question about personal statement

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Unga

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I'm a non-traditional student with many years of social work experience (i.e. child abuse investigator, case manager for kids with developmental disabilities) including medical social work at two hospitals doing counselling and discharge planning. I'm stuck on how to approach my personal statement. I was planning to spend the first half describing my unconventional path towards medicine (like telling a story), and then the 2nd half focusing on my clinical experience and what area of medicine I want to practice (primary care or emergency medicine for an urban underserved population). Any suggestions or ideas?

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I'm a non-traditional student with many years of social work experience (i.e. child abuse investigator, case manager for kids with developmental disabilities) including medical social work at two hospitals doing counselling and discharge planning. I'm stuck on how to approach my personal statement. I was planning to spend the first half describing my unconventional path towards medicine (like telling a story), and then the 2nd half focusing on my clinical experience and what area of medicine I want to practice (primary care or emergency medicine for an urban underserved population). Any suggestions or ideas?

:thumbup: I like it.

From other threads I have seen, others have suggested it would be okay to say you are inclined to pursue some area of medicine, but not be too specific.. What was the example they said not to use? Umm... pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon? I think the ones you have mentioned are good though.

Starting the personal statement is hard. I made a list of things I wanted to include in it first. Then I think I did a general outline of the main points. Finally, I thought of an anecdote to use. I still don't think it's that great, but such is life. Take your time with it. It will come to you eventually.
 
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It is not necessary or desirable to spend a lot of time discussing the medical specialty you feel drawn to, rather focus on 'why medicine?'. It strikes me that a good anecdote to start with would be (briefly, but poignantly) a child abuse case scenario where you could have been more effective with medical training, or where the consulting physican gave great benefit assisting in a case. It would grab attention. Then go back to the beginning of your journey to medicine. And wrap up going back to the case and connecting it to your future.
 
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