Guilty About PS Subject

[barton7766]

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*Please Don't quote, I will definitely be deleting this*

Hello everyone, I was writing my PS and wanted your opinions about whether or not a certain topic would be appropriate or not. Just a warning, it is pretty violent.

I will not sugar coat it... There was a mass shooting at my campus, and one of my friends along with several of my other peers were killed....

So I wrote about it in my PS, because it did mean a lot in my own life. However, I can't help but feel guilty, since I feel like I'm using someone's death for my own personal gain, and they definitely don't deserve that.

What do you think? Don't be afraid to be harsh.

Edited: Took out details

 

[mistafab]

I honestly think you need to ask for good PS edits from whomever you can. As it comes off of what you said, this seems strange to me and makes me feel uncomfortable about what this has to do with persuing medicine. Maybe your PS is different - I don't know. This story, however, seems like a horrible tragedy that makes me feel uncomfortable if it is used as a reason for pursuing medicine.

Being a doctor should be something you saw and think you'd love to do. It shouldn't take a killing on a campus to make someone a doctor. Again, however, maybe your PS would come off differently to me than your little post would. Who knows.

 

[barton7766]

It's not a reason I want to be a doctor. I don't want to go into medicine because of a terrible event outside of my control...

However, I can't say it wasn't a hugely important step in my journey towards medicine. It changed how I appreciate life, and also how I view the community impact of medicine (beyond aiding injured people), and my role in it. Perhaps you're right though - I need to be able to articulate my desire to pursue medicine without this, which I feel do well in the rest of my essay. I guess all I was wondering was... to what extent should I be honest, or just keep this event to myself?

 

[elliejellybean]

This is extremely dark dude…

 

[aaronrodgers]

put it in your secondaries (it's basically personal statement version 2 since all schools send them out to you). there will definitely be questions asking more about your struggles/obstacles.

 

[barton7766]

This is extremely dark dude…

I apologize if I upset you with such a negative post. I'm generally pretty upbeat, I needed some guidance on this one though.

put it in your secondaries (it's basically personal statement version 2 since all schools send them out to you). there will definitely be questions asking more about your struggles/obstacles.

This sounds like it would be a better idea.

 

[Jalby]

*Please Don't quote, I will definitely be deleting this*

1. I had to quote this.
2. I wouldn't make it a focal point or even mention it in your PS. Having known someone who was shot doesn't make you a better doctor late on. Or having gone through the experience. It would actually be a red flag to me that this was a focal point or even mentioned in your PS. It will get you downgraded by a lot of people.

 

[deleted480308]

You are absolutely using the tragedy.

You can decide for yourself if you want to be the kind of person that does. You can decide if it's effective.

But you are using it

 

[LizzyM]

*Please Don't quote, I will definitely be deleting this*

Hello everyone, I was writing my PS and wanted your opinions about whether or not a certain topic would be appropriate or not. Just a warning, it is pretty violent.

I will not sugar coat it... There was a mass shooting at my campus, and one of my friends along with several of my other peers were killed....

So I wrote about it in my PS, because it did mean a lot in my own life. However, I can't help but feel guilty, since I feel like I'm using someone's death for my own personal gain, and they definitely don't deserve that.

What do you think? Don't be afraid to be harsh.

This board isn't of much help to others unless there is some context for the responses. I hope that this isn't too much information from your original post. Sadly, there are so many mass shootings on campuses that this experience does not make you identifiable.

I've seen an applicant from Columbine HS who didn't write about it and it was the elephant in the room when I read the application. I've seen an applicant from V-Tech that did write about it. I've seen an applicant who was on Wall Street on 9/11 and another who was "in the hole" looking for bodies in the days after that attack. I've seen an applicant who was there when a bomb was detonated in a cafeteria on a military base abroad.

You can write about this but don't be naive. Having medical training would not have made it possible for you, sitting there on campus, to save lives there on the ground while this horror was happening. Health care providers do save the majority of wounded but only "first aid" is provided in the field. It is okay to be inspired to continue as a pre-med having witnessed this horror but don't believe that you could have been less helpless in the situation if you had been a doctor.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

You can write about this but don't be naive. Having medical training would not have made it possible for you, sitting there on campus, to save lives there on the ground while this horror was happening. Health care providers do save the majority of wounded but only "first aid" is provided in the field. It is okay to be inspired to continue as a pre-med having witnessed this horror but don't believe that you could have been less helpless in the situation if you had been a doctor.

I think this is a pretty important thing to note. Even those of us with emergency response training may not have been able to do much in the situation you were in - One of the first things you learn in any kind of first aid/emergency response course is that you can't save lives if you put yourself in danger while doing it. You mentioned wanting to "run out there and do something" - it actually shows far better judgement that you didn't. Even if the person was right in front of you, there is only so much you can do without equipment and resources.

OP, I'm sorry that you had to experience this and hope that, beyond your medical motivations, you are doing well in the aftermath.

 

[efle]

I've seen an applicant from Columbine HS who didn't write about it and it was the elephant in the room when I read the application. I've seen an applicant from V-Tech that did write about it. I've seen an applicant who was on Wall Street on 9/11 and another who was "in the hole" looking for bodies in the days after that attack. I've seen an applicant who was there when a bomb was detonated in a cafeteria on a military base abroad.

Were these people helped, hurt, or not affected at all by their choices to include/exclude the tragedies?

 

[LizzyM]

Were these people helped, hurt, or not affected at all by their choices to include/exclude the tragedies?

Columbine: not hurt
V-Tech: I don't remember
9/11: I don't remember if the applicant addressed it or if it was solely in a LOR that got into applicants' motivation for a career change.
Military: helped

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

**** people who think that you are using a strategy for gain. We need to stop the idea that the personal statement somehow is better or easier for people who underwent hardship. If its relevant to why you want to be a physician, write about it. There is no reason to feel guilty about it at all and Im very sorry for your loss. What you went through is a horrible hardship.

You are absolutely using the tragedy.

You can decide for yourself if you want to be the kind of person that does. You can decide if it's effective.

But you are using it

I could not disagree more

 

[fhockey13]

It's not a reason I want to be a doctor. I don't want to go into medicine because of a terrible event outside of my control...

However, I can't say it wasn't a hugely important step in my journey towards medicine. It changed how I appreciate life, and also how I view the community impact of medicine (beyond aiding injured people), and my role in it. Perhaps you're right though - I need to be able to articulate my desire to pursue medicine without this, which I feel do well in the rest of my essay. I guess all I was wondering was... to what extent should I be honest, or just keep this event to myself?

Being in a mass shooting is a significant thing to experience. It's a tragedy for the whole community. Those who lose their lives, the suffering of their families, the disabling injuries of surviving victims. The resultant PTSD, mental health issues etc. that ensue in the aftermath. Using it to illustrate the community impact of medicine like you said seems very appropriate. But Id just focus on that aspect.

And no you are not "using this tragedy"-- you were a part of a mass shooting--it would be weird AF if you were not affected by it in some way.

 

[deleted480308]

**** people who think that you are using a strategy for gain. We need to stop the idea that the personal statement somehow is better or easier for people who underwent hardship. If its relevant to why you want to be a physician, write about it. There is no reason to feel guilty about it at all and Im very sorry for your loss. What you went through is a horrible hardship.

I could not disagree more

You are welcome to disagree, the language is unnecessary