*Official Personal Statement Guide and Reader List 2011*

BU Medical Sciences
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The list should be fully updated. This includes adding the people who requested to be added in January. From now on, I'm going to focus on new posts; if you want to change your status from Active to Not Available, please make a new post. That will guarantee that I'll see it.
 
JJMrK said:
The list should be fully updated. This includes adding the people who requested to be added in January. From now on, I'm going to focus on new posts; if you want to change your status from Active to Not Available, please make a new post. That will guarantee that I'll see it.
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hey JJ....I just read my post and realized that there is a very misleading typo in it.....it should say that I am NOW ready to read 🙂
 
Tatastrophy said:
hey JJ....I just read my post and realized that there is a very misleading typo in it.....it should say that I am NOW ready to read 🙂
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LOL, sorry, I also read it as "I am ready to read." I knew what ya meant. 😉

Fixed it on the main list.
 
dw2158 said:
i'm available! i regularly read and edit TONS of things (including grant proposals, written testimonies, PSes for various grad school apps, etc.) for my coworkers and friends. i daresay i'm a really good writer. i can read for grammar, syntax, style, content... everything. i love editing!
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Can you please take a look at mine sometime if you don't mind?!
 
itsalovestory said:
Hey! Can you edit my post above to say that I'd like also love a brief description of the ECs described in the PS so that I can have a bigger picture of who they are? Thanks!
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Hi, can you please read my personal statement.. I hope it works.
 
JJ, can you put me on hold for right now?

I have about 5 or 6 and haven't had the time to start yet, so anymore would be too much. I'll have more time when I start school again (go figure) and I'll let you know when I'll be active again. Thanks.
 
Well, I have a minor in English and would be proud to be able to offer you advice for your Personal Statement. I think I know what the Admission Committee is looking for and I wrote a great essay myself. PM me if you want.
 
I'm ready full-time to read some Personal Statements. I used this service when I was applying and it was dead useful.

My qualification is that well, I applied this cycle and was accepted. So I guess my PS was good enough.:laugh:
 
i'd be happy to read...and probably have more time right now-may/june than i will a few months after 🙂 i was a peer writing counselor at my school and helped a lot of people with their personal statements this year and last year. PM me for my email address
 
Hey 2011 applicants,
I'm a Biology major, English minor with a concentration in creative writing. For the past two years, I've worked at a college writing center so I've seen A LOT of personal statements. I also tutor ESL students so if English isn't your first language, I'm your gal! I was an 2010 applicant and I am thankfully part of the medical class of 2014. I really think that my ps played a huge role in my acceptance and I would love to help 2011 applicants turn their ps into a secret weapon! I want to be clear that while I'm willing to help applicants with pretty much any step of the writing process, I will NOT correct any personal statements. What that means is if I feel that there is something wrong with a portion of your ps (i.e your opening sentence is weak), I'll let you know and discuss it with you but I won't go ahead and 'fix' it myself. If you're interested PM me!
~Faye
 
I'm not sure who can help me with this, but if you can please PM me.
I figured this forum was as good a place as any to seek some assistance.

I have a personal statement written from last year when I was applying for 2009 admissions. However, for a number of reasons, I did not go through with the entire application process and withdrew my applications. The problem is any schools I did end up submitting my AMCAS to have read my personal statement. Since I'll be considered as a re-applicant for these schools they "highly recommend" (ie-require) that all of your essays be different the second time around.

I need help trying to figure out if I should completely rewrite my personal statement or if there are some areas of it that are already strong as they stand and that I can keep. I'm not really sure how to go about the "rewrite" process. But I put a lot of effort in my first one and there are some parts that I feel are very strong. The more brutally honest you can be the better, I don't mind.

Any takers or any ideas where I should start? (sorry if this is not the correct forum to post in)
 
I've read applications of my friends before. this is shameless publicity, but i am pretty reknowned at my college for personal statement reading.
 
