PS Comments - Common Themes

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Ad2b

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Some overall comments on the many that I've reviewed and commented on to date. Hopefully, other reviewers will comment as well and we can sticky this thread to help others.

Overall, ya'll are doing awesome!! Don't stop!

1. Answer the question "WHY" is MD/DO the ONLY way to do what you want? What is it about being a physician? Why NOT NP, RN, DNP, etc that won't work (though I would NOT address the allied health fields directly). In your mind, think about what IS different between the fields ... that might help you address / answer the question.

2. Do not, under any circumstances, reveal personally identifiable information about anyone other than yourself. This is ALL about YOU! You can talk about their stories, their impact, their lives but please remember HIPAA :)

3. Don't tell the adcoms what a physician does. You can infer what you believe they do but don't leave it out there as a fact because, in fact, we're just a bunch of premeds wanting to be a physician with really little-clue what it is that encompasses their profession. Our shadowing gives us a glimpse but not the full picture.

4. Don't put in walls of text. Think like newspaper articles. Small, short paragraphs make it easier to skim (as they are known to do). PLUS if the content is broken up in smaller paragraphs, it's easier to catch the story as one skims. I've been told by my cousin who sits on an allo adcom that very few of the PSs are read in-depth. NOT because we don't have interesting stories but because the 1000s of stories the adcoms have to sift through.

Last, I've been honored that ya'll who have trusted me with your stories have done so. They have helped me realized how I am not alone in the struggles through premed and in that, I'm blessed.

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@gonnif - had that but emphasized it... thank you for pointing it out :)
 
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