as a sister is to be there for her and try to help her through the emotions she may not be able to express all the time. Understanding my sister has made me into a stronger, more confident and empathetic woman.

Medical School Secondary Essays: "Future Goals" Prompt

It’s okay not to know exactly what kind of doctor you want to be or what medical specialty you want to pursue. For this prompt, reflect on the experiences that cemented your decision to pursue medicine.

• What was it specifically about these experiences that made you want to become a doctor?
• What fascinated you the most? Why?
• What patient population did you enjoy working with the most? Why?

You can then go on to say what kind of doctor you would like to be, or, if you haven't decided, suggest more generally which direction you would like to see your career take (i.e. mention a patient population you think you would like to work with). Many students change their minds once having been in medical school a couple of years, so it’s reasonable to say that you will keep your eyes open and continue to explore every opportunity!

Medical School Secondary Essay Example: Your Future Goals

Professionalism and the ability to gain respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance as you embark upon a career as a physician. What three professional qualities do you feel a Student Doctor must be able to demonstrate as he/or she makes the transition into the study and practice of medicine? How will you demonstrate those qualities as a medical student at RowanSOM?

There are many valuable attributes a student doctor must possess, but the three of which I consider the most valuable are self-discipline/reflection, open-mindedness/sensitivity, and teamwork skills.

Possessing self-discipline and self-reflection skills are key for any student doctor planning on tackling the arduous medical courses that will come their way. Through my undergraduate career, I have constantly improved upon my academic study strategies to adapt to the rigors of upper-level biological courses. I realize that when one way does not work it is crucial to consult peers, advisors, and professors to improve my approach. Such changes included recording my lectures, attending more office hours, and even seeking resources outside of my lecture material to supplement my knowledge. I use this principle in my personal health goals as well. For example, my favorite hobby that I use to keep me grounded is going to the gym, where I attempt to break my fitness plateaus by researching and consulting peers. It is this drive to constantly improve myself that will allow me to overcome the many obstacles that will come my way during my medical pursuit.

In addition, it is important for student doctors to be open-minded and sensitive when understanding patients from diverse backgrounds. My research experience at the Center for Addiction, Personality, and Emotion Research enriched my understanding of the socioeconomic and environmental factors that are involved in developing addiction disorders. Learning about the neurobehavioral and psychological processes that underlie addictive behavior reinforced my awareness of the health disparities that arise from environmental and social systems in my local community. It is imperative to understand the patient outside of their symptoms in order to realize the other factors involved in their diagnosis. I aim to one day use this knowledge to inform my future patients of preventative measures and how to overcome their environmental strains.

Lastly, it is crucial for student doctors to develop teamwork skills when entering the field of medicine. Physicians have to be prepared to engage and work within different teamwork structures or environments with other specialists to provide high-quality care for their patients. My experiences as an EMT taught me firsthand how critical it is to build long-lasting relationships based on trust with your team. I have spent countless hours getting to know my EMS crew to ensure that we built a sense of camaraderie that would allow us to work well together during calls. I remember one occasion when my partner was flustered during a stressful call and could not remember the next step in delivering a treatment protocol to a patient. I noticed he was frustrated and subtly reminded him of the next step. Based on our relationship and trust, he acted on my advice and later thanked me for the assistance. Knowing that we always had each other’s back gave us the reassurance and confidence we needed to handle the many unpredictable calls that came our way. I hope to strengthen this same sense of teamwork as a future physician.

If you have an academic lapse or took a break that you wish to explain to the admissions committee, you may want to prepare this prompt in advance. The most important things to focus on are:

• Clearly, yet briefly, explain the situation that led to the break or lapse.
• Outlining how you moved past the situation.
• Outlining what you learned from the situation, and how you will manage similar situations going forward.

“The best way to address red flags is to be open and honest … and provide open reflection on how you grew from the experience.” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD.

“what i would do in these situations is talk about the red flag/gap in an open and honest way without sounding closed off or confrontational about it … essentially, you are taking something that would normally be considered a negative and spinning into a positive.” – dr. jaime cazes, md, university of toronto temerty faculty of medicine., medical school secondary essay example: academic lapses or breaks.

If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be, doing since graduating from your undergrad institution. 

I threw myself into the medical school application process during my final year of my undergrad degree. Realizing that my application was lacking, I have spent the time since graduation gaining volunteer and leadership experience, improving my MCAT score, and taking science prerequisite courses.

Taking post-baccalaureate classes proved advantageous. I was thrilled when my MCAT score improved significantly, going from 505 to 517. My score was a testament to the hard work and dedication I put into my organic chemistry and molecular biology courses, and to the time management, accountability, and work ethic I refined in studying for the MCAT.

While pursuing post-baccalaureate science courses improved my academics, volunteering at a seniors’ care center has opened my eyes to the issues facing seniors and those who care for them. Once, upon entering the facility, I heard a patient calling for help; he had fallen and could not get back into his wheelchair. Per volunteer protocol, I cannot physically assist the residents into their chairs. However, after determining that he was not physically hurt, I calmly reassured him that I was getting help and informed the nurses of his situation. This incident and other experiences at the center allowed me to develop and practice skills such as enforcing appropriate boundaries, working with others, and handling unexpected and stressful circumstances with poise.

From my various experiences, I have developed and refined my belief system and skill set. I've developed a greater sensitivity to those facing physical or mental limitations, and a dedication to serving my community in overcoming such challenges. I’ve learned the value of being empathetic and showing compassion in the process. I've developed the critical traits and values that I am certain this school would be proud of, whether as a student or as a physician.

Pre-writing your secondaries for med school is key! Here's how:

Medical School Secondary Essays: Tips from Our Experts and Students

1. submit your essays as soon as you can.

Submitting your essays early means you can take advantage of medical schools’ rolling admissions process. As soon as medical school secondary essays are received, decisions about interview invites are made. Submitting early means a better chance of securing an interview, and therefore an acceptance letter. Being delayed with your secondaries can cost you both! One of our students, Rishi, had to reapply after submitting his secondaries too late and receiving zero interview invites.

“[One of] the things that really I think prevented me from getting in the first time around is I was just very delayed with my secondaries … I didn't even get any interviews that first cycle because I was so late on my secondaries.” – Rishi, former BeMo student.

Planning your secondaries well ahead of time also ensures you’re not rushing to write, proof, rewrite and finalize your essays.

“It is advisable to start preparing for secondaries as early as possible so that you have enough time to revise and go through multiple iterations of edits prior to submitting. Also, getting a fresh pair of eyes to have a look is never a bad idea.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD.

2. pre-write your med school secondary essays.

Some of you may be realizing at this point that you’ve applied to 10-20 schools and that each will likely send somewhere between 2-10 prompts. That’s a lot of essay writing! To get on top of this, we recommend pre-writing your secondary essays.

“Secondaries were a lot of work especially after completing all of the primary application materials. I tried to pre-write secondaries starting in mid-June as there aren’t many changes year to year in prompts, which are easily found online. For each school I read their mission statement and tailored my answers to their priorities. Since many essays also overlap between schools, I was able to morph different essays based on length to reduce overall writing. Pre-writing allowed me to have [less than] 1 week turn around on all of my secondary application returns.” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD.

If you check out our comprehensive list of medical school secondary essay prompts , you can pull out common themes for the schools you are most interested in applying to. You should then create an essay outline or rough essay that addresses each of these themes.

“A lot of these prompts, they might be worded a little bit different … but there's some broad [question] types. If you compare a couple of schools, there will be some overlap and that's helpful because you can write what are these common skeletons that will allow you to be more efficient.” – Rishi, BeMo student.

Though schools may change their prompts from year to year, pre-planning at least some of your essays will make you much more efficient with your writing, allowing you to create consistently well-thought-out essays. 

Just like with your medical school personal statement, your personal stories will help your secondary essays stand out and be more memorable to the admissions committee.