House MD said:
I'm not sure who can help me with this, but if you can please PM me.
I figured this forum was as good a place as any to seek some assistance.

I have a personal statement written from last year when I was applying for 2009 admissions. However, for a number of reasons, I did not go through with the entire application process and withdrew my applications. The problem is any schools I did end up submitting my AMCAS to have read my personal statement. Since I'll be considered as a re-applicant for these schools they "highly recommend" (ie-require) that all of your essays be different the second time around.

I need help trying to figure out if I should completely rewrite my personal statement or if there are some areas of it that are already strong as they stand and that I can keep. I'm not really sure how to go about the "rewrite" process. But I put a lot of effort in my first one and there are some parts that I feel are very strong. The more brutally honest you can be the better, I don't mind.

Any takers or any ideas where I should start? (sorry if this is not the correct forum to post in)
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Interesting situation. But when you say "submit applications", do you mean that you submitted the secondaries and you were complete? And then you withdrew? If that's the case, then yes a few of the members could have read your essay. And you might want to reword it.

On the other hand, if you withdrew prior to submitting the secondary, then chances are slim they read the personal statement. Most schools wait till you are complete to go through your application thoroughly like that. Schools that screen pre-secondary could read essays, but I highly doubt that. Those screens might be more based on number cut-offs.

Again I'm not 100% certain, but if you did withdraw prior to secondaries or being complete, I think you are in good shape. Maybe ask LizzyM, she would know more.
 
can you put me on hold? i promise i'll do all the ones i've got waiting, but i'm going to take a big fat SDN break once i'm done with them. thanks.
 
I'm super behind on editing-- can you put me on hold please?! 🙂

Thanks!
 
I read last year and it was fun, so I am back for another year. My PS was very strong. I will edit your PS in one of three ways depending on what "phase" I think it is in: 1) Content - I will comment on the topic(s) you chose to write about and you can take it FWIW, 2) Organizational - I will make more specific suggestions on structure, development, writing style, transitions, etc 3) Polishing - I'll correct grammar and spelling and make suggestions about word choice and other minor stuff.

Just copy/paste your statement and PM it to me, you don't have to ask first.
 
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I honestly love editing personal statements. I wrote speeches and curriculum for ten years before doing a postbacc and applyiing to med school. A few interviewers told me my ps was the best they had read (though it seems like a lot of people get told this so it has to make u wonder), one interviewer refused to ask me any questons about it because he said I couldn't say it any better than I already had??? Please don't include me in a ps blast to a bunch of readers. I will b able to help u the most if u send me your working draft, consider my feedback, keep what u like, then send it on to someone else. Thanks!
 
alibai3ah said:
Interesting situation. But when you say "submit applications", do you mean that you submitted the secondaries and you were complete? And then you withdrew? If that's the case, then yes a few of the members could have read your essay. And you might want to reword it.

On the other hand, if you withdrew prior to submitting the secondary, then chances are slim they read the personal statement. Most schools wait till you are complete to go through your application thoroughly like that. Schools that screen pre-secondary could read essays, but I highly doubt that. Those screens might be more based on number cut-offs.

Again I'm not 100% certain, but if you did withdraw prior to secondaries or being complete, I think you are in good shape. Maybe ask LizzyM, she would know more.
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I mean to say that I have a personal statement written already. However since I fully completed my med school app for a few schools during a previous cycle, I have to rewrite it before I can resubmit my AMCAS this year. I'm not sure if any PS readers have experience assisting with PS rewrites.
 
I need someone to review my undergraduate transfer PS really quick before I submit it tonight. Anyone willing to?
 
I don't mind reading. I can read for style, content, and grammar. I worked in a writing center for a while and have quite a bit of experience editing, specifically personal statements for grad school and medical school. I'm finally done interviewing and everything so I have more free time and should be able to be pretty quick on the turn around.
 
