Our clients are bright, accomplished people—who make these mistakes all the time. Here's what to avoid in your writing.
Dwelling on childhood stories: Warning: this may sound harsh. Saying you played doctor as a kid should not feature prominently in your Personal Statement. It especially should not open the essay. If anything, it could be a cute aside mentioned where it makes sense. But we'd skip it: It's not a unique sentiment. Schools don't care how long you've wanted to be a doctor—they care if you have the potential and drive to be one. What med schools want to know most is, to paraphrase Janet Jackson: "What have you done in medicine lately?”
This doesn't mean that a flashback scene is never relevant. If your mom had cancer when you were eight years old,you grew up fast, and you learned things about the healthcare system and doctor-patient interactions that influencedyour medical school goals. That is noteworthy.
But you need this essay to focus on your recent impactful experiences. Ones that reinforced your interest in studying medicine and gave you the skills applicable to excelling in a program.
Follow us on Instagram or LinkedIn and check out our blog for more medical school school news, trends, and application tips!
Dwelling on childhood stories: Warning: this may sound harsh. Saying you played doctor as a kid should not feature prominently in your Personal Statement. It especially should not open the essay. If anything, it could be a cute aside mentioned where it makes sense. But we'd skip it: It's not a unique sentiment. Schools don't care how long you've wanted to be a doctor—they care if you have the potential and drive to be one. What med schools want to know most is, to paraphrase Janet Jackson: "What have you done in medicine lately?”
This doesn't mean that a flashback scene is never relevant. If your mom had cancer when you were eight years old,you grew up fast, and you learned things about the healthcare system and doctor-patient interactions that influencedyour medical school goals. That is noteworthy.
But you need this essay to focus on your recent impactful experiences. Ones that reinforced your interest in studying medicine and gave you the skills applicable to excelling in a program.
Follow us on Instagram or LinkedIn and check out our blog for more medical school school news, trends, and application tips!
