Anyone tried using humor in secondaries?

[uclaussr]

Something like light/nonoffensive humor? Any luck with that or is that too risky?

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[NickNaylor]

I wouldn't do it. You will likely not come across as funny and may even piss people off.

 

[OncoticPressure]

Something like light/nonoffensive humor? Any luck with that or is that too risky?

Bad idea. You're not as funny as you probably think. Some might not appreciate the humor or even be confused by it.

 

[yankeesmed]

Humor goes right along with humility, which is an important trait for doctors. I used a joke in all of my secondaries that allowed for it. I have two interviews from those so far--the other four interviews didn't have essays.

These adcoms are people just like you and I. Of course they will love to read something a little different than what everyone wrote. If you have something that you really like, that you know is not inappropriate, it's a good idea. Definitely depends on the school and how much you are willing to gamble. Also, it's a personality thing. I am the type who cannot write or say anything without a bit of humor. When they met me at the interview, they met that same person. I was professional, but I also made each and every interviewer laugh here or there.

My joke in my essay was a tiny bit self-depricating. Being able to laugh at yourself is a good quality to have as you prepare to be at the mercy of attendings and residents like Dr. Cox.

If you want, I am willing to read the essay via PM and give you my opinion on if it's appropriate or not.

 

[Danlee07]

you can only laugh at yourself when you're confident...otherwise it's just pathetic. and it oozes through even letters on paper...

 

[Playa]

try this one, why did the chicken cross the road?……to get to its med school interview on time. See? your a comedian already.

 

[OncoticPressure]

Humor goes right along with humility, which is an important trait for doctors. I used a joke in all of my secondaries that allowed for it. I have two interviews from those so far--the other four interviews didn't have essays.

These adcoms are people just like you and I. Of course they will love to read something a little different than what everyone wrote. If you have something that you really like, that you know is not inappropriate, it's a good idea. Definitely depends on the school and how much you are willing to gamble. Also, it's a personality thing. I am the type who cannot write or say anything without a bit of humor. When they met me at the interview, they met that same person. I was professional, but I also made each and every interviewer laugh here or there.

My joke in my essay was a tiny bit self-depricating. Being able to laugh at yourself is a good quality to have as you prepare to be at the mercy of attendings and residents like Dr. Cox.

If you want, I am willing to read the essay via PM and give you my opinion on if it's appropriate or not.

This is bad advice. The risk/benefit ration is too high. 👎

 

[orthomyxo]

Humor goes right along with humility, which is an important trait for doctors. I used a joke in all of my secondaries that allowed for it. I have two interviews from those so far--the other four interviews didn't have essays.

These adcoms are people just like you and I. Of course they will love to read something a little different than what everyone wrote. If you have something that you really like, that you know is not inappropriate, it's a good idea. Definitely depends on the school and how much you are willing to gamble. Also, it's a personality thing. I am the type who cannot write or say anything without a bit of humor. When they met me at the interview, they met that same person. I was professional, but I also made each and every interviewer laugh here or there.

My joke in my essay was a tiny bit self-depricating. Being able to laugh at yourself is a good quality to have as you prepare to be at the mercy of attendings and residents like Dr. Cox.

If you want, I am willing to read the essay via PM and give you my opinion on if it's appropriate or not.

Really....anything? My God, I hope you never have to tell anyone's family about a tough prognosis or something.

"Your grandma has AIDS...........JUST KIDDING, SHE HAS CANCER!!!! MAN YOU SHOULDA SEEN YOUR FACES!!!"

Not a good idea.

 

[drghost]

Here is what I did in my interview. I got this idea from a friend at Tulane Medical school while I was in grad school there....

Interviewer: "So why do you want to be a doctor?"
*silence*
Me: "Well, You see... there is this boat. And the only way I can pay for it is to become a doctor. I have it all planed out see... *random bs about a boat for like 30 sec*"
*silence*
*silence*
Me: "I'm just kidding."
Interviewer: *Laughter*
Me: "I really want to be a doctor because....."


Try it. Results not guaranteed. 👍

 

[Ischemic]

Really....anything? My God, I hope you never have to tell anyone's family about a tough prognosis or something.

"Your grandma has AIDS...........JUST KIDDING, SHE HAS CANCER!!!! MAN YOU SHOULDA SEEN YOUR FACES!!!"

Not a good idea.

lol, yeah, if you always need humor for things you're not gonna make it. There's a time for funny (peds) and not funny (breaking news a kid died). So wise up.

 

[RadioCure]

lol, yeah, if you always need humor for things you're not gonna make it. There's a time for funny (peds) and not funny (breaking news a kid died). So wise up.

Do you guys seriously think he meant he always has to use humor? Don't take everything so literally. You sound ridiculous thinking you have to tell him not to make jokes when a patient dies.

 

[Ischemic]

Do you guys seriously think he meant he always has to use humor? Don't take everything so literally. You sound ridiculous thinking you have to tell him not to make jokes when a patient dies.