“These application readers are reading a large volume of essays and sometimes they're not spending as much time as you might think. They are kind of glancing over every word so you have to think like what they are going to remember from this when they read it.” – Rishi, BeMo student.

As part of your pre-writing plan, start brainstorming personal experiences or influences you can talk about in your secondaries to make your points and keep your readers’ attention.

Medical school secondary essays are meant to provide medical school with more specific information about your candidacy and fit for their programs. The questions are geared towards the missions, requirements, and goals of each program. They are usually sent out once primary applications have been submitted.

Some schools will list a deadline (UCLA secondary essays are due after fifteen days). If the school does not specify a deadline, you should aim to submit your secondaries no later than 2 weeks after receiving the invites to complete them.

Some of the most common med school secondary prompts include "Why our school?", "Cultural Competency", "Overcoming Challenges", and "Future Goals". Pay attention to the wording of the prompts, as they may not include this direct terminology, but you should approach them with specific strategies to answer them.

Each medical school will have its own secondaries requirements. Some may ask for 1 or 2 essays, while others may require 10. Check the requirements of your schools of choice to make sure.

Yes, there are some medical schools without secondary essays , but these are rare. Check with the programs of your choice to make sure.

Many med schools recycle their secondary prompts from year to year. Plus, there are some common themes that all secondaries explore. Check out the old prompts from your schools of choice to start planning general outlines for your essays.

Most likely, you will be eliminated from the applicant selection pool right away. Med schools will want to see your dedicated and commitment to their school, which secondaries demonstrate. If you are late or do not submit them at all, you will no longer be considered for a position in their medical school.

If you applied to many med schools, there is a chance you will have trouble completing all the secondaries on time. If this is your position, you should certainly try to complete all of them on time and of good quality. Focus on the schools you want to attend and where you have the highest chance of acceptance and complete their secondaries first.

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Wynne Milhouse

Hello! Would it be okay to write about how not getting into medical school the first time was a time of adversity, even if it was on a secondary for a school I didn't apply to last time (or if it was)? I feel as if this prompt may show up for schools that I did and did not apply to two years ago, but not getting into medical school the first time WAS a big hurdle, and I have made significant changes to combat this. Is it okay to talk about that, or will that reflect poorly on me? Thanks! Best, Wynne Milhouse

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello Wynne! Thank you very much for your question. Absolutely, you should write about not getting into med school the first time even if you are writing secondaries for a school you did not apply to last time. You can even mention that you are now applying to this school because you improved your research and found that this would be a more suitable choice for you. Let us know if you have any other questions!

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Weekly Weigh-in: The Adversity Secondary Essay

Welcome to PDr’s Weekly Weigh-in! Each week, we ask medical students and physicians to weigh in on some of our most frequently asked pre-med questions. This week’s question: How did you approach “the adversity secondary essay” on your secondary applications? Edward Chang, DGSOM MS3 For the adversity question, I tried to talk about events in my life that I felt others could relate too. On most secondaries, I talked about a mistake I made as a leader of my club and how that affected the club. Basically, I forgot to re-register our club as an official group on campus, which prevented us from having general meetings. It was a minor mistake that unfortunately affected us significantly since we needed to meet every week. I focused on my thought process at the time and how it was a humbling experience that I learned from. I explained that I was embarrassed and felt incompetent as a leader, nevertheless my fellow leaders supported me and we came up with a solution together.

I think it’s important to let the readers gain insight into your thought process while you go through adversity. They want to see how you think, cope, and handle yourself in these stressful situations.

|| Read: Three Secondaries to Pre-Write ||

Brandon Brown, UCSF MS2 I interpret adversity to be a challenging or difficult situation or circumstances due to something beyond my control. While the severity may vary, everyone has experienced some form of adversity, so I don’t think it was particularly difficult for me to think of some periods of adversity in my own life. In my essays, I usually described some adversity I experienced as an adolescent (that is too personal to detail here), how I handled the situation, how I got through it, and what I learned from it. Those last 3 parts are the most important; the particular situation is the least important. The basic advice for this type of essay: don’t write a sob story, write a narrative of your resilience and maturity. || Read: Weekly Weigh-in: The Diversity Secondary Essay || Evan Laveman, DGSOM MS3 For the adversity question I focused on a situation where I was making a rescue as an ocean lifeguard on a drowning victim. A lot of it dealt with my own doubts. Ocean lifeguards are never supposed to let a situation get so far as to ever have a drowning, so during the entire rescue effort, and the period afterwards, I was left with a feeling of failure and guilt. I felt like this could have only happened because I missed something, or didn’t swim fast enough, or did something else wrong. I doubted whether this setting was right for me. I learned later that the victim was drunk and had been attempting a suicide, therefore absolving me of any real responsibility for the outcome. Despite learning that, the feelings of uncertainty and grief were still real for me in those moments. I felt like I got lucky, this one wasn’t my fault, but now I knew how it would feel if the next it was, and it was hard to handle for a 18 year old. My takeaway from this was that uncertainty and doubt will always live within me, and I have to learn to accept myself for my successes and failures. I can’t always hold myself to an unreasonable standard, and learning how to sacrifice achievement for health, balance and family has been an active and wonderful process for me. The key for these questions is to not get lost in your own narrative. It’s not about how interesting the situation is or really even how “adverse” it is, it’s your analysis of it. It’s how you matured through it, it’s how you show your ability to reflect on yourself and be aware of how you handle challenges. Don’t get sidetracked by trying to make an admissions committee feel bad for you. If you have had a blessed life, that doesn’t mean you have no good answer for this question- it can still be amazing if you show that you are grounded and self-aware. Likewise, I traumatic childhood doesn’t mean that you have this question squared away. An admissions committee cannot admit you because they feel bad for you, and you don’t want them to for those reasons either, so make sure they know the real reason you’re qualified for medicine- make sure they know they are dealing with an active thinker, a problem solver, and someone who can work their way through adversity, because there will certainly be a lot more coming. ||Read: Weekly Weigh-in: Prioritizing Secondary Applications || Emily Singer, DGSOM MS3 Why do admissions committees want to know about the “adversity” you’ve faced anyway? Well, as potential colleagues or future patients of yours, they want to know that you will be relatable, can manage stress, and can learn from tough personal situations. I took this prompt as an opportunity to explain why my grades dipped during my sophomore year. The essay I wrote was less about the period of “adversity” I was dealing with, and more about its resolution, what I learned, and how I applied what I learned to helping other people.

If you have any sort of gap in your resume or unexplained drop in grades, it is important to explain that period. This can either be done in your “adversity” essay or in your “anything else you’d like to tell us” one. My recommendation is to be really honest about adversity – if the hardest thing in your life has been disappointing your parents or having a falling out with a best friend – that’s okay. You don’t have to have overcome poverty or fled an oppressive regime to be a great candidate for medical school, and – in the same vein – adversity in itself doesn’t make you a good candidate. The important thing is that you communicate whatever hardship you have faced in a mature and thoughtful manner. What did you learn from fighting with the person closest to you? Or moving away from the people you grew up with? How did you deal with being the only “new” person in school? Try to think outside of strictly medical arenas too – “I have asthma” typically does not make for a compelling adversity essay, unless you started a running club for asthmatics and placed first in a 100-mile relay race. || Check out: PDr’s Secondary Essay Prompts Database to start pre-writing! ||

Evan Shih, DGSOM MS3

Since my own adversity essay topic is a bit personal for me to put on the internet, I’d like to reiterate my advice surrounding this popular prompt. The word “challenge” is found 38 times throughout the PDr secondary database in 2014. Indeed, a common theme that medical schools love to hear about is how their applicants have overcome a challenge, persevered through adversity, struggled with a moral dilemma, etc. However the prompt phrases it, the essay asks for three things:

• What problem did you face?
• How did you respond to the problem?
• What did you learn from it?

