How Creative should you get?

[Pkboi24]

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How creative should you get on your personal statement?

The least creative being a 3 part essay - intro, body, conclusion.

The most creative being a poem.

 

[RayhanS1282]

How creative should you get on your personal statement?

The least creative being a 3 part essay - intro, body, conclusion.

The most creative being a poem.

Be creative but not as creative as James Frey.

 

[Pkboi24]

Be creative but not as creative as James Frey.

Who's James Frey?

 

[MAC12383]

keep the creativity to a minimum. definitely no poems

 

[MollyMalone]

Be creative but not as creative as James Frey.

 

[reylting]

How creative should you get on your personal statement?

The least creative being a 3 part essay - intro, body, conclusion.

The most creative being a poem.

The first time I applied to medial school my personal statement was a creative piece done in third person. Draw from that what you will!

 

[RayhanS1282]

Who's James Frey?

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.

 

[Pkboi24]

The first time I applied to medial school my personal statement was a creative piece done in third person. Draw from that what you will!

It's funny you say that because I wrote a draft of mine in third person...guess I won't be using that one...

 

[reylting]

It's funny you say that because I wrote a draft of mine in third person...guess I won't be using that one...

Yeah...NOT A GOOD IDEA. Are you an English major/minor by any chance?

 

[Pkboi24]

Yeah...NOT A GOOD IDEA. Are you an English major/minor by any chance?

Nope, but I am a freelance writer. I'm also very into creative writing and perform spoken word from time to time.

 

[PurpleHaze]

I'd say you want to be a memorable applicant, so be creative, but not so much that they remember you because you wrote something completely off the wall.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

So I should throw out the draft that has "All Work and No Play Makes LifetimeDoc Go Crazy" printed in random, interesting design formats?

 

[reylting]

Nope, but I am a freelance writer. I'm also very into creative writing and perform spoken word from time to time.

That totally explains the urge to be "creative." I was an English major. The way it was explained to me...the personal statement is not the avenue to show case your creative writing talents. You want to be clear, concise and make sure you get across the person you are in an essay that is relatively easy to follow. So try to resist the urge to use flowery language, literary allusions and the like. But I really dig that you do spoken word. I like to write too.

 

[LizzyM]

Heck, I saw one that was a list of "things you should know about me" I think that it included the fact that her favorite soup was chicken noodle and if she were a tree she'd be....

The best I ever read, and I remember it after more than 18 months, tied the student's campus job, research, and volunteer work in one word. It was something along the lines of (this is a fictional example similar to the actual essay) twirling fire batons in marching band shows, using fire to heat lab samples, and running fire drills as an RA.

Like fire batons, it helps to have a gimmick but don't get too far out or you run the risk of having us laughing so hard that we forget to recommend you for interview.

 

[Thundrstorm]

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.

 

[DarkFark]

I say make it just creative enough to avoid being formulaic. I think the more creative you get, the more polarizing... it will evoke stronger feelings of both appreciation and dislike, because the more different it is, the more people will form opinions on it, one way or another.

The PS should be a vessel for discussing the very best you have to offer- academics, character, experiences, etc. It should not try to create merit from nothing, unless you believe you really need it because your application is lacking.

Otherwise, just hedge your bet by explain who you are and why you are applying as thoughtfully as you can. If you want to write something more unorthodox, then save it for a secondary essay at a school you think you have only an outside shot at.

 

[NCF145]

What about writing the ps in iambic pentameter?

 

[Nexus777]

A friend wrote his essay about "What I was in my previous life." He said he was a dolphin. At his interview, after all the formalities, the interviewer asked him, "Look, you are a good candidate, but I wouldn't let you touch my mother with that essay. Why did you write it?" He said, "To catch the committee's attention. It obviously worked because I'm here interviewing." The interviewer laughed. Long story short, student was accepted to the school - HMS.

Caveat: He already had stellar stats, so its not like he needed the statement to get him in. It was more a risk than anything, but a risk that payed off in the end.

 

[nimotsu]

The most creative being a poem.

Please post a stanza

 

[LizzyM]

What about writing the ps in iambic pentameter?

