Cringey PS Start

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

ChymeofPassion

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
1,388
Reaction score
3,475
So I've been reading over my friends PS, and he begins by talking about exposure to medicine at a young. There is one sentance that is giving me pause that I want him to change, that goes something like this. "Lubdub, Lubdub. The sound of a stethescope to my 8 year old ears. The sound of life". Thoughts?
 
Yeah... It's So cringey, my brain automatically read the sentence in Meredith grey's voice. :nono:

So I've been reading over my friends PS, and he begins by talking about exposure to medicine at a young. There is one sentance that is giving me pause that I want him to change, that goes something like this. "Lubdub, Lubdub. The sound of a stethescope to my 8 year old ears. The sound of life". Thoughts?
 
Yeah, it's cringey, but...

It has been said here that the PS breakdown is:
  • 1% Memorably good
  • 7% Memorably awful
  • 92% NOT memorable
Given the pervasive cringe-worthiness in most PSes, it's probably not 7%'er bad. Would he be willing to re-write to get away from the 'Lubdub' and describe the sound in other words? Or just kill the "sound of life"
 
Yeah, it's cringey, but...

It has been said here that the PS breakdown is:
  • 1% Memorably good
  • 7% Memorably awful
  • 92% NOT memorable
Given the pervasive cringe-worthiness in most PSes, it's probably not 7%'er bad. Would he be willing to re-write to get away from the 'Lubdub' and describe the sound in other words? Or just kill the "sound of life"
I told him to rewrite just that one sentence, because the rest is good. I don't want to interfere with his overall message, so I just recommended to change it to "Even at a young age, I was fascinated with the methods and instruments used to examine the human body; sourced from my pediatrician's stethoscope, my own heart's drumming beat was first-hand evidence of our hidden machinery." Still kind of corny, but he really, really wants this whole I was inquisitive at a young age vibe.
 
I dont understand why people try the "I have wanted to be a doctor since 8..." approach. Nobody takes an 8 year old's decision making seriously.
I once had to read a PS that graphically described the applicant's conception in the opening line. It was a lead-in to when he became convinced of his path to medicine.
I was disappointed that it was unclear which of the gametes was the driving force.
 
Better than, "I left the womb knowing I wanted to practice medicine- so much so that once I was delivered- they let me scrub in for the next delivery."

So I should probably revise my opening paragraph?

"The world around me began to contract, as I was thrust out of my dwelling place along with my brothers and sisters. I began to swim furiously, knowing that if I did not win this race, I could not fulfill my dream. Centimeters felt like miles. I sucked fructose as my flagellum began to burn with exertion. Confusion filled my exhausted mind as I made the crucial decision: right or left? I felt a second wind as that beautiful oocyte came into view like a Death Star of promise looming in the distance. I made my final kick, and the rest felt like a blur. It was not until that wondrous release of calcium ions that it hit me: I would be born, and would become a doctor. I had won the race, and just like that, I had transitioned from hapless sperm to premed."

Edit: looks like gyngyn's applicant beat me to it. Hopefully it works in my favor that I've provided more clarity regarding the gamete.
 
Last edited:
I once had to read a PS that graphically described the applicant's conception in the opening line. It was a lead-in to when he became convinced of his path to medicine.
I was disappointed that it was unclear which of the gametes was the driving force.
Was this a horribly misguided attempt at humor? I shudder to think there was some sincerity to it.
 
So I should probably revise my opening paragraph?

"The world around me began to contract, as I was thrust out of my dwelling place along with my brothers and sisters. I began to swim furiously, knowing that if I did not win this race, I could not fulfill my dream. Centimeters felt like miles. I sucked fructose as my flagellum began to burn with exertion. Confusion filled my exhausted mind as I made the crucial decision: right or left? I felt a second wind as that beautiful oocyte came into view like a Death Star of promise looming in the distance. I made my final kick, and the rest felt like a blur. It was not until that wondrous release of calcium ions that it hit me: I would be born, and would become a doctor. I had won the race, and just like that, I had transitioned from hapless sperm to premed."
Nah ur gud
 
I once had to read a PS that graphically described the applicant's conception in the opening line. It was a lead-in to when he became convinced of his path to medicine.
I was disappointed that it was unclear which of the gametes was the driving force.
It appeared to be a part of his belief system...

