Med school app grammar question

[penguinlover111]

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I'm at a loss for whether or not using "they" as a single, gender-neutral pronoun is appropriate in med school essays. Online grammar sites say that "they" in the singular form is only used in informal writing, and med school essays would probably count as formal writing. But at my undergraduate university, using the singular "they" was the default to be inclusive of those who don't go by him or her.

This issue has come up a few times in my secondaries. One school includes "him/her" in the scenario-based question itself, but it sounds really repetitive writing "him/her" over and over in the response. In another case, the question asks "what would you do if a student..." and in my response I feel like it would be more appropriate to use the singular "they" instead of "him/her" to be inclusive. What should I do?

I know a simple grammar issue (though really it's about more than that) probably won't make or break my application, but an older professor reading over one of my essays circled every instance I used a singular "they" as incorrect. I think physicians are probably trained to avoid misgendering patients and so may understand my usage of "they," but I also don't want a similarly negative reaction from the admissions committee.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[HomeSkool]

Languages evolve to meet the needs of their users. Your older professor is wrong.

 

[ADSigMel]

Using “they” in place of “he or she” really bugs me, because I’m a grammar nazi. But given that you’re up against a character limit, I’d let it slide in this situation. I think a reasonable adcomm would as well.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

My experience is that as whole, physicians are appallingly terrible at both grammar and math; don't worry about it.

 

[Lawpy]

I know a simple grammar issue (though really it's about more than that) probably won't make or break my application, but an older professor reading over one of my essays circled every instance I used a singular "they" as incorrect.

Your professor is wrong. Singular they is grammatically correct.

Using “they” in place of “he or she” really bugs me, because I’m a grammar nazi. But given that you’re up against a character limit, I’d let it slide in this situation. I think a reasonable adcomm would as well.

Except singular they is grammatically correct. It has been used properly in literature for hundreds of years. It is also LGBTQ friendly because it doesn't assume a gender (as opposed to using he/she that necessarily assumes a gender binary).

English has a traditional solution to gender-neutral pronouns

 

[LizzyM]

Put me in the "singular they is okay" column.