I'd be impressed.

It would be a bright spot in the day otherwise spent reading about dead grandmothers, the courage needed to leave home for a summer alone in Europe, what is happening inside the vehicle when you hear those ambulance sirens, what's happening inside the applicant when he hears those sirens, sick siblings, physician parents who took the applicant on rounds from the age of six, saintly grandfathers who were role models, the pathos of the recipients of third world medical care, and plucky inner city kids who are an inspiration to us all.

 

[Anastasis]

I'd be impressed.

It would be a bright spot in the day otherwise spent reading about dead grandmothers, the courage needed to leave home for a summer alone in Europe, what is happening inside the vehicle when you hear those ambulance sirens, what's happening inside the applicant when he hears those sirens, sick siblings, physician parents who took the applicant on rounds from the age of six, saintly grandfathers who were role models, the pathos of the recipients of third world medical care, and plucky inner city kids who are an inspiration to us all.

I got shot at when I volunteered abroad. Should I include that? (Yes, it is relevant to my story.) Pretty unoriginal I think.

 

[RayhanS1282]

I'd be impressed.

It would be a bright spot in the day otherwise spent reading about dead grandmothers, the courage needed to leave home for a summer alone in Europe, what is happening inside the vehicle when you hear those ambulance sirens, what's happening inside the applicant when he hears those sirens, sick siblings, physician parents who took the applicant on rounds from the age of six, saintly grandfathers who were role models, the pathos of the recipients of third world medical care, and plucky inner city kids who are an inspiration to us all.

Heard 'em all...how about a kid who just likes science and loses it when they hear about photon and neutrinos...not that it's me.

 

[Pkboi24]

Writing is a big part of who I am and what I do. If the PS were to really show who I am, it'd probably be something like a free-verse poem with a story tied into it that somehow explained my motivations for medicine.

Of course, it's most likely that I won't submit such a PS. The medical community just seems a little too conservative to be ready for such liberal PSs.

What about humor? Would it be wrong to include a small pun or a facetious allusion?

 

[LizzyM]

Heard 'em all...how about a kid who just likes science and loses it when they hear about photon and neutrinos...not that it's me.

If I had a dime for every applicant who is "fascinated by the human body" I could have retired in 2004.

 

[LizzyM]

I got shot at when I volunteered abroad. Should I include that? (Yes, it is relevant to my story.) Pretty unoriginal I think.

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.

 

[nimotsu]

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.

 

[Will Ferrell]

It would be a bright spot in the day otherwise spent reading about dead grandmothers, the courage needed to leave home for a summer alone in Europe, what is happening inside the vehicle when you hear those ambulance sirens, what's happening inside the applicant when he hears those sirens, sick siblings, physician parents who took the applicant on rounds from the age of six, saintly grandfathers who were role models, the pathos of the recipients of third world medical care, and plucky inner city kids who are an inspiration to us all.

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

I'm a fiction writer, so it was hard no doing my PS as a story... so i compromised

I started with humor.. true humor... but humor nonetheless. my personality was pretty obvious by line three. and then i did a standard PS. I decided the most important things they needed to know about who i am and what i'm all about. The creative writing helped, because i sprinkled stories into sections where i talked about experiences especially important to my decision to become a doctor.

In one page, you need to make a lot of points. i wouldn't waste time with a huge conclusion. i used up a big paragraph on intro because it was important to get my personality across before getting down to business.

Your writing skill comes in with the smoothness of the paper. Transition, natural movement from one topic to the next. I worked on mine for a long time, unsatisfied, until one night i couldn't sleep. sat down and knocked the whole thing out in an hour. But granted before that i'd written and re-written every part so by then i knew what i wanted to say and could just let it all flow (then edit some more)

don't over-do the schmaltz. you want to do something creative that shows your personality. but i wouldn't get gimmicky. avoid gimmicky. I did that in my undergrad apps and it wasn't pretty. mine was way worse than the dolphin kids 😉 I went tasteful for my med school ps and got in first try. Sure as heck wasn't because of my mcat scores. hehe

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

Hahahaha :-d

 

[Pkboi24]

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

HA HA HA HA! Lizzy, I have not laughed this hard in weeks. Thank you!