And those questions are ordered in in increasing importance. Medical schools are interested in learning about how a specific challenge shaped your character, and how you will integrate this experience into your medical education. Let’s face it: Medical school is hard. It will be one of the toughest endeavors of your life – the stress, the criticism, the failure, it will add up. Medical schools want to know that they are accepting students who have dealt with this type of pressure before, and know how to handle themselves.  Use this secondary to discuss the qualities that will help you persevere throughout your medical education and beyond.

Related posts:

• Weekly Weigh-in: The University Secondary Essay
• Weekly Weigh-in: The Diversity Secondary Essay
• Weekly Weigh-in: AMCAS Application Advice
• Navigating the Pre-Clinical Years in Medical School

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How to write about your biggest challenge or adversity

Your adversity statement, often called “the challenge essay,” has the potential to be a major contributor to your medical school application. The goal of the essay is not just to explain the adversities you faced or the challenges you experienced, but rather to demonstrate your ability to overcome them and grow from them. The specific challenge or adversity itself is often times the least important part of the essay! Instead, the majority of your limited word count will be dedicated to demonstrating your preparedness for the many challenges and adversities that you will face in medical school and beyond. Looking at the prompt from this angle may help it seem a bit less intimidating. Now, let’s tackle this essay in three simple steps: 

Step One : Reread the prompt, and select the experience you want to talk about 

Before you even begin brainstorming, reread the prompt! In your excitement (or nervousness) to get started, you may have missed a helpful detail that will narrow the scope of your essay. Depending on the school, you may be asked to discuss a professional challenge, a personal challenge, or even an academic one. Make sure that you understand which of these, if any, is being asked for. Once you have a sense of what type of experience is being requested, start to brainstorm the adversities you have faced, no matter how big or small. As you make a list, make sure each example fits the following criteria: 

• You have overcome the obstacle or have made meaningful progress towards the goal of overcoming it
• You have completed the emotional processing of the obstacle/experience and are comfortable talking about it in writing and potentially in an interview 

Once this is done, take a look at your list and see what experiences you are most confident in. Do those align with the narrative of the application you submitted in your primary application/personal statement? Is this an experience that you’ve discussed extensively in your 15 activities or personal statement already? Asking yourself these questions will help you narrow down the list further until you make a final selection that will complement your application and demonstrate your characteristics well. Examples include: losing a loved one, not succeeding in a class, navigating a health concern or diagnosis, overcoming a language barrier, navigating financial hardship, and more. 

Step Two: Map out the essay by talking through exactly how you overcame the adversity/challenge 

You have your experience selected, but before writing the essay, you need to be sure of the characteristics you wish to demonstrate. Knowing this before you write will help you frame the story in such a way that these characteristics shine through. Remember, you are only using a small amount of the essay to describe the event itself; most of the essay should focus on your journey overcoming the adversity/challenge, so you need to be direct and clear from the start! You can also use this time to get a sense of how long the essay will be. Do you find yourself taking 5 minutes or more to fully explain your story? You may need to be more succinct in order to condense that into an essay with a limited word count. 

Step Three: Write, write, write 

Dedicate a brief intro of the essay to describing the circumstances of the challenge/adversity you faced. No need to be too detailed, but give the reader enough information to understand what you were up against. Next, explain your feelings throughout the experience, how you were affected, and how you overcame. The key to this step is alluding to the qualities you are demonstrating without actually stating them. Rather than saying, “I was resilient,” simply explain the steps you took to keep pushing through despite the circumstances. Do this, and the key words and characteristics will leap off the page between the lines of your story! Once you’ve described the actions you took to overcome, close out the essay with a brief statement about how the experience changed you or gave you an opportunity to grow. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate your ability to reflect and use any experience as a learning experience. 

When you are finished, be sure to go back to the prompt one last time and make sure that your essay answers it appropriately. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments, and keep in mind that the readers of your essay are looking to recruit their future students, colleagues, and patient care providers. What qualities would you be looking for if you were in their shoes?

Olivia attended the University of Rochester, studying Neuroscience and American Sign Language. She's pursuing her MD at Harvard Medical School, where she’s exploring her interests in pediatrics and neonatology.

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How to Write the ‘Adversity Essay’ for Medical School

In this article, we will be showing you how to write the ‘adversity essay’ for medical school. This is quite a common secondary application essay question to come across. It’s also one of the most important in the medical school application process.

The med school adversity essay sometimes comes in different forms. You may see it as one of the following.

• What has been your biggest challenge in pursuing medicine? What have you learned as a result?
• Share with us a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. In your response, identify both the coping skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice.
• The admissions committee is interested in gaining more insight into you as a person. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Examples may include a moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity, or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome. Please include how you got through the experience and what you learned about yourself as a result.
• Please describe to the Admissions Committee a challenge you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience.
• Tell us about a challenging problem you faced and how you resolved it.
• Discuss a time in your life in which you have failed at something other than an academic experience. How did you confront the failure and what did you learn from it? Please describe how you typically approach challenges that you face in your life.
• Describe a major problem you have had to deal with at some time in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth.

So, why is the adversity question in the medical school secondary applications important? It can be quite self-explanatory, but let’s lay down a few reasons.

Writing the adversity essay for medical school helps admissions officers understand more of your strengths that were not already stated in the application. It shows what sort of person you are under stress, and it helps determine your fit for the medical world.

In other words, the adversity essay for medical school helps determine if you will be a good fit for medicine.

Oftentimes, you’ll also be asked how you overcame your issue. This shows the admissions officers just exactly how you come to solutions, and whether your problem-solving skills would make you a good fit for the program.

When writing the adversity essay for medical school, keep these questions in mind:

• How do I manage my mental stress during situations?
• Can I handle the unpredictable? What about when unpredictable things happen on the job?
• How do you fix problems? Do you do it with a group or alone? Are you a “maximize efficiency” sort of person?
• What did you learn from the challenge?
• How has the experience changed your character?
• Are there ways this topic can make me look bad?
• How do your experiences shape your approach to medicine?

Think about how your essay answers these questions. The admissions officers will be keeping these considerations in mind, especially when they want to sort through what makes up the best students.

With that said, let’s get right to our guide. Here’s our ultimate guide on how to write the adversity essay for medical school.

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Table of Contents

Pay attention to the details.

• Articulate your ideas well.
• I don’t know what to write about in my medical school essay!

Is my college essay topic good enough?

What does the adversity essay for medical school say about you.

Make no mistake: the adversity essay for medical school also serves as a litmus test. So, what is it testing? Well, a whole host of personality traits! However, one of them is your proclivity for attention to detail.

An essay for admissions into medical school, especially one that can only judge you on a few factors such as GPA, MCAT scores, is going to be absolutely vital to your ability to stand out.

If you are careless enough to make a few grammar or sentence structure mistakes, it shows you are not dedicated enough to perfect your essays for medical school. It also shows that people who reviewed and edited their essays care more about their career in medicine, or at least handle it with more care, than you.

So, don’t make silly mistakes in your essays. Get them edited and revised, with at least one advisor. This shows the admissions officers you at least care enough to send them something that is polished, instead of roughly puy together.

Also, be sure not to make your essay sound like it was done at the last minute –even if it was! We understand that this can be quite hard, but if you are struggling with giving the essay a good tone that doesn’t sound like the essay was rushed, you may want to speak with an expert. Contact us for a free consultation! We will get back to you within 24 hours to help you with your essay!

Articulate your ideas well .

One of the most important things about the adversity essay for medical school is your ability for articulation. This means how well you can communicate the ideas in your head. Does what you’re saying sound foggy and vague, or specific and concise? If your words are specific and concise –especially easy to understand– then you have a well-articulated essay.

You can very easily leave a bad impression if you are not articulating your ideas well. An essay that is hard to understand and unclear in its overarching implications demonstrates that you may not be as invested in medicine as you think.

