How Creative should you get?

[45408]

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You should have a structure to your essay. Some open with a story, recount the path that led to that moment, and close with some thought for the future. Pretty routine, particularly when the opening is about emergency medical services (Prowler, you're one of the hundreds who opened with an EMS story)

Hey, hey 😛 I didn't tell a story about it - I just referenced that I am in it. 😛

In general, I just wrote my PS to simply answer the question "Why medicine?" or however AMCAS phrased the intro question. Nothing too creative.

 

[Pkboi24]

Ah, I suppose I will have to really work at creating originality within the confines of conformity.

Has anyone ever used one of the med school essay editing services? I would never use one but was just wondering if anyone has and if so, how effective were they?

 

[Schaden Freud]

Be just a little creative. I'd tell you what my little gimmick was, but I don't want anyone to steal it b/c it was awesome. I had a couple of interviewers tell me how much they enjoyed my essay. I'll tell you this though: it was all in 1st person, only the first sentence or two were creative, and the rest was a standard, sincere personal statement. I basically just had a good hook.

For my MD/PhD essay, I opened up by talking about how clumsy I am and how I lack all grace and hand-eye coordination.... except in the lab (which is so true by the way). Again, interviewers thought this was funny. But the rest of the essay was serious and focused. I think a little creativity is good for getting your app noticed, but when it comes down to it, you need to have the substance, and remember that the ps is your chance to make a first impression on every school you apply to; it is not a good place to be too experimental.

Thundrstorm, Nice filovirus!

 

[Thundrstorm]

Thundrstorm, Nice filovirus!

Thanks. Doesn't it look a little like Mickey Mouse?

 

[Pkboi24]

Okay, 9 days later, and I have still yet to write a PS I am satisfied with...

 

[Anastasis]

Okay, 9 days later, and I have still yet to write a PS I am satisfied with...

You still got awhile. You'll be fine!

 

[Pkboi24]

You still got awhile. You'll be fine!

Okay, so I just wrote this one PS while I was eating breakfast today. It's in a diary form. It says everything a PS should say, but it shows rather than tells.

December 24, 2004 - 3:45 PM blah blah blah

And I have around 4 entries in there, each having something to do with my drive or qualification for medicine.

Good? Bad? Atrocious?

 

[NapeSpikes]

Okay, so I just wrote this one PS while I was eating breakfast today. It's in a diary form. It says everything a PS should say, but it shows rather than tells.

December 24, 2004 - 3:45 PM blah blah blah

And I have around 4 entries in there, each having something to do with my drive or qualification for medicine.

Good? Bad? Atrocious?

Probably too gimmicky. Obviously I have no idea what you wrote, but if I were to do journal entries, it'd be hard to have an overarching theme/structure to tie them all into one coherent whole.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

I think you meant the French word "qua." "Que" is stacking something in a defined order.

Quoi? I think you mean "queue". And he meant "que."

 

[Pkboi24]

Probably too gimmicky. Obviously I have no idea what you wrote, but if I were to do journal entries, it'd be hard to have an overarching theme/structure to tie them all into one coherent whole.

Well, I've worked it in a way where one entry subtly alludes to the next. The entire thing is in a reverse chronological order beginning with me anxiously checking the TMDSAS website on match day and ending with the day I originally became interested in medicine. I know, it sounds complicated, but it's really not. I don't even know how I came up with it. It just came to me while I was eating breakfast, so I wrote it up right then. Maybe there was something in the tea at Einstein's Bros. Bagels.

Oh yeah, I'm going to trust in the honor system here and assume that we won't be stealing each other's ideas...

Not saying that mine are worth stealing, of course.

 

[Anastasis]

Well, I've worked it in a way where one entry subtly alludes to the next. The entire thing is in a reverse chronological order beginning with me anxiously checking the TMDSAS website on match day and ending with the day I originally became interested in medicine. I know, it sounds complicated, but it's really not. I don't even know how I came up with it. It just came to me while I was eating breakfast, so I wrote it up right then. Maybe there was something in the tea at Einstein's Bros. Bagels.

If you want an honest opinion, and wouldn't mind sharing it, you can send it to me in a PM. It's better than filling out the stupid TMDSAS.

 

[vtucci]

Be creative in the sense of telling a story. Don;t tell me that you have compassion, empathy, sense of humor or whatever characteristics make you unique.

 

[Pkboi24]

If you want an honest opinion, and wouldn't mind sharing it, you can send it to me in a PM. It's better than filling out the stupid TMDSAS.

Actually, I just looked it over and have decided against it. There was a big chunk in there about how I want to practice in third world countries after my residency. Which, while 100% true, is 100% cliche, so I'm scrapping it. I did, however, just come up with a new idea that I will be working on...

I will get back to you once I finish this one...

7th draft and counting...although is it still a draft if they're all completely different?

 

[nycpizza]

just be yourself. but not too much, cuz that's never good. 😛

you should really explain why you chose medicine. don't forget that...and don't sound cheesy or like a brownnosing suckup.

