My Personal Statement...and I Got Accepted

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Originally Posted by hiyaman

http://www.pandabearmd.com/2007/12/0...ool-admission/

This one is serious though right? It sounds like pretty good advice for PS.

because this and his other post :http://www.pandabearmd.com/2007/02/1...nal-statement/
surely aren't.

LOL. That second link is also hilarious. AMCAS comedy at its finest right there.

Originally Posted by hiyaman

http://www.pandabearmd.com/2007/12/0...ool-admission/

This one is serious though right? It sounds like pretty good advice for PS.

because this and his other post :http://www.pandabearmd.com/2007/02/1...nal-statement/
surely aren't.

Yes the first link was meant with seriousness. The second like this thread is meant to crack one up with its humor. lol.

I personally liked sample 1 lol.

Originally Posted by hiyaman

I personally liked sample 1 lol.

Sample 3 where he talks about diversity keeps me laughing. its hillarious.

I guess it's okay to admit I used sample 1 for my personal statement and it got me into med school?

Truth @ the first link

Oh, Africa, Brave Africa. This PS was a... laugh riot.

Originally Posted by DrHouse579

Oh, Africa, Brave Africa. This PS was a... laugh riot.

I think I would prefer to stay home and listen to huey lewis and the news.

Greatest PS ever

This should be stickied. Also, the secondary template provided could serve to be useful.

Use this template for writing your secondary essay. Simply print it out and circle the parts that apply to you.

I want to go to (Columbia/Stanford/Emory/Vanderbilt) because of the amazing (teaching ability/research opportunities/student culture) fits so well with my life’s goals. I first became interested in this university when I saw it (clone a dog on national news/create a cure for restless leg syndrome/win the 1992 lacrosse national championship). Ever since then, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day that I could go to medical school here. After looking through the faculty profiles, I’m interested in working with (Dr. Wu/Dr. Han/Dr. Lee/Coach Zeke) in the field of (particulate biochemistry/cardiovascular physiology/bioethics/building homes for the uninsured). I understand that this school has a strong (psychiatry department/trauma surgery program/women’s basketball team) that I was hoping I can get involved with early in my first semester. While I don’t know which specialty I want to go into, I am sure that (insert same name as above) could prepare me for whatever lies ahead.

Also, I must confess that I have family in (California/Arkansas/Wyoming/Washington, DC) and wish to be with my (aunt/uncle/second cousin) who is suffering from (Parkinson’s disease/irritable bowel syndrome/peanut allergies). He/she has had a great influence on my life and has taught me that I can do anything so long as I put my mind to it. For example, when I was growing up we used to go (fishing/knitting/clogging/building model rockets). Now, I wish to be by his/her bedside during his/her time of need.

Do not think that my decision to apply to this school is based on a whim. I diligently read every issue of (Nature/the New York Times/Wired magazine) looking for the next great article published by (insert name of school) faculty. I know that you can train me to be the doctor I’ve always wanted to be.

Nobody gets it the way Panda got it...

Panda's OP will live on for decades as the greatest PS ever written!

Originally Posted by 8744

“Hey, it was double-blinded and placebo controlled, vato.” Cultural competence is important

lol, classic

you must be going to a research school

Sample 1
I had been arrested two weeks before for obstructing logging in the Xocaatl tribe’s ancestral hunting grounds and it was hot in that Mexican jail. Damned hot. The kind of heat that sneaks up behind you and throttles you in manner very similar to that employed by my cell-mate Fernando as he fumbled at his belt while hissing dark Spanish threats into my ear. I think he was warning me not to shout out for the guards, something that I would never do as our personal morality should never be forced on others. Then the pain came. I gritted my teeth and forced back the tears. Homophobia is wrong, I told myself…

Man, it's been years since I read this, but it makes me crack up every time.

Originally Posted by amd123

Panda's OP will live on for decades as the greatest PS ever written!

Now you've got me re-reading his old stuff. I remembered this line too:

1020: 37 y.o. G1P0 @ 38/6 wks for EOL. Large woman. My fingers are either not long enough or her cervix is in some weird position. I’m not that great at cervical exams. It does take practice. The first twenty or so you do all you can really tell is that it’s warmer in there than it is outside. I can usually find the cervix and I can tell you with confidence if it is closed, long and high (or normal) but after that we get into the realm of subjectivity. Some of the time I can say with confidence the degree of dilation or effacement but if I’m not sure I ask the midwife to check behind me (which she usually does anyways).