I don’t know what to write about in my medical school essays!

It’s quite a big problem for students not to know what to write about in their med school essays. They usually fall under the ‘just like everyone else’ student. They studied hard, attended lectures, and probably participated in an internship. In other words, they’re plain average.

To understand how to write the adversity essay for medical school, it’s important to know this fundamental rule: you probably do have something to write about.

When students come to us for help, they often cite the same problem. They claim they have nothing to write about because they didn’t hold any important leadership positions or work experiences. What most of them discover is that adversity and struggle are everywhere. You only need to scratch a little bit under the surface of your life to discover adversity in your life.

Here are a few example topics that work well for the med school adversity essay.

• Family disagreements
• Friendship struggles
• Mental health and depression
• Health issues
• Choosing sides
• Moral choices

Before we get to this section, we want to say that there are rarely any bad topics to write about. Most if not all adversities are valid, and admissions officers recognize this. However, struggles and adversities that reach a level of absurdity beyond the norm will be a red flag.

Example: your father didn’t buy you a car, so you begged and begged until he did; this shows your struggle of perseverance. This is a bad topic because it only shows that you’re spoiled.

Another problem many of our clients come across when trying to answer the medical school adversity essay prompt is whether their topic is good enough. There are those who write about simple topics, and those who write about severe ones. Perhaps you wanted to write about having to learn to become more assertive in your life, but you know of others writing about great adversities like the death of a loved one.

Obviously, you may feel that assertiveness training can’t outcompete the death of a loved one. That may put you at a disadvantage in the medical school process.

However, remember this: the admissions officers do a lot to ensure they give a fair and just process to everyone. Not everyone has difficult issues in their lives, and they understand that. The important thing is not just the weight of your adversity, but how it defines you as a person in the admissions process.

Maybe the death of a loved one is deeper than the need for assertiveness training. However, your need for assertiveness training may also show you’ve overcome obstacles and can stand your ground better than before. This may give you the personality and temperament needed to succeed in the brutal academic world of medicine that others may not have had. Sure, it’s not as strong as hearing about someone’s grandma die.

However, the admissions officers care more about what they can infer about you –not what happened to you. This brings us to the next point.

This is one of the most important points. Show the med school admissions officers what your adversity essay says about you.

This doesn’t mean you should get specific about the details of your topic –though, you still should! It means that you need to help the admissions officers see how the topic you’re writing about shows a characteristic or personality trait about you. Then, you need to show how that connects with your place in medicine.

Does your adversity help you become a better doctor? Has your struggle taught you the beauty of empathy, and influenced your motivation for nursing? Think about your essay topic and its relationship with your place in medicine.

Here is a thought exercise you should use when trying to answer the adversity essay for medical school.

• What is my adversity?
• Why exactly was my adversity hard?
• How did I overcome it?
• Is this experience a unique med school topic to write about in my essay?
• What does this adversity and my overcoming it show about me as a person?
• How does that make me a good applicant for medical school?

If you are still struggling to understand how to write the adversity essay for medical school, consider scheduling a free phone consultation . We will help you with all aspects of the medical school adversity essay, and help you stand out amongst the rest of the applicant pool.

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Medical School Secondary Essays: Your Full Guide

Mark Bradford

Getting into medical school is like solving a big mystery - full of ups, downs, and surprises. After conquering the MCAT and acing your main application, there's one more challenge waiting for you: secondary essays. Imagine them as tricky puzzles, asking for more than just book smarts. What do they want from you, and how can you tackle them successfully? Join us as we explore the world of these follow-up essays, uncovering their secrets and giving you the tools to ace this important part of your medical school journey.

Purpose of Med School Secondary Essays

So, what are secondary essays for medical school, and why do they matter? Well, med school secondary essays play a vital role in giving applicants a chance to shine beyond their academic credentials. These essays allow aspiring medical students to showcase their uniqueness and explain why they are an excellent fit for a specific program.

The main goal of these essays is to delve deeper into the applicants' personalities and motivations. While primary applications provide essential information, secondary essays offer a platform to highlight personal attributes and experiences that make candidates stand out. Admissions committees look for qualities aligning with the values of the medical program, making these essays a crucial step before the interview stage.

While prompts may differ, common types of secondary essays frequently appear:

Challenge Essay:

• Overcoming Adversity: Discuss a significant challenge, emphasizing resilience, problem-solving, and personal growth.

Diversity Essay:

• Embracing Differences: Share experiences that showcase unique perspectives, backgrounds, or contributions to inclusivity.

Gap Year Essay:

• Justifying Time Away: Explain how experiences during a gap year contribute to skills, understanding, and commitment to medicine.

‘ Anything Else You'd Like Us to Know?’ Essay:

• Open-Ended Reflection: Use this space to discuss hobbies, passions, or aspects of personality not covered elsewhere.

‘Why Us?’ Essay:

• Demonstrating Program Fit: Articulate why a specific medical program aligns with your goals, values, and experiences.

Don't forget that we're always here to lend a helping hand. Just ask us, ' Write essay for me ', and together, we'll create an authentic narrative that showcases the real you.

Medical School Diversity Essay

Now that we've uncovered the basics of secondary essays, let's shine a spotlight on a specific one - the Medical School Diversity Essay. This particular essay isn't just about showcasing your GPA or test scores; it's an opportunity to let your unique story and background shine. The purpose? Well, medical schools aren't just looking for cookie-cutter candidates. They want a diverse group of future doctors who bring different perspectives and experiences to the table.

The Medical School Diversity Essay gives you the chance to share how your background, culture, or life experiences have shaped you and will contribute to the rich tapestry of the medical community. It's your time to stand out and show that you're not just a student with good grades but a person with a valuable and unique perspective to offer.

Medical School Diversity Essay Prompts

Now that we understand the importance of the Medical School Diversity Essay, let's tackle the next challenge: the prompts. These essay prompts are like the roadmap guiding you to articulate your individuality and experiences effectively. The questions might vary, but they all share a common thread—inviting you to reflect on your background, culture, or experiences that make you stand out.

Here are some common prompts you might encounter:

• Share your unique background or experiences and how they will contribute to the diversity of the medical school community.
• Describe a situation where you faced adversity related to your background and how you overcame it.
• Discuss a time when you had to navigate and bridge a cultural gap, and how this experience influenced your journey to medicine.
• Reflect on a personal experience that shaped your perspective on diversity and inclusion in healthcare.
• How do your cultural, socioeconomic, or educational background and experiences contribute to your future role as a healthcare professional?

Medical School Diversity Essay Example

Medical school adversity essay.

In the maze of medical school applications, there's another essay that tests your storytelling prowess – the Medical School Adversity Essay. Unlike other sections, this one isn't about showcasing achievements; it's about resilience and growth. The purpose? Medical schools want to know how you handle challenges, setbacks, and obstacles because, let's face it, the journey to becoming a doctor isn't always smooth sailing.

The Adversity Essay prompts might ask you to recount a difficult experience, discuss how it impacted you, and reveal what you learned from it. This is your chance to demonstrate your ability to navigate adversity and emerge stronger. Whether it's a personal struggle, academic setback, or a professional challenge, use this essay to showcase your resilience and highlight the qualities that will make you a determined and capable future physician.

Medical School Adversity Essay Prompts

The Medical School Adversity Essay prompts are like keys that unlock your ability to handle life's curveballs. Here are some common prompts you might encounter, each inviting you to share your experiences of overcoming challenges:

• Discuss a significant personal challenge you have faced and how it has impacted your journey to medicine.
• Describe a time when you encountered a setback in your academic or professional life. How did you respond, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Share a difficult personal experience that tested your resilience. How did you cope, and what growth emerged from that adversity?
• Reflect on a situation where you faced ethical or moral dilemmas. How did you navigate through it, and what lessons did you take away?
• Discuss any obstacles you encountered on your path to medical school. How did you overcome them, and what did those challenges teach you about yourself?

