Making an entire category of schools uninterested in you because of personal statement?

[lams11]

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Hello everyone,

I really like research (basic science and clinical), and ideally would like to pursue it in my medical career. While my research is relatively competitive (4000+ hours, first author pubs, national conferences, etc), my stats aren't quite at the level of what the majority of research powerhouse schools expect (3.8 cGPA, 3.65 sGPA, MCAT tbd).

As a child, my life was saved by new medical technology. I was going to have the key idea in my personal statement be that I want to help advance the field of medicine, allowing children to be saved that cannot currently be saved given current treatment paradigms (because this is one of my true motivations for entering medicine).

My concern is that having this be a major theme in my PS will make less research-focused schools either much less interested in me or even toss my app, as they wouldn't see me as a fit for their school (especially given my history of heavy research involvement). Given my somewhat average stats, I'm going to be applying very widely and think some of my best chances for interviews will be a mid to low tier schools. As such, I don't want to completely screw over my chances at these types of schools, as I'd also be happy at one of them (I'd just prefer a research-oriented school if possible). I have entirely different things I can write a good personal statement from if need be.

 

[Moko]

I really like research (basic science and clinical), and ideally would like to pursue it in my medical career. ... As a child, my life was saved by new medical technology. I was going to have the key idea in my personal statement be that I want to help advance the field of medicine, allowing children to be saved that cannot currently be saved given current treatment paradigms.

Why not pursue a PhD instead? Your personal statement should help answer 'why MD and not PhD'.

Medical schools value research experience and most will offer you the opportunity to pursue research. If you get rejected from a 'less research-oriented school', it's not because you had "too much research". Rather, the other parts of your application that matter to the school were not up to par.

Also, your GPA is fine. Go ace the MCAT.

 

[Goro]

You could do this as a PhD., especially in bioengineering.

As a child, my life was saved by new medical technology. I was going to have the key idea in my personal statement be that I want to help advance the field of medicine, allowing children to be saved that cannot currently be saved given current treatment paradigms (because this is one of my true motivations for entering medicine).

 

[lams11]

Why not pursue a PhD instead? Your personal statement should help answer 'why MD and not PhD'.

Medical schools value research experience and most will offer you the opportunity to pursue research. If you get rejected from a 'less-research-oriented school', it's not because you had 'too much research' but rather not enough emphasis on the other components of your application that matter to the school.

Also, your GPA is fine. Go ace the MCAT.

The answer "why MD and not PhD" will be very apparent in the PS, and I might even include a line addressing it directly. I don't want to be too identifying, but to give you a general idea: I work with a certain type of medical technology. In the hospital I take care of patients on it, and in the lab I help improve it. Because of this, I can very directly compare my preference of research vs clinical care, and while enjoying both I prefer the later much more. I guess I'm coming at it from more of a "developing guidelines and protocols for new treatments and evaluating their efficacy" as opposed to actually developing them.

 

[Skydive Fox]

Hmm, that's quite the pickle. If I was in your shoes, maybe I'd write a personal statement that's not too research-oriented and then (fingers-crossed) write more extensively about your research ambitions in the respective secondary applications.

 

[lams11]

Also, @Goro, could you comment on Moko's assertion that "If you get rejected from a 'less research-oriented school', it's not because you had "too much research". Rather, the other parts of your application that matter to the school were not up to par."

For example, I'll also have 2000+ hours of direct patient care, 500+ hours of clinical volunteering, etc.
Will they pick whether I'm a fit for them off of what I emphasize as most important to me in my PS/AMCAS, or from secondaries, or just that I have shown adequate dedication to what they like (regardless of what else I spent a lot of time on)?

 

[FreeRadicals]

Also, your GPA is fine. Go ace the MCAT.

Easier said than done.

 

[Moko]

The answer "why MD and not PhD" will be very apparent in the PS, ... directly compare my preference of research vs clinical care, and while enjoying both I prefer the later much more.

For example, I'll also have 2000+ hours of direct patient care, 500+ hours of clinical volunteering, etc. Will they pick whether I'm a fit for them off of what I emphasize as most important to me in my PS/AMCAS, or from secondaries, or just that I have shown adequate dedication to what they like

You have more research, clinical, and volunteering hours than most other applicants (even by SDN standards). As long as your personal statement is balanced (more like post #4 rather than post #1), it will not hurt you. There are many things to be neurotic about, but the amount of emphasis on research in your application should not be one of them.. Focus on your story, LORs and MCAT instead. Assuming the rest of your application is adequate, I think that you'll have a successful cycle. Good luck!

Easier said than done.

