MS4 Personal statment: Am I a doctor?

[Boricua27]

Good night, forums. I imagine some may be wrapping up their personal statements.
I want to say, for example, "Doctors are good. Doctors care." Would you as an MS4 include yourself in the collective "doctors"? Doctors are good. We care. Or do we respect the title of doctor until the end of 4th year? Doctors are good. They care.
This keeps coming up in my writing. Let me know what you think.

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[Donald Juan]

I'd avoid referring to yourself as a doctor. It has potential to turn some people off because you haven't really experienced being a physician yet, and you have little to gain from putting it in.

 

[Boricua27]

I'd avoid referring to yourself as a doctor. It has potential to turn some people off because you haven't really experienced being a physician yet, and you have little to gain from putting it in.

Indeed! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Lexdiamondz]

Yeahhhh you're not a doctor. As a PGY-1 I barely feel like one.

 

[LyMed]

By definition you are not a doctor, and shouldn't write that you are in your PS. Also I don't know the content of your PS, but your statement might be stronger by focusing on yourself as an individual, instead of speaking as a collective.

 

[deleted480308]

Your statement is also arguably false. It implies that they are all good and that they all care.....and that's not true

 

[tyrsa]

You should write something along these lines:

Doctors are good. We* care.

*Doctor status pending residency completion. Only valid in the 50 states and US territories. Void where prohibited.

 

[Cura_te_ipsum]

Good night, forums. I imagine some may be wrapping up their personal statements.
I want to say, for example, "Doctors are good. Doctors care." Would you as an MS4 include yourself in the collective "doctors"? Doctors are good. We care. Or do we respect the title of doctor until the end of 4th year? Doctors are good. They care.
This keeps coming up in my writing. Let me know what you think.

In most cultures (Latin America, European, Asian), medical students are called Doctor. You know this from your experience in Puerto Rico. However, US Americans medical types are really uptight and snobbish (arrogant). If you are writing to an audience in the USA, referring to yourself as Doctor will cost you dearly. So refrain from doing so

While PR has its many problems right now, the USA has its own problems on a cultural level: hostile, divisive, polarization, discontent and more. Tread lightly when it comes to US Americans. Their's is one of great insecurity, a high misery index within medicine, and extremely inhospitable. Be aware. It isn't an atmosphere of "you and me" (tu y yo) but rather "you or me" (tu o yo)

Check the US news media sites and you can read the divisiveness within US America. Breitbart vs NY Times, Fox News vs Washington Post, conservative vs liberal. It is crazy. You will be walking into a hot situation to say the least. Still its the best place to study/train as a physician. Get your training and then leave or build your own business model. America, in the end, is about money

Exito!

 

[el_duderino]

Echoing the above, don't call yourself doctor. Also, I hope the example you used isn't what you actually plan to say. It's trite, meaningless, and false. Don't use your M4 personal statement to tell doctors how doctors feel.

Talk about how you feel and what your motivations and goals are. You're not a premed talking about how amazing and wonderful medicine is. Don't try to blow smoke up their butts. You should be mature and educated enough to talk about your personal career goals, accomplishments, motivations, and skills. This is not the time for trivialities and platitudes.

 

[Psai]

In most cultures (Latin America, European, Asian), medical students are called Doctor. You know this from your experience in Puerto Rico. However, US Americans medical types are really uptight and snobbish (arrogant). If you are writing to an audience in the USA, referring to yourself as Doctor will cost you dearly. So refrain from doing so

While PR has its many problems right now, the USA has its own problems on a cultural level: hostile, divisive, polarization, discontent and more. Tread lightly when it comes to US Americans. Their's is one of great insecurity, a high misery index within medicine, and extremely inhospitable. Be aware. It isn't an atmosphere of "you and me" (tu y yo) but rather "you or me" (tu o yo)

Check the US news media sites and you can read the divisiveness within US America. Breitbart vs NY Times, Fox News vs Washington Post, conservative vs liberal. It is crazy. You will be walking into a hot situation to say the least. Still its the best place to study/train as a physician. Get your training and then leave or build your own business model. America, in the end, is about money

Exito!

Their's?

 

[Cura_te_ipsum]

Their's?

Aye caramba! good catch! Thanks

Being fluent in multiple languages can be challenging but English, by far, is the worst... truly a bast**d language

mea culpa

 

[dr zaius]

In most cultures (Latin America, European, Asian), medical students are called Doctor. You know this from your experience in Puerto Rico. However, US Americans medical types are really uptight and snobbish (arrogant). If you are writing to an audience in the USA, referring to yourself as Doctor will cost you dearly. So refrain from doing so

This seems like it would be pretty confusing in a clinical setting.

I would not blame arrogance. It is simply the fact that they are not doctors. The do not have MD/DO at the end of their names. If you call someone a doctor in a clinical setting who is not a doctor this can confuse patients and other hospital staff via misrepresentation.

I can't comment on medical training in other countries, but there is certainly a hierarchy in the US. Even among different specialties the degree of hierarchy in training can be different. I can see how a hierarchical system can seem "uptight and snobbish." Whether this is good or bad depends on the opinion of the individual. I personally prefer it. This is a completely separate issue from a medical student referring to themselves as doctor, which is just false.

 

[Boricua27]

Dear forums,

Thank you all for your feedback. 1) I won't refer to myself as doctor, even though, as cura te ipsum says, many already call me doctor. 2) I agree, the PS should have more about me and less about general statements about "we, doctors...". When I send my PS to my mentor to get his opinion, he tells me the same thing. It's easy to fall into this trap, and I think I'm getting the picture.

 

[Redpancreas]

Dear forums,

Thank you all for your feedback. 1) I won't refer to myself as doctor, even though, as cura te ipsum says, many already call me doctor. 2) I agree, the PS should have more about me and less about general statements about "we, doctors...". When I send my PS to my mentor to get his opinion, he tells me the same thing. It's easy to fall into this trap, and I think I'm getting the picture.

People call you doctor because they don't understand the hierarchy of the system, not because you've earned it!