Bringing up prior career in Personal Statement

[BigFightIllini]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Does it help to mention my management consulting experience prior to medical school in my personal statement?

I am an older medical student who worked for a Big Four type firm for four years before applying for med school.

Is it beneficial to derm departments to mention skills like project management, business case work, client relations and Excel/PowerPoint skills? How much of this should I talk about?

I've also managed small teams of up to 5 people and have done strategy work for large healthcare and pharma companies.

 

[kralwok]

to be honest, i doubt it is that helpful or that most pd's would care. of course, i could be wrong since i'm no pd. i would bring it up because it makes you unique and also to explain your motivations for your career change, but i'm not sure those skills are that big of a deal. just my opinion.

 

[sweatybrain]

I think it only helps if the skills are relevant to dermatology. IMO, your previous experience best suits the CV format. Save the precious space in your PS for clinical, research, or significant life/leadership experience.

 

[BigFightIllini]

I think it only helps if the skills are relevant to dermatology. IMO, your previous experience best suits the CV format. Save the precious space in your PS for clinical, research, or significant life/leadership experience.

I think that was a major point of my question. It sounds that I'd be over-reaching in calling my consulting skills as "transferrable" to derm.

Doesn't my project management experience count as leadership?

I also think I gained much of my clinical ability from consulting.

Is that a stretch?

Thanks guys. I'll mention consulting briefly and talk more about my clinical and research experiences.

 

[reno911]

Does it help to mention my management consulting experience prior to medical school in my personal statement?

I am an older medical student who worked for a Big Four type firm for four years before applying for med school.

Is it beneficial to derm departments to mention skills like project management, business case work, client relations and Excel/PowerPoint skills? How much of this should I talk about?

I've also managed small teams of up to 5 people and have done strategy work for large healthcare and pharma companies.

This is the kind of stuff that, in my experience, 20% of people find positive, maybe 5% of people actually find negative, and 75% of people don't care about at all. (By people, I mean people evaluating applications)

Therefore, the best way to handle this is put everything in your CV and make a brief mention of it in the PS if you can do so in a non-awkward way (I've seen so many personal statements that are badly written because people have so many things that they want to highlight that the whole thing becomes incoherent. Remember, your CV is read as well, and probably more thoroughly). That's all. When you come to interview, don't go out of your way to bring it up. Those that are interested in it will ask you about it.

 

[kralwok]

Is that a stretch?

Yes. Not trying to be overly negative/rude here, but I do think it is a stretch. I don't see how those things will really make you a better dermatologist compared to someone without consulting experience. But maybe that's just me (you sound a little like a salesman trying to sell the idea that these things will make you a better dermatologist).... If you mention it in your CV, don't make it the focus. It is certainly appropriate to highlight your responsibilities and skills in your CV.

 

[Cheebs09]

I think it's something that sets you apart and is worth mentioning. I agree you don't want to over emphasize or stretch the relevance though.

 

[Dermguy]

I think it's something that sets you apart and is worth mentioning. I agree you don't want to over emphasize or stretch the relevance though.

I tend to agree with Cheebs09. As long as your prior career is not something crazy I think PDs want to really get to know you in the personal statement. Just make sure you give them plenty of reasons to say things like, "Wow, this is a really interesting person. I'd like to meet him/her," and not, "Wow, I think it would be weird having a person like this in our program. Let me throw this file in the 'no-way-we'll-interview' pile and move on."