@Goro would probably recommend LUCOM for this applicant.
 
@Goro would probably recommend LUCOM for this applicant.
I didnt necessarily infer it to be an Evangelican Christian belief system. Besides, I have spent enough time with conservative Christians to know any "graphic description" of conception would be verboten.

Unless of course it was immaculate in nature.
 
I dont understand why people try the "I have wanted to be a doctor since 8..." approach. Nobody takes an 8 year old's decision making seriously.
A good friend would provide constructive criticism.
It's OK...the interest in Medicine is either evolutionary, or revolutionary.



I once had to read a PS that graphically described the applicant's conception in the opening line. It was a lead-in to when he became convinced of his path to medicine.
I was disappointed that it was unclear which of the gametes was the driving force.
It appeared to be a part of his belief system...

WHAT is it about your school that attracts these nutcases??????
 
So I should probably revise my opening paragraph?

"The world around me began to contract, as I was thrust out of my dwelling place along with my brothers and sisters. I began to swim furiously, knowing that if I did not win this race, I could not fulfill my dream. Centimeters felt like miles. I sucked fructose as my flagellum began to burn with exertion. Confusion filled my exhausted mind as I made the crucial decision: right or left? I felt a second wind as that beautiful oocyte came into view like a Death Star of promise looming in the distance. I made my final kick, and the rest felt like a blur. It was not until that wondrous release of calcium ions that it hit me: I would be born, and would become a doctor. I had won the race, and just like that, I had transitioned from hapless sperm to premed."

Edit: looks like gyngyn's applicant beat me to it. Hopefully it works in my favor that I've provided more clarity regarding the gamete.

This is GLORIOUS!
 
So I should probably revise my opening paragraph?

"The world around me began to contract, as I was thrust out of my dwelling place along with my brothers and sisters. I began to swim furiously, knowing that if I did not win this race, I could not fulfill my dream. Centimeters felt like miles. I sucked fructose as my flagellum began to burn with exertion. Confusion filled my exhausted mind as I made the crucial decision: right or left? I felt a second wind as that beautiful oocyte came into view like a Death Star of promise looming in the distance. I made my final kick, and the rest felt like a blur. It was not until that wondrous release of calcium ions that it hit me: I would be born, and would become a doctor. I had won the race, and just like that, I had transitioned from hapless sperm to premed."

Edit: looks like gyngyn's applicant beat me to it. Hopefully it works in my favor that I've provided more clarity regarding the gamete.
U rember bein' a sperm ._.
Is it bad that I laughed at this? I mean I'm glad you made him change it, but that's just hilarious that he didn't see how cheesey/cringey it was.
On a side note, this kind of worries because I actually have wanted to be a doctor since childhood, so my PS will probably be cheesey.
 
U rember bein' a sperm ._.
Is it bad that I laughed at this? I mean I'm glad you made him change it, but that's just hilarious that he didn't see how cheesey/cringey it was.
On a side note, this kind of worries because I actually have wanted to be a doctor since childhood, so my PS will probably be cheesey.

Not if it's well written, as in skip the cliches and don't make it one of those "from the moment I was born..." stories. I've been obsessed with medicine more or less since I was 8 or 9, but my PS isn't cheesy.
 
Not if it's well written, as in skip the cliches and don't make it one of those "from the moment I was born..." stories. I've been obsessed with medicine more or less since I was 8 or 9, but my PS isn't cheesy.
I've been obsessed since I was 5 when my parents told me that firemen had a high chance of being hurt or killed on the job. I was like "oh I'll just be a doctor and look at bones all day instead". Bad reason, good result.
 
I've been obsessed since I was 5 when my parents told me that firemen had a high chance of being hurt or killed on the job. I was like "oh I'll just be a doctor and look at bones all day instead". Bad reason, good result.
Smol Freak7: " I wanna be a firefighter!"
Parents: D: " But you could DIE."
Smol Freak7: "Doctor it is. "
Nice.
 
Smol Freak7: " I wanna be a firefighter!"
Parents: D: " But you could DIE."
Smol Freak7: "Doctor it is. "
Nice.
That is almost literally how it went. It was in a Denny's. I just got really lucky that I ended up actually loving the field rather than doing it because it's always what I wanted to do. I'd give 5 year old freak7 a high 5.
 
Top