 

[Nutmeg1621]

Damn it....I make one news reference and you didn't get it.

He's the dude who wrote a autobiography about himself detailing a series of unfortunate events that happened to him due to his bout with drugs, horse tranqs, etc. Oprah thought he was a hero. But then they found out he "embellished" the entire book. He got called back on the show, given harsh words. And the moral of the story is: No one remembers James Frey.

😀 😍

 

[ltrain]

so i'm also working on my ps. here's a question for LizzyM or anyone with some basis to respond. i wrote mine on my peace corps experience. the whole thing. i didn't mention my research or my clinical volunteering or college athletics or the time i had knee surgery. i really like what i wrote, and i think it expresses some of the reasons i want to go into medicine, and some key skills that i have, like problem solving and being adaptable, etc. i think it will definitely lose personality if i cut and try to incorporate everything that's important to me (and my app). thoughts? did anyone write a focused PS on one topic?

thanks 🙂
-L

 

[Engin]

I went to a UCSF introduction to med school seminar. The (Assistant?) Dean of Admission said they did not like personal statements and in fact would chose not to read them if they didn't have to.

He said play it safe on personal statements. Do not have a fancy opening like "Boom. Boom. My body was covered in Egyptian sweat as the rain plastered the one tin shack better known as Egybt's best hosptial"

Saying that, write a paper that is different. Everyone will talk about this one patient that made them choose medicine, their club involvement, their research. How are you a unique littel snowflake? What do you bring?

 

[deuist]

The wearing of black suits by applicants is a running joke among admissions office people.

Are they attending a funeral?

My own personal statement was seen as too antagonistic the first time I applied to medical school. I called out organic chemistry as being useless and mentioned that I'm different than other pre-meds in that I actually want to understand the material and not annoy everyone around me. I had to do a substantial revision the second go around. Play the game, everyone. Just play the game.

 

[Pkboi24]

Are they attending a funeral?

My own personal statement was seen as too antagonistic the first time I applied to medical school. I called out organic chemistry as being useless and mentioned that I'm different than other pre-meds in that I actually want to understand the material and not annoy everyone around me. I had to do a substantial revision the second go around. Play the game, everyone. Just play the game.

I suck at this freaking game.

Oh you know what? Someone should make a pre-med board game. You could have different pieces just like monopoly. You could have an AK-47 for a gunner, a beer for the party animal, a set of lips for the kiss-ass, an AIDS baby for the humanitarian, and a piece of **** for pre-meds who you think are just that. You could go around and buy up crap like publications and whenever you land on someone's med school you have to do volunteering hours. It would be great, especially if you were drunk while playing it.

 

[Rafa]

I suck at this freaking game.

Oh you know what? Someone should make a pre-med board game. You could have different pieces just like monopoly. You could have an AK-47 for a gunner, a beer for the party animal, a set of lips for the kiss-ass, an AIDS baby for the humanitarian, and a piece of **** for pre-meds who you think are just that. You could go around and buy up crap like publications and whenever you land on someone's med school you have to do volunteering hours. It would be great, especially if you were drunk while playing it.

Premed monoply. The object of the game wouldn't be to make the most money, but to have the largest number of acceptances by May 15th, so everyone else is stuck on waitlists, and can't do a thing until you relinquish your acceptances - which you never will, reflecting the purpose of the game.

We should totally make this.

 

[Pkboi24]

Premed monoply. The object of the game wouldn't be to make the most money, but to have the largest number of acceptances by May 15th, so everyone else is stuck on waitlists, and can't do a thing until you relinquish your acceptances - which you never will, reflecting the purpose of the game.

We should totally make this.

Oh Oh! We can trade waitlist spots!

 

[Blank00]

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[Blank00]

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[rlwebb]

This thread inspired me to write my PS today! There is still a lot of editing to do though.

Now, for the PHD/MD essays :/

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I suck at this freaking game.

Oh you know what? Someone should make a pre-med board game. You could have different pieces just like monopoly. You could have an AK-47 for a gunner, a beer for the party animal, a set of lips for the kiss-ass, an AIDS baby for the humanitarian, and a piece of **** for pre-meds who you think are just that. You could go around and buy up crap like publications and whenever you land on someone's med school you have to do volunteering hours. It would be great, especially if you were drunk while playing it.

👍 👍

I would BUY THAT game! there could be a Chance card that says "You made a 19 on the MCAT, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Any US acceptances, Go straight to the Carribean"

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I've not had anyone with a fatal gunshot wound... oh wait, yours wasn't fatal, was it?

Actually, gunshots abroad would be a new twist on the "applicant illness/hardship" category. Usually it is cancer, car accident, depression, roommate illness/suicide, abusive relationship, or anorexia.

I've been shot at, but it was outside a bar in a bad neighborhood. The perp had just robbed my friend at gunpoint and my car (where I was sitting) was in his way.

We were lucky. He and his friends killed the person they robbed before they hit us.