I'm not sure if my idea for my personal statement is too risky

[girlunobserved]

I have a couple of ideas for my personal statement.
Trigger Warnings: suicide, self-harm

One is the suicide of someone I knew - and how I couldn't help him at the time - which is by far my biggest regret in my life. I have a draft of the statement for this on the lines of how I couldn't help him, but he made me want to help as many people as I could.

The one that I'm more concerned about is how I used to struggle with self-harm, and upon a suicide attempt of cutting through a vein, the ER doctor was actually the person who helped me to go clean, and how I want to help someone out in the same way.

I'm not sure about the second one, because it highlights a major weakness I had (albeit 4 years ago)

Also, the slight issue is that I want to specifically go into medical school to do educational outreach for women's health + clinics for developing countries since I grew up in a developing country and have seen the disparity in women's health and the education there. However, unfortunately, I have not dealt with it on a personal level growing up there as I came from an educated family...

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[mybluedog]

-about your ps
I think the suicide story of the other person is great, be sure to tie it into how it relates to your passion going into medicine/lessons learned.

-the story about yourself
I can see why you thought it was a good idea, bc it is related to the story of your friend. A red flag that is raised for me is the self harm part of yourself and the doubt of you possibly being unstable. (I wouldn't immediately think that, but it can be a possibility) But I can also see it is good that you're being real and can empathize better with pts facing similar issues. Also talking about where you came from and your "distance traveled" is also good. Do you have any experience with suicidal pts? Maybe that will help adcoms rule out you harming yourself in the future. I'd suggest paging an adcom on here to comment their thoughts.

-about your future goal in developing countries.
I don't think a lot of med schools are fond of developing docs for other countries. We already have a big problem in the US, tax payers and schools would rather want to produce docs for the nation, not for other countries. I think there is like one school in California or something that doesn't mind, can't remember.

 

[sunshinefl]

Get more opinions, but I say the second idea is a no-go. The first one is maybeeeeee depending how you can write about it. As for your goals, you might look for schools that have a combined MPH program, global health track, global health rotations, global health mission trips, or some combo thereof.

 

[girlunobserved]

Get more opinions, but I say the second idea is a no-go. The first one is maybeeeeee depending how you can write about it. As for your goals, you might look for schools that have a combined MPH program, global health track, global health rotations, global health mission trips, or some combo thereof.

Thanks! I'm probably going to ED to BU (the only school I know of with an MD/MPH concentration in maternal and child health) - so I'm definitely on that route!

 

[girlunobserved]

-about your ps
I think the suicide story of the other person is great, be sure to tie it into how it relates to your passion going into medicine/lessons learned.

-the story about yourself
I can see why you thought it was a good idea, bc it is related to the story of your friend. A red flag that is raised for me is the self harm part of yourself and the doubt of you possibly being unstable. (I wouldn't immediately think that, but it can be a possibility) But I can also see it is good that you're being real and can empathize better with pts facing similar issues. Also talking about where you came from and your "distance traveled" is also good. Do you have any experience with suicidal pts? Maybe that will help adcoms rule out you harming yourself in the future. I'd suggest paging an adcom on here to comment their thoughts.

-about your future goal in developing countries.
I don't think a lot of med schools are fond of developing docs for other countries. We already have a big problem in the US, tax payers and schools would rather want to produce docs for the nation, not for other countries. I think there is like one school in California or something that doesn't mind, can't remember.

Thanks! I've been involved with the mental health organizations on campus for my entirety of undergrad + have had suicide prevention trainings etc. However, I feel like because I'm going into more women's health, this isn't as applicable as it may feel to me.
Thanks for the point on going to developing countries. Idealistically, I would be able to do this for a couple of weeks in a year, since it's not really a way to make an income and I do have to feed myself eventually - however realistically I don't know how feasible it would be to do what I plan. But, always have big dreams - because even if they shatter, the shattered pieces are still big!

 

[frosted2]

My vote is for no. Why risk painting yourself in anything but a positive light in your PS?

 

[HomeSkool]

I think the suicide story of the other person is great,

Duuuuuuuude...I know you didn't mean it that way, but duuuuuuuuuude...

Trigger Warnings: suicide, self-harm

The conundrum here is that to me, the phrase "trigger warning" is a trigger. In all seriousness, though, Ima say this as nicely as I can: don't ever say or write or even think the phrase "trigger warning" again as long as you live. People who need to be warned that the real world might hurt their feel-bads aren't adults, they're diaper babies.

Get more opinions, but I say the second idea is a no-go. The first one is maybeeeeee depending how you can write about it. As for your goals, you might look for schools that have a combined MPH program, global health track, global health rotations, global health mission trips, or some combo thereof.

