Adversity Secondary Essay Prompts
86 medical schools ask about adversity or a challenge you faced (103 prompts in all). Each one is below word for word, with its limit, so you can see how the same question changes from school to school.
71 verified for the 2026-2027 cycle; the rest are from an earlier cycle and marked.
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How to answer Adversity prompts
Keep the setup short and spend most of the space on what you did and what you do differently now. Readers judge the reflection, not the size of the hardship.
Most common limits: 250 words (13), 300 words (12), 1500 characters (9). Write the longest version once, then cut it to each school's limit.
Every Adversity prompt, by school
Collected from public applicant reports. Prompts occasionally change mid cycle, so confirm against your own secondary portal before you submit.
Discuss a situation in which you had to persevere despite facing obstacles or setbacks. How did you maintain your motivation and keep moving forward towards your goals?
500 wordsTell us about a mistake you made that had consequences for yourself or others. How did you respond in the moment, what responsibility did you take, and what did you learn about accountability and integrity from the experience?
500 wordsDescribe a significant challenge that has prepared you for the MD career path.
1000 charactersDescribe the last time you were criticized by a peer or supervisor. How did you handle it?
150 wordsGive an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person?
150 wordsThe Admissions Committee is interested in gaining more insight into you as a person. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced that helped 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.
2000 charactersHow will you use your personal experience with poverty and housing insecurity as a physician? Describe how it has shaped your perspective on health, access to care, or the doctor-patient relationship. How will this lived experience inform the way you approach patients facing similar circumstances?
800 charactersDescribe a time when you received difficult or unexpected feedback about your academic performance or behavior. How did you respond to that feedback, and what changes did you make as a result?
150 wordsDescribe 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 charactersWe recognize that each applicant's journey is unique. If there were any extenuating circumstances that limited your involvement in service, academic, or other preparatory experiences—including MCAT preparation/taking—please share them here. If none, simply type "N/A" in the response area.
1500 charactersDescribe a time when you received feedback following a setback. What did you do to implement change?
400 wordsCan you describe an experience where you faced and overcame adversity?
250-500 wordsDescribe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life. Please share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience.
500 wordsAs a medical student and future physician, you are faced with many uncertain situations. Please describe a situation when you were asked to do something that you felt unprepared for. How did you handle it?
400 wordsWhat is the toughest feedback you ever received? How did you handle it, and what did you learn from it?
250 wordsBriefly describe a specific challenge you faced and how you overcame it. What was your approach, what did you learn from the process, and how do you see those skills translating to a career in medicine?
250 wordsDuring your career as a physician, you will likely encounter obstacles, and be required to overcome challenges. Please describe your experience with a situation that had an unfavorable outcome, including your reaction, how you might have responded differently, and what you learned about yourself.
250 wordsDescribe a situation in which you didn’t get something you felt you deserved.
No stated limitDescribe a time you received feedback about your performance and disagreed with the feedback. What did you disagree with? How did you handle it?
500 wordsPlease explain in more detail (in less than 1500 characters) anything that would help us understand any gaps or delays in your education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere.
1500 charactersOptionalDescribe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. What did you learn from this experience and how have you applied this learning to your work and/or life?
1000 charactersRecount a time when you made a decision you regret. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
2000 charactersMCW is committed to its missions of community engagement and improving health for all. MCW medical students play an important role in advancing these missions by working with and within various communities throughout Wisconsin which requires adaptability and a willingness to learn from new experiences. Describe a time where you entered a new environment or situation, how you adapted, what you learned, and how that experience helped you grow in your ability to serve others and contribute to MCW's missions during your education.
2000 charactersStatement of Resilience: Please describe a personal situation of failure, significant challenge, or a major obstacle that you have overcome. Include a description of your coping skills and lessons you learned about yourself from that situation.
No stated limitGive an example when you have shown resilience and how you would overcome academic adversity if encountered in medical school.
