A little confused.......

[BuSyDaZe]

as for the standards and/or guidelines set for PERSONAL statements. To make things clear I'm not looking for advice on my own statement, but I'm just a little confused by some of the advice and information being given.

Ok, I know this thread may ruffle a few feathers, but oh well, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

For the last couple of days I have been reading a couple of threads about the supposedly correct way or (do's and dont's) of writing a PS. Don't get me wrong, I respect everyone's opinion and feel there are some valid points in these standards, but I also feel that some are also very confusing and misleading to readers.

For 1) these are "PERSONAL" statements. Besides needing someone to read for grammatical errors or style, I really don't understand why would a person need to really change what they already have unless it is very "copycat" or unoriginal. I'm confused on how someone can really tell someone else, that they most times never met, that their experience is less compelling than anothers? I mean it's PERSONAL for God sakes. Unless you have actually been through their experiences of (for example) homelessness, sickness, death, abuse, divorce, poverty, etc, etc.... you may not understand the importance of their inclusion of the matter. I totally understand the concept of not wanting to make the statement sound depressing or vague, but I also feel that if it's part of a person's story that made them who they are today it should be included (just written in a compelling way).

2) Originality..... How can a person be original or unique in their statement with sooooo many guidelines to follow in what should or should not be included? While I truly appreciate and love SDN for their advice on many related issues, I also feel that sometimes knowing too much can also be a hinderance. As a youngster I was raised with little guidance or information on issues of education and/or college endeavors. Though I would have loved to have a bit of the information some of the kids have today, I also feel that my lack of information allowed many things I did to come straight from my heart. For example, I remember applying to college back in the days when there were only paper applications and you had to write down a one-page statement on the back about your yourself and/or interest in the school. I recall just writing what I felt, short and sweet. Again, this may have been due to my lack of guidance, but I feel my originality and heart felt words helped me get accepted to the schools I applied. Mind you, I was not familiar with or cared to attend Ivey league schools (that was just a different world to me at the time) so you can take that with a grain of salt. But my point is that a lot of these guidelines are taking away from the originality of personal statements.

And 3) Stand-out.... I have heard many conflicting points on what makes a story stand out or not. My issue is...if you are given a laundry list of guidelines you are expected to follow in a writing that is supposed to be PERSONALLY yours, how can you really make it stand out? Not saying many points aren't valid, or too complex to follow but I believe it causes some people to over-analyze and leave out sections that might really make them stand out and give it that POP!

I know according to many, I'm a lowly ole member with only a few posts but I just wanted to state my opinion on the matter and offer another side of advice. I feel the purpose many of us are going into or are already in this field is to be leaders. Leaders that are strong minded and capable of thinking for ourselves with the assistance of others. When it comes down to it only you know what is right for you. Advice is great but don't allow it to be a hinderance for YOUR path in life.

**Note this is not to meant to throw jabs at anyone. I just wanted to try and clear up confusion, create a discussion, and offer my "0.02 cents."

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[mauberley]

For 1) these are "PERSONAL" statements. Besides needing someone to read for grammatical errors or style, I really don't understand why would a person need to really change what they already have unless it is very "copycat" or unoriginal.

You'd be surprised at how many people's statements boil down to a rehash of their extracurricular activities or otherwise miss the opportunity to answer the question "why medicine?" and to truly let their personality come through. You would also be surprised at how many people find it difficult to write in a clear, coherent, and well-organized manner.

I'm confused on how someone can really tell someone, that they most times never met, that their experience is less compelling than anothers? I mean it's PERSONAL for God sakes. Unless you have actually been through their experiences of (for example) homelessness, sickness, death, abuse, divorce, poverty, etc, etc.... you may not understand the importance of their inclusion of the matter. I totally understand the concept of not wanting to make the statement sound depressing or vague, but I feel that if it's part of a person's story that made them who they are today it should be included (just written in a compelling way).

