Being 'too truthful' in your PS

[von Matterhorn]

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I have gotten some criticism from my parents on my PS in that I'm a little too truthful in my PS.

I've witnessed a lot of bad in the world of medicine, and I made sure to mention that in my PS and how it has shaped my personal views on medicine and how I'd like to avoid those pitfalls myself. I also made mention of how applying to medical school had been a bit of a back and forth decision for me because a lot of uncertainties in medicine are present.

I figured every day admissions offices read the same old 'I've always wanted to be a doctor, medicine is wonderful, I've never had a doubt, blah blah' spiel. I wanted to be completely truthful in mine and talk about HOW my views were shaped, and how I came to my decision to apply to medical school.

So, I ask you, do you think it's in poor taste to mention these things in a PS? Everyone else I've shown it to has thought it was a fine PS, no other mentions of excessive cynicism in it.

 

[235788]

I think you have to be a little more specific. Yes, you can. But you may want to check with others to ensure that you're not crossing any line.


I pray that your entire story can't be condensed down to this:

I met a doctor who sucked. I want to become a doctor because I dont suck. People shouldn't have doctors who suck.

 

[235009]

in general you don't want your PS to have a negative tone. feel free to PM your PS to me and i'll give you specific feedback

 

[Ismet]

I had a bit of this in my PS. In an early draft, I talked about a nurse who was treating a patient extremely rudely in the ED, where I was volunteering. My pre-health advisor helped me turn it around so I was still getting the same point across but without the negative tone. Have you asked an advisor or professor to read through it and give you honest feedback? Often they can give you better feedback on what is considered cynical/unprofessional than peers can.

 

[thlaxer]

You should be truthful in your PS, but being "too truthful" can sometimes hurt you. You don't want to talk badly about other people in your personal statement (either intentionally or unintentionally). It's going to reflect poorly on you. In most cases, you can showcase the same positive traits without putting others down. Also, be careful of giving off a 'know-it-all' or accusatory vibe when you talk about the 'a lot of bad' you've seen in medicine. It could easily rub someone the wrong way imo (we are premeds after all).

 

[von Matterhorn]

Great, thanks guys/gals, all advice noted 😀 I read through it and changed some wording to be a little less harsh. I understand that you never want to put someone else on blast, so I made sure none of that was anywhere in my PS. SkinMD, I'll shoot you a copy of it tomorrow after I tweak it a little more

 

[couragetcd]

I did one of those typical pre-med missions abroad trips and had an experience with a pretty callous doctor. In my initial draft of my PS, I wrote about how that had turned me off medical practice with the same desire to be very honest. In the final draft it turned into a recounting of my failings while assisting his medical practice and how it drove my current interest in bioethics. Basically, rather than attack the deficiencies, if you can cast a different light on the bad you've seen, it would probably give you a stronger PS.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

Maybe they are being a little too dishonest? 😉