😉

 

[Goro]

No mission-based school is going to screen you out by saying "this guy has way too much research, he'll never come here or he wants to be a PhD"

Rather, they'll look at your ECs and perhaps see a bare minimum of ECs, or your PS going on and on about the joys of research and not a peep about serving other and helping sick people. Not picking on you specifically, but an example on what might be going through an screener or interviewer's head.



Capeesh?

Also, @Goro, could you comment on Moko's assertion that "If you get rejected from a 'less research-oriented school', it's not because you had "too much research". Rather, the other parts of your application that matter to the school were not up to par."

For example, I'll also have 2000+ hours of direct patient care, 500+ hours of clinical volunteering, etc.
Will they pick whether I'm a fit for them off of what I emphasize as most important to me in my PS/AMCAS, or from secondaries, or just that I have shown adequate dedication to what they like (regardless of what else I spent a lot of time on)?

 

[lams11]

No mission-based school is going to screen you out by saying "this guy has way too much research, he'll never come here or he wants to be a PhD"

Rather, they'll look at your ECs and perhaps see a bare minimum of ECs, or your PS going on and on about the joys of research and not a peep about serving other and helping sick people. Not picking on you specifically, but an example on what might be going through an screener or interviewer's head.



Capeesh?

So just to be completely clear, spending ~30% of my PS talking about wanting to innovate in medicine and the other 70% talking about patient experiences I've had and enjoyed will likely not isolate me from any medical school, even those that have no interest in innovation/research at all?

 

[Goro]

Correct.

The PS is all about
"Who am I?" and "Why medicine"?

So just to be completely clear, spending ~30% of my PS talking about wanting to innovate in medicine and the other 70% talking about patient experiences I've had and enjoyed will likely not isolate me from any medical school, even those that have no interest in innovation/research at all?

 

[lams11]

Correct.

The PS is all about
"Who am I?" and "Why medicine"?

Okay, thank you very much!

 

[Goro]

I am always glad to get the input from my learned colleague!

Not to disagree with the learned gentleman from west of st. louis, but I strong believe in writing in what you believe in. Reading a PS that seems framed for what you assume the adcoms will want to hear is relatively easy to separate to those that are concise, coherent and compelling. When the various members of an adcom think "would this applicant make a good physician" that can mean anything from an FP serving a rural practice, a gifted surgeon working on a heart transplant, or a academic researching looking at the application of new technology directly on patients.

And now Madam Speaker, I yield the floor

 

[carpediem22]

I feel ya OP -- I went through a similar issue writing my PS. I applied MD/PhD to some schools, but straight MD to others (my PhD of choice is only offered at a few schools), and had to write a PS that would work for both application types. I agree with @Goro that I think it is really important to emphasize the patient side in your PS. Research is all good and fine, and my PS certainly discussed my passion for research, but it must be framed in a way that relates back to your desire to be a physician and to see patients. Personally, I accomplished this by discussing how my research and patient experiences reinforced one another, and stressing the personal satisfaction that I derived from interacting with individual patients one-on-one. Out of my 900 word essay, only 300 had any mention of research, and even those were related back to my desire to practice medicine.

There are plenty of researchers out there who accomplish amazing medical feats without ever training as an MD. Hell, there are even ways to interact with patients as a researcher without becoming a doctor. Your #1 job with the PS is to show adcoms why you want to treat patients as a physician, independent of any research goal. So yes, mention the research, but be sure to complement it with a vignette of who you are as an aspiring physician.

 

[Lucca]

I feel ya OP -- I went through a similar issue writing my PS. I applied MD/PhD to some schools, but straight MD to others (my PhD of choice is only offered at a few schools), and had to write a PS that would work for both application types. I agree with @Goro that I think it is really important to emphasize the patient side in your PS. Research is all good and fine, and my PS certainly discussed my passion for research, but it must be framed in a way that relates back to your desire to be a physician and to see patients. Personally, I accomplished this by discussing how my research and patient experiences reinforced one another, and stressing the personal satisfaction that I derived from interacting with individual patients one-on-one. Out of my 900 word essay, only 300 had any mention of research, and even those were related back to my desire to practice medicine.

There are plenty of researchers out there who accomplish amazing medical feats without ever training as an MD. Hell, there are even ways to interact with patients as a researcher without becoming a doctor. Your #1 job with the PS is to show adcoms why you want to treat patients as a physician, independent of any research goal. So yes, mention the research, but be sure to complement it with a vignette of who you are as an aspiring physician.

If you want an example, feel free to PM me. My essay seemed to have worked well for both MD and MD/PhD.

too humble. She destroyed the application cycle, PM her.