Cliches to avoid

[AnatomyAndAnonymity]

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Adcoms, what are some cliches to avoid in essays or interviews? Is there anything applicants write/say that makes you internally cringe?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Adcoms, what are some cliches to avoid in essays or interviews? Is there anything applicants write/say that makes you internally cringe?

Any Gen-Alpha slang.

 

[Goro]

Adcoms, what are some cliches to avoid in essays or interviews? Is there anything applicants write/say that makes you internally cringe?

The essays that start out like a movie script

 

[Goro]

Using the personal statement as a means of catharsis over some past trauma

 

[CDaFutureDocMan]

The essays that start out like a movie script

Dr. Gray moment

 

[Rachapkis]

The essays that start out like a movie script

The storm hit hard that night, the kind that rattles windows and makes you feel like the world might split open. Rain hammered the tin roof of our one-room shack, each drop a sharp reminder of how fragile everything was. Inside, the air was thick — with humidity, with fear — and then came the sound I knew too well: a heavy thunk, my father collapsing to the floor.

I froze. My heart surged, but my body didn’t move. I wanted to help him — God, I needed to — but the truth hit me harder than the storm ever could: I didn’t know how. I didn’t have the training, the tools, the knowledge. I wasn’t a doctor. I wasn’t anything.

I knelt beside him, took his damp, trembling hand in mine, and felt the weight of helplessness settle into my bones. And in that moment — that awful, powerless moment — I made a promise. When this was over, when the chaos quieted and the emergency passed, I would change. I would learn. I would become the person who could help. I would become a doctor — not for prestige, not for power — but for people like my father. For the ones who are forgotten. For the underserved.

That night didn’t just break me. It built me.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hello ChatGPT. Write a medical school personal essay full of tired cliches as an example of what students should not write.

Here’s an intentionally cliché-filled example of a medical school personal essay that demonstrates what not to do.

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Example of a cliché-ridden medical school personal statement (not recommended):

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From the time I was five years old, I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. I would play with my toy stethoscope and practice on my stuffed animals, pretending to heal them and make them feel better. Medicine has always been my destiny, and I believe I was born to help people.

My interest in medicine only grew when my grandmother got sick. Watching her struggle with illness was difficult, but it inspired me to pursue a career where I could make a difference in people’s lives. I knew right then that I wanted to dedicate myself to caring for others. This solidified my passion for medicine.

In high school, I was fascinated by biology and loved learning about how the body works. I spent countless hours in the lab, and each time I looked into a microscope, I knew I was getting closer to my dream. I also volunteered at a hospital, where I truly learned the meaning of compassion. I discovered that medicine is not just about science—it’s about people. Every patient I encountered taught me something new, and I realized that being a doctor is about more than treating illness; it’s about touching lives.

College only reinforced my calling. Through my classes, I gained a solid foundation in science, and my volunteer experiences taught me the importance of empathy. Shadowing doctors showed me what it means to care for patients and confirmed that I want to follow in their footsteps. I saw the joy on patients’ faces when they received good news, and I felt the pain when they didn’t. These moments taught me resilience and strengthened my desire to become a physician.

Medicine is my passion, my calling, and my dream. I am hardworking, compassionate, and determined. I want to attend medical school so that I can make a difference, save lives, and give back to my community. I believe I have the dedication, perseverance, and empathy necessary to succeed in this demanding but rewarding field. Becoming a doctor is not just a career choice—it’s who I am.

 

[dcubic]

"I didn't choose medicine; medicine chose me."

The greatest cliche of all imo (and funnily enough, I know someone who literally wrote this line to conclude their PS and got into VCOM lol)

 

[Heyigotnoclue]

A question for the adcoms. A student's writing style is one where they write a cliched personal statement. Other than that, they are very qualified. What happens? Does the application move forward? Some applicants are, by nature, expressive and fluid writers (I'm not one of them). Personally, I have run out of stuff to say, being on my second cycle. I've resisted the cliche approach at all costs, but I can see how it would happen.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

A question for the adcoms. A student's writing style is one where they write a cliched personal statement. Other than that, they are very qualified. What happens? Does the application move forward? Some applicants are, by nature, expressive and fluid writers (I'm not one of them). Personally, I have run out of stuff to say, being on my second cycle. I've resisted the cliche approach at all costs, but I can see how it would happen.

We don't have the application, but suffice to say, the rest must support the applicant too.

The PS is the trailer for the movie we are going to watch. The trailer can still be excellent for a movie that is awful. Or "Average."

Remember: Mission fit.

 

[karaya]

Starting an essay with a quotation. In media res, as they say. Some applicants take "show, don't tell" to the extreme and fill their essay with exposition, to the detriment of reflection.

Family members in the hospital are also pretty common. My eyes kind of glaze over at that point, because it's a bit hack. Every season, unwitting grandmothers and grandfathers will be sacrificed in saccharine fashion at the altar of the adcoms. I find it hard to believe that you knew you wanted to do medicine at 12 years old because a doctor was kind to your loved one for 15 minutes while you sat in medsurg for a few days. More likely, you came to the decision after evaluating the real risks and rewards of the profession, material or otherwise. But that's not sexy writing.

A question for the adcoms. A student's writing style is one where they write a cliched personal statement. Other than that, they are very qualified. What happens? Does the application move forward? Some applicants are, by nature, expressive and fluid writers (I'm not one of them). Personally, I have run out of stuff to say, being on my second cycle. I've resisted the cliche approach at all costs, but I can see how it would happen.

Cliched writing isn't a death sentence. Most essays contain a bit of cliche because you can't avoid the trappings of the question. (The question is: why medicine?) And most essays are boring. I don't expect deep insight into the human condition from a recent college grad who's spent most of their life in classrooms. Truth be told, I skim over most of the essay, scanning for red flags or inconsistencies.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My favorite extreme example cliche: I wanted to be a doctor before I was even born.

Basically, trying way too hard with cliches is like putting lipstick on a pig.