It is wrong to say i want to work with the underserved community in my PS?

[uclaussr]

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I am just afraid they will think, oh she just wants to travel to 3rd world countries and help people there, why should we traing her, we need doctors in America.

Or should i just say i want to help the underserved in America?

 

[SweetRain]

You should write what you want to do, not what will impress them. And if you're going to write about your future goals, you should have supporting experiences.

 

[GlamDoc]

I'm facing the same dilemma.

I think it's def okay to mention that you want to work with the underserved, if you've had some sort of experience with them. For ex: you've seen it through travels, you've worked in that community in a clinic, etc. Mention what you want to do, be a little specific, but not too much.

I would mention 3rd world, but most definitely America. As you mentioned, they want to know that you'll provide to your home country.

It's kinda hard to mesh the two in one essay, but it kinda works. 👍

 

[GemelloMD]

I'm in the same position for this application cycle. My outlook on it is, I guess, risky, but I think it'll pay off in the end. I'm assuming you wish to write about the underserved in your statement because it's part of what you truly wish to do, not because it's something you think they'll like to hear. If that's the case, as it also is for me, then I feel that I would be misrepresenting myself to leave it out. Even though I want to raise my chances of getting into every medical school that I apply to in hopes that one will deem me worthy to study there, I think that this whole process is as much of us testing the school to see if they'll be effective in aiding us to our goals. If we're to spend the next 4 years under their guidance in hopes that they will make us doctors, then my hope is that they will make me into the doctor that is prepared to serve the underserved. If I write about my desire to serve this people group, and they reject me because of that desire, then I should count myself lucky that I avoided a school that would train me to be a doctor that I do not wish to be, or rather would fail to train me in the matter I wish to be trained. So I say yes, write about this desire. If it is the factor the prevents you from attending, then the school is not where you want to be.

Well, that's my 2cents. Here's to hoping it pays off .

 

[mdbound1987]

I said I wanted to work in an underserved community in my PS and I will be heading to med school this fall. If that's what you want to do, then go for it. The only issue I see is if you say you want to work in an underserved community outside of the US.

 

[FirefighterDoc]

I wouldn't be worried about them thinking that you would rather work in an undeserved area abroad as much as them thinking that your someone who wrote it just to look good.

I think that's what might come to mind for me reading a PS saying they want to work in an undeserved area. I agree with Glamdoc though that it would be great to say if you have had experience in the area. If you haven't, it might just sound as though you are trying to suck up or make yourself look good, yet really have no intentions of working in an undeserved area.

I'm not trying to sound like a jerk at all. If that's what you want to do, by all means go for it. Im just trying to say how someone might see it.

Good luck!

 

[uclaussr]

oh ive definetely had experience...ive worked in 3 third world countries providing healthcare, plus hospitals serving the undersered here in the states

 

[Total180]

I am most definitely writing about that in my PS, as that is exactly what I want to do. But, as others have said, I would recommend having experiences that back it up. I have worked in various medical and non-medical settings with hispanics, and know for sure that I want to work somewhere where I will be helping this population. I was a Spanish major, speak fluent Spanish (I am not hispanic at all though), I have volunteered for the past year as a translator at free clinics, and I taught theatre for 2 years to (not so) bilingual students. I think these experiences will definitely demonstrate to adcoms that I am not just writing it in there to have a better chance of acceptance. I would be cautious though, if you don't have experiences like these, as anyone can say they want to work with the underserved, but many don't end up really doing it.

edit: just saw you posted while I was writing my response. I would suggest that you focus on your experiences within the US more than your abroad experiences, as right now you have much more abroad than you do within the US. I think med schools would be wary if they thought you were going to get trained here, and then take off forever to a 3rd world country. I would definitely mention all of it, and talk maybe about how you realized you want to work with the underserved while you were wherever you were, and that made you want to help the same population within the US or something. Just be careful how you word it.

 

[riceman04]

You should write what you want to do, not what will impress them. And if you're going to write about your future goals, you should have supporting experiences.

👍👍👍

EXACTLY! So many people mention their interest in working in a particular community and yet DON'T demonstrate that interest

 

[mdbound1987]

I am most definitely writing about that in my PS, as that is exactly what I want to do. But, as others have said, I would recommend having experiences that back it up. I have worked in various medical and non-medical settings with hispanics, and know for sure that I want to work somewhere where I will be helping this population. I was a Spanish major, speak fluent Spanish (I am not hispanic at all though), I have volunteered for the past year as a translator at free clinics, and I taught theatre for 2 years to (not so) bilingual students. I think these experiences will definitely demonstrate to adcoms that I am not just writing it in there to have a better chance of acceptance. I would be cautious though, if you don't have experiences like these, as anyone can say they want to work with the underserved, but many don't end up really doing it.

edit: just saw you posted while I was writing my response. I would suggest that you focus on your experiences within the US more than your abroad experiences, as right now you have much more abroad than you do within the US. I think med schools would be wary if they thought you were going to get trained here, and then take off forever to a 3rd world country. I would definitely mention all of it, and talk maybe about how you realized you want to work with the underserved while you were wherever you were, and that made you want to help the same population within the US or something. Just be careful how you word it.

Yeah that was exactly my point above. Schools will not be very receptive to the idea that you are going to leave and practice in another country. Their mindset will probably be, why don't you go to medical school abroad then? This is why med schools accept so few international students, so these schools essentially could treat you as an international applicant would be treated in the admissions process.

