Clichés to avoid in PS?

[Monika12]

Hello,

What do you think are the cliché to avoid when writing a PS or even during the interview?

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[Optimus-Prime]

People seem to hate on "caring about people", but **** cliches write what your passionate about and your essay will be better for it

 

[theseeker4]

Hello,

What do you think are the cliché to avoid when writing a PS or even during the interview?

It would be a lot quicker to say what you are thinking about trying to include, and getting feedback about that, than a blanket "list everything that is a cliche that I should avoid." thread that cannot help but be incomplete. Be specific and people here can help you quite a bit.

 

[kyamh]

If you have heard a particular phrase used before, it is probably a cliche. Write as you would casually speak with someone who you are trying to impress. If you cannot imagine saying a sentence in a conversation, it is probably too fluffy for a PS.

 

[Bovary]

Don't use the word "fascinated"
Find another word. Anything.

Seriously. But also: your reasoning for going into medicine isn't going to be unique. It's all the same — you love science, you love helping people, you love learning, etc. What's unique is how you tell your personal story using specific anecdotes from your life that illustrate to the reader why you are seeking a career in medicine, how you've explored the realities of the profession, and how you've developed/practiced the skills that will benefit you as a physician.

 

[orangetea]

"I want to become a doctor so I can help people"

a lot of professions "help" people. What is so significant about a MD is the question you should be answering.

 

[Monika12]

Don't use the word "fascinated"
Find another word. Anything.

Seriously. But also: your reasoning for going into medicine isn't going to be unique. It's all the same — you love science, you love helping people, you love learning, etc. What's unique is how you tell your personal story using specific anecdotes from your life that illustrate to the reader why you are seeking a career in medicine, how you've explored the realities of the profession, and how you've developed/practiced the skills that will benefit you as a physician.

That's what I was thinking!

Thanks everyone

 

[gyngyn]

Also avoid: passion, love, unique, impacted and just about any superlative modifier. Metaphor is very hard to do well.
And of course, avoid onomatopoeia.

 

[Essee]

I think 97% of the PS' I've seen had some close variation of "The human body and its processes are so fascinating"

Also I think JHU did a great job summarizing PS cliches:
http://web.jhu.edu/prepro/health/Applicants/personal.statement.html

THEMES TO AVOID

• Clichés: How many times do you think admissions committees have read the phrase, “I want to become a physician because I like science and I want to help people”?
• The “epiphany into medicine”: Your pursuit of the health professions should be the result of a series of thoughtful, conscious, and reflective decisions, NOT an instantaneous realization.
• Manifest Destiny: You have not “always known” that you want to be a physician (or dentist, etc.). See above. Similarly, who cares if “everyone has always said that I would make a good physician.” What do they know?
• The narrative resume: Do not rehash all of your activities and achievements. Choose ONE or TWO significant and distinguishing experiences to elaborate upon.
• “I know what it is like to be a physician from [shadowing, clinical volunteer experience, etc.].” No, you do not. That is why you are hoping to go to medical school – so you might be lucky enough to find out one day.
• Grandiosity: Claiming that you plan to cure cancer (or HIV, or healthcare disparities, or anything else) shows a grave lack of understanding of whatever problem you are planning to solve.
• Negativity: No one likes a complainer. In particular, do not be negative about Johns Hopkins, your professors, or your research mentors.
• “I am special”: Of course you are special. But claiming “you probably do not see many applicants like me” is not only arrogant but is also likely untrue. Admissions committees have seen it all.
• Anything potentially inflammatory or controversial: You do not know the values, beliefs, and background of the person who is reading your essay. Additionally, your beliefs are not the only “correct” beliefs. Furthermore, some people – including admissions officers – have personal biases and prejudices. For these reasons, it is advisable to avoid making any strong statements regarding politics, religion, and other polarizing topics. Be extremely cautious to avoid expressing any views that could be construed as derogatory to any group.
• “I am a victim”: Victims are never attractive candidates. If you have experienced difficulties, explain your experiences dispassionately and focus on how you overcame these difficulties, what you learned from your experiences, and how you are a stronger person because of your experiences.
• Excuses: In general, there are better uses for your personal statement than explaining away and justifying poor grades, incidents of misconduct, etc. However, if you choose to address these subjects, be sure to focus on what you have learned from those incidents and how your experiences have made you a stronger person. Never, ever blame anyone else for your mistakes.
• Lies: This includes information that may be factually accurate but is presented in a misleading way.
• Leading with a quotation written by someone else: Admissions committees are interested in what you have to say.
• Any unusual formats: Do not submit artwork, photographs, collages, videos, etc. in lieu of a written essay. Likewise, do not write your personal statement in verse, limerick, haiku, etc.