Adversity Essay Medical School Examples

The medical school 'why us' essay.

As you navigate the intricate landscape of medical school applications, there's a pivotal essay that requires you to play matchmaker – the 'Why Us?' essay. This piece is your opportunity to demonstrate not just why you want to become a physician but specifically why you're drawn to a particular medical school. It's the moment to connect the dots between your aspirations and what the school uniquely offers.

The purpose of the Why Us Medical School Essay is twofold: medical schools want to know if you've done your homework about their institution and if you see yourself thriving within their academic and community environment. It's more than listing facilities or programs; it's about articulating a genuine and well-informed connection.

Why Us Medical School Essay Prompts

Here are some common prompts that might pop up, urging you to elaborate on your connection with the medical school:

• Explain why you are drawn to our medical school and how our mission aligns with your personal and professional goals.
• Share specific aspects of our curriculum, faculty, or research opportunities that resonate with your aspirations in medicine.
• Discuss any unique programs, initiatives, or community outreach efforts at our institution that you find particularly appealing. How do you see yourself contributing to these activities?
• Describe a firsthand experience or interaction with our medical school community that left a lasting impression on you. How did it influence your decision to apply here?
• Highlight any specific resources or support systems at our institution that you believe will contribute to your success as a medical student and future physician.

Approaching these prompts requires thorough research and a personal touch. Showcase your understanding of the medical school's distinct features and convey how these align with your goals and values. Remember, it's not just about why you want to be a doctor but specifically why you envision yourself thriving within the unique environment of that particular medical school.

Why Us Medical School Essay Example

Gap year essay medical school.

In the realm of medical school applications, the Gap Year Essay serves as a platform to explain the space between your undergraduate studies and embarking on your medical journey. Whether you spent that time gaining experience, pursuing a passion, or facing unforeseen challenges, this essay allows you to share the valuable lessons you've learned during this period.

The purpose of the Gap Year Essay is to illustrate that the time away from traditional academics was not a detour but rather a strategic and purposeful part of your journey towards becoming a healthcare professional. It's your opportunity to showcase personal and professional growth, highlighting how these experiences have uniquely equipped you for the challenges of medical school.

Gap Year Essay Medical School Prompts

The Gap Year Essay prompts for medical school applications are designed to help you articulate the purpose and value of the experiences you gained during your time away from traditional academia. Here are some common prompts that might invite you to reflect on your gap year:

• Explain the reasons behind taking a gap year and how this time contributed to your personal and professional development.
• Describe specific experiences or challenges encountered during your gap year and how they influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine.
• Share any skills, perspectives, or insights gained during your time away that you believe will benefit you as a medical student and future physician.
• Discuss any unique opportunities or projects you undertook during your gap year that have shaped your understanding of healthcare or your commitment to the medical field.
• Explain how your gap year aligns with your long-term goals in medicine and how the experiences gained have prepared you for the demands of medical school.

Gap Year Essay Medical School Example

Medical school leadership essay.

Imagine the application process as a cool journey, and the Leadership Essay is like a special stop where you get to share times when you led the way. Medical schools aren't just looking for good grades; they want folks who know how to guide and inspire others in the world of healthcare.

This essay is your chance to tell stories about when you took charge, maybe in a formal role or just helping out when needed. It's about showing how you encouraged others, faced challenges, and made things better in your community or team.

Medical School Leadership Essay Prompts

The prompts for the Medical School Leadership Essay are like friendly invitations, asking you to share moments where you've taken charge and made a positive impact. Here are some common prompts that might prompt you to reflect on your leadership experiences:

• Describe a specific situation where you demonstrated leadership skills, formal or informal and the impact it had on those around you.
• Share an example of a challenge you faced as a leader and how you navigated through it. What did you learn from the experience?
• Discuss a time when you collaborated with others to achieve a common goal, highlighting your role in fostering teamwork and achieving success.
• Explain how you've contributed to the improvement of a community or organization, showcasing your leadership role in creating positive change.
• Reflect on your personal leadership style and how it aligns with your future goals in medicine. How do you envision incorporating leadership into your medical career?

Approach these prompts with openness and honesty, using them as an opportunity to highlight your unique leadership experiences and how they have shaped your journey toward becoming a healthcare professional.

Medical School Leadership Essay Example

How to write secondary essays for medical school.

Here's a guide on how to approach and master medical school secondary essays for a compelling and well-rounded application:

1. Understand the Purpose : Before diving into writing, grasp the purpose of each secondary essay. Whether it's about diversity, adversity, or why you're drawn to a particular school, each prompt serves a unique function in painting a complete picture of you as an applicant. Tailor your responses to showcase different facets of your personality, experiences, and motivations. For students seeking inspiration in crafting essays, exploring essay topics for nursing students can provide a starting point to reflect on their experiences and aspirations within the medical field.

2. Personalize Your Responses : Avoid generic responses and personalize each essay to reflect your individual journey. Share specific anecdotes, experiences, and reflections that offer depth and authenticity. Admissions committees are interested in understanding how your unique qualities will contribute to the diverse and collaborative environment of medical school.

3. Conduct Research on Each School : For 'Why Us?' essays, conduct thorough research on the medical school's values, programs, and community. Be specific about what attracts you to that particular institution. Mentioning unique features, initiatives, or faculty members shows that you've invested time in understanding the school's offerings and how they align with your aspirations.

4. Showcase Reflection and Growth : Adversity essays provide an opportunity to showcase resilience and personal growth. Discuss challenges you've faced, how you navigated through them, and the lessons learned. Emphasize how these experiences have uniquely prepared you for the demands of medical school and strengthened your commitment to a career in medicine.

5. Address Gaps in Your Application : If there are gaps or potential concerns in your application, such as a lower GPA or a gap year, address them proactively. Be honest and focus on how these aspects have contributed to your overall readiness for medical school.

6. Maintain Conciseness and Clarity : Admissions committees read through numerous applications, so clarity and conciseness are crucial. Be direct in your responses, avoiding unnecessary jargon or excessive details. Focus on conveying your message effectively without overwhelming the reader with information.

7. Seek Feedback : Before finalizing your essays, seek feedback from mentors, peers, or pre-health advisors. Outside perspectives can provide valuable insights and help ensure that your essays are clear, impactful, and free of errors.

Final Outlook

As you finish up your secondary essays, keep it simple and sincere. They are like snapshots, capturing unique parts of your story. Share your experiences, talk about challenges, and explain why a specific medical school feels like the right fit for you.

Think of each essay as a chance to show the real you beyond grades and achievements. Be yourself, be honest, and let your passion for medicine shine through. The medical school secondary essays examples are not just about getting into your dream school; they're about finding the place where you belong and can grow into the doctor you want to be!

Why Do Medical Schools Require Secondary Essays?

Can i reuse content from my primary application in secondary essays, how should i approach the diversity essay.

Mark Bradford , a passionate and talented artist, utilizes his innovative spirit to support academic pursuits. In partnering with EssayHub, he leverages his artistic insights to assist students as a professional essay writer, helping them navigate and complete their academic assignments at every level of difficulty.

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Medical School Diversity Essay Examples and Tips

• Cracking Med School Admissions

Diversity secondary essay questions are a common prompt in secondary medical school applications. Diversity essays are extremely open-ended and broad. Many premedical students struggle with this secondary essay prompt because it is broad. Each year, our Cracking Med School Admissions team receives hundreds of questions from applicants about how to write about diversity in your secondary essays? Our Cracking Med School Admissions team thinks you can use the broad nature of diversity essay prompts to your advantage! Use your response to your diversity essays as a way to discuss an aspect of your application you have not been able to elaborate on already in your other secondary essays for that specific school. Additionally, you can use diversity secondary essays to augment your awesomeness to admissions officers through discussing your passions in medicine and conveying your leadership experiences! If you want to read medical school diversity essay examples , skip down below!

