Medical School Essay Example Books: Most Realistic Essays?

[blufftoncr12]

In other words, which one has the best essays that have helped AVERAGE students, who are NOT superheroes, get into medical school? Barron's "Essays That Will Get You Into Medical School" is clearly not the best option, as I've already read several reviews claiming that the essays are way over the top and describe characteristics which the average successful applicant could never dream of having. Reviews of the other essay books are impossible to find... Can anyone speak to the usefulness of other books for making an average application look awesome with a good essay?

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[trypanosomiasis]

If you're trying to be a unique applicant in order to "stand out," why not look at Barron's? Every SDNer and most pre-meds are going to have a variety of shadowing, volunteer, work, academic, etc. kinds of experiences. Your job is to show why yours are the best.

Your PS needs to explain why you are cut out for medicine and why this career matches you and your experiences. Barron's book is not necessarily 'over the top'; I would actually say that the book demonstrates how some applicants take these "common experiences" and turn them into very unique stories.

If you're looking to just avoid investment into a book, check out a library and search the internet for books and examples of good PSes. Some MDApplicants profiles have started to include excellent PSes as well.

You might not be a superhero who built orphanages in Africa and sewed up your mother's cervix as you were plucked from her body but it certainly helps if you sound like a curious, interesting individual who will make a genuine devotion to their career.

 

[AvidAvatar]

Just remember the five steps of secondary writing.

1. Be concise. Write exactly what you want to say. Be direct. Avoid needless emphasis words. Remember, people read this stuff all day. That being said...

2.Answer the question. If it asks "what you learned"- WRITE THAT! So many people fail at this. Answer the question!

3. Most essays are about you. Make yourself stand out and only talk about you.

4. Have someone who is good at English read over the essay and make corrections/suggestions. Make the appropriate corrections.

5. Sit on the completed essay before submitting. This gives a fresh perspective on the essay. Sometimes, after waiting, word choices and sentence structure just punch you in the face. This technique really works for me. The period of time depends on the individual, for me it is a full 24 hours.

That is it. Secondaries, in my opinion, are similar to the writing section of the MCAT. While really good and really bad stand out, 'what comes before' is what they are really looking at.

Good luck!

Edit: I misread the OPs post I think. Oh well I'm leaving this up it was too much typing to just delete.


Edit2: Whatyousay - I love your MDApps, and I think we would be super awesome friends in real life.

 

[Whatyousay]

Barron's essays are good in the sense that you are exposed to a variety of personal statements, but I really think the PS is something that books can only help with to a very limited extent, outside of basic writing tips. Chances are, your PS probably going to sound the same as hundreds of other applicants (besides personal details, of course). People tend to follow the same formula / patterns when it comes to writing the PS - no matter how unique you think your PS is, it's probably just a variation of that formula.

This is not to say that writing a "unique" PS is impossible - it's just that given the sheer volume of personal statements that are written every year, the odds that you write a PS that will knock an adcom's socks off is not that probable. I would just focus on making your PS coherent, well-reasoned, and free of any grammatical / spelling errors.



When in doubt, a fundamentally sound PS >>>> a bad PS written with the intention of trying to be unique.

 

[tttttc]

If you're trying to be a unique applicant in order to "stand out," why not look at Barron's?

The point of the essay to make an average applicant like you to look like a superhero. After all, medical school seek those seemingly superheroes.

 

[medicalmuscle]

the princeton reviews "medical school essays that made a difference"

http://www.amazon.com/Medical-School-Difference-Graduate-Admissions/dp/0375427872