Nowhere have I seen anyone give advice along these lines. While I can't speak for everyone, I can explain my approach to reviewing statements, with the belief that everyone who volunteers to read a statement takes a similar tack. In my reviews, I generally do not critique one's motivations unless I feel that they are not presenting a sufficient story that answers the question "why medicine," and even in that case I never say "your reasons are insufficient to justify your career." Additionally, the ability to write compelling language is not one all of us are blessed with, and while I can't put words in people's mouths, I can let them know if what they have written is engaging me or not.

I'm curious as to what you've read that would give you this impression.

2) Originality..... How can a person be original or unique in their statement with sooooo many guidelines to follow in what should or should not be included? While I truly appreciate and love SDN for their advice on many related issues, I also feel that sometimes knowing too much can also be a hinderance. As a youngster I was raised with little guidance or information on issues of education and/or college endeavors. Though I would have loved to have a bit of the information some of the kids have today, I also feel that my lack of information allowed many things I did to come straight from my heart. For example, I remember applying to college during the times when there were only paper applications and you had to write down a one-page statement about your yourself and/or interest in the school. I recall just writing what I felt, short and sweet. Again, this may have been due to my lack of guidance, but I feel my originality and heart felt words helped me get accepted to the schools I applied. Mind you, I was not familiar with or cared to attend Ivey league schools (that was just a different world to me at the time) so you can take that with a grain of salt. But my point is that a lot of these guidelines are taking away from the originality of personal statements.

I disagree that the guidelines are so restrictive as to limit originality. The guidelines, as I interpret them, boil down to questions of style which, as you stated early on, is a valid point of critique. I am not aware of any guidelines that call for specific content that would lead to more cookie-cutter statements; the only thing I could possibly think of is the guideline that one's statement should answer the question "why medicine?," but that is so basic as to hopefully not merit debate. Every statement I have read has been unique; their uniqueness derives from the very fact that it is a personal statement. The issue comes about when people fail to truly make it personal.

And 3) Stand-out.... I have heard many conflicting points on what makes a story stand out or not. My issue is...if you are given a laundry list of guidelines you are expected to follow in a writing that is supposed to be PERSONALLY yours, how can you really make it stand out? Not saying many points aren't valid, or too complex to follow but I believe it causes some people to over-analyze and leave out sections that might really make them stand out and give it that POP!

I agree with the over-analysis part and would say that in trying to give their statements that "pop," they end up wide of the mark and fail (with varying degrees of miserableness). But that's the nature of a lot of people applying, even without the guidelines (which I feel are rather moderate). This would be a problem with SDN in general, in which people tend to dispense advice that gets overinflated in importance because, well, this is the Internet, after all, with the added pressure of trying to craft a competitive application.

Rather than speak purely in generalities, if you can provide specific examples of advice or guidelines you feel are restrictive or otherwise doing a disservice to applicants, we can discuss those in greater detail.

 

[EdLongshanks]

as for the standards and/or guidelines set for PERSONAL statements. To make things clear I'm not looking for advice on my own statement, but I'm just a little confused by some of the advice and information being given.

The problem with asking people to be original is that so many people are so predictable and banal in their originality. As humans we have instincts that both uniquely differ and are boringly the same. Those of us who have read a few or many personal statements see the same mistakes made repeatedly. Mayberly is just attempting to write ONCE the exact same advice that he writes to almost everyone who solicits his opinion. I find that his advice is also the advice that I end up sending out every time that I read a PS that an applicant sends to me for critique.

Very few people can sit down and write an interesting essay. Usually this is because they have an instinctive fear of revealing themselves. Writing a really good personal essay is emotionally like doing a public striptease. Very few people can bear to display themselves to strangers this way. So they retreat into the trick of stripping a manikin called "essays that will get you into medical school."

I'm not sure how to get a person to break down this protective barrier. I'm not a private person, so I only know that it exists in theory, I have no personal knowledge of it. The only thing that prevents me from walking down the street naked is custom and socialization. I have never understood the Garden of Eden story.