What she said. Med Ed has said that 1% of personal statements are memorable for good reasons, 7% are memorable for bad ones, and 92% are in between. Your goal isn't to be in the top 1%, it's to avoid being in the bottom 7%. When handled correctly, weighty topics like these can put you in the top 1%, but it's very difficult to pull that off, and the risk of landing in the bottom 7% is high.

 

[gyngyn]

You should only apply early decision if you are quite confident that your ap will be well received. An affirmation from the school is recommended.
It potentially really hurts chances at other places.

 

[Swan Ronson]

i would not go with the second one. minimize risk. first one, if done well and PERTINENT is okay. a few disclaimers and considerations:

1. be comfortable talking about it at length. you may get an interviewer who reads it and decides to dig in. you must be able to speak solidly and with insight about this. if it will trigger a breakdown in an interview, leave it out. if youve reflected and are comfortable sharing said reflections with a stranger, then i would say go for it, provided number 2:

2. THIS MUST BE PERTINENT. your personal statement is your elevator pitch. why you want to be a doc and why you possess traits that might make you a good one. this story about someone's suicide must be an essential piece of your journey that convinced you being a physician was the career for you and brought out some things in you that showed the buddings a good doc. if it is not an essential piece of your journey, as Faulkner said, "...throw it out the window."

3. if you find 2 does not apply, this is a good topic for the challenge essay. in the intro to these essays, include the description of the event - maybe 2 sentences. and then the rest can be what you learned, how you overcame it, etc. just something to think about.

final bit: handle this concisely. think hemingway on a budget. i would encourage you not to discuss at length the emotional trauma involved. a few choice words will do. i would encourage you not to go in depth about the circumstances. a few choice words will do. focus instead on this situation's role in your journey, how it shaped you, and how the experience might serve you as a physician. avoid cliches -- a specific reference to wanting to help as many people as you can. be more specific than that.

 

[siliso]

No. Do not talk about self injury. You are trying to seem like a low risk stable person, this cannot help you.

 

[deleted480308]

no and no, a personal statement isn't the time to run through the saddest stories you know and you don't want to risk an adcom thinking of your mental health as a risk

 

[Med Ed]

Trigger Warnings:

Let's just not do this.

One is the suicide of someone I knew - and how I couldn't help him at the time - which is by far my biggest regret in my life. I have a draft of the statement for this on the lines of how I couldn't help him, but he made me want to help as many people as I could.

The one that I'm more concerned about is how I used to struggle with self-harm, and upon a suicide attempt of cutting through a vein, the ER doctor was actually the person who helped me to go clean, and how I want to help someone out in the same way.

I'm not sure about the second one, because it highlights a major weakness I had (albeit 4 years ago)

Also, the slight issue is that I want to specifically go into medical school to do educational outreach for women's health + clinics for developing countries since I grew up in a developing country and have seen the disparity in women's health and the education there. However, unfortunately, I have not dealt with it on a personal level growing up there as I came from an educated family...

I am merely one adcom, but the simplest advice I can give anyone about the personal statement is that it should address two core questions:

1. Who are you?
2. Why do you want to do this?

Please note, you are not required to air all your dirty laundry. That said, we do get suicide-oriented personal statements on a regular basis. The ones that involve attempted or successful suicides of other people can fare well, depending on how they are done. Confession of your own suicidal tendencies, even if you feel that you have moved past them, is a high-risk/low-reward proposition.

 

[Goro]

I have a couple of ideas for my personal statement.
Trigger Warnings: suicide, self-harm

One is the suicide of someone I knew - and how I couldn't help him at the time - which is by far my biggest regret in my life. I have a draft of the statement for this on the lines of how I couldn't help him, but he made me want to help as many people as I could.

The one that I'm more concerned about is how I used to struggle with self-harm, and upon a suicide attempt of cutting through a vein, the ER doctor was actually the person who helped me to go clean, and how I want to help someone out in the same way.

I'm not sure about the second one, because it highlights a major weakness I had (albeit 4 years ago)

Also, the slight issue is that I want to specifically go into medical school to do educational outreach for women's health + clinics for developing countries since I grew up in a developing country and have seen the disparity in women's health and the education there. However, unfortunately, I have not dealt with it on a personal level growing up there as I came from an educated family...

You're going to have lots of patients you can't help. What are you going to do about that?


"Confession of your own suicidal tendencies, even if you feel that you have moved past them, is a high-risk/low-reward proposition."
/thread

 

[fluffysquirrel]

no you'll come across mentally unstable and unprepared for a medical profession

 

[frosted2]

You're going to have lots of patients you can't help. What are you going to do about that?


"Confession of your own suicidal tendencies, even if you feel that you have moved past them, is a high-risk/low-reward proposition."
/thread

Truth.