200 wordsTell us about a long-term goal you pursued over several years. What obstacles did you encounter, and what sustained your motivation when progress was slow?
2500 charactersMedical training demands continuous improvement. Share an example of feedback you received that was difficult to hear. How did you act on it, and what changed as a result?
2500 charactersHave you encountered significant personal or professional challenges that have shaped your motivation to pursue a career in medicine and service to others?
4000 charactersIf applicable, please describe how your experience with challenges has informed your perspective, decision-making, or approach to helping others. You may include reflections on your educational path, life experiences, or other formative events. If not applicable, please type NA.
4000 charactersOptionalDescribe a significant sacrifice you had to make for someone else. How did you respond, what help-seeking behaviors did you utilize, and how did the experience shape your resilience, self-awareness, or personal growth?
400 wordsDescribe the effect of an endeavor that didn't go according to your plan.
1550 charactersDiscuss your experience of recent personal feedback that was difficult to receive.
1550 charactersPlease describe the nature of the adversity and how social, economic, academic, or other circumstances affected you and your opportunities.
4000 charactersOptionalWe all periodically have to make decisions under challenging circumstances. Physicians and physician-scientists sometimes need to proceed and act with limited information. Please describe a time when you faced a situation that was ambiguous, confusing, or uncertain, and how you navigated the matter despite lacking all of the necessary information.
3000 charactersTell us how your past experiences and/or challenges have defined you.
500 wordsPlease describe any significant barriers or challenges you may have overcome in the pursuit of your personal/professional goals:
No stated limitOptionalDescribe an experience that required you to persist, adapt, or rethink your approach in order to create meaningful progress. What kept you engaged, and how did the experience influence the way you approach leadership, accountability, or future challenges?
1000 charactersMedicine demands humility, self-awareness, and resilience. Describe a significant challenge or failure you have faced. What did you learn about yourself, and how has it shaped your approach to working with others and handling responsibility?
1500 charactersDiscuss a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. What did you learn from this situation?
250 wordsDescribe a time when you received feedback that you did not agree with. How did you handle this situation? What did you learn from this experience?
250 wordsDescribe a moment when you failed to accomplish a task or let yourself down. How did you grow from this experience?
800 charactersPlease describe a time you felt unfairly treated or judged and how you responded.
1000 characters including spacesDescribe or reflect any circumstances indicative of some degree of hardship, such as, but not limited to: personal or family illness, a medical condition, a death in the immediate family or socioeconomic disadvantages not mentioned in your primary application essays. What steps or strategies have you used to address these circumstances?
3500 charactersOptionalPlease describe any unique personal experiences OR disadvantage (educational, financial or otherwise) and their significance to you in your pursuit of a medical degree.
300 wordsDescribe a meaningful setback in your academic, professional, or personal journey. How did you respond, and how has that experience shaped the habits, skills, and mindset you have developed to succeed in medical school?
250 wordsOne of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves resilience and adaptability. This competency involves the ability to tolerate stressful or changing environments or situations and adapt effectively to them. Additional characteristics of this competency are persistence and the ability to recover from setbacks. Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in resilience and adaptability as described above. As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will help you meet new challenges you may face in medical school.
600 wordsReflect on a non-academic situation when you had to change course, and how you did so.
3000 charactersBecause your academics will not be shared with interviewers until after you complete your interview, we encourage you to use this space to elaborate on any academic challenges you have overcome. We understand that many applicants encounter academic hardships along the way. Please comment on any academic difficulties that you have encountered since completing high school (grades and MCAT scores). We believe that such difficulties offer an opportunity for growth and would appreciate learning how your experiences have affected your approach to academics. If you have not encountered any difficulties, you may answer 'No.'.
1000 charactersApplying to medical school is a long and arduous process. Describe any ways your medical school application journey was hindered, altered or interrupted?