But writing classes that attempt to break the barrier usually begin with this advice "Just WRITE! Write trash; write garbage; write nonsense. Just write. After while the essay starts to make sense.

My advice to personal statement writers is that they stop trying to write an argument for why they should be admitted and start writing an explanation to themselves on why they want to be a physician.

 

[curt656]

IMHO, the purpose for these "guidelines" is to try to give the writer a sense of what the average admissions reader wants and does not want to see. I have only read a couple of PS's here, but I have read many student essays since being back in school and I can honestly say that writing is a gift, as EdLongshanks points out. More people than not are in desperate need of this advice, lol. Think about it, your statement is going in front of people who are pretty much reading one PS after another all day long. They are going to know within the first couple sentences whether what they are reading is sincere or just fluff. It is real easy to pick out what is genuine and what is a reach in these statements. And yes, while you want to convey a true sense of yourself and your motivations, it is really easy to try too hard and ruin an otherwise decent PS. The most guilty of this are the younger pre-meds.

Writing professionally, without putting in a lot of irrelevant information, is something that takes time to develop and really requires a certain level of maturity. Finding the right combination of facts and emotional connection really takes time to develop. It makes me cringe when I read some overly melodramatic story about how someone wrapped a bandaid around a little kids finger, and I am certain that an admissions person is going to cringe as well, stop reading, and move on to the next one in the giant pile of apps. I believe that most of the advice given on PS's reflects what the average reader finds disengenuous and trite.

The bottom line is, that if someone is asking for or seeking advice you should not criticize it. Someone is simply giving their opinion. If you do not like the advice, present your point of view as is your prerogative. I think you should add yourself to the list and read some for yourself, you will be amazed at how awful some of these statements can be.

 

[lizzo76]

OP - I'm like you. I remember writing my personal statement for college back in 1994. I had NO guidance from my parents... I kind of laugh about it now, because I can't imagine any kid these days not at least having their parents review the application before submitting it, but my parents didn't look at anything. (They weren't neglectful, but they weren't good professional role models and I had always done well in school without nagging and so I guess they just trusted that I'd do what I needed to do.)

I had no information on dos and don'ts about writing personal statements, and so I just wrote the most sincere essay I could (and I have good writing skills so I never have anyone else edit my writing for technical issues.) I did have an experience with a parent with a long-term disability (almost no short-term memory due to a serious head injury) and maybe that was depressing, but it was a huge part of my life and my upbringing and who I was. Commonsense told me to frame it in a "positive" way - what good came from the experience - although of course I couldn't totally avoid the fact that it was a hindrance most people don't have. I didn't want to seem like I was resting my admission hopes on a sob story, but I wanted to honestly convey who I was and what had molded me into that person. I've mentioned this experience in every personal statement I have ever written (and I've already been in two grad programs) and I have only ever been rejected from one program out of a huge number to which I've applied. I highly doubt that rejection had anything to do with my personal statement. I went to a top 5 liberal arts college which last year accepted 15% of applicants. (I think it was something like 22% when I applied, when there were fewer 18 year olds, so fewer applications.) One of my other grad programs was at the top university in Canada. (Laugh if you will if you know nothing of Canada, but this is a highly-ranked international research university.) My second grad program was only semi-selective, accepting something like 45% of applicants.

Even now, though I have heard guidelines, I ignore them. Personally I think they can mess with your mind and cause unnecessary anxiety. My approach has been to just be myself and not worry about what anyone else is doing. I imagine, anyway, that when you take that approach, the sincerity shines through, and might be refreshing to an adcom.

That said, I suppose it is true that certain people are just totally boring, with a boring writing tone and nothing to set them apart (or lack of ability to see how something sets them apart) and those people probably need guidelines. For me, writing personal statements comes very naturally and I can just churn them out, but I can see how if writing is not one's thing a set of guidelines would be comforting and also very helpful. I also agree with the poster above who said that many people have a fear of revealing themselves. But if you don't feel you need guidelines, I would not feel bound by them.

