Personal Statement and nursing

[KatieJune]

I feel like I have way too much to discuss in my personal statement/too many experiences that are all crucial to why I want to be a doctor.
I'm wondering because I entered a nurse practitioner program 1 year ago and stopped after two semesters because I decided I wanted to be a doctor. Should I discuss my initial reasons for deciding on being a nurse practitioner instead of a doctor and what caused me to change my mind? Its just that I have so many other things to talk about and I feel that I don't have time. Should I explain this though to admissions commitees? Please help! Thanks!

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[Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]]

The main thing with PS is not to talk about things that really matter to you when you decided that you would like to become a doc. It is always better to talk real good about one thing rather than mention 10 and not to explain your life long decision. I know that we are all limited with space. I had to cut my own essay 2000 symbols and now I am starting to get a fell that I did not express certain ideas properly jsut because I want to say to much in my essay. I know how hard sometime it may to limit your self into 5300 chracters but try to put there the most important stuff.

 

[Cydney Foote]

The best personal statements have a theme that unifies them and gives them a direction. Think of the theme as the overriding idea of the whole essay: why I want to be a doctor (for instance).
Then as you add each new element, ask yourself whether it supports your theme.

In the above example (what motivated you to be a doctor), you might mention your foray into nursing as a step on this path (one that later turned out not to be the right path for you). Whatever your theme, I think you should mention your studies to be an RNP -- this is a year of valuable training in a related field, and your reasons for not continuing undoubtedly have a lot to do with your desire to be a doctor.

But for the AMCAS essay, think small. Decide what you want to say to the admissions folks, cover it well, and stop. This personal statement is intended to give them just enough information about you -- your personality, your passions, your uniqueness -- that they'll want to know more.

Good luck!!!