Now, this one's more of a bummer since he's divorced now...

1845: Home, finally. Obligatory Frisbee with Persephone as my kids tell me about their day and my lovely and long-suffering wife updates me on the sale of our house which is not going well. I have to be up in the great frozen tundra in five weeks and it looks like I’m going to be living alone up there until the house sells. Like most residents with families, we are living on the brink of financial disaster and we can’t afford two mortgages. Still, we just had our fourteenth wedding anniversary, our children are healthy and happy, and we have prospects for the future.

This is immortal.

Originally Posted by Morsetlis

This is immortal.

Agreed.

Need to mention that you've met the co-chair of the medical school that you are applying to. Don't say which one. "All of 'em."

Originally Posted by TheProwler

Now you've got me re-reading his old stuff. I remembered this line too:


Now, this one's more of a bummer since he's divorced now...

What???????????? Panda divorced?????? Since when?????

His wife seemed to be willing to put up with so much for him through his whole education and residency and stuff and the switching residencies.

wasn't going to post but this just shocked me.

dude, nobody would get accepted with something like that lol

Originally Posted by gujuDoc

What???????????? Panda divorced?????? Since when?????

His wife seemed to be willing to put up with so much for him through his whole education and residency and stuff and the switching residencies.

wasn't going to post but this just shocked me.

Yeah, they got divorced. In this thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show....php?p=9772726 she comes on earlier this year and posts the following:

Yes you are. Shame on the all of you for encouraging the forum/ blog addiction.

Medicine gave pandabear great professional satisfaction yet it cost him his family.

You can probably find panda bear on match.com....

former Mrs. Pandabear.

Unfortunate, and a warning to anyone pursuing medicine with a family, though her posts make it seem like Panda's pursuit of medicine was not the main cause of their split.

Originally Posted by theseeker4

pursuing medicine with a family, though her posts make it seem like Panda's pursuit of medicine was not the main cause of their split.

It sounds like SDN was more of a factor than medicine.

Originally Posted by Tired

It sounds like SDN was more of a factor than medicine.

I don't want to speculate on the guy's private life, but I can testify that you can have five digits of posts here and still have a healthy marriage...

The blog must have taken more time. It was always very well-written. Medicine definitely takes a lot more time for me.

Originally Posted by theseeker4

Yeah, they got divorced. In this thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show....php?p=9772726 she comes on earlier this year and posts the following:



Unfortunate, and a warning to anyone pursuing medicine with a family, though her posts make it seem like Panda's pursuit of medicine was not the main cause of their split.

'Tired' had a good point... retracted my statement

Originally Posted by irJanus

im sure she cries every time she walks to the bank to cash his checks to her : medicine is a hard life. I feel bad for the guy. Laughed hard at the original post to get back on topic ha

Marriage is very hard. Raising four kids is very hard. Medicine is very hard. Being a "single parent" to a brood of children while your husband is gone all the time is very hard.

They were obviously married for a long time. No one wants a relationship like that to end, but sometimes all the things you've built together conspire to destory the relationship you did it all for.


Basically, that's my polite way of saying, "STFU, you obnoxious little know-nothing."

After everything that Panda contributed to this board, and the generation of pre-meds/students/residents he helped make it through the process, you can at least show a little respect to the family he's lost.

(Yes, I'm totally cool with taking the infraction for this comment, so go ahead and hit the "report post" button.)

Originally Posted by Tired

Marriage is very hard. Raising four kids is very hard. Medicine is very hard. Being a "single parent" to a brood of children while your husband is gone all the time is very hard.

They were obviously married for a long time. No one wants a relationship like that to end, but sometimes all the things you've built together conspire to destory the relationship you did it all for.


Basically, that's my polite way of saying, "STFU, you obnoxious little know-nothing."

After everything that Panda contributed to this board, and the generation of pre-meds/students/residents he helped make it through the process, you can at least show a little respect to the family he's lost.

(Yes, I'm totally cool with taking the infraction for this comment, so go ahead and hit the "report post" button.)

no, believe me I agree. I apologize if that came off wrong. I'm actually married and was sitting here after getting into a tiff with my wife, so believe me, I know how hard it is (mind you... not '4 kids and years down the line difficult'). I feel very bad for all involved. It's a tough situation and I wouldn't wish what happened to him on anyone

edit: haha I wouldn't hit the 'report' button for that, I think you're right

Originally Posted by irJanus

no, believe me I agree. I apologize if that came off wrong. I'm actually married and was sitting here after getting into a tiff with my wife, so believe me, I know how hard it is (mind you... not '4 kids and years down the line difficult'). I feel very bad for all involved. It's a tough situation and I wouldn't wish what happened to him on anyone

Sorry, I probably over-reacted with my comments.