Edit - to address the post below mine... yes, I agree. I suppose there are some people who have problems besides just being boring with little to set them apart. There are some terrible writers in need of guidelines. But again, if YOU don't feel you need them, just ignore them. But some people need them.

 

[mafunk]

I'm confused on how someone can really tell someone else, that they most times never met, that their experience is less compelling than anothers? I mean it's PERSONAL for God sakes. Unless you have actually been through their experiences of (for example) homelessness, sickness, death, abuse, divorce, poverty, etc, etc.... you may not understand the importance of their inclusion of the matter.

I don't think anyone said that. I did say in another thread that I personally get annoyed when people get on the pity pot about three specific things... divorce, low income, low education in family. This I recognize as my own issue. I get annoyed because I have transcended these things, all the things you mentioned above and more. Also, a large percentage of folks I know have experienced divorce or poverty. So, mentioning divorce/poverty/low education in and of themselves is not an issue to me. And, as you said, it is part of who you are. But I get annoyed when people use this as an excuse for bad grades.

Right or wrong it's how I feel... and I recognize that it is my personal issue. To help you understand how I feel, let me tell you about my grandmother. She survived years of virtual starvation and children dying in the street due to lack of nutrition. She had to clean and sew the clothes of wealthier women so that she could eat whatever scrap they left on their plate after a particular meal. Since then she built a good life for herself, but she had to fight like heck just to escape starvation. My mother also suffered serious lack of nutrition for the first 14 years of her life. If either of them read a bunch of essays on how only having access to one meal a day limited the writers' academic performance they would be annoyed, given that they not only knew true starvation, but applied extreme discipline and work ethic to transcended it. That is sort of how I feel, not about starvation... but about other life hardships.

In my volunteer work and work with yoga students I see people who are definitely impacted by poverty, divorce, etc... And I not only have compassion for them, I can also empathize. But that is the general population. When it comes to applying to medical school... I agree it is valid to share one's experiences, but I don't agree that future leaders should rely on excuses. I don't plan on doing so in my essay. I will briefly make a reference to transcending extreme obstacles, but I plan to minimize the attention given to these things. Once again, right or wrong, it's my opinion that in your PS focusing on your strength and success and not things like divorce (which occurs in 40% of marriages according to wikipedia) should be what sets you apart. If one wants to talk about transcending hardship there is a place for that in the secondary essays, according to what I've read here on SDN

When it comes down to it only you know what is right for you. Advice is great but don't allow it to be a hinderance for YOUR path in life.

**Note this is not to meant to throw jabs at anyone. I just wanted to try and clear up confusion, create a discussion, and offer my "0.02 cents."

This is absolutely true. BUT... I have to tell you of the 20 or so essays I read I truly believe that some folks are in desperate need of help in changing their strategy.

When 70% of the essays start with 'wailing sirens'... when someone refers to a dying patient as a life changing experience but doesn't substantiate it in their essay... when someone spends 50% of their essays saying why they had bad grades and the reasons given are repeated multiple times....

when these things happen.... people need guidelines

A personal statement may be 'personal' but good writing is universal
(cliches are trite and unoriginal - e.g. 'wailing sirens; unsubstantiated claims are never good; redundancy wastes valuable essay space and limits the depth of a writing piece)

Just my opinion. But I completely understand why you may feel that opinions and advice regarding PS's may be confusing, conflicting and limiting for some.

 

[BuSyDaZe]

Hey yall, I just wanted to let you know I have been reading your replies, but will have to reply back when I get to my computer. I had just typed out a whole reply and lost it because of doing it on my D*** phone. I am so pissed right now, but I will get back to you all. Thanks for the replies!

 

[BuSyDaZe]

You'd be surprised at how many people's statements boil down to a rehash of their extracurricular activities or otherwise miss the opportunity to answer the question "why medicine?" and to truly let their personality come through.