 

[kthxbai]

I'd also recommend avoiding words you wouldn't naturally use.

On my personal (smelly brown stuff) list are: utilize, fascinate, intricate (it gets abused), ponder, anything with over 5 syllables.

Make your essay approachable, comfortable, and familiar. That is all

Also: always show, never tell. Ever. People who are guilty of telling use flowery language.

 

[gyngyn]

I detest plethora.

 

[Make Or Break]

I think 97% of the PS' I've seen had some close variation of "The human body and its processes are so fascinating"

Also I think JHU did a great job summarizing PS cliches:
http://web.jhu.edu/prepro/health/Applicants/personal.statement.html

This is actually really informative. Thanks for the post.

 

[Make Or Break]

I detest plethora.

I detest detest

 

[claduva94]

"Since I can remember I have always wanted to be a doctor"

 

[RJGOP]

Don't use the word "fascinated"
Find another word. Anything.

Seriously. But also: your reasoning for going into medicine isn't going to be unique. It's all the same — you love science, you love helping people, you love learning, etc. What's unique is how you tell your personal story using specific anecdotes from your life that illustrate to the reader why you are seeking a career in medicine, how you've explored the realities of the profession, and how you've developed/practiced the skills that will benefit you as a physician.

What's wrong with fascinate? It may be overused but it's no better than saying intrigued or interested thirty times. And saying something like "enraptured" would be stupid- it'd make you seem like you're trying too hard.

 

[frequentflyer91]

just to piggyback off the OP, what about discussing a superstitious healing practice from my culture (not one I actively practice but one that I remember my father practicing as a kid- I mentioned it because it's tied to my first experience with death). Would that be too taboo?

 

[Monika12]

just to piggyback off the OP, what about discussing a superstitious healing practice from my culture (not one I actively practice but one that I remember my father practicing as a kid- I mentioned it because it's tied to my first experience with death). Would that be too taboo?

You know, I would write whatever I want, be honest and avoid too much drama. I would just write about myself, the reasons about why I want to become a doctor (it has something to do with my country).

You just need to explain exactly and be specific and avoid generalizing or playing the victim or judging others. What they want to hear is you being compassionate and mature.

That's my opinion, so yeah write about it but explain in what sense that made want to become a doctor practicing modern medicine .

 

[LizzyM]

Please avoid the anything such as:

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" She looked frightened and lost as she stood next to her husband's lifeless body.
I felt so helpless as I looked on as Mike, the EMT I was riding with attempted to get a pulse from the elderly gentleman.....

No one needs to read your attempt at a screenplay.

 

[Make Or Break]

Please avoid the anything such as:

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" She looked frightened and lost as she stood next to her husband's lifeless body.
I felt so helpless as I looked on as Mike, the EMT I was riding with attempted to get a pulse from the elderly gentleman.....

No one needs to read your attempt at a screenplay.

hahaha. Ive always wondered what adcoms thought of this.

 

[gyngyn]

hahaha. Ive always wondered what adcoms thought of this.

I've already had about a thousand of these .

