"I want to help people" Personal Statement

[tiny turtle]

Everyone says to avoid this cliche. Although I don't directly say that phrase, I think my personal statement pretty much just boils down to that idea. Is that a bad thing? I'm not just vaguely talking about wanting to help people; I think the essay is well-supported with the anecdotes and ECs. At the same time, I don't want to come off as simplistic or naive.

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[lodo.owl]

Everyone says to avoid this cliche. Although I don't directly say that phrase, I think my personal statement pretty much just boils down to that idea. Is that a bad thing? I'm not just vaguely talking about wanting to help people; I think the essay is well-supported with the anecdotes and ECs. At the same time, I don't want to come off as simplistic or naive.

Every single individual applying to medical school wants to help people, you're stating what is already assumed of you being a medical school applicant.
Like gonnif said, focus on the why, not the obvious.

 

[Dr panda]

Why medicine?
"The desire to do good and help people."
Fine!
But people can do good everywhere. And what is behind this? Pink romance, a kind of adaptability - readiness to write what is expected of you?
"The desire to alleviate the suffering of people."
So, this is closer. But where did we get the idea of medicine only as a sphere of work with people suffering? Does it mean that healthy people do not need a doctor?
Just as gonnif said make sure you can explain exactly why medicine, your understanding of the field, and why only medicine is corresponding to your life path.

 

[Rachapkis]

Most essay topics, including yours, can be winners. It boils down to execution. If your essay makes clear that you want to help people as a doctor, explains why you want to be a doctor, shows what you have done to prepare yourself to be a doctor, and shows how with specific examples, you will be fine. There is nothing new under the sun. Ad coms have seen permutations on almost every theme, so the key (as in most things) is in the execution.

 

[tiny turtle]

The concept itself is simplistic and naive, no matter how you say it. I can help people in thousands of ways. It says nothing as WHY MEDICINE instead of social work, nursing, defense lawyer, nonprofit administrator, fundraiser, patient advocate, teacher, etc

Every single individual applying to medical school wants to help people, you're stating what is already assumed of you being a medical school applicant.
Like gonnif said, focus on the why, not the obvious.

Why medicine?
"The desire to do good and help people."
Fine!
But people can do good everywhere. And what is behind this? Pink romance, a kind of adaptability - readiness to write what is expected of you?
"The desire to alleviate the suffering of people."
So, this is closer. But where did we get the idea of medicine only as a sphere of work with people suffering? Does it mean that healthy people do not need a doctor?
Just as gonnif said make sure you can explain exactly why medicine, your understanding of the field, and why only medicine is corresponding to your life path.

All the anecdotes I use either involve serving people in a medical context or draw clear parallels between a service activity and a physician’s role. Is this sufficient to show an interest in medicine specifically?

 

[deleted967981]

You will also be asked this in an interview, so ask yourself what doctors do that nurses, pharmacists, social workers, PAs, etc can’t or don’t do.

I was specifically asked “why medical school?” instead of all these other things.

 

[deleted972488]

If your motivation is only “helping people” it will not get traction

What other motivations are there, though? I'm happy with my own personal statement, but to answer OP, I think the desire to help people is absolutely a good reason to go into medicine. It just needs to be explained and demonstrated rather than just stated.

 

[tiny turtle]

Have anecdotes that are medically related still does not tell me why medicine. If it all boils down to “helping people” that is not enough. I want to see motivation, commitment and achievement, in that order. If your motivation is only “helping people” it will not get traction as you may wind up as the 80% or more applications per individual school that must be rejected pre interview

What I’m trying to say is that the anecdotes are medically related AND I show how these activities 1) taught me what a career in medicine is like from a service oriented perspective, 2) shown me ways that I want to help people as a physician (admittedly, some of these ways can be applied to other service oriented professions, but I explain them all in a medical context), and 3) allowed me to apply characteristics of compassion/etc when helping others. I think this boils down to the idea of “helping others” but this is what I meant by it is “well-supported.” Does that seem more like what you’re looking for?? Sorry if I wasn’t being specific enough before

How would you suggest “showing” commitment and achievement in the personal statement?? I feel like the activities speak for themselves and are also shown in the activities section?