Is that OK to write such things in PS?

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Rena

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I am going to describe my postgraduate experience in my home country in PS. I was lucky to do a residency in one of the top psychiatry program. I was taught how to analize every fine symptom of mental disorders and put together every piece of information, how to see a whole picture. They still worship Snezhnevskiy as a God and genius (He studied schizophrenia). Some of the attendings still declare that there is no Psychiatry at all in Western countries, especially in US. They beleive that American psychiatrists just mechanically count symptoms of mental disorders to fit them to one or another disorder in DSM without the deep understanding the nature and dinamics.

Is it appropriate to mention this in my PS maybe with different words?
 
I am going to describe my postgraduate experience in my home country in PS. I was lucky to do a residency in one of the top psychiatry program. I was taught how to analize every fine symptom of mental disorders and put together every piece of information, how to see a whole picture. They still worship Snezhnevskiy as a God and genius (He studied schizophrenia). Some of the attendings still declare that there is no Psychiatry at all in Western countries, especially in US. They beleive that American psychiatrists just mechanically count symptoms of mental disorders to fit them to one or another disorder in DSM without the deep understanding the nature and dinamics.

Is it appropriate to mention this in my PS maybe with different words?

The more special you brand yourself, the more opinionated you are, the higher the likelihood of someone getting coffee stuck in their throat.

The less special you brand yourself, the higher the likelihood that nobody will find you interesting.

Quite a dilemma.

Me personally, I wouldn't put up a moral finger and generalize too much, but I would definetly mention if you have interesting approaches to reasoning from function.

Take my input with a grain of salt, I am still a student. BTW you substitute "i" for "y" in some of your words- a small and understandable, but rather funny mistake. Analize sounds like something Freud would have thought of, for sure. 😉
 
I would not mention opinions of my previous attendings regarding US psychiatry. Not because it is a negative opinion, but simply because it is their opinion, and not yours. I congradulate you for your previous acheivements, but you are asking for training here in US. Maybe because you want to stay and practice here. So it makes sense to learn how they practice here. I am not a psychiatrist yet. But I believe this speciality is more "cultural oriented" than others. I would open my mind to the way they run things here. It has worked so far. You will be a success considering having two different trainings. Good luck. :luck:
 
I am originally from the USSR, but have been living in the UK for a while. I have never practised in the US, but I believe the UK and the US cultures are similar enough for me to state my humble opinion.

DON'T mention anything negative your attendings (or yourself) may think about psychiatry in the US. After reading something like "American psychiatrists just mechanically count symptoms of mental disorders to fit them to one or another disorder in DSM without the deep understanding the nature and dinamics" (however you phrase it), the PD is going to file your PS into the round cabinet. You do not denigrate somebody if you want to train with them.

You could say something along the lines of trying to practise holistically, or that you like biopsychosocial approach in psychiatry.... That would go over better. I think.

And make sure a native English speaker proofreads your PS before you submit it.
 
I am going to describe my postgraduate experience in my home country in PS. I was lucky to do a residency in one of the top psychiatry program. I was taught how to analize every fine symptom of mental disorders and put together every piece of information, how to see a whole picture. They still worship Snezhnevskiy as a God and genius (He studied schizophrenia). Some of the attendings still declare that there is no Psychiatry at all in Western countries, especially in US. They beleive that American psychiatrists just mechanically count symptoms of mental disorders to fit them to one or another disorder in DSM without the deep understanding the nature and dinamics.

Is it appropriate to mention this in my PS maybe with different words?


Take this with a grain of salt because it is just coming from a very lowly medical student, but I would say that you should be very careful mentioning this kind of stuff in your personal statement. I would be very humble in my ps, and be very wary of stating what my former preceptors thought of American psychiatry-- I would be pretty put off if I was a PD reading anything that could be interpreted as, "I trained in one of the best programs in my country where we basically think that you guys are a bunch of idiots who count of symptoms but don't know jack about jack because you're from the West. And of all the countries in the West, you're the dumbest of them all. By the way, I'd like to train at your program."

By the way, make sure you get your grammar checked before you send off your application.
 
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