Does your PS need a thesis statement?

[bobadoz]

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I’m an applicant for the upcoming cycle and was working on my personal statement. Curious on if I need a dedicated thesis statement that’s answers why medicine or if I can just kind of spell it out at the end. Let me know if you’re willing to read mine and give a better answer with context. 🙂

 

[wysdoc]

I’m an applicant for the upcoming cycle and was working on my personal statement. Curious on if I need a dedicated thesis statement that’s answers why medicine or if I can just kind of spell it out at the end. Let me know if you’re willing to read mine and give a better answer with context. 🙂

No, it should be more of a narrative of your reasons for pursuing medicine. Thesis statement format is too impersonal and scientific

 

[M_C]

I’m an applicant for the upcoming cycle and was working on my personal statement. Curious on if I need a dedicated thesis statement that’s answers why medicine or if I can just kind of spell it out at the end. Let me know if you’re willing to read mine and give a better answer with context. 🙂

Not a formal thesis statement like you would in writing classes, just tell your story and let your reader into your life, who you are, your values, what you care about and how that's related to medicine.

With an essay that's inherently more personal/emotional, you will likely have a few lines that are very "memorable" and those are helpful for giving your reader something to remember. But just let those happen naturally, no need to force them!

Also happy to read and provide help if you want!

 

[chzsux]

I basically wrote a personal statement with a main idea that I didn't necessarily formally use like a thesis. However, I did incorporate the main idea at crucial/important parts of the personal statement to provide structure to my narrative

 

[LizzyM]

I still remember a personal statement that was structured around one word and then that word was repeated showing that the applicant used x in the lab (I don't recall if it was fire or ice), was involved with first aid at a part-time job that involved the same substance, and did a health promotion program that was tangentially related (related to smoking or drinking -- fire or ice). It was very clever and pulled the story along in a memorable way. The five paragraph essay with an intro, three supporting paragraphs and a closing paragraph can be a good framework for an effective essay.

 

[gyngyn]

I still remember a personal statement that was structured around one word and then that word was repeated showing that the applicant used x in the lab (I don't recall if it was fire or ice), was involved with first aid at a part-time job that involved the same substance, and did a health promotion program that was tangentially related (related to smoking or drinking -- fire or ice). It was very clever and pulled the story along in a memorable way. The five paragraph essay with an intro, three supporting paragraphs and a closing paragraph can be a good framework for an effective essay.

It takes a gifted writer to pull this off.

 

[LizzyM]

It takes a gifted writer to pull this off.

Perhaps that's why I still remember it 15 years later.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Search the article archives for "personal statement" for lots of suggestions on the topic.