Personal Statement and Activities Section Overlap

[SleepieSheep]

I have heard a lot of advice and warning against repeating activities from the W/A section in your personal statement, but how hard of a no is this? I include one story from an activity that will be one of my most meaningful activities, but I’m planning on sharing a different story in the most meaningful space. Would this be alright or am I supposed to be showcasing something entirely different or new compared to my work and activities section?

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[Mr.Smile12]

Have your read through

*~*~*~* Official AMCAS "Work/Activities" Tips Thread 2021-2026 *~*~*~*

Disclaimer: Post was found in a bottle washed up on the mod team's private island. The AMCAS Application will be opening soon, and with it comes a ton of questions. The "Work and Activities" Section is probably the most talked-about section. For reference, here are three older threads that...

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[Alejandro]

The main thing is that you have limited real estate in terms of being able to showcase who you are.

For example, if you go on a date, do you tell your date that you're able to cook (supposedly for him/her), and then 10 minutes later, say, "hey, did you know i can cook?" Might be a waste of time repeating the same thing. That said, if you're sharing something more about yourself in all of this, then it might be fine.

 

[LizzyM]

If you are sharing two different anecdotes, it is fine. What else might your personal statement be about other than your work and activities? (Don't say "my sick grandmother")

 

[Alejandro]

... (Don't say "my sick grandmother")

THIS. PLEASE.

 

[SleepieSheep]

If you are sharing two different anecdotes, it is fine. What else might your personal statement be about other than your work and activities? (Don't say "my sick grandmother")

Ahaha thankfully, my personal statement is not about my sick grandmother. I am planning on sharing three short anecdotes, the second two building more off of each other. The first is a personal medical story (illness that happened to me as a child) that shares my initial interest in medicine from a more educational standpoint/why I want to study medicine. I know personal medical stories might be a bit cliché, but so far, my statement readers have found the story to be interesting and unique so I'm hoping adcoms think similarly.

The second and third are patient stories that come from two different experiences from my activities section. One will be from a most meaningful activity, but I am planning on sharing two different patient encounters in my personal statement and my most meaningful description. The PS one aligns strongly with my "why medicine" whereas the most meaningful focuses more on underserved populations/marginalized groups. The two patients come from the same activity/experience, but highlight different things so I am hoping that will be okay? The third anecdote/patient encounter in my PS comes from an activity that will not be a most meaningful, but continues the theme and highlights my own actions rather than an observation which the previous anecdote describes.

Sorry if this is a bit confusing to understand since I'm trying to describe the context without just sharing my entire PS. Huge thank you to everyone who has replied so far! This is my first time applying so I'm trying to do it all "perfectly" but the details can be a bit confusing.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

So you won't be using these stories in your secondary essays?

Write Your Secondary Essays First - SDN

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