creative personal statement

[nycNerd]

how do adcoms feel about creatively written personal statements? One of my interests and talents is creative writing, and I would really like to implement it into my application. Obviously adcoms don't want to be bored, but how far from the traditional "Why i want to be a doctor" personal statement can I stray? Any opinions/ideas would be helpful!

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[ADeadLois]

how do adcoms feel about creatively written personal statements? One of my interests and talents is creative writing, and I would really like to implement it into my application. Obviously adcoms don't want to be bored, but how far from the traditional "Why i want to be a doctor" personal statement can I stray? Any opinions/ideas would be helpful!

You have to write about why you want to be a doctor. You can't really stray from that. Creativity is good, but be careful that you're not too esoteric that you can't get your message across clearly. Keep in mind that "creative" angles such as quotes, stories, etc are done by A LOT of people.

My advice would be to not worry about being creative. Write it like a short-story, and your writing talent will surely come across.

 

[EBI831]

i hope this is a question for next year's application class unless you'll have to find a creative way to get in at such a late time if just working on PS for primary app now. but if so, good luck anyway!

 

[nycNerd]

yes, for next year's cycle. I just decided to start drafting something because it usually takes me a few drafts to get out exactly what I want to say. Thanks for the wishes of luck!

 

[Severus]

Don't go the creative route. I did the first time around, and well....


I've said it numerous time before, keep a traditional tone and structure; make sure to address why you want to be a doctor and what you've done to support your interest in medicine.

 

[sirus_virus]

how do adcoms feel about creatively written personal statements? One of my interests and talents is creative writing, and I would really like to implement it into my application. Obviously adcoms don't want to be bored, but how far from the traditional "Why i want to be a doctor" personal statement can I stray? Any opinions/ideas would be helpful!

Just put it in plain English. Some of that stuff will not be read until 10 minutes before your interview. The last thing you need is to put the interviewer through some crazy comprehension right before your interview.

 

[shblay]

Some creativity won't hurt you. PS's do get read before the interview by adcoms so if yours stands out in a good way because its creative, why would that be bad. But like others said, becareful with it. Don't overdo it and lose the main point of your essay because of literary techniques. I've read successful essays that were straightforward and those that were creative and took a different approach. Both will work if done correctly.

 

[Dookter]

This will sound super cheesy, but here goes: I got a book that was like "40 essays that will get you into medical school." I had no idea what personal statements looked like, and I think reading the examples really helped me.

 

[Writer1985]

I had a "creative" beginning and ending, which I think helped my application. Some of my interviewers mentioned it specifically as a strong point. But be really careful of overdoing it, and get a couple of people to read it over (good to do anyway, and doubly so if you're going to take a risk). Just make sure the focus of the PS is still why do you want to do medicine instead of, say, creative writing.

 

[juice55]

i think i read that at barnes and nobles. it was the most BORING thing I've ever read. If i were an adcom member, I'd be falling asleep on the job.

 

[kevster2001]

Dont get too creative, you dont want the glitter and sparkle to overshadow the actual points of your essay

 

[Green Arrow]

how do adcoms feel about creatively written personal statements? One of my interests and talents is creative writing, and I would really like to implement it into my application. Obviously adcoms don't want to be bored, but how far from the traditional "Why i want to be a doctor" personal statement can I stray? Any opinions/ideas would be helpful!

One of my majors was creative writing as an undergrad, so I know where you are coming form. Not many med schoool applicants are creative writers, and if writing is something you enjoy, it's definately something you should share, it will help set you apart from the thousands of other applicants. My personal statement was creative, but it also stuck to a specific theme. If you are going to be creative, just make sure that your "story" is relevant to the theme of your statement. I began my statement with a narrative about my experience in Ghana, which showed that I had lots of experience working with people of many different backgrounds. The rest of my statment talked about how important that skill is, and provided examples of how my extra-curriculars contributed to the development of this skill. I know as a writer it is easy to go off on tangents while being "creative". Don't do this. Make sure the point you are trying to make in your narrative is very obvious.

Hope this helps👍

 

[Pkboi24]

It's a hit or miss. I injected quite a bit of creativity into mine to the point where some parts of it were almost poetic. I had some interviewers tell me how much they loved it and others tell me that it was "interesting...". In the end, I still got into med school w/ scholarships, but havent heard a thing from 6-7 places out of the 18 to which I applied.

If you're going to write a very creative essay, I'd suggest applying broadly. Also, it seems to me that schools in New York seem to appreciate creativity a bit more than others.