Did you read what he wrote? Here, let me quote it out for you so you can get a better look.

"I am the type who cannot write or say anything without a bit of humor"

You'd be surprised how many people don't know how to act in certain situations, thus I don't give people the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Grom]

This is bad advice. The risk/benefit ration is too high. 👎

Agreed. And to yankee, just saying you used humor doesn't mean much because we don't know if you're going to get acceptances, and even if you do, we don't know if using humor helped you or held you back.

 

[McBatCommander]

Using humor is fine, i'd say. Just be sure it blends in, and isn't just straight up jokes. I think it'd take skill. But it's worth a shot if you are confident. But then think about it, will being funny help you any?

 

[orthomyxo]

Using humor is fine, i'd say. Just be sure it blends in, and isn't just straight up jokes. I think it'd take skill. But it's worth a shot if you are confident. But then think about it, will being funny help you any?

That's a good thing to ask yourself.

The way I see it, the PS is really supposed to be a serious "why medicine" essay, and since it's basically you presenting your case for admission to med school, you really don't want to come off as some kind of jokester. The last thing you want to do is appear to be noncommittal in some way.

However, in interviews I'm sure that making your interviewer chuckle once or twice certainly can't hurt. It will only serve to lighten the mood and possibly lead to a nice, casual conversation. But moderation is key; you don't want to play stand-up comedian.

Edit: just realized that OP said humor in secondaries, not the PS....my bad 😀

 

[Dianyla]

Also, it's a personality thing. I am the type who cannot write or say anything without a bit of humor. When they met me at the interview, they met that same person. I was professional, but I also made each and every interviewer laugh here or there.

My joke in my essay was a tiny bit self-deprecating. Being able to laugh at yourself is a good quality to have as you prepare to be at the mercy of attendings and residents like Dr. Cox.

I'm exactly the same way. I did make sure I was relatively restrained, and I specifically requested sanity checks from my readers to ensure I wasn't coming off as flippant. Even after heavy editing, there was still a fair bit of wit in all of my written materials that I submitted. It's who I am, and it's how I speak and communicate.

I think the key is to be yourself. Trying to employ humor or wit when it's not your true voice tends to fall flat. At best it sounds canned and insincere, at worst it sounds pathetic.

 

[MB333999]

i did in my primary.

for one of my activities i was hosting a coffee house (got student musicians to play at a bar blah blah)

i said "as the host for the event i was responsible for making sure the schedule was followed and for cracking bad jokes"

lol...not terribly funny but i thought it showed some personality

i got interviews at georgetown, nyu and boston so far. so it by no means killed me.

 

[wristbandMD]

Bad idea. You're not as funny as you probably think. Some might not appreciate the humor or even be confused by it.

This is unfortunately true for everyone. Only do it if you have people proof read it and (most) everyone laughs.

 

[rhesuspieces]

I'm exactly the same way. I did make sure I was relatively restrained, and I specifically requested sanity checks from my readers to ensure I wasn't coming off as flippant. Even after heavy editing, there was still a fair bit of wit in all of my written materials that I submitted. It's who I am, and it's how I speak and communicate.

I think the key is to be yourself. Trying to employ humor or wit when it's not your true voice tends to fall flat. At best it sounds canned and insincere, at worst it sounds pathetic.

This!! Also, you don't need to use humor in the traditional sense to bring a sense of wit and lightheartedness to your essays. If you're that kind of person, it will come through naturally...as long as you don't over-edit and bring your voice into what you write!

I have as much insight into what goes on in the average adcom member's mind as any other applicant, but I'd imagine secondary essays can get very formulaic and heavy-handed. It would probably be nice to see something different!

 

[phonyreal98]

Perhaps LizzyM or one of the other adcom members that browse these forums could chime in on what they think about humor in applications?

 

[yankeesmed]

i did in my primary.

for one of my activities i was hosting a coffee house (got student musicians to play at a bar blah blah)

i said "as the host for the event i was responsible for making sure the schedule was followed and for cracking bad jokes"

lol...not terribly funny but i thought it showed some personality

i got interviews at georgetown, nyu and boston so far. so it by no means killed me.

My "joke" was something similar to this. It came when I was describing one of my activities, a group I was the leader of. I did not sit there and think, "must-insert-humor-now," it's just the way I write allowed for a moment of lightheartedness when talking about my activity.

I have focused on being honest in my secondaries. It would be dishonest for me to take some of the activities I've done so seriously. When I wrote about working with very sick patients, my tone was serious. When I wrote about being president of the jellyfishing club, it would have been awkward not to incorporate some of the inherent humor.

I looked at someone's essay who wanted to "be funny" and my opinion was that they should leave the "joke" out. A flat-out "joke" is probably to risky and inappropriate. But to have a witty tone? Your application is tons of pages long. Premeds stereotypically take themselves way too seriously. Showing a little life is important in standing out. For me, that means my essays might make the reader smirk here or there. But only if called for.

