Faith in personal statement, yes or no?

[skyeblue0610]

Would it be bad to discuss your personal faith in the personal statement. I'm not talking Tom Cruise Scienctology with an emphasis on convent everyone around me to my beliefs.

But would that push me into a corner of say interview questions that deal with would I compromise my faith or beliefs...abortion, etc. Personally I'm a bit more liberal in the areas in which my faith would say I should be conservative. So I think I could handle those questions, but it would be annoying if that's mostly what I get.

But I do believe that my faith did guide me into medicine almost literally.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[fireflygirl]

Would it be bad to discuss your personal faith in the personal statement. I'm not talking Tom Cruise Scienctology with an emphasis on convent everyone around me to my beliefs.

But would that push me into a corner of say interview questions that deal with would I compromise my faith or beliefs...abortion, etc. Personally I'm a bit more liberal in the areas in which my faith would say I should be conservative. So I think I could handle those questions, but it would be annoying if that's mostly what I get.

But I do believe that my faith did guide me into medicine almost literally.

I think that's a really tricky one there. I originally wrote a secondary essay for Rosalind Franklin that delved into something that regarded the Hindu faith and I used it as the basis to answer the question that the essay asked. My advisor thought it was well written but told me to start over. She said that it was something that could really stir problems depending on the reader. And then if I had gotten an interview, it could be brought up again and that goes into issues that are technically not even allowed to be brought up in interviews....so essentially, it could have just gotten messy.

I would try to steer clear of it if you can but if you really think that the issue is very important to your decision to entering medicine then maybe come up with a draft and start showing it to an advisor or friends and see what their gut reaction is. Depending on how you write it, it could turn out very well.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

Would it be bad to discuss your personal faith in the personal statement. I'm not talking Tom Cruise Scienctology with an emphasis on convent everyone around me to my beliefs.

But would that push me into a corner of say interview questions that deal with would I compromise my faith or beliefs...abortion, etc. Personally I'm a bit more liberal in the areas in which my faith would say I should be conservative. So I think I could handle those questions, but it would be annoying if that's mostly what I get.

But I do believe that my faith did guide me into medicine almost literally.

I mentioned my faith in mine, and I was asked about it a couple of times, but respectfully... I do feel like a couple of very liberal schools may have discriminated against me because of it, but I don't want to go to a school that would reject someone because of their faith, anyway, so it all worked out.

 

[flip26]

For a doctor of divinity PS - yes.

For a doctor of medicine PS - ummm, no.

 

[kastle6797]

I wouldn't go too far into talking about faith in a PS. It's just too controversial for some people, and you never know who's gonna be looking at your application. You can mention it or talk about it briefly, but keep it at that.

 

[-Goose-]

No. This would make your app too polarizing. Don't bring it up. Opens up a can of worms in terms of how you are going to deal with issues on your Ob/Gyn rotation, etc, etc. I don't see any advantage, unless you are SDA and are DYING to get into LLU.

 

[skyeblue0610]

Great, then I guess I'm screwed since I went to a Christian high school and college huh? IF they ask why I chose my university and I say part of it was that it is a religious insitution will I get as big rejection stamp on my application.

Eh, it can't be that bad can it? I think I'll go find someone med students who graduated from my university and ask how they worked it out

 

[Maxprime]

Yes, it's perfectly acceptable and reasonable . . . since you know that, that's why you came on a forum and asked if it was a good idea or not.

There should be a sticky in this forum with something along the lines of "you count as an average person, if you think something is questionable then it is questionable".

 

[Maxprime]

Great, then I guess I'm screwed since I went to a Christian high school and college huh? IF they ask why I chose my university and I say part of it was that it is a religious insitution will I get as big rejection stamp on my application.

Eh, it can't be that bad can it? I think I'll go find someone med students who graduated from my university and ask how they worked it out

If you don't get the answer you want, searching to find someone that will give you the answer that you want will probably lead you down the wrong path.

They probably won't ask why they chose your college, let alone your high school. If they do, you can tell the truth - just don't say something offensive like, "Because I'm not ******ed enough to doubt the existence of Jesus." You know . . . use common sense.

 

[flip26]

Great, then I guess I'm screwed since I went to a Christian high school and college huh? IF they ask why I chose my university and I say part of it was that it is a religious insitution will I get as big rejection stamp on my application.

Eh, it can't be that bad can it? I think I'll go find someone med students who graduated from my university and ask how they worked it out

Chances are you will stay in Texas, right? I doubt if your christian education will raise many eyebrows in TX as it might in heathen filled liberal bastions like NYC, SF, etc...

 

[VoiceofReason]

I don't think it's a good idea. Since your goal is acceptance (or it should be, anyway) your application should be as globally acceptable as possible. Sorry, thats just how you play this particular game.

 

[kedrin]

i wouldnt put it in there, just like i would not put atheism in mine when applying.

 

[mdgator]

I think it would be okay to mention or allude to your faith, as long as it is not the focus of your essay. For example, you might spend 3 or 4 paragraphs talking about different reasons you want to be a doctor, and one of them might be a strong desire you have to participate in medical mission work. It's tricky, because a personal statement is supposed to be, well, personal, but at the same time when you touch on things like faith you need to do it in a way that a non-religious person can both relate, (therefore understand), and not be offended.
If a medical experience you had somehow relates to your faith, for example, if you realized that you wanted to be a doctor while interacting with a sick girl in Costa Rica on a mission trip, then that is definitely fair game to talk about. What else would they expect you to talk about? But there again, be mindful that your reader may be non-religious, or even slightly anit-religious. So be careful.
From personal experience: I listed teaching Sunday school to teenagers in my activities section, and briefly related it to a desire I have to work with kids in various ways, (apart from my career, as I don't necessarily want to go into pediatrics.) My experiences teaching SS were actually brought up twice at interviews, (2 out of 11 interviewers mentioned it), and both times it was in a very positive light. One subtley alluded to the fact that he also was religious and we briefly discussed the experience, and the other simply said, "ah yes, you're the Sunday school teacher....I like that." So, I would say that 99% of the time, being religious will not hurt you, but I would also say that putting it out there too openly or excessively could in some cases be a bad thing. Use your judgement.

 

[CubaLibre]

leave it out. you're applying to medical school, and that doesn't require you to spill your guts. don't get too personal. it's a game. play it the right way.

 

[bioman2006]

I agree with everyone else on this post...if you mention your faith, only mention it in passing, like writing about a volunteer experience with a church or activities in a youth group.