Are these real?

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I understand that there are many premeds out there with outstanding ec's and outstanding personal statements, but are the essays on the "essay workshop" portion of this site representitive of actual personal statements?

They are very well written and many include amazing experiences. Am I the only one who hasn't:

1.)worked in the Reproductive Ecology Laboratory at Harvard University,

2.)walked on stage as Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance,

3.)wrote about the turn of the century movement for "twilight sleep" anesthesia in childbirth,

4.)researched the effects of social support on the duration and complications of labor and delivery,

5.)investigated the controversy surrounding the Depo Provera contraceptive,

6.)studied patients who had undergone laparoscopic surgery for uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts,

7.)volunteered in a women's health clinic in Boston,

8.)acted as president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players, I led a board of fifteen strong-willed, outspoken peers


DOES ANYONE HAVE A PERSONAL STATEMENT LIKE THIS?

 

[Pinkertinkle]

That's pretty standard pre med stuff.

 

[gizmoduck]

When I read the title of this thread I half expected boobs....

Your statement is your time to shine. Pull every last time you rescued an old lady from a tree or helped a kitten cross the road out of your butt.

 

[Medikit]

I just did a ton of tutoring, both paid and volunteer. Small amount of clinical, and worked in the back office of a dentist. And now serve as an officer of our chem club. Hope it works for me.

 

[ericdamiansean]

I expected a lady with 6 boobs..damn! 😀

Nah, that's the minority of people who have so many stuff...most people would have some volunteer thingy..don't worry about it.

You'll be amazed that some people whom I know who enter med school haven't even entered a hospital before in their entire lives, and they say they want to help people 🙁

 

[Medikit]

You'll be amazed that some people whom I know who enter med school haven't even entered a hospital before in their entire lives, and they say they want to help people 🙁

You can help people without being in a hospital.

Besides you usually don't get to do anything doctor-like.

 

[willthatsall]

I understand that there are many premeds out there with outstanding ec's and outstanding personal statements, but are the essays on the "essay workshop" portion of this site representitive of actual personal statements?

They are very well written and many include amazing experiences. Am I the only one who hasn't:



4.)researched the effects of social support on the duration and complications of labor and delivery,

5.)investigated the controversy surrounding the Depo Provera contraceptive,



DOES ANYONE HAVE A PERSONAL STATEMENT LIKE THIS?

Both of these are actually excerpts from my PS, suckers.

 

[Medikit]

Both of these are actually excerpts from my PS, suckers.

How did you work "DOES ANYONE HAVE A PERSONAL STATEMENT LIKE THIS?" into your PS? I'm intrigued now.

 

[PublicEnemy]

there's an essay workshop section on this site? damn

 

[Childe]

more boobs please

 

[ericdamiansean]

You can help people without being in a hospital.

Besides you usually don't get to do anything doctor-like.

what I meant was, these people haven't had any prior help even in volunteer services, Red Cross, church etc...
they spent their entire lives studying... 🙁

 

[dukejen04]

I spent four years as a volunteer EMT, five years doing research in the same lab, 4 months in Africa teaching first-aid and hiv workshops in prison, developed a first-aid and health curriculum for schools in south africa that I presented at an international WHO conference (all by myself), played on the national u-23 rugby team, wrote a play, published a few scientific papers, graduated as the first non-south asian hindi major with dean's list w/distinction almost every semester.
so, yeah, my personal statement looks like that. shame for you?

ps. i also made a c in orgo my freshman year- both semesters, screwing my gpa permanently. but at least now i get to say i improved? i hope so 🙂

 

[kikkoman]

I spent four years as a volunteer EMT, five years doing research in the same lab, 4 months in Africa teaching first-aid and hiv workshops in prison, developed a first-aid and health curriculum for schools in south africa that I presented at an international WHO conference (all by myself), played on the national u-23 rugby team, wrote a play, published a few scientific papers, graduated as the first non-south asian hindi major with dean's list w/distinction almost every semester.
so, yeah, my personal statement looks like that. shame for you?

And you're modest too!

 

[IndyZX]

hooray for awesome people!

 

[Og kingofBashan]

Remember, she is a California resident we're talking about 😉

 

[leechy]

I spent four years as a volunteer EMT, five years doing research in the same lab, 4 months in Africa teaching first-aid and hiv workshops in prison, developed a first-aid and health curriculum for schools in south africa that I presented at an international WHO conference (all by myself), played on the national u-23 rugby team, wrote a play, published a few scientific papers, graduated as the first non-south asian hindi major with dean's list w/distinction almost every semester.
so, yeah, my personal statement looks like that. shame for you?

ps. i also made a c in orgo my freshman year- both semesters, screwing my gpa permanently. but at least now i get to say i improved? i hope so 🙂

Wow, how did you find time for all that? That's amazing. you must sleep like 4 hours a day. Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll have great success in the admissions process. 🙂

 

[on_the_fence]

How did you work "DOES ANYONE HAVE A PERSONAL STATEMENT LIKE THIS?" into your PS? I'm intrigued now.

