Is this personal statement idea too controversial???

[moca83]

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I was thinking about making reference to something that I "may" have been intimately connected to when I was a young boy...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_School_massacre

Is this topic too negative, controversial, etc? I wouldn't want it to overpower my PS but at the same time I'd enjoy it if it made my name stick out with the Adcom. Thoughts???

 

[rafflecopter]

I was thinking about making reference to something that I "may" have been intimately connected to when I was a young boy...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_School_massacre

Is this topic too negative, controversial, etc? I wouldn't want it to overpower my PS but at the same time I'd enjoy it if it made my name stick out with the Adcom. Thoughts???

Uh, not sure what you mean with "may have been connected." Either you were or you weren't. If you were connected, ie were present for it or had family that were involved with it, I could see it being an excellent topic provided it is presented in the correct way.

 

[moca83]

Uh, not sure what you mean with "may have been connected." Either you were or you weren't. If you were connected, ie were present for it or had family that were involved with it, I could see it being an excellent topic provided it is presented in the correct way.

Yes, I was connected. I guess there's no need to be discreet for fear of revealing my identity since you'd have to have some pretty impressive research skills to make the connection.

I want to be very cautious to not make that the theme of my statement, but rather something that strengthens my point. I guess I'm just worried about the powerful nature of the story weighing heavily in the reader's mind as they progress through my paper. Thanks

 

[mauberley]

I was thinking about making reference to something that I "may" have been intimately connected to when I was a young boy...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_School_massacre

Is this topic too negative, controversial, etc? I wouldn't want it to overpower my PS but at the same time I'd enjoy it if it made my name stick out with the Adcom. Thoughts???

How does this inform your motivation to pursue a career in medicine?

 

[moca83]

How does this inform your motivation to pursue a career in medicine?

The same way that "the" does or "hospital." I would use this topic merely to support an ancillary topic. It wouldn't be as abstract as you make it out to be.

 

[barcoderider]

Remember that the P.S. is just enough rope to hang yourself. If you feel it's important to talk about this, be very careful about how you do so.

 

[Kaustikos]

How does this inform your motivation to pursue a career in medicine?

I'll say this like I've been telling others - it really comes down to how you sell it. You can give me **** cliches about volunteering but if you can sell it really well, then what's stopping you? The Sony Xperia X10 is a **** android phone, but I can definitely convince someone to buy the **** out of the phone because I know how.

 

[mauberley]

The same way that "the" does or "hospital." I would use this topic merely to support an ancillary topic. It wouldn't be as abstract as you make it out to be.

I'm not saying that it is. I'm asking if it does relate to your motivation, and if so, how. I ask this because people tend to toss out lists of experiences without relating them back to the central theme of the PS, "why medicine?"

I'll say this like I've been telling others - it really comes down to how you sell it. You can give me **** cliches about volunteering but if you can sell it really well, then what's stopping you? The Sony Xperia X10 is a **** android phone, but I can definitely convince someone to buy the **** out of the phone because I know how.

Sure. So, in trying to answer the OP's question, the question I posed was intended to draw out a sales pitch, to see if it worked or not.

 

[moca83]

I'm not saying that it is. I'm asking if it does relate to your motivation, and if so, how. I ask this because people tend to toss out lists of experiences without relating them back to the central theme of the PS, "why medicine?"



I understand where you are coming from and you do, in fact, make a good point. To answer your question, it definitely strengthens my theme but I feel the topic might be somewhat polarizing to various readers.

 

[jvesco22]

Just do it OP.

Everyone always uses a sob story excuse about how their mom/dad/grandma/cousin/aunt/dog/sister's friend's cousin's cat's baby's owner's elephant....died...to gain sympathy when applying to undergrads, scholarships, med schools, etc...

I see no difference in you using this sob story to gain points with the adcoms. As someone said before, if you can swing it, why not?

You won't be the first nor the last.

 

[Astarael]

Everything you use in your personal statement should be there in some way to answer the question, "Why do I want to be a doctor, and why would I be good at it?" If you can show a clear link between this event and your motivation to be a doctor, go for it. Just make sure that link is appropriate for the age you were at the time of the event. If you were a young child, my guess would be that you didn't see a massacre and think to yourself, "Wow-these people really need blood transfusions and a trauma surgeon." On the other hand, if you felt like you were helpless in the situation, that might me a good link, since it implies that you felt a desire to help others at a young age. The inclusion of this in your personal statement is all about your ability to write it in a way that makes it an actual part of your experience, and not just a story.

With that in mind, I should also mention that if this event is just a story, just a thing you were involved in but not really a huge part of your motivation to be a doctor, don't include it. You won't be able to fake some sort of greater meaning if it wasn't there.

 

[lpmarcus010]

damn, I never heard of that before. What a shame. If you can use this in your PS, then do so. I am sure this had a huge influence on the person you are today...

 

[moca83]

damn, I never heard of that before. What a shame. If you can use this in your PS, then do so. I am sure this had a huge influence on the person you are today...

Yes, it certainly was a shame. My brother and I attended that school, he was shot and I lucked out...he just missed me. 😉

 

[Halcyon03]

Yes, it certainly was a shame. My brother and I attended that school, he was shot and I lucked out...he just missed me. 😉

You could def write a powerful PS with such an experience. Adcoms are weathered veterans and can likely sniff out an attempt for a sympathy vote. But, I think your last statement reveals your intended direction; one of deep introspection into your solidarity with not only your brother, but as a doctor, with those entrusted to your care. Your PS will a pleasure to read. Best of [more] luck.