I disagree that the guidelines are so restrictive as to limit originality. The guidelines, as I interpret them, boil down to questions of style which, as you stated early on, is a valid point of critique. I am not aware of any guidelines that call for specific content that would lead to more cookie-cutter statements; the only thing I could possibly think of is the guideline that one's statement should answer the question "why medicine?," but that is so basic as to hopefully not merit debate. Every statement I have read has been unique; their uniqueness derives from the very fact that it is a personal statement. The issue comes about when people fail to truly make it personal.

Rather than speak purely in generalities, if you can provide specific examples of advice or guidelines you feel are restrictive or otherwise doing a disservice to applicants, we can discuss those in greater detail.

Understandably so. Because there has been so much information given not only from the non-trad forum but also the trad forum as well, I will only focus on one main issue I observed.

One main point I felt was very conflicting to readers was the list of what others perceived to be a "what works" category in conveying one's personal story. Now unlike a Statement of Intent or Interest, the personal statement is one that needs to convince the reader "why medicine" based on their personal story. I feel that whatever the writer feels is compelling enough to be a reason for why they chose this route should be included (with stride of course, but nevertheless from the heart). Like I initially stated before, I am in total aggreance of having others read for grammar, clarity and style. But the content is a subject that should be solely based in what the writer feels works for them.

Like many other pre-medical students, we hear so much advice from so many different sources (advisors, sdn, pre-medical conferences, etc), that the information tends to jumble together, become confusing and takes away originality from the writer. Instead of just writing from the heart, the writer over-analyzes their story based on the perception of others.

I'm speaking from experience. When I initially began to write my statement a year or so ago, I used all the many guidelines (books, SDN, conferences, advisors, family, etc) of what others said makes a compelling story or not and my final draft came across like all the one's you read in various books. So what I did was basically come back to earth and back to what I knew, and just wrote what I felt-straight from the heart. I had my husband read it, close family members, and an advisor or two read it for grammar mistakes and style ONLY. Honestly, I feel that the only people that can really judge your Personal statement is the people that have known you or truly know your story and/or life experiences that led you to this desire of a medical career (like family or close friends).

While I understand that there are many advisors and members here that are on the admissions committee and have had experience in choosing applicants based on their personal statements, I also feel that any particular statement can fall in the hands of any Particular committee member. Everyone has different opinions on what may come across as compelling or not, so if applicants based their story solely off what others thought we would get absolutely nowhere. You just never know how a committee member may feel on any particular day. As humans we live by emotions so, one day a story may come off as compelling to a person and on another day it may not. A story that may come across as lame or boring to one, may be just what someone else wanted to hear as a reason to give support for an applicant's candidacy. We just have to take that chance and write from the heart and hope the chips fall in our favor. The whole process is basically a gamble. No matter how you look at it. It's great to have advice or a "leg up"on things you can control, but for things like content of a PS, that should come from applicant and only the applicant.

 

[BuSyDaZe]

The bottom line is, that if someone is asking for or seeking advice you should not criticize it. Someone is simply giving their opinion. If you do not like the advice, present your point of view as is your prerogative. I think you should add yourself to the list and read some for yourself, you will be amazed at how awful some of these statements can be.

I may have to take you up on the offer, but then again like you said it is merely an opinion of another. So I would be careful to state it as just that, and not the RULE (by those less informed).

 

[BuSyDaZe]

Even now, though I have heard guidelines, I ignore them. Personally I think they can mess with your mind and cause unnecessary anxiety. My approach has been to just be myself and not worry about what anyone else is doing. I imagine, anyway, that when you take that approach, the sincerity shines through, and might be refreshing to an adcom.

My point exactly.

 

[n3xa]

You'd be surprised at how many people's statements boil down to a rehash of their extracurricular activities or otherwise miss the opportunity to answer the question "why medicine?" and to truly let their personality come through. You would also be surprised at how many people find it difficult to write in a clear, coherent, and well-organized manner.