LOL

 

[liverotcod]

8.)acted as president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players, I led a board of fifteen strong-willed, outspoken peers.

I think I was one of those peers - that is, I think I was on the board when this person was the chair. I don't how strong-willed or outspoken I was at the time, though. Or competent, for that matter.

P.S. do you think I should mention this on my PS? Like, "As I was frantically trying to come up with something to impress you adcom people, I read an old personal statement on a web site written by someone I may have used to be acquainted with. This person got into lots of med schools. I feel that this experience prepared me for a career in medicine."

 

[bigdan]

So...we're not going to get to judge boobs in this thread?
"I'll take famous titties for $1,000, Trebeck..."

There are some outstanding folks applying to get into medicine. There are also some liars. I think there's more to the meaning taken from an experience than just doing something to say that you did it...

dc

 

[kikkoman]

S I think there's more to the meaning taken from an experience than just doing something to say that you did it...

dc

I agree. I think you can do too much sometimes, and it shows. It seems to me (of course this is a totally unqualified opinion) that as long as you come across as genuine and respectful, that's going to count more than any 3000 hour hospital volunteering or trip to trinidad and tobago. I think physicians tend to be turned off by arrogant youngsters who trump up what they have done.

 

[Blake]

I always doubt it when someone posts about his '' mother theresa '' EC's. I know too many people who put fake statements in their PS. And I know some people who literally haves thousands of hours into volunteering, and who still have poor social skills. Just like when people who constantly claim they're modest actually aren't. 🙁

Sorry, but at my age (19), all I've pretty much done was work during the summer, go to parties, play videogames, do sports, study and think about girls. Sorry if I haven't had time to spend 2 years in a refugee camp in Laos. With that being said, I'm still more compassionate than the average '' mother theresa '' joe. It all depends on the people 😳

 

[kikkoman]

I always doubt it when someone posts about his '' mother theresa '' EC's. I know too many people who put fake statements in their PS. And I know some people who literally haves thousands of hours into volunteering, and who still have poor social skills. Just like when people who constantly claim they're modest actually aren't. 🙁

I'm with you. More important than what you have done is how you come across. Motivation and sincerity are often difficult to get across within a list of accomplishments and activities. Often what you say and how you say it (whether in the PS or in the interview) can (and should) mean so much more.

I've been fortunate enough to know some great (like great, great) physicians, and I think what sets them apart is a soft-spoken and respectful commitment to what they believe in. Ultimately I think (again unqualified opinion) that a lot of medical schools are looking for the same thing.

 

[bigdan]

Blake and kikko-

True. It's not medical school admissions, but in reviewing applicant resumes, I tend to get real aggressive in asking about experiences that people have that "look good" but have given that person no extra value.

Don't hate on those who have done tons, but don't count yourself out for doing a little and doing it well.

And kikko- I'm 26, and the parties, sports, and girls thing still hasn't changed.

dc

 

[kikkoman]

Blake and kikko-

True. It's not medical school admissions, but in reviewing applicant resumes, I tend to get real aggressive in asking about experiences that people have that "look good" but have given that person no extra value.

Don't hate on those who have done tons, but don't count yourself out for doing a little and doing it well.

And kikko- I'm 26, and the parties, sports, and girls thing still hasn't changed.

dc

Well, I'm more in the camp who has done "tons," but that's made me appreciate more of what has motivated me and ultimately made me better suited to be a physician. And the usually laundry list of activities and buzzword participation such as "clinical experience" has done the least. I think that a minimal involvement in what it actually means to be a doctor (i.e. getting some exposure to what it is you will be doing for the rest of your life), along with focusing on what you ultimately enjoy doing is best, and will be what sets you apart from the other resume padders. It takes courage (some of which I didn't have), but I think it pays back both in the application process, and more imporantly, in general.

 

[WalterSobchakk]

( . ) ( . )

 

[W222]

The stuff in personal statements like this is probably all real but the actuall event may be somewhat different from what was described. Like, when they said chair of this committee --when in reality she was the only one to nominate herself for the position and only one to run. So, she was the chair. Reality often differs from the person's perception by leaps and bounds. On the other hand, there are those who have done pretty amazing things in their short 20+ years.

 

[Keberson]

Like, when they said chair of this committee --when in reality she was the only one to nominate herself for the position and only one to run.\


haha...wow. I guess that it is true. I always though of it as not how you got the "chair" but what you did as the "chair person" or whatever. You may have been the only one to run but did you do a good job?