"Goals as a physician-scientist"-type essays

[Ziggy08]

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Hi,

This question is from the Columbia app, but I'm sure there be a lot of other applications with this question. How specific are you guys getting? Besides putting down the whole "translational research" thing, are you guys including stories/anecdotes? I feel like I'm repeating a lot of things I put on the 'why md/phd' essay on the primary.

 

[SuperMatt]

Hi,

This question is from the Columbia app, but I'm sure there be a lot of other applications with this question. How specific are you guys getting? Besides putting down the whole "translational research" thing, are you guys including stories/anecdotes? I feel like I'm repeating a lot of things I put on the 'why md/phd' essay on the primary.

I basically just rehashed my "why md/phd", however, I was a little more specific about goals. I just explained how I wanted to balance lab/clinic and how that relates to my potential field of interest.

I was wondering how long this should be. I didnt see any limits since we are uploading it. What do people think is a reasonable length? I was shooting for 1.5-2 pages single spaced 12 point font.

 

[Ziggy08]

I see. I'm not sure what I want to study in the future, so I just included another anecdote.

Mine is about 3/4 page.

 

[Hard24Get]

I basically just rehashed my "why md/phd", however, I was a little more specific about goals. I just explained how I wanted to balance lab/clinic and how that relates to my potential field of interest.

I was wondering how long this should be. I didnt see any limits since we are uploading it. What do people think is a reasonable length? I was shooting for 1.5-2 pages single spaced 12 point font.

one page (500-1000 words). Trust me, no one has time to read these long essays. Practice being concise for your future grants.

 

[Inuranic]

Alisa -

I just looked at your MDApplicants page. Please do not apply to any of the schools I have applied to. kthx.

I'm dreading writing this essay too (SLU has a similar prompt). I guess it'll be similar to my "Why MD/PhD" essay, but I'm going to write more about my career goals (i.e. how I want to spend my time, etc.).

I don't like these prompts because I know my mind will change between now and when I graduate (come on, it's ~7 years). I'm entering medicine with my mind and eyes open wide, and sometimes I feel like I'm being pinned downed in areas I am unqualified to have an opinion on.