 

[justdoit31]

part of my PS was about working with orphans in Africa (non-medical) and lessons I learned from them that I could apply to becoming a physician- I got several interviews.

As long as you don't make it sound like that is your only goal in life then it is fine to have international interest- every interviewer I had asked me about my international travels.

 

[LebLlama]

I would refrain from statements that make you appear to be a compassionate, empathetic individual and instead focus more on how you'll enjoy the status, power, and wealth associated with becoming an MD.

=P

Yeah, Id second what others are saying and use examples that you have experiences to back it up with.

 

[lorenzomicron]

There's lots of underserved communities right here in the States

 

[NickNaylor]

As long as it's genuine, no. It would probably be a plus.

 

[mdbound1987]

part of my PS was about working with orphans in Africa (non-medical) and lessons I learned from them that I could apply to becoming a physician- I got several interviews.

As long as you don't make it sound like that is your only goal in life then it is fine to have international interest- every interviewer I had asked me about my international travels.

I think OP's situation is a little different because your international experience does not mean you want to practice abroad; it just means that you learned lessons from those experiences. OP is essentially saying he/she will leave the country after med school/residency and practice elsewhere.

 

[alibai3ah]

I talked about it on my personal statement, but I also had supporting experiences both in America and outside of America. If you have no experience, chances are they won't think you are serious.

 

[Bernoull]

Serving the underserved was easily the primary theme of my PS. I intend to serve such communities during med school and beyond. Initially I intend to work in the US and then incorporate missions back home (I'm from Africa and I was underserved growing up hence my interest in such populations..)

Anyway as far as my PS went, I didn't explicitly say which underserved populations I intend to serve (inner city/rural VS Burmese), it wasn't important to state this. Now, if you primarily want to serve overseas, that make be the point of diminishing returns relative to ur attractiveness as a candidate. Most schools want to matriculate people who will primarily serve in the US and I don't think, on balance, it's a plus to say you want to primarily work overseas. That's a detail who can choose not to volunteer.

Goodluck!

 

[ThaliaNox]

Serving the underserved was easily the primary theme of my PS. I intend to serve such communities during med school and beyond. Initially I intend to work in the US and then incorporate missions back home (I'm from Africa and I was underserved growing up hence my interest in such populations..)

Anyway as far as my PS went, I didn't explicitly say which underserved populations I intend to serve (inner city/rural VS Burmese), it wasn't important to state this. Now, if you primarily want to serve overseas, that make be the point of diminishing returns relative to ur attractiveness as a candidate. Most schools want to matriculate people who will primarily serve in the US and I don't think, on balance, it's a plus to say you want to primarily work overseas. That's a detail who can choose not to volunteer.

Goodluck!

I strongly dissagree with this statement. There is are huge difference in lifestyles and neccessary personality traits for working in rural areas or in urban areas. You do have to specify one or the other and have experiences backing it up. I'm sorry, but nobody is all gung ho about both inner city and rural areas. It should be experiences with one or the other that make you decide you want to work with the underserved in one of these areas. Saying that both TOTALLY interest you is going to sound like you are only saying it to sound good.

 

[Web MD]

Mentioned it during my PS since I had some experiences abroad as well as in some extremely "urban" settings in the States and it got brought up during interviews. I had solid experiences to back it up so I think if you are being genuine then it'll be a nice addition to the conversation and there will be some relaxed give and take about the experiences rather than the standard question/brief answer format.

 

[Bernoull]

Serving the underserved was easily the primary theme of my PS. I intend to serve such communities during med school and beyond. Initially I intend to work in the US and then incorporate missions back home (I'm from Africa and I was underserved growing up hence my interest in such populations..)

Anyway as far as my PS went, I didn't explicitly say which underserved populations I intend to serve (inner city/rural VS Burmese), it wasn't important to state this. Now, if you primarily want to serve overseas, that make be the point of diminishing returns relative to ur attractiveness as a candidate. Most schools want to matriculate people who will primarily serve in the US and I don't think, on balance, it's a plus to say you want to primarily work overseas. That's a detail who can choose not to volunteer.

Goodluck!

I strongly dissagree with this statement. There is are huge difference in lifestyles and neccessary personality traits for working in rural areas or in urban areas. You do have to specify one or the other and have experiences backing it up. I'm sorry, but nobody is all gung ho about both inner city and rural areas. It should be experiences with one or the other that make you decide you want to work with the underserved in one of these areas. Saying that both TOTALLY interest you is going to sound like you are only saying it to sound good.

You've clearly misread my post. The phrase b4 what u bolded clearly refers to my PS and what I wrote about. So in my PS, I didn't specify which specific underserved community I want to serve and it has served me well. FYI, I threw in innercity/rural VS Burmese to illustrate the point that I didn't specify any population. I could have easily said chinatown or little haiti to make the same point and in no way am I conflating the lifestyle/cultural differences. That's a moot point.

I do agree with you that one's experiences with a specific underserved community can be a motivation to serve such a community and that's why I intend to do medical missions back home. I don't think the choice is necessarily binary/(mutually exclusive) but that's another topic..

However, all this misses the point, I was advising the OP to use discretion about how specific he/she should get given that he wants to serve overseas whereas most med schools want to matriculate applicants who'll serve domestically. That's all...