Common AMCAS Questions Week: Other Impactful Experiences

Each day this week, we'll answer some of the most frequently asked AMCAS questions here. Let’s dive in!

Should I answer the “Other Impactful Experiences” question?

This question text states that not all candidates are expected to respond. Rather, it is for those who have had “major challenges or obstacles.” We urge you to consider any significant challenges that you have faced, using the following questions:

1. Did this experience impact my life in a way that provides meaningful context to my application? Examples of such adversity include: Facing a significant health challenge such as cancer or a disability; serving as the guardian to your younger siblings, while also attending classes (likely, negatively impacting your resume); living in an underserved medical community that made it difficult to gain shadowing or clinical experiences, but also inspired your interest in rural medicine.
2. What did I learn from the experience? Your essay response should detail the adversity, but should focus on what you learned from going through the experience. Did this experience provide you with an “ah-ha!” moment that changed your perspective and impacted your life? If the take-aways from the adversity do not feel relevant to your application (i.e., your learnings do not clearly make you a stronger candidate for a medical school), you should reconsider the take-aways or including the experience.
3. Have I already spoken to this experience in my personal statement? You will want to avoid redundancy by sharing different stories and anecdotes in this essay and your personal statement. If you fully explored the experience in your personal statement, do not feel compelled to re-write about the experience here. Not all applicants are expected to have responses to this question.

Review our blog on this question for additional context.

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