My education trajectory - should I write about this in my PS?

[angemon89]

Hi all, I am wondering if I should write about this in my PS... (I am applying next year, but I'm already trying to get some ideas so I can begin writing soon). This is the education route I have taken:

*Finished High School
*CC (2 years taking business pre-reqs)
*Transferred to State School (Accounting major - dropped out after 1 semester because I hated it)
*Back to CC (1.5 years med prereqs)
*Transferred to University (1 year down, 1 to go)

Pretty much, I'm just wondering if this is something that'll cause adcoms to raise a brow, or is this something that they're used to seeing in applicants? If this is unusual, then I know I should probably mention it somewhere. My question is: should I talk about it in my PS, briefly mention it in my PS, or just wait until interviews and be prepared to answer questions about it?

Any advice is appreciated.

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[Nebby]

If you discussed it in terms of how the transfers led to your interest in medicine, it might be okay to write about it, but I wouldn't try to excuse indecisiveness in your PS.

 

[angemon89]

I think the approach that I would take when writing about my situation would be more that I was unsure of what I wanted to do (and just taking random classes) before I decided on being a pre-med.

In reality the situation is a lot deeper and has to do with me coming out and not caring so much how other people perceived me. It also has to do with my family. However, I don't know if that would be the best approach when writing my PS.

 

[thlaxer]

I think the approach that I would take when writing about my situation would be more that I was unsure of what I wanted to do (and just taking random classes) before I decided on being a pre-med.

I don't think portraying yourself as initially just floating by is a good idea. It doesn't reflect well on you nor genuinely explain what drew you to doing premed. You said there was a deeper reason, this second approach might be better if spun correctly imo.

 

[NickNaylor]

I don't think portraying yourself as initially just floating by is a good idea. It doesn't reflect well on you nor genuinely explain what drew you to doing premed. You said there was a deeper reason, this second approach might be better if spun correctly imo.

I disagree to some extent. I agree that focusing on the fact that you didn't want to focus on medicine is a bad idea, but "telling your story" about how you came to medicine is perfectly appropriate for the PS. Rather than focusing on the fact that you spent significant time doing whatever, instead focus on the experiences that caused you to decide on medicine. That's really where the meat of the PS is IMO.

 

[NickNaylor]

I don't think portraying yourself as initially just floating by is a good idea. It doesn't reflect well on you nor genuinely explain what drew you to doing premed. You said there was a deeper reason, this second approach might be better if spun correctly imo.

I disagree to some extent. I agree that focusing on the fact that you didn't want to focus on medicine is a bad idea, but "telling your story" about how you came to medicine is perfectly appropriate for the PS. Sometimes that includes some seemingly unrelated back-story. Rather than focusing on the fact that you spent significant time doing whatever, however, instead focus on the experiences that caused you to decide on medicine. That's really where the meat of the PS is IMO.

 

[thlaxer]

I disagree to some extent. I agree that focusing on the fact that you didn't want to focus on medicine is a bad idea, but "telling your story" about how you came to medicine is perfectly appropriate for the PS. Sometimes that includes some seemingly unrelated back-story. Rather than focusing on the fact that you spent significant time doing whatever, however, instead focus on the experiences that caused you to decide on medicine. That's really where the meat of the PS is IMO.

I think we're in agreement here (unless I'm missing something--which has been happening a lot lately ).

The OP mentioned some deeper reason for why he initially decided to do premed. I think it is a good idea to mention this reason since it has potential to explain his journey logically ("what initially attracted me to medicine") and help his readers get a better sense of his motivations. He can then talk about the experiences that confirmed his decision to pursue medicine, which I agree, should be the meat of his PS.

Actually, now that I've reread the OP's post, I'm curious as to what this deeper reason is. It doesn't sound like it was a very happy experience.. If that is the case, I'd also suggest staying positive when mentioning the experience. Just my thoughts .

 

[angemon89]

I think I'm gonna go with what Nick said and write my story on "how I came to medicine" as a rough draft.

Actually, now that I've reread the OP's post, I'm curious as to what this deeper reason is. It doesn't sound like it was a very happy experience.. If that is the case, I'd also suggest staying positive when mentioning the experience. Just my thoughts .

Thanks. You're right, it's not the happiest of stories. I'll try to make sure I don't make it depressing to read. lol

 

[NickNaylor]

I think I'm gonna go with what Nick said and write my story on "how I came to medicine" as a rough draft.


Thanks. You're right, it's not the happiest of stories. I'll try to make sure I don't make it depressing to read. lol

Definitely agree with thlaxer - = better than .