Personal Statement Advice plz

[smcdn0420]

I am seriously struggling with my personal statement. My mom passed my Sophomore year of college which impacted one of my semesters poorly and caused me to withdraw from a course. The next semester I registered for a minor, joined a service fraternity, and got an ED scribe job. TBH my mom's cancer had little influence on my decision to pursue medicine but I think it was a challenge that I grew from and overcame.

I'm going back and forth on this because I don't want to write a sap story but at the same time its definitely info I want med schools to be aware of when they see W's on my transcript. I am also concerned that this isn't answering the "why doctor?" question although it does show that I have resilience and compassion.

Any tips or advise would be so helpful!!

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[ndafife]

Your personal statemement is about your decision and journey to become a doctor. Its not a place to explain why you have withdraws on your transcript.

There are secondaries with that ask about overcoming obstacles, or with the "is there anything else you'd like to say prompt"

 

[DoctorCrush]

It took me over 12 edits on my PS. It is very difficult, I completely understand.

My suggestion is to free write your entire life. After that, go through multiple edits and shape the story that you want adcom to know. That is the only way to truly get your entire story without possibly missing any major events that led you toward medicine.

Every round of edits you make, be sure to chip away unnecessary info and leaving succinct that flows into the entire theme.

I personally picked three theme for my P.S. 1) coming to America and how it affected me 2) supporting my family and the experiences from that hardship that introduced me to medicine 3) Why medicine and why I want to give back to the community that supported me.

Good luck! Don't see it as another "to do" see it as a time to truly reflect. It's ok that you don't have glamorous experiences like volunteering at an AIDS community in Africa etc. Focus on your activities and WHY you did them. What did you learn from them and why did they direct your desire toward medicine.

Good luck!

 

[smcdn0420]

Rule 1: Take A Breath

1 W? You think you need to explain 1 W? in your PS? At the most, at the most, I would mention this in 1/2 a sentence almost in passing "While I struggled a little in Sophomore due to my Mothers ultimate losing battle with cancer, I quickly regained my work ethic by registering for a minor, joining a service frat and beginning employment as a scribe" That's all you need say. And let me say this, I am sure your Mother would want to you to do your best to get into medical school . This is the way to that in your by telling why you want to be a doctor

This is the advice I needed. I completely rewrote the statement and talked about how my experience being partially deaf introduced my interest to otolaryngology. I then went on to explain how I got a more realistic idea of medicine while working as a scribe (still finding it interesting and challenging, but having a better idea of what I'm getting myself into), then finally how my mother's death caused me to grow as a person and develop important qualities like resilience and compassion. I think this is a much more honest and persuasive way to present myself. Thanks for helping me find my way!

 

[PNWExplorer]

I am seriously struggling with my personal statement. My mom passed my Sophomore year of college which impacted one of my semesters poorly and caused me to withdraw from a course. The next semester I registered for a minor, joined a service fraternity, and got an ED scribe job. TBH my mom's cancer had little influence on my decision to pursue medicine but I think it was a challenge that I grew from and overcame.

I'm going back and forth on this because I don't want to write a sap story but at the same time its definitely info I want med schools to be aware of when they see W's on my transcript. I am also concerned that this isn't answering the "why doctor?" question although it does show that I have resilience and compassion.

Any tips or advise would be so helpful!!

For a bit of perspective, the prompt of the essay is: why did you decide to go into medicine? I think you should definitely answer that question honestly, and describe your experience with your mother's cancer and how that has affected you, and how that has affected your decision to go into medicine and your progress in doing so. It doesn't have to have been your original motivating life experience, even if it has played a major role in your life since.

- My 2¢