That means if your application only has computer science research, hospice volunteering, and employment as a pallbearer, you might be out of luck if you want to incorporate some humor.

 

[yankeesmed]

Just wanted to add:

In my opinion, humor is rarely if ever needed in an application. It should be seriously avoided when responding to serious questions, ie "what challenges have you faced," "ethical dilemma" etc. However, when talking about yourself in questions asking to describe an activity or even the "how will you add to diversity" type question, discretionary wittiness is not inappropriate. It won't get you into med school though.

 

[echolalia16]

If you're confident enough in your ability to include humor into your secondary without it being perceived as offensive or weakening your statement then I say go for it. In the right context humor can be an incredibly effective tool; especially for readers who consume hours of their days most likely reading generic, ultra-serious, conservative secondaries written in a style that implies the author thought they were original.

At the very least you'll stand out, and for the record, I used a bit of light humor in one of my secondaries.

 

[drimpossible]

Save humor for the interviews, and keep it at a minimum if you can help it. There usually is some room for lightness there, but not always. At a recent interview, my interviewer introduced himself and asked me to pull up a chair. I grabbed the chair, and responded with a smile by saying "how close do you want it?". He chuckled and said "VERY CLOSE". Not funny per se, but it broke the ice pretty well and we got right down to business.

 

[LizzyM]

If an essay makes me laugh out loud, most genuinely laugh, it is almost a guarantee that I'll recomend an interview. Those are very, very rare (1%?) but as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot day.

Ten years ago applications were more wacky, or maybe those are just most memorable: essays written like personal ads with likes and dislikes (Likes: chicken noodle soup and daisies. Dislikes: stuck up people and meanness). Maybe they are more rare because they made us laugh -- but in a bad way -- and didn't always acheive their goal of getting the applicant into medical school.

 

[Bengarama]

I used humor in my primary. While my essay was serious, I tend to be very lighthearted. I have middling stats, and I've gotten 5 interviews so far. It might not have helped me, but I certainly don't think that it hurt me...

 

[teddy bear doc]

I agree with what some others have said. Jokes? No. Wittiness? Sure, if that's how you really are and it sounds like your voice. Only do it if you are confident that it is really you though; if it feels like a gamble, DON'T.

I had a pretty light tone to my PS compared to other PSs I've read and also in some secondaries (i.e. ones that asked about personal likes/dislikes, hobbies, etc.). Not so light that it looked like I wasn't serious about becoming a doctor and my interest in medicine, but light enough that it was like, "hey, I am not a boring automaton churning out grades, I have a sense of humor, too."

I have had 1 interview so far, where I was complimented more than once on the fact that my essays were entertaining, and I have 3 others lined up in the next few weeks. Hopefully it pans out! GL whatever you decide!

 

[ucsfstudents]

It's a risk that sometimes doesn't go over well with the reader. Your best bet is to stay away from using humor in your writings. If you do use humor, make sure it passes the professionalism sniff test.

 

[TFS]

save it for the interview. humor often doesn't come across well on paper. i tried it in my first PS and people who knew me well got it, but a lot of people also didn't.

 

[jm192]

Something like light/nonoffensive humor? Any luck with that or is that too risky?

My personal statement started with a lame, non-offensive type joke.

You've got to be 100% sure no one is getting offended though.

 

[MisterVeil]

A good way to start any PS:

"A priest, an imam, and a rabbi walk into a bar..."

 

[LizzyM]

A good way to start any PS:

"A priest, an imam, and a rabbi walk into a bar..."

they forgot to duck! And so there they were in the ER....

 

[Playa]

they forgot to duck! And so there they were in the ER....

And priest says "isn't that nurse hot?", the imam says "Allah no way! it is unholy to think of things like that!", and the rabbi goes "Hope we get a discount on her."

See this is why no point in using humor, adcoms don't really have a sense of one.

 

[LizzyM]

And priest says "isn't that nurse hot?", the imam says "Allah no way! it is unholy to think of things like that!", and the rabbi goes "Hope we get a discount on her."

See this is why no point in using humor, adcoms don't really have a sense of one.

And this is why there is no point in trying to make a joke within an application if you are going to use humor at plays on religious and ethnic stereotypes and winds up being insulting and offensive.

 

[OncoticPressure]

And priest says "isn't that nurse hot?", the imam says "Allah no way! it is unholy to think of things like that!", and the rabbi goes "Hope we get a discount on her."

See this is why no point in using humor, adcoms don't really have a sense of one.

How did you get a hold of yankeesmed's secondary essays?

 

[wanderer]

I feel that your GPA/MCAT, activities, personal statement, and LORs (for some schools) are what get you the interviews. For a lot of schools, the secondary doesn't matter as long as you don't include anything ridiculous (or if you happen to have a compelling reason to go there that isn't otherwise apparent), so trying to include humor has the potential to hurt you a lot more than it can help you.