 

[CMismo]

Well....

Don't make it boring! Give a story for activities if you want (all of my activity descriptions were short stories), but stick to the main idea of why you want to be a physician etc for the personal statement. Personal would be a better description than Creative. Make the "you" shine through without writing about witches and dragons. Essay format for the PS is best (better than just a question and answer format or short story format). I ended up talking about my motorcycle...go figure...

CMismo 😱

 

[dbhvt]

Recognize that the PS is not just a tool that you use to catch the attention of the application reader who makes the initial screen. It has to serve several purposes along the way.
Generally speaking, the people who sit on those adcoms are fairly conservative. Members of one particular adcom have told me that the end result of a PS that stands out is more likely to be rejection of an otherwise qualified applicant than admission of an otherwise questionable applicant.
I would advise you to use your writing talent and experience to communicate your simple story with more clarity and sincerity, rather than presenting them with a well executed gimmick.

 

[Pkboi24]

I don't like that word "gimmick". It sounds like I'm trying to cheat people somehow. As a writer, you're always looking for something that will catch and hold attention. I don't see why this should work against you. If I just wrote a normal, run-of-the-mill essay, what would that say about myself? That I'm boring and unoriginal? I guess I'm just venting here. I know adcomms probably aren't too keen on a PS as a poem or inner-monologue but with medicine being such a stereotyped profession, I think a little originality from time to time wouldn't hurt.

 

[dbhvt]

I didn't say write a run-of-the-mill essay. Write a fvcking awesome essay. But please understand that the application process is not the time to try and change the course of the profession. Wear a dark suit to your interview and don't use your PS for artistic expression.

 

[45408]

I didn't say write a run-of-the-mill essay. Write a fvcking awesome essay. But please understand that the application process is not the time to try and change the course of the profession. Wear a dark suit to your interview and don't use your PS for artistic expression.

A doctor (I think) walked past our interview group at UWisc in the hospital and said "Come on guys! Be creative! Wear a lighter color." 🙁


😛

 

[Thundrstorm]

I don't like that word "gimmick". It sounds like I'm trying to cheat people somehow. As a writer, you're always looking for something that will catch and hold attention. I don't see why this should work against you. If I just wrote a normal, run-of-the-mill essay, what would that say about myself? That I'm boring and unoriginal? I guess I'm just venting here. I know adcomms probably aren't too keen on a PS as a poem or inner-monologue but with medicine being such a stereotyped profession, I think a little originality from time to time wouldn't hurt.

Yeah, I wouldn't describe what I wrote as a "gimmick" really. I just showed a little personality and humor. I think it will be obvious what is a reasonable display of your personality and what is better suited for a literary magazine.

 

[LizzyM]

A doctor (I think) walked past our interview group at UWisc in the hospital and said "Come on guys! Be creative! Wear a lighter color." 🙁


😛

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

 

[QuikClot]

How creative should you get on your personal statement?

The least creative being a 3 part essay - intro, body, conclusion.

The most creative being a poem.

Standard practice today is a villanelle, followed by an explanatory sestina, and if the villanelle is in pentameter, rather than the classic tetrameter, you have to go school in the Caribbean.

 

[ND2005]

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

Thank goodness I wore grey 😉

 

[Depakote]

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

I wonder if I can find one of these in time for my next interview...

 

[Pkboi24]

Standard practice today is a villanelle, followed by an explanatory sestina, and if the villanelle is in pentameter, rather than the classic tetrameter, you have to go school in the Caribbean.

Que?

 

[LizzyM]

Standard practice today is a villanelle, followed by an explanatory sestina, and if the villanelle is in pentameter, rather than the classic tetrameter, you have to go school in the Caribbean.

Here's a sestina that might, sadly, exceed the space allotted for the PS. Good explanation of a decision to go into medicine, alas, it is about one of the most over-done essay topics: sick and dying parent.

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/sestinas/25LeonardKress.html

 

[happydays]

Que?