 

[Make Or Break]

Please avoid the anything such as:

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" She looked frightened and lost as she stood next to her husband's lifeless body.
I felt so helpless as I looked on as Mike, the EMT I was riding with attempted to get a pulse from the elderly gentleman.....

No one needs to read your attempt at a screenplay.

Mbuto.”
My African driver springs to his feet.

“Yes, Sahib.”

“Pass me another baby, I think this one has died.” I lay the dead infant in the pile by my feet. What I’d really like him to do is pass me an ice-cold bottle of the local beer. Compassion is hot, thirsty work. There is no ice in this wretched refugee camp, mores the pity, but as I’m here to help I will suffer in silence. I stare into the eyes of the African baby who is suffering from HIV or dengue fever or something gross, look out into the hot, dusty savannah and ask, “Why? Why gender-neutral and non-judgmental Diety (or Deities) does this have to happen?”

“And Why, Mbuto, is the air-conditioning on my Land Rover broken again?”

“One thousand pardons, Sahib, but the parts have not arrived.”

I will suffer. I have lived a life of privilege and my suffering serves to link me to the suffering of mankind. I roll the window down. God it’s hot. How can people live here? Why don’t they move where it’s cool? Still, I see by the vacant stare from the walking skeletons who insist on blocking the road that they appreciate my compassion and I know that in a small way, I am making a difference in their lives.

Africa. Oh wretched continent! How long must you suffer? How long will you provide the venue to compensate for a low MCAT score? How many must die before I am accepted to a top-tier medical school?

When did I first discover that I, myself, desired to be a doctor? Some come to the decision late in life, often not until the age of five. The non-traditional applicants might not know until they are seven or even, as hard as it is to believe, until the end of ninth grade. I came, myself, to the realization that I, myself, wanted to be a doctor on the way through the birth canal when I realized that my large head was causing a partial third degree vaginal laceration. I quickly threw a couple of sutures into the fascia between contractions so strong was my desire to help people.

My dedication to service was just beginning. At five I was counseling the first-graders on their reproductive options. By twelve I was volunteering at a suicide crisis center/free needle exchange hot-line for troubled transgendered teens. I’ll never forget Jose, a young Hispanic male with HIV who had just been kicked out of his casa by his conservative Catholic parents. He had turned to black tar heroin as his only solace and he was literally at the end of his rope when he called.

“How about a condom, Hose,” I asked. The J, as you know, is pronounced like an H in Spanish.

Annoying silence on the line. Hesus, I was there to help him.

“Condoms will solve all of your problems,” I continued, “In fact, in a paper of which I was listed as the fourth author, we found that condoms prevent all kinds of diseases including HIV which I have a suspicion is the root of your depression.”

More silence. No one had ever had such a rapport with him. He was speechless and grateful and I took his sobs as evidence of my compassion.

“Hey, it was double-blinded and placebo controlled, vato.” Cultural competence is important and I value my diverse upbringing which has exposed me to peoples of many different ethnicities. I always say “What up, Homes,” to the nice young negroes who assemble my Big Mac and I think they accept me as a soul brother. “

“We also have needles, amigo. Clean needles would prevent HIV too.”

My desire to be a physician has mirrored my desire to actualize my potential to serve humanity in many capacities. This may be something unheard of from medical school applicant but I have a strong desire to help people. I manifest this desire by my dedication to obtaining all kinds of exposure to all different kinds of people but mostly those from underserved and underprivileged populations. In fact, during a stint in a Doctors Without Borders spin-off chapter I learned the true meaning of underserved while staffing a mall health care pavilion in La Jolla, California.

Most of my friends are black or latino and I am a “Junior Cousin” of the Nation of Islam where I teach infidel abasement techniques to the Mohammed (PBUHN) Scouts. I also am active in the fight for women’s reproductive rights except of course for women in Afghanistan who were better off before our current racist war.

As Maya Angelou once said, “All men (and womyn) are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened.” I feel this embodies my philosophy best because the prospect of grad school is too horrible to contemplate.

