Advice on risky PS

[psychcloud]

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Hello,
I am on my final draft of my personal statement for my application. I am seeking advice from current medical students about how risky or problematic my PS may be. My introduction discusses family troubles and is a major part of my theme. I will PM my personal statement to anyone interested. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, please let me know!

 

[Oso]

I’m assuming you’re applying to psych. While hopefully some psych people will chime in here, I want to recommend also running your PS by a psych faculty member at your school for feedback. Do you have a psych mentor/advisor of some sort? Perhaps someone who wrote you a letter?

 

[psychcloud]

I’m assuming you’re applying to psych. While hopefully some psych people will chime in here, I want to recommend also running your PS by a psych faculty member at your school for feedback. Do you have a psych mentor/advisor of some sort? Perhaps someone who wrote you a letter?

I am definitely interested in psychiatry but am not set on that at all actually. I am also applying to medical school not residencies, sorry if i didn't make that clear. This is my PS for the primary application. Let me know if you can take a look, I would greatly appreciate it!

 

[Oso]

I am definitely interested in psychiatry but am not set on that at all actually. I am also applying to medical school not residencies, sorry if i didn't make that clear. This is my PS for the primary application. Let me know if you can take a look, I would greatly appreciate it!

Ahh my bad. That’s what I get for quickly switching back and forth between the forums. Sorry!

 

[gyngyn]

Ahh my bad. That’s what I get for quickly switching back and forth between the forums. Sorry!

(He was in the wrong forum...).

 

[Oso]

(He was in the wrong forum...).

Vindicated!!

 

[getdown]

Hello,
I am on my final draft of my personal statement for my application. I am seeking advice from current medical students about how risky or problematic my PS may be. My introduction discusses family troubles and is a major part of my theme. I will PM my personal statement to anyone interested. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, please let me know!

I'd like to point out that there's a difference between writing about a topic that's risky but is personal to you vs writing about a risky topic for the sake of "standing out" to the adcom. The PS should be where you show your reader the human being in you and explain your motivations for medicine. The rest of the AMCAS application already shows the number side, but the PS is the only real human connection. In your case, if it's a risky topic that provides insight as to what is motivating you to go through with this insane process then it will inevitably make you stand out in a good way. Succinctly address the struggles but explain it in a positive way how it relates to your desire to enter medicine. However, if you're just using it as an attention grabber it will ultimately fall flat and you'll stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Most adcoms who've been doing this for years have read all kinds of essays and nothing really jumps out anymore. What will jump out is being genuine.

 

[Med Ed]

Hello,
I am on my final draft of my personal statement for my application. I am seeking advice from current medical students about how risky or problematic my PS may be. My introduction discusses family troubles and is a major part of my theme. I will PM my personal statement to anyone interested. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, please let me know!

I'll bite.