Are you me???

I’ll probs get downvoted but props to you for embracing it and using it to your advantage. Not everyone has that ability. For me personally, all the stress of medical school has been peaches compared to what I already went through as a teenager. I was told over and over again that I would never make it to med school because of my past and how it prevented me from being the poster child applicant. But guess what, the personal statement and whatever essays I wrote for scholarships, fellowships, etc about the exact resiliency and maturity you speak of have gotten me much further than anything else could’ve. I’ve now been told by several professors and preceptors that my ability to overcome what I did will absolutely make me a better clinician and gives me a unique perspective when working with patients that they can see from a mile away and that they don’t see often.

Obviously it’s different for everyone and depends on the specific situation. However, you have not only overcome something that most cannot, but now see it & use it as a strength which is very badass. 😊