No stated limitOptionalMilitary physicians often navigate uncertain and complex environments. Describe a significant experience where your knowledge or skills were insufficient to address a challenge. What was your approach to the problem? What lessons did you learn?
1500 charactersDescribe a situation where you had to adjust your behavior or response based on new information or changing conditions.
750 charactersPlease describe to the Admissions Committee a challenge or disappointment you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience.
1500 charactersHave you ever had difficulty accessing quality education or healthcare? If so, please describe how this impacted you and others in your community.
1500 charactersOptionalTell us about a personal challenge you have faced in your life thus far and how you demonstrated resilience and grit to overcome it. [Please do not write about studying for or taking the MCAT.]
250 wordsMedical education requires humility and resilience as students learn to become physicians prepared to deliver exceptional care within a rapidly changing and sometimes challenging healthcare landscape. 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 situation, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice.
450 wordsWhat are the core values that guide you? Describe a time when those values were challenged, either by circumstances or by encountering someone whose perspectives differed from your own. How did you respond, and what did you learn about yourself in the process? In what ways does this experience reflect how you will contribute to the UGA School of Medicine and the profession of medicine?
300 wordsReflect on a recent instance where you were given personal feedback that was unfavorable or difficult to receive. How did you respond? Elaborate on how this experience has shaped the way in which you interact with others.
600 wordsWhat characteristics, qualities, or attributes do you possess that have helped you navigate conflict, change, or unfamiliar situations? In your response, reflect on how you demonstrate resiliency and a growth mindset in your approach to personal and professional development.
No stated limitBeyond academics (grades and MCATs), describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to address this challenge.
1000 charactersIf you've experienced academic challenges while in college and/or graduate or professional school, please describe and explain below. Please be sure to include withdrawals, incompletes, poor grades, etc.
1000 charactersOptionalDescribe a specific situation in which you persevered through more than usually challenging circumstances. What did you learn from that experience that you have continued to use?
200 wordsPlease discuss any part of your application that you believe requires further explanation such as low grades or scores or gaps in time that are not explained elsewhere.
200 wordsOptionalDescribe a time when you received significant constructive feedback or encountered a setback that challenged your perception of your abilities. How did you respond to this situation, and how has this experience changed your approach to learning and self-improvement?
1500 charactersDescribe a time when you faced a significant life crisis or an academic, personal, or professional failure. How did you respond, what did you learn, and how did the experience influence your future actions?
300 wordsPlease describe how COVID-19 has affected your preparation for applying to medical school. Describe any academic, personal, financial, or professional barriers/disruptions that COVID-19 may have triggered.
2000 charactersDescribe an experience where you attempted a task and realized during the process that you were not ready for it. How did this experience impact your approach to trying new things?
250 wordsTell us about a challenging situation in which a belief or assumption you made was challenged by new evidence or experience. How did you respond in the moment, and what did you do afterward?
250 wordsPlease briefly describe circumstances regarding any courses with a grade less than a B minus, or any course withdrawals. Additionally, please describe the circumstances if you took any required courses as Pass/Fail rather than graded.
No stated limitPlease describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Please include how you got through the experience and what you learned about yourself as a result. Examples may include: moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity; or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome.
500 wordsAnalyze a time that you made an error in a professional or academic setting. Provide your response, how you disclosed it, and any changes you made to prevent it from recurring.
300 wordsPlease explain any academic discrepancies or extenuating circumstances that you feel the Admissions Committee should know.
2500 charactersOptionalTell us about a challenge or obstacle you experienced. How did you manage it? Please answer the question in 350 words or less.
350 wordsPlease briefly describe anything that has impacted your college or postgrad experience.
No stated limitReflect on a time when a failure, or an apparent failure, set you up for later success. Do you have a favorite failure that you now see as a pivotal moment in your personal or professional growth?
250 wordsIf you have experienced academic difficulties, please explain the situation and how it was resolved. (Please explain all grades less than a "B", including B-, or any "withdrawal" on your transcripts).