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

Anyhoot, just write your story. Don't think about whether or not it's been done. Write something that encompasses the key events in your life that made you want to become a doctor.

Who cares if the reason you want to be a doctor is the same as that of 1000+ other people! Maybe there ought to be certain things that doctors share, like wanting to care for others based on the tragedies of his/her own life or on a deeply moving volunteering experience.

 

[LizzyM]

Que? is Spanish for What?


Hablamos espanol mis amigos.

 

[dbhvt]

Que? is Spanish for What?


Hablamos espanol mis amigos.

LizzyM,

Was I on with the whole don't offend the conservative sensibilities of the medical establishment with a risky PS?

I mean, I know we don't want to bore you, but we also don't want to offend your stodgy colleagues who aren't hip enough to frequent online forums.... yes?

I.e, good sincere well written content >>> eye-catching artistic challenge to form.

 

[45408]

So, Lizzy, what do you like to see in a PS? It's too late for me now....but I'm curious. I referenced EMS in my opening paragraph, and I'm wondering how often you see a PS that's a "breath of fresh air" and whether or not "run-of-the-mill" PS's make a difference in your perception of the applicant. Or do you look more at the work/activities?

 

[Depakote]

And now please go to This Website to download a video of me performing my personal statement through interpretive dance.

 

[MacchinaDaCaffe]

How creative should you get on your personal statement?

The least creative being a 3 part essay - intro, body, conclusion.

The most creative being a poem.

Your original question seems to insinuate that degree of creativity is somehow inherent to the format of the piece of writing. Have you ever read an uncreative poem? Yes, unfortunately we all have.

Think of it this way, the personal statement is your formal introduction to the admissions committee. The only way to go on this one is a standard 1st person essay. Within that format a variety of creativity is acceptable...certain outliers being writing WHOLE WORDS in capital letters or writing all lowercase. As far as content is concerned...you'll be fine if you keep it relevant to your own life experiences (in relation to medicine) and if you express yourself simply and sincerely.

Basically the admissions committee just wants to know who you are and what circumstances, character traits, and desires led you up to the crazy idea of wanting to be a doctor. 😉

 

[LizzyM]

Basically the admissions committee just wants to know who you are and what circumstances, character traits, and desires led you up to the crazy idea of wanting to be a doctor. 😉

Right you are. We want to know how the adult you came to the decision to become a physician and how you tested that decision. Don't tell us that you were genetically predestined to be a physician like the 5 earlier generations of your family or that you decided at your fifth birthday party when grandma gave you a Fischer-Price Doctor Kit.

Watch out for getting too far off topic. On adcom member told me, "this guy has told us that he's gay but we really don't know anything else about him or why he wants to be a doctor" (the whole essay was about coming to a realization about his sexual orientation and coming out to parents, friends, etc)

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). I still contend that a prose version of a villanelle where you come back to the same phrase several times is very memorable (in a good way). I still to this day remember the job, research and volunteer work that an applicant linked to a single word.

You want to be memorable and interesting. In the end, adcom members often ask themselves, "would I like to meet this applicant?" and those who come across as interesting and upbeat with a passion for the practice of medicine are the winners.

 

[Pkboi24]

Right you are. We want to know how the adult you came to the decision to become a physician and how you tested that decision. Don't tell us that you were genetically predestined to be a physician like the 5 earlier generations of your family or that you decided at your fifth birthday party when grandma gave you a Fischer-Price Doctor Kit.

Watch out for getting too far off topic. On adcom member told me, "this guy has told us that he's gay but we really don't know anything else about him or why he wants to be a doctor" (the whole essay was about coming to a realization about his sexual orientation and coming out to parents, friends, etc)

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). I still contend that a prose version of a villanelle where you come back to the same phrase several times is very memorable (in a good way). I still to this day remember the job, research and volunteer work that an applicant linked to a single word.

You want to be memorable and interesting. In the end, adcom members often ask themselves, "would I like to meet this applicant?" and those who come across as interesting and upbeat with a passion for the practice of medicine are the winners.

I got dibs on the villanelle idea.