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- May 28, 2012
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I wrote my personal statement essay almost a year ago for this most recent application cycle. Believe me when I say that I understood the importance of this part of the application, and spent a long time crafting it and honing it. Moreover, I had my family and health advisor at school read it over and share their thoughts when I was finished, as so many people urge you to do. Obviously, proofreading and peer review is important. In retrospect, I wish I had someone more "in the know" about the medical school admissions process read it as well.
What I ended up writing was a somewhat unorthodox statement; I basically negated the idea that there was some singular "epiphany" that made me want to become a doctor, some isolated experience that I could recount or draw upon as an example to the admissions person reading my statement. Instead, I said that my desire to become a physician arose organically over time, and was constituted just as much by seemingly "insignificant" daily interactions with people as it was by more medically grounded events. I did this for two reasons. One - it's what I really believe, and two, I thought it might help distinguish my essay from the rest of the pack who DO usually talk about one or two specific examples... as if those experiences are all there is to wanting to be a doctor.
Although I think the essay was well-written, I believe that I made a mistake in choosing that subject matter. This has been borne out by the retinue of rejections I received since early this fall. I was honest, I took a risk, and I probably ended up hurting myself because of it. I think the essay probably came off as general and uninspiring, which is exactly what I didn't want to happen.
In the instance that I have to re-apply this year, would anyone be willing to share their personal statement with me; ideally, an applicant who has already been accepted to a (good) medical school? At least then I might have a general sense of what a successful essay looks like - one that focuses on something specific, but does not do so disingenuously.
And yes, I am pretty sure that my essay - not my GPA or MCAT - had been primarily responsible for my rejections. The rest of my application is pretty strong.
What I ended up writing was a somewhat unorthodox statement; I basically negated the idea that there was some singular "epiphany" that made me want to become a doctor, some isolated experience that I could recount or draw upon as an example to the admissions person reading my statement. Instead, I said that my desire to become a physician arose organically over time, and was constituted just as much by seemingly "insignificant" daily interactions with people as it was by more medically grounded events. I did this for two reasons. One - it's what I really believe, and two, I thought it might help distinguish my essay from the rest of the pack who DO usually talk about one or two specific examples... as if those experiences are all there is to wanting to be a doctor.
Although I think the essay was well-written, I believe that I made a mistake in choosing that subject matter. This has been borne out by the retinue of rejections I received since early this fall. I was honest, I took a risk, and I probably ended up hurting myself because of it. I think the essay probably came off as general and uninspiring, which is exactly what I didn't want to happen.
In the instance that I have to re-apply this year, would anyone be willing to share their personal statement with me; ideally, an applicant who has already been accepted to a (good) medical school? At least then I might have a general sense of what a successful essay looks like - one that focuses on something specific, but does not do so disingenuously.
And yes, I am pretty sure that my essay - not my GPA or MCAT - had been primarily responsible for my rejections. The rest of my application is pretty strong.