This diversity essay medical school essay blog post will cover:

• What are medical school diversity essays?
• Sample diversity essay prompts from various medical schools
• Tips on how to write about diversity in your secondary essays
• FAQs about medical school diversity essays
• * Medical school diversity essay examples*

What are Medical School Diversity Essays?

Medical school diversity essays are questions on medical school secondary applications that applicants write as part of the medical school application process. Medical schools value diversity in their student bodies because it leads to a more dynamic learning environment where students can learn from each other and benefit from diverse perspectives and experiences. Additionally, medical schools want to recruit students who aspire to improve healthcare in different ways. For examples, some applicants’ strengths lie in research. Other applicants thrive in creating public health programs to improve community health. Still other applicants are interested in narrative medicine and want to inspire others through future books they write about the human condition. 

Diversity essays provide an opportunity for applicants to showcase their unique personal experiences, cultural background, educational experiences, extra-curricular activities, and perspectives. Applicants can express how they will contribute to the diversity of the medical school community.

As stated earlier, diversity essays are broad. Applicants are asked to describe how their culture background, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristic that defines them has shaped their life experiences and perspective.

Topics you can discuss on your medical school diversity essay include:

• Personal background – ethnicity, socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion
• Perspectives from your cultural background
• Family background and life circumstances with regards to upbringing
• Adversity and challenges
• Healthcare experiences that reflect your motivation to pursue a career in medicine
• Unique non-healthcare passions and activities
• Courses that inspired you
• Majors and minors in college
• Summer internships
• Gap year activities
• Post-graduate degrees
• Personal qualities, including leadership skills and your personal strengths

Remember that secondary application essays should complement your primary application essays.

Medical School Diversity Essay Prompts

Diversity secondary essay questions may be phrased in a multitude of ways. Diversity essays have a wide range of character limit; some medical schools only allow 1,000 characters while other medical schools have no word limit. Additionally, some diversity secondary prompts are optional while other diversity secondary prompts are mandatory.

To better understand what diversity essays are and how broad they can be, let’s take a look a sample medical school diversity essay prompts. 

Harvard Medical School Diversity Essay Prompt

• If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine.

As listed in the Harvard Medical School prompt, you can write about:

• Demographic variables, such as ethnic, racial, social, gender, religious, etc. diversity that have substantially shaped your life or your passion for medicine
• Personal circumstances/hardships that have shaped your growth
• A specific passion that you have cultivated and pursued over time (for example, sexual health, LGBTQ advocacy, etc.) You should further write about how this passion/activity that you have pursued has allowed you to develop qualities that you believe contribute to your individual diversity.

Note: You basically can write about anything.

In essence, these diversity secondary essay questions are asking you how your unique qualities/experiences will serve their medical community AND will help make you an excellent physician.

Let’s take a look and examine other medical school secondary essay prompts:

Yale School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Yale School of Medicine values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician?  

Read a Yale medical school diversity essay example below!

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Optional: The (Johns Hopkins) Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it.

A special point to notice here:  This essay is optional. See our thoughts below in the FAQ section as to whether you should write this essay or not. Also, read an example Johns Hopkins diversity essay below!

And here are even more secondary essay prompts from various schools….

Baylor College of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat TMDSAS or AMCAS application information. This section is mandatory. Please make sure you submit an essay or your application will not be reviewed by the committee. 

Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• What else do you feel is important for us to know about you? You can use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application. You can also talk about how COVID -19 impacted you. For example, it may have caused disruptions or changes in your plans. If there is something you would like to share regarding how this event impacted you, share that information here.

Duke University School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you. You will have the opportunity below to tell us how you wish to be addressed, recognized and treated. 
• Optional: In addition to the broad categorization of race, ethnicity, geographic origin, socioeconomic status as provided through your AMCAS application, you may use the text box below to provide additional clarifying information that may reflect the impact of any of these parameters on your development thus far as well as the impact that these may have had on your path to a career in medicine and your plans for the future. 
• No word limit & Optional:  Please let us know of any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application.

Special note:  Duke University School of Medicine has THREE diversity essays. Applicants can really leverage this an opportunity to give a holistic and varied view about themselves!

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Please share with us something about yourself that is not addressed elsewhere in your application and which could be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file.

Georgetown University School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application?

George Washington University School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• What makes you a unique individual? What challenges have you faced? How will these factors help you contribute to the diversity of the student body at GW? 

Stanford University School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• The (Stanford) Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important and/or challenging factors in your background which may include such discussions as the quality of your early education, gender, sexual orientation, any physical challenges, and life or work experiences. Please describe how these factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and may help you to uniquely contribute to the Stanford learning environment.
• Optional:  Please include anything else that will help us understand better how you may uniquely contribute to Stanford Medicine?

Note:  Stanford University School of Medicine has multiple essays where you can write about your “diverse” experiences. Other than Stanford secondary essay questions about how you want to take advantage of Stanford’s curriculum, the rest of the Stanford University School of Medicine essay prompts are very open-ended!

The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• How will your unique attributes (e.g., cultural or socioeconomic background, lifestyle, work experiences) add to the overall diversity of the Alpert Medical School community?

Tufts University School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of Tufts University School of Medicine ?

Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Feinberg’s mission is to train future leaders in medicine who will serve their patients, communities and society. Describe one specific interest in medicine and how FSM, located in Chicago which is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country, will help you achieve this professional goal
• The Feinberg School of Medicine values diversity as a measure of excellence. We define diversity as the totality of the characteristics and experiences of our students. We believe that a diverse student body improves the educational environment and the ability of our graduates to serve an increasingly diverse patient population. Narrative Descriptions: Everyone has their own narrative. Please provide more detail about how your experiences would enrich the Northwestern community. 

Note: Northwestern University has TWO diversity essays! In the first essay prompt, your essay topic should be more related to healthcare and medicine. But, in the second prompt, you can write about anything!

Washington University School of Medicine Secondary Application Diversity Essay Prompt

• Optional:  Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions?

How to Write About Diversity in Your Secondary Essays

Our goal at Cracking Med School Admissions when helping students strategize and edit their secondary application essays is to always help students stand out. Yes, that means, we want students to stand out in every single essay, including this open-ended diversity essay question.

It is incredibly important to do THREE THINGS when it comes to your diversity essays:

1. Include anecdotes.

You want to make sure that you show your readers how specific experiences and demographic factors have shaped you as an individual, rather than tell them.

Examples of anecdotes include:

• Demographics – if you are going to discuss something from your demographic background, don’t just say where you are from. SHOW your culture through anecodotes and stories. For examples, premedical students in the past have talked about cooking a cultural meal with their grandparents. Other medical school applicants have talked about a grandparent’s or parent’s experience with the American healthcare systems.
• Challenges – Give specific instances where you faced a challenge. What was the challenge? How did you overcome the challenge?
• Patient care stories – Give anecodotes about memorable patient experiences. What were your interactions with a patient? Why was the patient in the hospital? What happened? What are your reflections about the human experience and human condition? 
• Leadership – give a specific challenge you faced as a leader or a specific event that you organized. Alternatively, you can talk about a time when you led a team or founded an organization / initiatives.

2. Connect your stories to medicine.

How will your experiences help you become a better doctor? That is the question that is relevant to almost every single prompt regardless of if it is explicitly worded as such or not. You absolutely must discuss how your past experiences and the qualities you have cultivated through these experiences will help you in medicine. For example, you can illustrate how your experiences with patient advocacy or within medical teams will help you as a future doctor; it is a good idea to include particularly challenging patient encounters and how you grew from such experiences. You should further write about leadership, teamwork, resilience, and other qualities learned from your experiences—make the explicit connection to how you will use these qualities as a doctor.