 

[RJGOP]

Mbuto.”
My African driver springs to his feet.

“Yes, Sahib.”

“Pass me another baby, I think this one has died.” I lay the dead infant in the pile by my feet. What I’d really like him to do is pass me an ice-cold bottle of the local beer. Compassion is hot, thirsty work. There is no ice in this wretched refugee camp, mores the pity, but as I’m here to help I will suffer in silence. I stare into the eyes of the African baby who is suffering from HIV or dengue fever or something gross, look out into the hot, dusty savannah and ask, “Why? Why gender-neutral and non-judgmental Diety (or Deities) does this have to happen?”

“And Why, Mbuto, is the air-conditioning on my Land Rover broken again?”

“One thousand pardons, Sahib, but the parts have not arrived.”

I will suffer. I have lived a life of privilege and my suffering serves to link me to the suffering of mankind. I roll the window down. God it’s hot. How can people live here? Why don’t they move where it’s cool? Still, I see by the vacant stare from the walking skeletons who insist on blocking the road that they appreciate my compassion and I know that in a small way, I am making a difference in their lives.

Africa. Oh wretched continent! How long must you suffer? How long will you provide the venue to compensate for a low MCAT score? How many must die before I am accepted to a top-tier medical school?

When did I first discover that I, myself, desired to be a doctor? Some come to the decision late in life, often not until the age of five. The non-traditional applicants might not know until they are seven or even, as hard as it is to believe, until the end of ninth grade. I came, myself, to the realization that I, myself, wanted to be a doctor on the way through the birth canal when I realized that my large head was causing a partial third degree vaginal laceration. I quickly threw a couple of sutures into the fascia between contractions so strong was my desire to help people.

My dedication to service was just beginning. At five I was counseling the first-graders on their reproductive options. By twelve I was volunteering at a suicide crisis center/free needle exchange hot-line for troubled transgendered teens. I’ll never forget Jose, a young Hispanic male with HIV who had just been kicked out of his casa by his conservative Catholic parents. He had turned to black tar heroin as his only solace and he was literally at the end of his rope when he called.

“How about a condom, Hose,” I asked. The J, as you know, is pronounced like an H in Spanish.

Annoying silence on the line. Hesus, I was there to help him.

“Condoms will solve all of your problems,” I continued, “In fact, in a paper of which I was listed as the fourth author, we found that condoms prevent all kinds of diseases including HIV which I have a suspicion is the root of your depression.”

More silence. No one had ever had such a rapport with him. He was speechless and grateful and I took his sobs as evidence of my compassion.

“Hey, it was double-blinded and placebo controlled, vato.” Cultural competence is important and I value my diverse upbringing which has exposed me to peoples of many different ethnicities. I always say “What up, Homes,” to the nice young negroes who assemble my Big Mac and I think they accept me as a soul brother. “

“We also have needles, amigo. Clean needles would prevent HIV too.”

My desire to be a physician has mirrored my desire to actualize my potential to serve humanity in many capacities. This may be something unheard of from medical school applicant but I have a strong desire to help people. I manifest this desire by my dedication to obtaining all kinds of exposure to all different kinds of people but mostly those from underserved and underprivileged populations. In fact, during a stint in a Doctors Without Borders spin-off chapter I learned the true meaning of underserved while staffing a mall health care pavilion in La Jolla, California.

Most of my friends are black or latino and I am a “Junior Cousin” of the Nation of Islam where I teach infidel abasement techniques to the Mohammed (PBUHN) Scouts. I also am active in the fight for women’s reproductive rights except of course for women in Afghanistan who were better off before our current racist war.

As Maya Angelou once said, “All men (and womyn) are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened.” I feel this embodies my philosophy best because the prospect of grad school is too horrible to contemplate.

This made my day! Funniest thing I've read in a while.

 

[RJGOP]

Mbuto.”


