Better way to say "alleviate suffering"?

[Prometheus123]

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A physician on SDN who generously reviewed my latest PS draft made an astute observation. I use the phrase "alleviate human suffering" repeatedly throughout my PS. His concern was that this sounds somewhat grandiose. Do you agree? Any suggestions for alternative phrases?

What about "ease" instead of "alleviate," as in "I longed to ease human suffering". Good? Still grandiose?

For context, my spiritual beliefs are heavily influenced by Buddhism, in which alleviating the suffering of sentient of beings is sort of the point of life. Most often, this means nothing more than being kind to people (and teaching meditation). Because of my experience with this, I say this a lot without hearing how the words sound.

 

[Skarl]

I would consider why you want to pursue specifically medicine if you merely want to alleviate suffering. Many other professions alleviate suffering; why not those? What draws you to medicine? I would reflect and think of a well thought out reason.

 

[Professional Student]

How about "quench the fiery agony which is life."

 

[Prometheus123]

I would consider why you want to pursue specifically medicine if you merely want to alleviate suffering. Many other professions alleviate suffering; why not those? What draws you to medicine? I would reflect and think of a well thought out reason.

This is a single sentence fragment out of context. I have many reasons that are now (hopefully) well-articulated in my new PS. I will PM you the paragraph so you can see the context if you want to.

More to the point though, does "ease human suffering" sound toned-down enough?

 

[Prometheus123]

How about "quench the fiery agony which is life."

Haha, sounds like you're looking for the pre-executioner forum.

 

[Professional Student]

Haha, sounds like you're looking for the pre-executioner forum.

You caught me!!

 

[Catalystik]

does "ease human suffering" sound toned-down enough?

Could be still misinterpreted as pro-euthanasia.

 

[Prometheus123]

Could be still misinterpreted as pro-euthanasia.

Ah, now I understand joschar's joke. That didn't even occur to me, which is ironic since I'm in Oregon. I doubt anyone would interpret the phrase that way in context, but I could be wrong. I tweaked it a little to focus it a little more on the positive compliment to easing suffering.

If anyone is curious/feeling generous, I could PM it with the key phrases in bold.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

I wouldn't say "alleviate human suffering" sounds so much grandiose as it does naive or superficial. If this philosophy is central to your beliefs then I can certainly understand it being used in your statement... but I would limit its use to once -- as opposed to being what sounds like a recurrent theme.

 

[Pandion]

Hard to make a good suggestion without context, but I will say the part that sounds grandiose to me is not "alleviate" but "human".

That is, "alleviate human suffering" or even "ease human suffering" implies that you want to single-handedly ease all suffering for all humans everywhere.

Being this expansive and this general sounds, as SpartanWolverine noted, naive and superficial. It's an unrealistic goal.

I'd see if you could reframe your desire a little more narrowly/specifically. For example, is there a particular community you want to help, perhaps?

 

[Prometheus123]

Hard to make a good suggestion without context, but I will say the part that sounds grandiose to me is not "alleviate" but "human".

That is, "alleviate human suffering" or even "ease human suffering" implies that you want to single-handedly ease all suffering for all humans everywhere.

Being this expansive and this general sounds, as SpartanWolverine noted, naive and superficial. It's an unrealistic goal.

I'd see if you could reframe your desire a little more narrowly/specifically. For example, is there a particular community you want to help, perhaps?

Yes, patients who suffer from chronic diseases, especially neurodegenerative and metabolic conditions. I realize even that's too broad, but it's what I've narrowed it down at this (very) early stage in my career.

If you don't mind, I'll PM it to you with relevant phrases in bold so you can scan through it.

EDIT: Per your very helpful observation about the word "human", I changed every instance I found of that problematic phrasing.

 

[Smerdyakov]

Just my worthless opinion, but I believe that the foundation of human existence is suffering. To alleviate it is to quench that very essence of life, which would be the antithesis of medicine.
Suffering is not something we can augment or diminish. They just are. Diseases are nothing but ignoble barriers preventing man from truly suffering, from experiencing lives. Our task as physicians is therefore to make man suffer to the fullest extent.