In the midst of my most unpleasant days coming to terms with my choice to do medicine, his writing really brought home for me that you can be in this business and still hold on to your core values. You don't have to embrace the stupid "altruism" (which is really just contempt for the poor) that gets shoved down our throats by the schools. You don't have to pretend that people don't have free will to help themselves. You can have selfish motivations but still treat patients with skill and empathy. There is no cookie-cutter mold of what makes an excellent physician.

But most of all, you don't have to feel bad for not feeling bad for every patient that walks through your door. This was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with.

I find it sad that his marriage collapsed. I don't know the guy, never even PM'd him or anything like that, so I know that sounds stupid. But I still think it's sad. I hope whereever he is, he's doing well.

didn't over-react at all

Originally Posted by Tired

Marriage is very hard. Raising four kids is very hard. Medicine is very hard. Being a "single parent" to a brood of children while your husband is gone all the time is very hard.

They were obviously married for a long time. No one wants a relationship like that to end, but sometimes all the things you've built together conspire to destory the relationship you did it all for.


Basically, that's my polite way of saying, "STFU, you obnoxious little know-nothing."

After everything that Panda contributed to this board, and the generation of pre-meds/students/residents he helped make it through the process, you can at least show a little respect to the family he's lost.

(Yes, I'm totally cool with taking the infraction for this comment, so go ahead and hit the "report post" button.)

What he says is true. Being in a relationship is hard when you're still growing up...

Originally Posted by Tired

But most of all, you don't have to feel bad for not feeling bad for every patient that walks through your door. This was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with.

I'm not sure if I should feel bad that this was not hard for me to come to terms with, at all...

I agree with the first poster. Ballsy. I didn't care for it, but admissions will. Well done.

Originally Posted by TheToothsayer

I agree with the first poster. Ballsy. I didn't care for it, but admissions will. Well done.

Not sure if serious.

But glad for the bump, I hadn't read this in a long time it was just as funny now.

Bellissimo! Had me rolling.

Hesus christ, that was funny....

May i use this as a template for my future PS?

Originally Posted by riverside

May i use this as a template for my future PS?

Pandabear did give permission to use any of the four catchy openings he posted here http://www.pandabearmd.com/2007/02/1...nal-statement/

I don't care if it wasn't submitted.

I decided to bump this. Absolutely hilarious. Definitely gave me a much needed laugh!

Read some of PB's posts. Gives a nice view of medicine from the ER. And the post was hilarious.

“And Why, Mbuto, is the air-conditioning on my Land Rover broken again?”

“One thousand pardons, Sahib, but the parts have not arrived.”




Pure Gold, Jerry, . . . Gold
-Kenny Bania

Wow... reading the posts made by PB's wife was very difficult for me to digest. Her posts were the first that I have ever read concerning the other side of a spousal relationship where one is a physician and one is a stay-at-home parent.

If you are reading this PB's wife. I hope you have found some ounce of closure since your divorce. And hope you realize that by talking about your situation, it has made me realize how important it is not to neglect the truly important individuals in one's life.

I can't help but feel how ironic all of this is.

I am from the dental forum. I must give my props this essay. The best EVER!

Originally Posted by wo5678

I am from the dental forum. I must give my props this essay. The best EVER!

I support this bump. Panda Bear is an inspiration.

And I love this quote:

"In fact, during a stint in a Doctors Without Borders spin-off chapter I learned the true meaning of underserved while staffing a mall health care pavilion in La Jolla, California."

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!111111111111eleven111111111one

This was bumped perfectly to coincide with the medical missions thread...

I just thought you were pandering and trying to be diverse as popular..after all, being diverse is the most important thing ( to many adcoms)...I'm not anti-diverse...im serious..

Luckily I read this before I started writing my PS, or I probably would have used one of my "Driving through the African bush" stories. I do have some good ones, such as the time I chauffeured an overdue pregnant woman over the worst road I've ever seen, but I knew I could never top Panda's.

I just read the original post, and I have to say that it is EPIC. LOL.