how to link non-medical volunteer to medicine

[wblack]

I am having trouble with personal statement in that how to link non-medical volunteer experience like foodbank to why i want to go into medicine? I understand the community aspect but i am having a tough time with this.

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[tantacles]

I am having trouble with personal statement in that how to link non-medical volunteer experience like foodbank to why i want to go into medicine? I understand the community aspect but i am having a tough time with this.

I managed to do this by essentially stating that because I was working with underserved communities with my tutoring (haitian immigrants without high school diplomas), that I had unique insight (not cliche yet, but just wait a few years) into the issues of trust and communication that accompany a language barrier.

 

[NotAsking4Much]

I am having trouble with personal statement in that how to link non-medical volunteer experience like foodbank to why i want to go into medicine? I understand the community aspect but i am having a tough time with this.

My honest suggestion...is don't.

Find activities that easily show why you want to be in medicine. Use your activities like food bank to show why you fit in medicine or have learned applicable skills in medicine.

No matter how you stretch it...working in underprivileged communities or what not does not substitute for shadowing a doctor / ER / working in a clinic where you actually see medicine happen.

 

[Myro]

lol. Is this what happens when you activities come from a checklist for med school?

Seriously though. Why don't you start with asking yourself why you started volunteering at the food bank in the first place?

 

[theseeker4]

My honest suggestion...is don't.

Find activities that easily show why you want to be in medicine. Use your activities like food bank to show why you fit in medicine or have learned applicable skills in medicine.

No matter how you stretch it...working in underprivileged communities or what not does not substitute for shadowing a doctor / ER / working in a clinic where you actually see medicine happen.

This. Your PS is not the place to try to tie each and every thing you ever did to medicine. There actually is no place that you have to/should do this. Your PS is to show why you want to be a doctor. If you are struggling to tie something you did to this theme, you are doing it wrong and it doesn't belong there.

Your activities are part of who you are, what kind of person you are, whether or not they directly relate to medicine. If you write each activity as "I did this and this and this, and it shows why I would be a good doctor/why I want to be in medicine because..." it will be obvious to everyone who reads your application that you are trying too hard.