2000 charactersOptionalIt is important to understand that everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Reflecting on the last five years, describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help.
600 wordsPlease briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades.
2000 charactersDescribe a non-academic challenge you have faced and explain how you overcame it.
200 wordsHow have you built your resilience?
300 wordsDescribe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed.
3000 charactersDescribe a setback or failure that required you to reassess your approach. How did you respond?
1525 charactersBriefly discuss any extenuating circumstances which you feel are pertinent to your application (poor grades, course withdrawals, lapse in your education, etc.).
No stated limitOptionalIf there has been a significant economic hardship, please explain the circumstances. If none, please enter N/A.
750 charactersBriefly describe any extenuating circumstances which you believe are pertinent to your application (i.e., poor grades, withdrawn courses, life events). If none, please enter N/A.
750 characters- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Auburn Campus2025-2026 cycle
Describe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life. Please share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience.
500 words - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus2025-2026 cycle
Describe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life. Please share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience.
500 words - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus2025-2026 cycle
Describe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life. Please share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience.
500 words - Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University2025-2026 cycle
The art of medicine requires resilience on the part of its practitioners. There can be perceived failure even when the medical team has done everything right. Please describe a time when you were part of something that failed. What did you learn from this experience?
300 words - Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine2025-2026 cycle
The MSUCOM curriculum stresses the importance of intrapersonal competencies, including personal responsibility and adaptability. Please tell us a time when you were faced with a challenge in these areas and how that challenge impacted your professional growth.
300 wordsTell us about a time you stumbled in a professional setting and how you moved forward from the experience.
300 words The MSUCOM curriculum stresses the importance of intrapersonal competencies, including personal responsibility and adaptability. Please tell us a time when you were faced with a challenge in these areas and how that challenge impacted your professional growth.
300 wordsTell us about a time you stumbled in a professional setting and how you moved forward from the experience.
300 wordsThe MSUCOM curriculum stresses the importance of intrapersonal competencies, including personal responsibility and adaptability. Please tell us a time when you were faced with a challenge in these areas and how that challenge impacted your professional growth.
300 wordsTell us about a time you stumbled in a professional setting and how you moved forward from the experience.
300 words- Roseman University of Health Sciences2025-2026 cycle
Please describe any obstacles that you have encountered during your journey to a career in medicine and how you overcame them.
500 to 1000 words - Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Sewell Campus2025-2026 cycle
Please describe any significant barriers or challenges you may have overcome in the pursuit of your personal/professional goals:
1000 wordsOptional - San Juan Bautista School of Medicine2019-2020 cycle
Describe any circumstances indicative of some hardship, such as, but not limited to, academic or financial difficulties, personal or family illness, a medical condition, a death in the immediate family or educational disadvantage?
600 charactersDescribe a difficult situation you have had to overcome in your life or during your college academic experience. How do you feel this will prepare you for a career in medicine?
600 characters - University of Nebraska College of Medicine2025-2026 cycle
Tell us about a time when you have had to overcome adversity.
1500 characters - University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine2025-2026 cycle
Applicants are welcome to share with the Admissions Committee any disruptions or impacts to your application components, the application process, and/or your personal life that may be relevant to your holistic profile. Please also use this area to present any information related to academic and/or MCAT performance that requires further information.
250 wordsOptional Academic Challenges: If applicable, please describe any academic obstacles or personal setbacks (e.g., death of a family member, Low First-Year GPA, repeating coursework, challenges in prerequisite coursework, etc.) that impacted your education. What did you learn from the experience, and how have you grown as a result? How will this resilience support your success during medical training?
250 wordsOptional- University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine2024-2025 cycle
Briefly describe a crisis or significant challenge in your life, how you have worked through the crisis or challenge, and what you have learned from this experience.
1500 characters - University of Washington School of Medicine2025-2026 cycle
What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them?
250 words
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