* * 2011-2012 Personal Statement Thread * *

[Iliketoytles]

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I realize I'm a little late on this one, but would anyone be willing to critique my PS? I'm also open to whatever. I know I'm not the best writer so I'd really appreciate it if anyone could provide me some feedback! Thanks!

I'll be happy to read yours as well. PM me with it and I'll get it back to you as soon as I can.

 

[PopeJoja]

I'll read as well. 🙂

 

[fingerscrossedd]

Hi Guys! is there anything specifically I must touch on in my PS? Is it bad to use the same one I used for MD applications?

 

[kashford]

Hi Guys! is there anything specifically I must touch on in my PS? Is it bad to use the same one I used for MD applications?

No, you can reuse it for almost every school... If there is a particular school that asks you to talk about osteopathic medicine then do it in the secondary

 

[fingerscrossedd]

No, you can reuse it for almost every school... If there is a particular school that asks you to talk about osteopathic medicine then do it in the secondary

awesome, thank you very much!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Also know that the MD one needs to be 5300 characters or less while the DO one needs to be 4500 characters or less. So depending on how long yours is, you may need to modify it a little.

 

[Whosis]

I kept the theme of my PS the same but I took some of the fluff out of my MD one and added a paragraph about why DO.

 

[AACmd]

I was accepted to 2 DO schools and I didn't mention anything about osteopathic medicine in my PS.

 

[DryHopped]

Okay, I am planning on applying to just one MD school (my state school) the rest of the schools I will be applying to are DO schools. I was wondering if it would be okay to use the same PS for both applications? I don't feel that adding more content to get closer to the 5300 character limit will be beneficial, but I also don't want to look lazy.

 

[LifeTake2]

Okay, I am planning on applying to just one MD school (my state school) the rest of the schools I will be applying to are DO schools. I was wondering if it would be okay to use the same PS for both applications? I don't feel that adding more content to get closer to the 5300 character limit will be beneficial, but I also don't want to look lazy.

You are fine. Adding weakly written content just to fill the page is a bad idea. Write one good PS, and use it for both and you will be fine.

 

[dmplz707]

Hey everyone so I am still working on my personal statement and I am wondering if it is imperative that I mention osteopathic medicine as opposed to just saying medicine. For example, I mention that "that I want to pursue a career in medicine". Is it better to be specific and say osteopathic medicine? Thanks a lot.

 

[Iliketoytles]

Epic thread bump I know... but if there's anyone who hasn't submitted AACOMAS yet and needs help with their PS, feel free to message me. I should be able to reply/edit them quickly. 👍

 

[rgreens1]

I want to start writing my ps over winter for next cycle and I'm brainstorming topics. I have a few things to write about, and one of my ideas is writing about my experience renting apartments to senior citizens. I know this has NOTHING to do with medicine, but I thought it was a different topic than usual, plus I can relate it back to medicine in a few ways. Renting to seniors allows me to walk them through tough decisions. After 50+ years of living in their own house, moving to an apartment is a really big deal to them, and I am there to help them with the decision. I have seen many people come into my office absolutely miserable, and leave happy because I am able to walk them through the process and make them feel comfortable. I would relate this to how I want to pursue primary care because I would like to be a constant source of support for my patients, someone that they can grow with and rely on. Is this topic way too far off base? If it is I definitely have other topics to write about, I just thought this one was interesting.

 

[Iliketoytles]

I want to start writing my ps over winter for next cycle and I'm brainstorming topics. I have a few things to write about, and one of my ideas is writing about my experience renting apartments to senior citizens. I know this has NOTHING to do with medicine, but I thought it was a different topic than usual, plus I can relate it back to medicine in a few ways. Renting to seniors allows me to walk them through tough decisions. After 50+ years of living in their own house, moving to an apartment is a really big deal to them, and I am there to help them with the decision. I have seen many people come into my office absolutely miserable, and leave happy because I am able to walk them through the process and make them feel comfortable. I would relate this to how I want to pursue primary care because I would like to be a constant source of support for my patients, someone that they can grow with and rely on. Is this topic way too far off base? If it is I definitely have other topics to write about, I just thought this one was interesting.

If you feel strongly about this experience, then you should go for it! It sounds like you already have a very basic idea of where you want to go in your PS. Choosing a theme can be difficult, so good for you in already planning on one.

Generally, anything can be good as long as you feel strongly about it... be sure to convey your words effectively. One major flaw I see in a lot of PS's I've edited is that either the person has a great idea but it's weakened by poor word usage, or the idea is there but it's drawn on too much. Be sure to be clear, concise, and passionate in your word choice.