Critiquing PS - I will critique your PS

[ruedjgtc]

Hello,

I was recently accepted into a few schools, and things are going pretty well, and I'd like to help others who're looking for someone to read/critique their personal statements.

I also have a job as Institutional Review Board Member and Animal Care and Use Committee, at my job I do a lot of writing. I review/critique legally binding research documents,research protocol applications, and personal statements (for scholarships). So, I’ll try to use that experience, plus my own with my own personal statement I wrote last year on my blog. I think in August (when my first year of medschool starts) I’m going to post my own personal statement, as a temporary template. For now, I’m still going through the background check, so I’d prefer if my words didn’t come up as a “originality issue” until after I matriculate in August this year.

Here’s the deal:

• I will read and critique your personal statement.
• The dates of submission can start from now 3/19/14 until 4/15/14 (I’ll probably regret this later =) ).
• Because of time commitments, I can all do three rounds of feedback. So, the third round of feedback I send you will be the last, if a third is necessary at all. But, beware, I’m pretty critical, so if you don’t want an actual critique (or you feel you’re not ready) I can be pretty honest, but I try to be nice =).
• How to contact me – just email me at ruedjgtc(at symbol)gmail.com (sorry I don’t want bot spam). Be sure to title the email Personal Statement with First name only. I get a lot of emails each day, so it’ll get lost in the sea if you don’t label it.
• Or drop me a PM.
• And on my end, I promise to not share your personal statement, nor break confidentiality. I will delete your personal statement off of my machine no later than 7 days after we finish our last session (so, I’m sorry if you lose your PS, I won’t keep a copy).
• I will also make sure to have it back to you in a timely manner, say no more than 3 business days after I send you a receipt email to confirm I’ve gotten it.

Make sure you show your PS to a lot of people, don't procrastinate.

I suppose you can find my writing samples http://doctororbust.wordpress.com/2...t-how-to-get-that-first-draft-6-simple-rules/

Good luck! And, if you're not interested in critiques then please don't slow down the talks about it please.

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[ruedjgtc]

Hello all,

For all confidential senders from March 21st -23rd your PS was read, and comments sent (via track changes and review panel) back to you via email. Please ensure your email box doesn't gobble up the attachment as spam. I'll be busy during the week, so I decided to just return them early.

Good luck on draft #2!

 

[ruedjgtc]

Hello all,

For all confidential senders from March 25-27th your PS was read, and comments sent (via track changes and review panel, like last time) back to you via email. For the third and final draft, you'll also find my PS as a model that "read well" to admissions attached. So please check your spam folder =D

I'll be out of town this weekend, but no worries, email still works just fine =).

Remember to have your LOR writers and/or mentors give it a read over as well after the third draft.

I will leave all correspondence off of this thread until he closing date, that is 4/15/14, when I will no longer accept PS. Until next cycle, if I have time as a MS1.

Good luck on draft #3!

 

[ruedjgtc]

Hello all,

A lot of people helped me write my personal statement, so I'm happy to of had the chance to pay the favor forward. Some of you made it through all three phases, if you didn't it's okay, at least you have a solid draft to work with (or it's getting there). Those people who committed to at least a second revisions received my PS as a reference. In general, here are general tips for everyone:

- reduce cliche words, use control + f to search and destroy: compassion, passion, interestingly, etc.
- construct a narrative after you've got prime material for your story (PS).
- recall that there are secondary essays for you to pontificate upon things, so don't go too much into different things on the PS. The PS has one objective, getting you into medschool, not highlighting how great your mentor was.
- underneath the narrative, make sure you have proper transitions. This will help you do the following:
1. tell them what you're going to tell them.
2. tell them.
3. tell them what you told them.

- when it reads in a terse way, it's not fun to read, look for a balance of word wizardry and fluidity.

I wrote a blog article on it here:
http://doctororbust.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/framing-your-narrative/

I will be putting my PS up on my blog in August, probably just after white coat day.

If you need emergency help with your PS before now and June, PM me, tell me your circumstances and we may be able to work something out. Other then that, I'm not taking PS anymore.

Good luck and remember to apply early!