3. Tailor your diversity essays TO EACH MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Connect your stories and experiences to what you will do at the medical school. You can talk about how you want to do research with a specific professor or work with a specific club to pioneer a new initiative. Talk about how your presence at the medical school will enhance the community.

Different schools have different strengths. You must do your research on each school that you are applying to, and try to connect your experiences to the schools’ strengths.

Moreover, different schools have different needs. If there is a specific problem in the regional community that the school belongs to that you feel you are poised to solve (for example, homeless health, refugee health, etc.), you can further tailor your essay to a medical school by making that connection.

Be creative to show EACH INDIVIDUAL medical school that you would be a standout contributor to their community.

Frequently Asked Questions about Diversity Secondaries

We want to share with you frequently asked questions about diversity secondaries. Our responses below are here to help you strategize your secondary essay topics.

Again, our goal is to help you STAND OUT in every single part of your application, including your secondary applications!

Remember, the point of the diversity essay is to help you discuss the strengths of your application. Whatever you write should complement the other responses and other essays in  each school’s secondary application. Each applicant will have his or her own unique strengths, stories, and experiences, so if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Mediratta and Dr. Rizal , who literally read thousands of secondary essays each year!

What is the biggest mistake you’ve seen on diversity essays?

This is our biggest advice for medical school diversity essays:

Applicants often think that they  have to write about their personal background, specifically culture, ethnicity, race, and/or socioeconomic status. While there are some secondary applications that ask for specifically those topics, most diversity essay prompts are broad.  We often encourage students to talk about other extra-curricular activities and passions UNLESS they their cultural background plays a significant role in their pursuit towards a career in medicine.

You can think about the following questions:

• What will you bring to the medical school class?
• How will you change healthcare (and how have you already started on that journey)?
• What are your strengths as a person?

Can the topic of my secondary essay be the same as topics I wrote about in my primary application personal statement?

Yes! Absolutely! However, we would suggest that you write about a different angle. 

For example, if in your primary application personal statement you talked about your research and what you did in your research, in your diversity essay medical school, talk about a challenge you faced in your research project. Or, talk about a different study or research lab your were involved with. Finally, premeds may write about teaching and mentoring younger individuals in their labs, again, to give a different angle in their diversity essays for medical school.

Can I “recycle” or “reuse” my diversity essay response for multiple schools?

Yes! What we typically advise students is to use most of the essay as a template or starting point. And then, tweak the essay as necessary based on the number of words or characters available. If applicable, you can tailor the diversity essay towards each school. 

Many students will have 2-3 “diversity essay medical school topics and essays” that they draw from. And, depending on the medical school and other prompts, they will pick and choose which essay to use.

Can I talk about a challenge in my diversity essay?

Definitely. Make sure you did not use this essay for another essays like a “challenge” prompt for that specific school’s secondary. Discuss how overcoming the challenge has helped you grow, and what you will contribute to the medical school student body. 

Can I talk about how COVID-19 impacted me and my application in my diversity essay?

Typically, talking about COVID-19 challenges isn’t the strongest topic for the diversity essay. But, if you faced a challenge during the  COVID-19 pandemic and took action to improve society or healthcare, then you can definitely use those experiences! Also, another secondary application strategy to consider: make sure there is not another prompt that allows you to talk about COVID.

You can read about an ICU expererience during COVID down below in our diversity secondary essay examples!

Medical School Diversity Essay Examples

You can include multiple experiences in one diversity secondary essay, but make sure that your transitions are seamless. Furthermore, in such essays, you want to pay attention to your paragraph breaks to further communicate your strong attributes and diverse experiences with maximum impact. Remember—make it as easy as possible for your reader to understand your writing and to visualize you as a strong physician.

Below are 2 medical school diversity essay examples answers from a student who then received an interview at both Yale University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Yale Medical School Diversity Essay Example

Prompt: Yale School of Medicine values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician?  

When I first arrived at UPenn, I was made acutely aware of an issue that plagued our campus community: an extensive culture of sexual assault. I felt compelled to act in opposition. I joined Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP) in my first semester and later became a Sexual Assault Counselor.

A lesson I learned as Co-Chair of ASAP is that leaders must critically examine their communities to meet unfulfilled needs. I transformed our programming to better serve survivors with an intersectional lens. I held a workshop at UPenn with a community leader from the Movement for Black Lives and discussed how racial justice must inform our advocacy. This focus was integrated into our Take Back the Night advocacy event, as we spoke at length about how to serve the needs of black and trans survivors. I piloted the expansion of this event to being held with eight other schools.

Moreover, the Title IX reporting process at UPenn is quite complex and not readily accessible. Given the number of sexual trauma survivors at our university, I worked to clarify this process for our student community by directing an educational campaign, to be released in the next academic year. I played the leading role in a meeting with the Title IX Coordinator and Associate Vice President for Equity, as well as Directors and Associate Directors from various UPenn Centers—we discussed my vision for the project and dove into specifics of the campaign. I enjoyed collaborating with individuals who direct initiatives and policy changes for the safety of our campus community of 25,000 students.

As a physician, I will continue to lead the movement to build a world free of sexual violence and gender inequity. I strive to integrate clinics that offer primary, psychiatric, and gynecological care for sexual trauma survivors into national healthcare. These clinics will also offer forensic examinations led by Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFE), as well as social and legal support. By providing a centralized location for all of the care needs of survivors, I want to limit the difficulties of navigating the healthcare system often faced by this vulnerable population. I would love to work with Dr. Jubanyik to drive this initiative forward and promote health equity for survivors at Yale. Furthermore, statewide tracking of SAFE centers is inconsistent. I want to generate a national database to consolidate these programs and help survivors better access them. I would love to extend my advocacy for survivors as a member of the student group, Prenatal Partners, to be able to advocate for a trauma-informed approach to medical care for expectant mothers.

As a medical student and physician, I am eager to leverage my skill in storytelling to inform and strengthen healthcare. I believe that compelling stories can be important catalysts for change, particularly in the context of my aspirations to serve women and survivors. I would love to work with Dr. Reisman to write a journalistic novel on women’s sexuality and resilience deriving from my longitudinal patient relationships.

Johns Hopkins Medical School Diversity Essay Example

Optional: The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it. 2500 characters

As a Neuro/COVID-19 ICU clinical volunteer operating at the center of the pandemic crisis, I encouraged patients who were suffering the worst of COVID-19 symptoms through our patient call bell system. 

In public health emergencies, I understand how patients can feel detached from and misunderstood by their healthcare systems, causing them to refuse treatments or preventive measures like vaccines. I once had a conversation with an ICU patient who was approaching discharge and refusing to wear a mask. My team respectfully asked questions and listened to his supplication of answers and reasoning. I knew that convincing someone to let go of an entrenched opinion would be difficult. But I tried as hard as I could and felt him soften in conversation. He ultimately wore his mask. I left this interaction with a better understanding of how to approach and care for an individual with a radically different perspective from my own.

I take seriously my responsibility to listen carefully to my patient’s concerns and assure them that recommended measures are medically sound. To promote patient trust in medicine and to address health disparities exacerbated by the pandemic, I will work to leverage community partnerships, as I have done as an advocate for survivors. I will listen to what specific communities need and tailor health care delivery accordingly.

Throughout the coronavirus surge, I was able to have a more hands-on role with neurological care in the ICU. After caring for an unconscious patient with moyamoya disease and two ischemic strokes in the Neuro/COVID-19 ICU and learning of her poor prognosis from her physician, I pored through the medical literature. I hoped that studies would reveal something different. The patient’s antiplatelet therapy was proving ineffective. Yet surgery was not a safe option as her unstable moyamoya carried greater postoperative ischemic complication risk. I struggled, unable to find an alternative. Thereafter, I wrote “Between you and me,” excerpted below.

Her eyes are closed, a tube connecting her to her life.

They are draining her cerebrospinal fluid and it should

be yellow. But it’s pink. Like watermelon juice.

