How to start a personal statement???

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AntGod22

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Ok i need adive on this topic. What should i talk about? Are there anythings i shouldnt write about?? Are there any good sites that talk about this and how to go about it??

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On the AACOMAS online application, you have very little room to get into any type of detail. Be very brief and concise and prepare to go into a lot more depth when completing your secondary applications. However, you should try to integrate your understanding of the philosophy of osteopathy and then recall a brief event that helped you decide upon osteopathy and/or medicine. Three short paragraphs should do and remember that no one can expect a great essay when there is not that much space to write! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
 
I wrote about my first experience with osteopathic manipulation, and how it affected me. I also touched upon my clinical experience and also what I thought the future of medicine was and how DO's can be a strong influence in the reshaping of modern medicine. But as just pointed out, its only like two small paragraphs, so don't worry too much about it. Most interviewers don't even have access to it anyway.
 
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Just curious...So what are some specific events that helped you guys decide upon osteopathy? I don't think I have any event in specific, but just in general I like to whole DO philosophy.
 
Lady bug--
I saw one of our DO's in the ER do some manipulation on a lady that had chronic back pain for years and who was addicted to narcotics. Dr. Dillon did some work on her sacrum and after it was done, the woman was pain free! She was so happy and relieved to be free of pain that she left in tears. All the other allopaths just dismissed her as a drug seeker and never layed a finger on her, but Dr. Dillon used OMM and actually put her hands on the patient and fixed her. We never saw the patient again after that because she was cured. This is a pretty dramatic event because DO's are hardly able to use OMM in the busy ER, but it really inspired me to learn about oseopathic medicine and eventually apply to DO school.Hope this helps.
 
"This one time, at band camp..."

The rest of the personal statement writes itself.

In all seriousness, asking how to start the statement is the opposite of what you should be doing.

Don't get ideas from other people...they're old. Your ideas will be fresh and new...or SHOULD be fresh and new.

I just talked about how I learned about Osteopathic medicine and how it impacted my decision on where I wanted to go to medical school.

Write about whatever flows. Write about whatever sounds good, but also talks about yourself.

Be creative, but not immature.

Stand out, but don't be too flashy.

Good luck.

:wink:
 
i had my ps written even before i had my mcat scores back. i thought it was great! i left it alone for a month and when i went back to it i thought it sounded still, unspecific, and unoriginal. What i ended up doing (at 2am) is jotting down a bunch of ideas-- stuff of schools web sites, books-- general principles that i loved about medicine. Then i wrote my ps backwards. It evolved a lot, but i felt much more free with it. Another suggestion would be to not let too many people read it-- they'll all try to get you to change it way too much. pick a few you really trust and stick with them. Most importantly, make your PERSONAL statement YOU! something personal.
 
should i talk about any e.c. that i have done, or my grades in undergrad?
 
You could weave in your e.c.'s to why you decided on osteopathy. Like it says above, there is little room on the AACOMAS app- what I did was stay very basic (how I decided on osteopathy) and my goals as a future physician... and then be prepared to expand and get more detailed on your secondary applications (there is much more room on these for a detailed essay). Best of luck! :D
 
I started my ps off with how I was first introduced to Osteopathic Med. Then, I cont. to expand on my experience with D.O's. If you dont have this type of experience, I would write something about how you came to choose osteopathy over allopathic schools. I would imagine they want to weed out the people who are looking at DO schools as a safety net (which I dont believe it is) Good luck...
 
On my PS, I just typed from my heart. I talked about how the doctor (a DO) I volunteered for was not afraid to get up close and personal with his patients and how he treated them as people. I also wrote about how I liked the way osteopathic medicine looks deep into the musculoskeletal system and relates it to the physiological and nervous workings within the body--the "whole body" approach (if that makes any sense). Just be original and genuine.
 
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