The AAMC has created 15 core competencies that make an ideal candidate for medical school. The competencies are divided into four categories: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Thinking and Reasoning, and Science.
At Savvy Pre-Med, we are going to go into detail on every competency listed in the AAMC, what it means for your application, and how to present yourself with these qualities without making it feel like you are checking the boxes.
The AAMC defines Resilience and Adaptability as “demonstrating tolerance of stressful or changing environments or situations and adapting effectively to them; being persistent, even under difficult situations; recovering from setbacks.”
You as a student could either have stabilized or excelled from your issue or challenge. However, these setbacks are supposed to convey how you’ve grown into a more flexible and stronger person today.
Remember, medical schools are screening students for their potential in becoming a doctor, and it is your job to understand how to present yourself in your applications and interviews.
Becoming a doctor is typically a high-stress career, and medical schools like to know that you are likely to stay in the career for the long term. It is a huge responsibility, and your ability to adapt or handle high-stress situations in the hospital or clinic is important for preventing the risk of burnout.
Whether it is handling difficult situations or adjusting to new ones, you should present yourself as someone who can conform to stressful situations.
Make sure to avoid any negative, dramatic outlook to your experience that doesn’t seem to change any course of action. Be sure that these experiences have given you a positive, humble outlook on the situation, and show that you have learned to channel the experience into something meaningful, hopefully with concrete action.
Here are some more common situations that would be applicable for this section:
While here are some of the more uncommon topics that are underrepresented:
You are not limited to the ones above, as there are plenty of other topics to write about. We hope these are great prompts to get you thinking of what to put down on your applications. Again, the more unique the challenge is to you, the more you will stand out in the thousands of applications, hopefully intriguing medical schools enough to invite you in for an interview.
It’s best to cover this core competency in your personal statement, the disadvantaged essay in the primary application, or a secondary essay that’s specifically about challenges or adversities.
Present what happened, go into detail about how you surpassed the issues of the situation, and explain how it has affected you as of today. Talk about how the situation has strengthened you as an applicant, and don’t focus too much on using this competency to explain “why medicine.” It should illustrate your preparation for being a doctor, more so than your exact motivations. It’s not the experience itself that is a make-or-break, but rather how you write about it.
Be sure to check out any future resources from Savvy Pre-Med, as we are always updating our site with new information on getting you into medical school.
About the Author:
Atalia Cohen is a non-traditional pre-med student who graduated with her Bachelor's of Science from Humboldt State University in General Biology and Zoology. She has spent countless hours in the veterinary field, but has changed her career route to become a Pain Specialist after her own personal experience of the field. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her three dogs and is in the process of applying to medical school.
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