 

[Prometheus123]

Just my worthless opinion, but I believe that the foundation of human existence is suffering. To alleviate it is to quench that very essence of life, which would be the antithesis of medicine.
Suffering is not something we can augment or diminish. They just are. Diseases are nothing but ignoble barriers preventing man from truly suffering, from experiencing lives. Our task as physicians is therefore to make man suffer to the fullest extent.

This just got Nietzschean. I guess I would say yes, but suffering can lead to either growth or decay. I'd say our duty is to help make sure that the person's suffering leads to a greater strength and will to power so it is not wasted, so it has meaning.

 

[getdown]

Alleviate human suffering pretty much equals "I want to help people". It's generic, cliche and trite even if you actually do want to do that. Almost every other applicant will have some variation of this so after talking to enough applicants and reading enough PS stating this it's just not gonna cut it unless you have a strong, compelling personal story that actually backs up that statement and makes up a central part of your PS. It's good you already have other reasons that are well articulated so my suggestion is to focus on that personal story if you have one but to take it out or mention it in passing and focus on more unique to you reasons.

 

[IlDestriero]

Sounds like you'd be more fulfilled as a monk.
We don't alleviate human suffering, often the opposite, we prolong the agony.


--
Il Destriero

 

[Prometheus123]

Sounds like you'd be more fulfilled as a monk.
We don't alleviate human suffering, often the opposite, we prolong the agony.


--
Il Destriero

Yes, but you prolong life, which is a sacred duty. I can't say that in my PS though, can I?

 

[Goro]

Yes, but you prolong life, which is a sacred duty. I can't say that in my PS though, can I?

Because as is, it displays a profound ignorance of modern Medicine. Again, you are coming off as starry eyed.

I suggest you go work in hospice or a nursing home, or a Peds unit

 

[Prometheus123]

Alleviate human suffering pretty much equals "I want to help people". It's generic, cliche and trite even if you actually do want to do that. Almost every other applicant will have some variation of this so after talking to enough applicants and reading enough PS stating this it's just not gonna cut it unless you have a strong, compelling personal story that actually backs up that statement and makes up a central part of your PS. It's good you already have other reasons that are well articulated so my suggestion is to focus on that personal story if you have one but to take it out or mention it in passing and focus on more unique to you reasons.

That's exactly what I've done. Again, this is a few words out of context.

Because as is, it displays a profound ignorance of modern Medicine. Again, you are coming off as starry eyed.

I suggest you go work in hospice or a nursing home, or a Peds unit

I have had a few deeply meaningful experiences with terminal patients who died a few days later. I accept I'm coming across that way because I'm only sharing the most problematic fragments in my PS and literally a couple words out of context in this thread, not the parts that are working great.

 

[begoood95]

I wouldn't say "alleviate human suffering" sounds so much grandiose as it does naive or superficial. If this philosophy is central to your beliefs then I can certainly understand it being used in your statement... but I would limit its use to once -- as opposed to being what sounds like a recurrent theme.

It's literally in the mission statement of Harvard, so maybe you ought to send them a letter telling them it's naive and superficial.

If' you want to PM me the context, I'd be glad to help @Prometheus123. I can help you with some sick synonyms then.

 

[Prometheus123]

It's literally in the mission statement of Harvard, so maybe you ought to send them a letter telling them it's naive and superficial.

If' you want to PM me the context, I'd be glad to help @Prometheus123. I can help you with some sick synonyms then.

Thank you. PMing you now.

 

[Goro]

That's exactly what I've done. Again, this is a few words out of context.


I have had a few deeply meaningful experiences with terminal patients who died a few days later. I accept I'm coming across that way because I'm only sharing the most problematic fragments in my PS and literally a couple words out of context in this thread, not the parts that are working great.