My dedication to service was just beginning. At five I was counseling the first-graders on their reproductive options. By twelve I was volunteering at a suicide crisis center/free needle exchange hot-line for troubled transgendered teens. I’ll never forget Jose, a young Hispanic male with HIV who had just been kicked out of his casa by his conservative Catholic parents. He had turned to black tar heroin as his only solace and he was literally at the end of his rope when he called.

“
“Hey, it was double-blinded and placebo controlled, vato.” Cultural competence is important and I value my diverse upbringing which has exposed me to peoples of many different ethnicities. I always say “What up, Homes,” to the nice young negroes who assemble my Big Mac and I think they accept me as a soul brother. “

.

These parts were the best.

 

[Monika12]

Hahahaha this is funny

Please avoid the anything such as:

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" She looked frightened and lost as she stood next to her husband's lifeless body.
I felt so helpless as I looked on as Mike, the EMT I was riding with attempted to get a pulse from the elderly gentleman.....

No one needs to read your attempt at a screenplay.

a

 

[Make Or Break]

These parts were the best.

Believe it or not, the guy who wrote this claims this got him accepted.

 

[RJGOP]

Believe it or not, the guy who wrote this claims this got him accepted.

Where did you find this?

 

[Monika12]

Believe it or not, the guy who wrote this claims this got him accepted.

I don't think that's real. Lol

 

[Ismet]

Mbuto.”
My African driver springs to his feet.

“Yes, Sahib.”

“Pass me another baby, I think this one has died.” I lay the dead infant in the pile by my feet. What I’d really like him to do is pass me an ice-cold bottle of the local beer. Compassion is hot, thirsty work. There is no ice in this wretched refugee camp, mores the pity, but as I’m here to help I will suffer in silence. I stare into the eyes of the African baby who is suffering from HIV or dengue fever or something gross, look out into the hot, dusty savannah and ask, “Why? Why gender-neutral and non-judgmental Diety (or Deities) does this have to happen?”

“And Why, Mbuto, is the air-conditioning on my Land Rover broken again?”

“One thousand pardons, Sahib, but the parts have not arrived.”

I will suffer. I have lived a life of privilege and my suffering serves to link me to the suffering of mankind. I roll the window down. God it’s hot. How can people live here? Why don’t they move where it’s cool? Still, I see by the vacant stare from the walking skeletons who insist on blocking the road that they appreciate my compassion and I know that in a small way, I am making a difference in their lives.

Africa. Oh wretched continent! How long must you suffer? How long will you provide the venue to compensate for a low MCAT score? How many must die before I am accepted to a top-tier medical school?

When did I first discover that I, myself, desired to be a doctor? Some come to the decision late in life, often not until the age of five. The non-traditional applicants might not know until they are seven or even, as hard as it is to believe, until the end of ninth grade. I came, myself, to the realization that I, myself, wanted to be a doctor on the way through the birth canal when I realized that my large head was causing a partial third degree vaginal laceration. I quickly threw a couple of sutures into the fascia between contractions so strong was my desire to help people.

My dedication to service was just beginning. At five I was counseling the first-graders on their reproductive options. By twelve I was volunteering at a suicide crisis center/free needle exchange hot-line for troubled transgendered teens. I’ll never forget Jose, a young Hispanic male with HIV who had just been kicked out of his casa by his conservative Catholic parents. He had turned to black tar heroin as his only solace and he was literally at the end of his rope when he called.

“How about a condom, Hose,” I asked. The J, as you know, is pronounced like an H in Spanish.

Annoying silence on the line. Hesus, I was there to help him.

“Condoms will solve all of your problems,” I continued, “In fact, in a paper of which I was listed as the fourth author, we found that condoms prevent all kinds of diseases including HIV which I have a suspicion is the root of your depression.”

More silence. No one had ever had such a rapport with him. He was speechless and grateful and I took his sobs as evidence of my compassion.