 

[bluemamba7]

It potentially really hurts chances at other places.

I’m new to the tips/strategies behind applying to med schools, can you please explain why this is the case?

 

[sunshinefl]

I’m new to the tips/strategies behind applying to med schools, can you please explain why this is the case?

He’s an adcom so I’m sure he’ll explain more when he sees your tag, but probably because ED locks you into only one program until October or November? (I don’t recall exact date). If you don’t get in to that one, by the time they release you to pursue others you’ll be complete really late.

(Edit: spelling)

 

[MDPedigree]

It's so sad that everyone here is probably right when they say you cannot share one of your true greatest motivations for wanting to practice medicine in your "why medicine" essay. It shows that this process is just a bunch of hoops we must mechanically jump through, and not one where our greatest passions shape who we are. I am pretty sure that a majority of the people volunteering at soup kitchens and clinical sites really wouldn't be there if it weren't for having to "check the boxes".

Not to get off topic, but the reaction to OP's question really reminded me of how inhumane this process can be.

 

[sunshinefl]

It's so sad that everyone here is probably right when they say you cannot share one of your true greatest motivations for wanting to practice medicine in your "why medicine" essay. It shows that this process is just a bunch of hoops we must mechanically jump through, and not one where our greatest passions shape who we are. I am pretty sure that a majority of the people volunteering at soup kitchens and clinical sites really wouldn't be there if it weren't for having to "check the boxes".

Not to get off topic, but the reaction to OP's question really reminded me of how inhumane this process can be.

That’s definitely not what we’re saying at all. This has nothing to do with box-checking. This is about presenting yourself and why Medicine in a brief essay, the goal being to get accepted to medical school. I keep trying to figure out a way to reply more to you that doesn’t in some way insult/reference the OP, but I can’t and that wouldn’t be fair to them because it was you who made this statement.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Please do not use someone else's suicide to your advantage. It's not going to be looked upon kindly. Also do not highlight your own past mental health problems. Back to the drawing board.

Sent from my BND-L34 using SDN mobile

 

[mcatjelly]

Just to offer a slightly different opinion, 90% of my medical school application consisted of activities related to mental health and psychology. Writing a PS that didn’t include my history of depression- which is what led me to pursue the experiences I did- felt disingenuous, so I spent 3 sentences touching on the facts that 1) I was once depressed, 2) I eventually sought out therapy which taught me how to use coping skills to manage my depression and develop resilience, and 3) my personal experiences inspired a passion for serving those who struggle as I did. I didn’t dwell on the details of my depression because I didn’t want to give them any more details to analyze than necessary.

In the end, I have no regrets. I received 5 MD IIs, was waitlisted at the 4 I attended, and ultimately accepted at 2. I even just received a scholarship for those pursuing psychiatry and in the scholarship essay I again touched on my personal experiences.

If you’d like, when the time comes I’m happy to read over your PS to make sure it’s appropriate to submit. I interview students so I have a decent idea of what adcoms are looking for as well. But I would definitely not include any mentions of self-harm or suicidal ideation.

 

[Med Ed]

It's so sad that everyone here is probably right when they say you cannot share one of your true greatest motivations for wanting to practice medicine in your "why medicine" essay. It shows that this process is just a bunch of hoops we must mechanically jump through, and not one where our greatest passions shape who we are. I am pretty sure that a majority of the people volunteering at soup kitchens and clinical sites really wouldn't be there if it weren't for having to "check the boxes".

Not to get off topic, but the reaction to OP's question really reminded me of how inhumane this process can be.

Yes, it's simply terrible that people in the profession use your own words to evaluate your fitness for the profession.

 

[ak-aka-dak]

I don’t think you should use either idea. You might use the suicide story in your adversity essay on your secondary though. You don’t want to repeat the same story in your secondary essays that you have in your personal statement. Both of your ideas are probably too dark for a ps and run the risk of your application going in the reject pile vs it being a top 1% essay, especially if you apply ED which only admits the tippy-top of the applications.

 

[Goro]

It's so sad that everyone here is probably right when they say you cannot share one of your true greatest motivations for wanting to practice medicine in your "why medicine" essay. It shows that this process is just a bunch of hoops we must mechanically jump through, and not one where our greatest passions shape who we are. I am pretty sure that a majority of the people volunteering at soup kitchens and clinical sites really wouldn't be there if it weren't for having to "check the boxes".

Not to get off topic, but the reaction to OP's question really reminded me of how inhumane this process can be.

When you get to be a Faculty member and have to lose medical students to mental health issues, then you'll understand our concern.

We expect people to have good motivations for wanting to be a doctor. But they have to prove to us that they can survive the medical school furnace first. A career as a physician is a privilege, not a right.