You asked for input, you got an answer.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

It's already better stated in the title of your thread where you dropped the word 'human' from the phrase. You're applying to med school not vet school, they know you're talking about humans. An easy way to sound less grandiose/obnoxious would be to not remind them of that.

If you're not convinced, picture someone saying one of these two phrases to you:

A - "I think they showed incredible ingenuity in solving that problem"

B - "I think they showed incredible human ingenuity in solving that problem"

To person A you would respond, "That makes sense, could you tell me more?" while the only correct response to person B would be to punch them in the throat and walk away. Adding 'human' before something that through context is obviously human is always superfluous and should be avoided.

 

[Prometheus123]

It's already better stated in the title of your thread where you dropped the word 'human' from the phrase. You're applying to med school not vet school, they know you're talking about humans. An easy way to sound less grandiose/obnoxious would be to not remind them of that.

If you're not convinced, picture someone saying one of these two phrases to you:

A - "I think they showed incredible ingenuity in solving that problem"

B - "I think they showed incredible human ingenuity in solving that problem"

To person A you would respond, "That makes sense, could you tell me more?" while the only correct response to person B would be to punch them in the throat and walk away. Adding 'human' before something that through context is obviously human is always superfluous and should be avoided.

Makes sense. I have removed the word human.

You asked for input, you got an answer.

Yes, absolutely, and I'm extremely grateful for your input. Despite all appearances, it's all extremely useful and has taken my PS from terrible to quite good, maybe excellent overall. The process, however messy, has actually clarified my reasons for medicine dramatically. I feel like the latest version is a more authentic expression of who I am and my motivations than when I started, and that's in part thanks to your input you've given to me throughout these threads. I apologize for getting defensive. Thank you for your input, sir.

 

[bannie22]

comfort care

 

[Med Ed]

It's literally in the mission statement of Harvard, so maybe you ought to send them a letter telling them it's naive and superficial.

When you're a 235-year-old medical school with over $195 million in NIH funding, plus affiliations with seventeen hospitals and research institutes that employ thousands and collectively have over $1.2 billion in NIH funding, it's reasonable to say that your mission is to create and nurture a diverse community of the best people committed to leadership in alleviating human suffering caused by disease.

When you're a twenty-something who can't write a PS without exhaustive input from strangers online, not so much.

 

[Professional Student]

When you're a 235-year-old medical school with over $195 million in NIH funding, plus affiliations with seventeen hospitals and research institutes that employ thousands and collectively have over $1.2 billion in NIH funding, it's reasonable to say that your mission is to create and nurture a diverse community of the best people committed to leadership in alleviating human suffering caused by disease.

When you're a twenty-something who can't write a PS without exhaustive input from strangers online, not so much.

I'm adding this into my signature until further notice. Lol!

 

[begoood95]

When you're a 235-year-old medical school with over $195 million in NIH funding, plus affiliations with seventeen hospitals and research institutes that employ thousands and collectively have over $1.2 billion in NIH funding, it's reasonable to say that your mission is to create and nurture a diverse community of the best people committed to leadership in alleviating human suffering caused by disease.

When you're a twenty-something who can't write a PS without exhaustive input from strangers online, not so much.

Lol I understand that. What I was saying was that most posters here were acting like had they put that in their statement, they were sure to come off as starry-eyed/naive/etc. etc. Obviously Harvard is a bit different than a pre-med student. We can all understand that. However, if they have one mention of "alleviating suffering," I highly doubt their application is damned to the rejection pile.

Point taken, nonetheless.

 

[IlDestriero]

I think you should say that you want to "cure the human condition".
They'll interview you just to figure out what you're referring to. Healing the sick, supporting those who are suffering, genocide to heal Mother Earth? I'd want to know more.


--
Il Destriero

 

[Med Ed]

However, if they have one mention of "alleviating suffering," I highly doubt their application is damned to the rejection pile.

You may have a future in premedical advising!