Is this appropriate to talk about in a personal statement?

[Crystaal]

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Hi

I few months ago, I was volunteering at a place where low-income (usually hispanic) people can come ask for help with things like getting food or health benefits from the gov. Long story short, a woman came in and asked for help applying for some benefits - I made a mistake and the benefits did not come through. Basically, I failed her.

This experience was huge for me. Honestly, having to tell her the benefits did not come through made me sick to my stomach. It was the first time I fully understood the concept of "responsibility" and it was pretty pivotal in my trajectory toward becoming set on applying to med school. I had done lots of clinic volunteering before, but I'd never had this huge sense of responsibility, which has become powerfully motivating and eye-opening.

I want to know if this is an OK topic to discuss in a PS? It's very honest, but I'm afraid it could reflect badly on me because it was primarily my f*ck up that caused this woman not to get the benefits she really needed. I don't want to dwell on this failure, but at the same time it *is* true that this experience was very important to me.

 

[Verum]

This can be interpreted many ways and most likely it won't be the way you intend it to be. Think of the PS as a "What is your greatest weakness type of question". Yes you would want to say a weakness but make sure it's not something that could raise any eyebrows.

 

[NickNaylor]

If the experience was that formative for you, then I would mention it. Everyone makes mistakes. Just don't be nonchalant about it and you'll be fine.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

If the experience was that formative for you, then I would mention it. Everyone makes mistakes. Just don't be nonchalant about it and you'll be fine.

I agree. If you talk about this experience frankly, then discuss what you learned from it and why it was important in your path to medicine, it can be appropriate for your statement.

 

[Xiao]

I think it's a bit of a risk -- but if it's an important experience for you and you can deliver well on it, it can definitely work out in your favor.

I would avoid aggrandized language such as "It was the first time I fully understood the concept of "responsibility" " -- it's cheesy. If you do write about this experience, I'd suggest having multiple eyes look through it.

 

[Ironmandoc]

This can be interpreted many ways and most likely it won't be the way you intend it to be. Think of the PS as a "What is your greatest weakness type of question". Yes you would want to say a weakness but make sure it's not something that could raise any eyebrows.

Verum- you are dead wrong. Your PS should not be about what your greatest weakness is. Do not listen to this uninformed pre-med advise (Verum just graduated high school)

 

[theseeker4]

Verum- you are dead wrong. Your PS should not be about what your greatest weakness is. Do not listen to this uninformed pre-med advise (Verum just graduated high school)

+1, you definitely do NOT want your PS to be a "what is your greatest weakness?" essay.

 

[kestralray]

This can be interpreted many ways and most likely it won't be the way you intend it to be. Think of the PS as a "What is your greatest weakness type of question". Yes you would want to say a weakness but make sure it's not something that could raise any eyebrows.

I agree that you don't want a weakness that would "raise any eyebrows," but I don't think an honest mistake would fall into that category. As everyone else has said, just make sure to put it in context, write maturely, and make sure to incude how you've grown from it, etc. Med schools understand that people make mistakes, but what they're interested in is how they bounce back from them.

 

[kestralray]

I think it's a bit of a risk -- but if it's an important experience for you and you can deliver well on it, it can definitely work out in your favor.

I would avoid aggrandized language such as "It was the first time I fully understood the concept of "responsibility" " -- it's cheesy. If you do write about this experience, I'd suggest having multiple eyes look through it.

+1 I definitely fell into the the aggrandized language trap.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Verum- you are dead wrong. Your PS should not be about what your greatest weakness is. Do not listen to this uninformed pre-med advise (Verum just graduated high school)

Yes. Your PS should be a sincere explanation of your path to medicine, nothing more and nothing less. It is fine to include both positive and negative things about yourself and your experiences, as long as they are integral to your own answer to the question, "Why medicine?"

 

[ucsfstudents]

You want the reader to have a mostly positive experience when reading your personal statement. So no, I would not recommend including this information in your personal statement.

 

[Oxygen206]

I talked about basically the exact same thing in my PS. It was received quite well. Its pasted in my MDapps if you want to see how I went about telling the story and reflecting on it.

 

[09ine]

The hell is a high school student doing here giving advice? There should be some type of lock on that.

 

[angldrps]

The hell is a high school student doing here giving advice? There should be some type of lock on that.

or there should be at least some sort of a disclaimer stating that this post has been made by a HS student.

 

[Oxygen206]

The hell is a high school student doing here giving advice? There should be some type of lock on that.

Who's a high school student?

 

[09ine]

Who's a high school student?

I guess Verum just graduated. There was also a pre-pharm who was graduating that was on this side of the forums too. Just doesn't make any sense to me and is super misleading.

 

[Oxygen206]

ohhh haha I was thinking you were referring to me since I was the last one to post.. I was like 😕

 

[NickNaylor]

I guess Verum just graduated. There was also a pre-pharm who was graduating that was on this side of the forums too. Just doesn't make any sense to me and is super misleading.

Thus the importance of getting a "feel" for a poster before even thinking of following his/her advice.

 

[Disinence2]

I think you should save the story for your secondary essays, or even interview response.

Everyone makes mistakes. Chances are good you will make a mistake that will hurt/kill/injure someone at some point in your life if you continue with medicine. Most likely the mistake will say nothing about your intelligence, attention to detail, or negligence. People make mistakes.

Knowing how you deal with it is important. Definitely include it as a part of your app. But i wouldn't put in your PS.

If you do, then you need to be careful. Send me a copy if you go this route.

 

[Crystaal]

Disinence2
Thanks for the advice. I will think more about it and try to write something that comes naturally without forcing it. Am I allowed to PM you with a draft of my PS in the next few days, or would you only want to read it if I focus on that specific topic?

Thank you so much everyone. 🙂

 

[music2doc]

Hi

I few months ago, I was volunteering at a place where low-income (usually hispanic) people can come ask for help with things like getting food or health benefits from the gov. Long story short, a woman came in and asked for help applying for some benefits - I made a mistake and the benefits did not come through. Basically, I failed her.

This experience was huge for me. Honestly, having to tell her the benefits did not come through made me sick to my stomach. It was the first time I fully understood the concept of "responsibility" and it was pretty pivotal in my trajectory toward becoming set on applying to med school. I had done lots of clinic volunteering before, but I'd never had this huge sense of responsibility, which has become powerfully motivating and eye-opening.

I want to know if this is an OK topic to discuss in a PS? It's very honest, but I'm afraid it could reflect badly on me because it was primarily my f*ck up that caused this woman not to get the benefits she really needed. I don't want to dwell on this failure, but at the same time it *is* true that this experience was very important to me.

You need something else to it, something that makes it positive. I wouldn't use this story, but surely you've had others where you were successful but that also taught you something or reminded you of a lesson or make you interested in medicine or....