Could you please edit my status to say that I will only edit personal statements for regular medical school admissions. Not early admit programs (BA/MD)/summer research programs/clinical experiences, lol I thought this was readily known, but apparently not haha
 
Please put me as temporarily unavaible. I'm swamped with PS.
 
Dear JJ,

Could you kindly edit my post to say that I will edit each PS max 2 times.

<3 🙂
 
Hi can you read mine!?!? How do I send it through Student Doctor?!?!... I am a newbie here!! 🙂
 
I am slammed and need to take a break. Sorry.
 
Well, I haven't really had time to get a whole lot of PSs yet, but for right now I'm going to go temporarily unavailable. School's just picking up too much right now. Good luck, everyone 🙂
 
Put me on hold for a bit, work has picked up! Booooo.
 
Swamped. Pls. put me on hold. Thx
 
Sry. Swamped with APO pledge stuff. Please put me on hold 🙂 (I will finish the one I have now)
 
JJ, could you please put me on hold? I'll try to get back in action soon, but life is getting the way of my SDN habit. 🙂
 
I can help read. Since I work in a lab right now, I have some 2-3 hour blocks of time where I'm not doing anything other than browsing SDN.

Credentials (I guess?):
History minor from a top 10 history department (nothing less than an A- in those courses)
240+ pages of college level writing for various courses.
I like reading in my spare time and consider myself to be at least somewhat literate.

I can edit for anything (content, style, grammar).
 
Hi all,

A few questions about PS--


1. Generally, is it frowned upon if I write about something that seemingly is not related to medicine? I've done martial arts for 6 years and it's been a really huge part of my life because it's shaped my values. If I start and end off with martial arts (and explore the connection with medicine), will that be considered as "unique" 🙂 or "not committed to medicine"? 🙁


2. How many anecdotes did you include in your essay?


3. Should you talk about what kind of physician you'd like to be?


THANKS!
👍
 
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cweave16 said:
I can help read. Since I work in a lab right now, I have some 2-3 hour blocks of time where I'm not doing anything other than browsing SDN.

Credentials (I guess?):
History minor from a top 10 history department (nothing less than an A- in those courses)
240+ pages of college level writing for various courses.
I like reading in my spare time and consider myself to be at least somewhat literate.

I can edit for anything (content, style, grammar).
Click to expand...

👍

mx21 said:
Hi all,

A few questions about PS--


1. Generally, is it frowned upon if I write about something that seemingly is not related to medicine? I've done martial arts for 6 years and it's been a really huge part of my life because it's shaped my values. If I start and end off with martial arts (and explore the connection with medicine), will that be considered as "unique" 🙂 or "not committed to medicine"? 🙁


2. How many anecdotes did you include in your essay?


3. Should you talk about what kind of physician you'd like to be?


THANKS!
👍
Click to expand...

1. That sounds unique and potentially interesting. No reason not to explore it.

2. Depends on what you mean by anecdote. I guess in a way, the whole thing is one big anecdote.

3. I mean, I would say "I am interested in XYZ" as opposed to "I will do XYZ." I don't think it necessarily hurts to mention it, and it can sound good in some cases, but don't go overboard.
 
Thanks! BTW, does the 5300 character limit include spaces? I'm assuming it does. Also, are italics allowed or no? I'm assuming formatting is not allowed if it's just C/P.
 
mx21 said:
Thanks! BTW, does the 5300 character limit include spaces? I'm assuming it does. Also, are italics allowed or no? I'm assuming formatting is not allowed if it's just C/P.
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Yeah, spaces are included in the character count. Can't remember about italics.
 
What's the general consensus about writing about short-term experiences? I went on a 2-week medical mission trip and wanted to briefly (one paragraph at the most) write about that experience after talking about my long-term commitment at the hospital. But I think I heard an ADCOM once bash about these trips-- maybe they don't want to hear about short-term experiences? Or maybe it's not U.S. related? *shrug*

Any thoughts would be mucho appreciated.

(BTW sorry for asking so many questions haha. I really want my PS to shine because I enjoy writing...)
 
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