Yeah, I fell into this tArp for a long time before I literally typed out WHY MEDICINE?? at the top of my word document in giant, neon pink font. And I resisted the urge to look at my previous essays to cut and paste ECs until I had a sufficient paragraph explaining why medicine, why me, why now.

And a shout out to you and Q for your feedback!

 

[mauberley]

Understandably so. Because there has been so much information given not only from the non-trad forum but also the trad forum as well, I will only focus on one main issue I observed.

One main point I felt was very conflicting to readers was the list of what others perceived to be a "what works" category in conveying one's personal story. Now unlike a Statement of Intent or Interest, the personal statement is one that needs to convince the reader "why medicine" based on their personal story. I feel that whatever the writer feels is compelling enough to be a reason for why they chose this route should be included (with stride of course, but nevertheless from the heart). Like I initially stated before, I am in total aggreance of having others read for grammar, clarity and style. But the content is a subject that should be solely based in what the writer feels works for them.

Again, I would ask you for examples of guidelines specifically geared towards content, more than a simple "what works": so what exactly was the guideline saying "works" versus "doesn't work"? All I can think of off the top of my head that I would vehemently support in terms of guidelines is that one's statement should not be a rehash of one's ECs. Too many people fall into the trap of reiterating what they did in their work or in their activities so as to justify why they should be accepted, rather than using their activities (where applicable) to give substance to the argument they are making about why they are choosing medicine, to show that they are not merely paying lip service to the question. The other guidelines I am aware of relate to style, not content.

It still seems to me (and perhaps I'm interpreting your words wrong) that your issue with the guidelines is that you see them as telling people that there are only certain acceptable justifications for a career in medicine. I would argue that no such guidelines exist, that what guidelines do exist merely try to help you take whatever your impetus is for pursuing medical school and craft compelling language around it--that is, to help you tell your story effectively and persuasively.

 

[mauberley]

Yeah, I fell into this tArp for a long time before I literally typed out WHY MEDICINE?? at the top of my word document in giant, neon pink font. And I resisted the urge to look at my previous essays to cut and paste ECs until I had a sufficient paragraph explaining why medicine, why me, why now.

And a shout out to you and Q for your feedback!

Any time.

Also:

 

[Torr]

I remember being equally frustrated with guidelines in the beginning but by the time my PS was in it's final form--and after lots of resistance to make the changes because I'm that stubborn -- I was extremely grateful for them. It just took lots and lots of revisions.

All this talk of PS taboos lately makes me curious what the SDN editors would say about mine....could I send it in for editing even though it would be a complete waste of time??

 

[Law2Doc]

I think you have a lot more leeway to be personal and fewer guidelines in your PS than some premeds are advised. But you have to remember that schools get up to 10,000 applications a year, every year, and so lots of trends and cliches have emerged. You may think that your experience with the healthcare system when you had to care for an ailing sibling was inspirational and unique, but when an adcom is reading through a pile of stories of sick siblings, yours may not stand out. There was one thread someplace that suggested that pretty much all PSs ended up being variations one one of about a dozen themes. In truth, premeds are not a creative group, which is part of the reason med schools find art majors and career changers so interesting. So don't feel hamstrung to write what anyone tells you in your PS, but bear in mind that a given adcom member may have seen hundreds of thousands of PSs in his career, and yours probably won't be the one that resonates --the best you can really hope is not to come off as cliche. Folks on here can only tell you what has worked in the past and what hasn't. If that's not the kind of info you seek, then don't follow it.

 

[BuSyDaZe]

I don't think anyone said that. I did say in another thread that I personally get annoyed when people get on the pity pot about three specific things... divorce, low income, low education in family. This I recognize as my own issue. I get annoyed because I have transcended these things, all the things you mentioned above and more. Also, a large percentage of folks I know have experienced divorce or poverty. So, mentioning divorce/poverty/low education in and of themselves is not an issue to me. And, as you said, it is part of who you are. But I get annoyed when people use this as an excuse for bad grades.