“Hey, it was double-blinded and placebo controlled, vato.” Cultural competence is important and I value my diverse upbringing which has exposed me to peoples of many different ethnicities. I always say “What up, Homes,” to the nice young negroes who assemble my Big Mac and I think they accept me as a soul brother. “

“We also have needles, amigo. Clean needles would prevent HIV too.”

My desire to be a physician has mirrored my desire to actualize my potential to serve humanity in many capacities. This may be something unheard of from medical school applicant but I have a strong desire to help people. I manifest this desire by my dedication to obtaining all kinds of exposure to all different kinds of people but mostly those from underserved and underprivileged populations. In fact, during a stint in a Doctors Without Borders spin-off chapter I learned the true meaning of underserved while staffing a mall health care pavilion in La Jolla, California.

Most of my friends are black or latino and I am a “Junior Cousin” of the Nation of Islam where I teach infidel abasement techniques to the Mohammed (PBUHN) Scouts. I also am active in the fight for women’s reproductive rights except of course for women in Afghanistan who were better off before our current racist war.

As Maya Angelou once said, “All men (and womyn) are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened.” I feel this embodies my philosophy best because the prospect of grad school is too horrible to contemplate.

How about giving credit to Panda Bear, MD? http://www.pandabearmd.com/2006/05/26/my-personal-statement/

Most of his blog is satire. He didn't actually submit this.

 

[Make Or Break]

Where did you find this?

Its one of those posts on SDN which will live on forever.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/my-personal-statement-and-i-got-accepted.285834/

 

[Make Or Break]

How about giving credit to Panda Bear, MD? http://www.pandabearmd.com/2006/05/26/my-personal-statement/

Most of his blog is satire. He didn't actually submit this.

I choose not to believe you. In my mind, he submitted this and got accepted.

 

[Goro]

Gawd, I hate those too, colleague!

Please avoid the anything such as:

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" She looked frightened and lost as she stood next to her husband's lifeless body.
I felt so helpless as I looked on as Mike, the EMT I was riding with attempted to get a pulse from the elderly gentleman.....

No one needs to read your attempt at a screenplay.

 

[Lamel]

Please avoid the anything such as:

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" She looked frightened and lost as she stood next to her husband's lifeless body.
I felt so helpless as I looked on as Mike, the EMT I was riding with attempted to get a pulse from the elderly gentleman.....

No one needs to read your attempt at a screenplay.

Lol this will likely never go away. The undergraduate college application process has drilled stuff like this into our heads very very hard. Hopefully most people don't use it for more than a couple of sentences, for their own sake.

Would something like that lead to the "reject" pile on its own though?

 

[theseeker4]

How about giving credit to Panda Bear, MD? http://www.pandabearmd.com/2006/05/26/my-personal-statement/

Most of his blog is satire. He didn't actually submit this.

I would have thought this wouldn't need to be explicitly stated, but this is SDN........

 

[LizzyM]

Lol this will likely never go away. The undergraduate college application process has drilled stuff like this into our heads very very hard. Hopefully most people don't use it for more than a couple of sentences, for their own sake.

Would something like that lead to the "reject" pile on its own though?

It could tip the balance in deciding whether to grant an interview. Keep in mind that we're looking to interview <20% of the applicants. Some of the cuts are cruel but necessary.

 

[Lamel]

It could tip the balance in deciding whether to grant an interview. Keep in mind that we're looking to interview <20% of the applicants. Some of the cuts are cruel but necessary.

Haha man that's rough, I bet most people just do it to catch the reader's attention, but I don't think they were hoping for BAD attention.

 

[LizzyM]

Haha man that's rough, I bet most people just do it to catch the reader's attention, but I don't think they were hoping for BAD attention.

When someone reads 100+ per year, it can get old fast. The points being made: I rode in an ambulance with an EMT, I talked to a patient's family member, I saw a sick/injured/dead person, I felt helpless because I have no training are cliched.