The act of writing brought me peace and helped me come to terms with my patient’s suffering.

Nikita’s work in the ICU was featured in U.S. News , “ What Premeds Can Learn in Intensive Care Units ”

We hope this blog post was a great starting point in giving you ideas for how to write a medical school diversity essay.

Check out our other helpful resources:

• COVID-19 Secondary Essay Prompts
• How to Write “Why This Medical School?” Secondary Essays
• Medical School Secondary Essay Editing

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Altai Krai, Russia

The capital city of Altai krai: Barnaul .

Altai Krai - Overview

Altai Krai (other spellings: Altay , Altaisky ) is an administrative region located in the south-east of Western Siberia in Russia, part of the Siberian Federal District. Barnaul is the capital city of the region.

The population of Altai Krai is about 2,268,200 (2022), the area - 167,996 sq. km.

Altai krai flag

Altai krai coat of arms.

Altai krai map, Russia

Altai krai latest news and posts from our blog:.

6 March, 2022 / Picturesque Landscapes along the Chuysky Trakt .

8 December, 2021 / Lake Teletskoye - one of the natural symbols of Russia .

16 March, 2019 / Barnaul - the view from above .

25 December, 2018 / Chuya Highway - the Most Picturesque Road in Russia .

7 April, 2018 / Gorno-Altaysk - the view from above .

More posts..

History of Altai Krai

The upper Ob and Altai foothills were inhabited by Russians since the second half of the 17th century. The region’s development began after two fortresses were built to protect against nomads - Bikatunskaya (1709) and Beloyarskaya (1717) fortresses.

The Great Northern War against Sweden (1700-1721) caused a number of problems in Russia, one of which - getting own metals and especially copper, necessary for making guns, coinage, casting bells. Before the war, Russia imported copper from Sweden, but now Peter I had to turn to its own natural resources. Several expeditions were sent to Altai for geological exploration.

In 1729, the first Altai metallurgical plant, Kolyvan-Voskresensky plant, was opened. Altai land was also rich in silver. The mining industry based on serf labor of peasants was formed in Altai. In the 1730s, Barnaul was founded, it was a settlement near the silver-plant that belonged to Akinfy Demidov.

More Historical Facts…

In the second half of the 18th century, the Altai mining district included the present Altai krai, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo parts of Tomsk and East Kazakhstan regions with total area of over 500,000 sq. km. and a population of over 130,000 people.

In the first half of the 19th century, Altai took first place in Russia for the production of silver, the second - copper, the third - gold. This region became the second largest industrial area in the east of the country after the Urals. In 1861, after the abolition of serfdom, the mining industry entered a period of crisis.

Gradually, agriculture was becoming the backbone of the local economy. Various crops (wheat, oats, rye) were grown as well as potatoes, beekeeping began developing. At the end of the 19th century, the Siberian railway passed through the north of the region. In 1915, the Altai railway was constructed connecting Novonikolayevsk, Barnaul and Semipalatinsk.

Stolypin’s land reform promoted migration to Altai that contributed to the economic growth of the region. In the early 20th century, Altai became known for its dairy products. Altai butter was exported to the countries of Western Europe. In July, 1917, the Altai gubernia was founded with the center in Barnaul. By the end of the 1930s, it developed into one of the largest agri-industrial regions of Siberia.

During the Second World War, more than 100 plants were evacuated from the western regions of the USSR to the Altai region. By the early 1960s, Altai krai produced more than 80% of tractor plows and more than 30% of freight wagons and steam boilers in RSFSR.

In the 1950s-1960s, development of virgin lands began in the western steppe part of the region, 2.9 million hectares were plowed. About 350,000 people from different regions of the USSR came to the Altai region to participate in these large-scale works.

After the collapse of the USSR, the local economy was in crisis caused by lack of state orders for industrial enterprises and unprofitable agriculture. Until 1991, Altai Krai included Gorno Altai autonomous oblast. Today, it is a separate region of Russia - Altai Republic.

Beautiful nature of Altai Krai

Altai Krai scenery

Author: Aleksey Nikitin

Nature of Altai

Altai Krai nature

Author: Andrey Alexeenko

Altai Krai - Features

The territory of Altai Krai stretches for 600 km from west to east and 400 km from north to south. In the south and west, Altai Krai borders with East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar regions of Kazakhstan.

The mountainous part borders with lowland in the eastern and southern parts - Salairsky mountain range and Altai foothills. The western and central parts are mostly lowlands - Priobskoye plateau, Biysko-Chumyshskaya hill and Kulundinskaya steppe. Several natural areas are presented in the territory of the krai: steppe, forest-steppe, taiga, and mountains.

The climate of the region is temperate, close to the continental. The average temperature in January is about minus 15.5 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 19.9 degrees Celsius.

Water resources of the region are presented by surface and underground waters. The largest rivers are the Ob, Biya, Katun, Chumysh, Aley, and Charysh. The largest lake is Kulundinskoye Lake (728 sq. km.).

Mineral resources of Altai Krai are presented by complex ores, salt, soda, coal, nickel, cobalt, iron, and precious metals. Altai is famous for its unique deposits of jasper, purple, marble, granite, mineral waters, natural curing mud, and ochre.

Altai Krai - Economy

The main industry of Altai Krai is mechanical engineering - production of tractors and plows, steam-boilers, cargo carriages, diesels, tires, presses, mining equipment, automobile and tractor generators. Defense and food industries play an important role in the local economy.

Altai Krai is the largest agricultural region of Russia with the largest sowing areas of grains and leguminous plants. The region is also known for its dairy products.

The region has an extensive network of railways. The longest railway is Novosibirsk - Barnaul - Semey (Semipalatinsk) - transportation of goods from the western part of Russia to Central Asia.

The following federal highways pass through the territory of Altai Krai: R256 (“Chuiski tract”, Novosibirsk - Biysk - the state border with Mongolia) and A322 (Barnaul - Rubtsovsk - the state border with Kazakhstan).

Recreational potential, combined with a favorable climate of the south of Western Siberia, the rich historical and cultural heritage provide an opportunity for the development of various types of tourism. The region is actively developing the following types of tourism - rural, scientific, educational, extreme. Altai Krai also has unique natural healing resources and is one of Russia’s largest health industry centers.

Altai krai of Russia photos

Landscapes of altai krai.

Altai region nature

Author: Andrey Bogdanov

Mountain river in Altai Krai

Author: Grishin Igor

Author: Denis Mamalygin

Pictures of Altai Krai

Amazing landscape of Altai Krai

Altai Krai landscape

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Beautiful wooden church in Altai Krai

Author: Vladimir Fikhman

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Check out today's and tomorrow's sunrise and sunset times in Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai, Russia, as well as the whole calendar for October 2024.

October 25, 2024

First light at 12:42:38 am

Sunrise time: 1:15:19 am

Sunset time: 11:23:07 am

Last light at 11:55:47 am

Day length: 10 hours, 7 minutes

480515 hours, 23 minutes left for today's sunset in

October 26, 2024

First light at 12:44:18 am

Sunrise time: 1:17:03 am

Sunset time: 11:21:09 am

Last light at 11:53:55 am

Day length: 10 hours, 4 minutes

Tomorrow will be 3 minutes shorter than today in

• , Altai Krai
• Latitude: 51.514729
• Longitude: 81.206131

Shortest day in Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai

Longest day in rubtsovsk, altai krai.

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October 2024 - , altai krai - sunrise and sunset calendar.

Sunrise and sunset times, civil twilight start and end times as well as solar noon, and day length for every day of October in .

The day length shortens by 1 hour, 53 minutes over the course of October 2024 , from 11 hours, 39 minutes on the first day to 9 hours, 45 minutes on the last in Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai.

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Sunrise and Sunset photos in Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai

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Year distribution of sunrise and sunset times in Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai - 2024

The followin graph shows sunrise and sunset times in Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai for every day of the year.

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