FROM MOMSBUSYDAZE*****This is definitely not my intentions. My mission in this post is to also help advocate for originality and uniqueness. I feel that originality can come from within. So when I read one of the posts of a writer specifically looking to see if they fit into a particular category of "what works or doesn't work," I thought to myself that that can not possibly be original because your basing your writing off the perception of others.

FROM MOMSBUSYDAZE******In this process, many of us are so vulnerable because we want this to happen so bad that we can sometimes get lost and lose what actually brung us to the point we are at now-our uniqueness and originality.

A personal statement may be 'personal' but good writing is universal

FROM MOMSBUSYDAZE****Very true.


Just my opinion. But I completely understand why you may feel that opinions and advice regarding PS's may be confusing, conflicting and limiting for some.

*****See above inserted quotes

Don't get me wrong what you all do is much appreciated and respected. I appreciate and I know so many others do as well.
Thanks for your response

 

[QofQuimica]

I think you have a lot more leeway to be personal and fewer guidelines in your PS than some premeds are advised. But you have to remember that schools get up to 10,000 applications a year, every year, and so lots of trends and cliches have emerged. You may think that your experience with the healthcare system when you had to care for an ailing sibling was inspirational and unique, but when an adcom is reading through a pile of stories of sick siblings, yours may not stand out. There was one thread someplace that suggested that pretty much all PSs ended up being variations one one of about a dozen themes. In truth, premeds are not a creative group, which is part of the reason med schools find art majors and career changers so interesting. So don't feel hamstrung to write what anyone tells you in your PS, but bear in mind that a given adcom member may have seen hundreds of thousands of PSs in his career, and yours probably won't be the one that resonates --the best you can really hope is not to come off as cliche. Folks on here can only tell you what has worked in the past and what hasn't. If that's not the kind of info you seek, then don't follow it.

Agree.

Between SDN and four years of serving on my school's adcom, I conservatively estimate that I've read somewhere on the order of 1500 PSes. Of these, I remember exactly one that made me excited enough to actually want to meet and recruit the candidate.

Here's my advice:
Just follow the darn directions and explain "why medicine". Your goal should be to answer the question clearly, write in standard English, and get some people to proofread it before you submit to double check that you don't come off as totally creepy. Your essay doesn't have to be original, cute, dramatic, brilliant, or fascinating. In fact, I'd rather you *not* artificially try to be any of those things, because it makes my job harder if I have to sift through all these trappings to find the info that I need. If you can tell a coherent story to explain why you want to be a doc, then you've accomplished the purpose of writing a PS. That's the one absolute guideline there is.

 

[BuSyDaZe]

Agree.

Between SDN and four years of serving on my school's adcom, I conservatively estimate that I've read somewhere on the order of 1500 PSes. Of these, I remember exactly one that made me excited enough to actually want to meet and recruit the candidate.

Here's my advice:
Just follow the darn directions and explain "why medicine". Your goal should be to answer the question clearly, write in standard English, and get some people to proofread it before you submit to double check that you don't come off as totally creepy. Your essay doesn't have to be original, cute, dramatic, brilliant, or fascinating. In fact, I'd rather you *not* artificially try to be any of those things, because it makes my job harder if I have to sift through all these trappings to find the info that I need. If you can tell a coherent story to explain why you want to be a doc, then you've accomplished the purpose of writing a PS. That's the one absolute guideline there is.

I guess this is what happens when you go against the grain and have an opinion of your own. Thanks for your comment anyhow!

 

[QofQuimica]

I guess this is what happens when you go against the grain and have an opinion of your own. Thanks for your comment anyhow!

There's nothing wrong with having an opinion of your own and expressing it; that's the whole point of these forums. And I'm not really disagreeing with you so much as clarifying what the purpose of writing a PS is. A PS is not an autobiography, and it's not an apology, and it's not a random list of activities. It's an explanation of why you want to enter into this career.