 

[Lamel]

When someone reads 100+ per year, it can get old fast. The points being made: I rode in an ambulance with an EMT, I talked to a patient's family member, I saw a sick/injured/dead person, I felt helpless because I have no training are cliched.

So do you think it is the style that makes it cliched, or the actual content (typical EMT stuff that you mentioned), or perhaps a combination of both?

 

[LizzyM]

So do you think it is the style that makes it cliched, or the actual content (typical EMT stuff that you mentioned), or perhaps a combination of both?

I can deal with a "screenplay" if it is an unusual situation/location and I can deal with "I saw a sick person and felt helpless" in straight prose, but the two combined do send me over the edge.

 

[Lamel]

Thank god I didn't hit any of the things on that JHU link. Phew.

Lol at this tip: "

• Use normal rules of capitalization, punctuation, spelling, etc. (ur writin n essay not a txt msg)

"

I can deal with a "screenplay" if it is an unusual situation/location and I can deal with "I saw a sick person and felt helpless" in straight prose, but the two combined do send me over the edge.

Haha very interesting to catch a glimpse of some of the pet peeves that adcoms have regarding personal statements.

 

[LizzyM]

The thing that drives me crazy about the "I felt helpless in an emergency and therefore I want to attend medical school" is that 1) it is not necessary to train as a physician to learn how do a bit of first aid, CPR, and/or dial 911, 2) how will you feel after you complete medical school and residency and still find yourself in situations where there is nothing that you can do to save someone who has suffered a catastrophic event?

Do you realize that your loved ones will die someday even if you attend medical school? Do you really believe that your loved ones would not have died if only they had known that smoking and overeating was bad for their health? Do you believe that you can save others from the grief you experienced from losing a loved one? Do you have a Savior complex?

Now you know my real pet peeve.

 

[Australopithekus]

"'Beep beep beep' went the EKG monitor..."
"Webster's dictionary defines courage as..."

 

[DokterMom]

How does anyone ever get in!?

 

[gyngyn]

How does anyone ever get in!?

There are so many fine candidates. We tend to focus on the things that bother us, I guess..

 

[DokterMom]

There are so many fine candidates. We tend to focus on the things that bother us, I guess..

No doubt -- It's just nerve-wracking to write a PS period, let alone after reading all of these pet peeves! Or for most applicants, who have already submitted, panicking because their PS violated 2 or 5 or more of these don'ts.

How about this way of framing it -- What proportion of the statements that you read don't contain even one of these horrors? That might be more reassuring...

 

[gyngyn]

No doubt -- It's just nerve-wracking to write a PS period, let alone after reading all of these pet peeves! Or for most applicants, who have already submitted, panicking because their PS violated 2 or 5 or more of these don'ts.

How about this way of framing it -- What proportion of the statements that you read don't contain even one of these horrors? That might be more reassuring...

Excellent point.
I see very few good personal statements. Many (most!?) of my extremely talented medical students can't write their way out of a paper bag! Luckily, I'm only looking for self-reflection on a page with nouns and verbs and maybe, punctuation.

We get a chance to re-visit purple prose when we buff them up for residency applications. It's just part of the cycle of life.

 

[lolcat]

Please avoid the anything such as:

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" She looked frightened and lost as she stood next to her husband's lifeless body.
I felt so helpless as I looked on as Mike, the EMT I was riding with attempted to get a pulse from the elderly gentleman.....

No one needs to read your attempt at a screenplay.

I think I used something like this

 

[LizzyM]

I think I used something like this

You and 30,000 other applicants. If it was grounds for tossing the application, we couldn't fill all of our seats.

 

[DokterMom]

Hate to be a thread-killer! --

So back to the mocking snark please! -- It really was very funny...

 

[Ismet]

I really hate when people obviously have a thesaurus open next to them while writing. Keep it simple. This isn't an English essay, you get no points for style. You might get negative points for really really bad style though.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Hello,

What do you think are the cliché to avoid when writing a PS or even during the interview?

All of them. Avoid all of the clichés.