You made a very good point that sometimes, people get so worried about the vessel in which they package their message, that they lose sight of the message itself. And like you suggested, the message doesn't have to be packaged just perfectly. There is also a lot to be said for sincerity and writing from the heart--*if* you write from the heart about why you want to go to medical school.

Again, I can't speak for anyone else. But when I had to get through dozens of PSes at a time, I would be skimming through them in a minute or two tops, looking to see A) what is this person's stated motivation for going into medicine; B) are there any experiences (ECs, jobs, life experiences, etc.) that suggest this person has even an inkling of what the job function of a physician entails; and C) is there anything that would make me concerned that this person might not make it through training because of academic or professionalism concerns. So, I don't really need to read two paragraphs about why you made a couple of Cs in gen chem ten years ago--especially if you have two years of straight As in your postbac and a 34 MCAT. I also don't need to know all the details of every EC you've ever done or the story of your entire life--except if it's directly relevant to answering one of the above questions.

As long as you answer the question you're being asked, feel free to write whatever you want and organize it however you want. But for the record, I also really don't like to read essays that could qualify as VR passages on the MCAT. I am a highly educated, native speaker of the English language. If I can't figure out what you're trying to say without having to parse every sentence, then no matter how sincere and beautiful the language may be, your PS has failed to accomplish what it needs to accomplish.

 

[mauberley]

All this talk of PS taboos lately makes me curious what the SDN editors would say about mine....could I send it in for editing even though it would be a complete waste of time??

I get that same curiosity sometimes--but then I have to ask myself whether that's really a good idea or not.

 

[QofQuimica]

I get that same curiosity sometimes--but then I have to ask myself whether that's really a good idea or not.

Think about it this way: if you were accepted, it couldn't have been all that bad.

 

[n3xa]

I am a highly educated, native speaker of the English language. If I can't figure out what you're trying to say without having to parse every sentence, then no matter how sincere and beautiful the language may be, your PS has failed to accomplish what it needs to accomplish.

I find myself quoting bits of people's PSes and responding with, "Explain this!" "Why is this relevant to medicine?" "This could come off as arrogant/naive/etc to a reader."

I figure that adcoms have a bajillion of these things to read and the last thing they want to do is to sit there and wonder wtf did the applicant mean when they wrote _____________?

 

[EdLongshanks]

I find myself quoting bits of people's PSes and responding with, "Explain this!" "Why is this relevant to medicine?" "This could come off as arrogant/naive/etc to a reader."

I figure that adcoms have a bajillion of these things to read and the last thing they want to do is to sit there and wonder wtf did the applicant mean when they wrote _____________?

I'm glad I don't have to write one of these PS thingies again. I sympathize with those of you who find themselves locked up by all of the advice. Talk about writer's block....

I think the key to overcoming this block is to not try to be fancy, but just start writing. A lot of what you write should then be judged by the advice in these threads. But the advice-editing should come after you write several different drafts.

 

[curt656]

I think the key to overcoming this block is to not try to be fancy, but just start writing. A lot of what you write should then be judged by the advice in these threads. But the advice-editing should come after you write several different drafts.

I agree with this. I have 3 different versions which all came about by having an idea pop into my head. Instead of filing it away and trying to remember, I start writing. Sometimes a couple of sentences come out, others a few paragraphs. Every so often, I come back to them and develop them a little more. In the end I will pick the best one, patt it on the butt, and send it out onto the field.

 

[BuSyDaZe]

That was basically the point I was making. A point- to simply just write....clear minded with as few preconceived ideas as possible.

 

[EdLongshanks]

That was basically the point I was making. A point- to simply just write....clear minded with as few preconceived ideas as possible.

I thought that might be your point. It's not that the advice on this forum is bad - it isn't, but it can be paralyzing if you haven't already started.

A bad PS can be rescued with work, but a non-existent PS can't be improved.

 

[Torr]

Well they do say to always "allow yourself to write garbage". That's usually how I start.