Personal Statement help

[Thatcher123]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

So one of the key reasons I became interested in medicine was because of an interaction in high school with one of my Mom's patients. Is it ok to center my personal statement around this event? Will it seem as if my parents are forcing me into medicine?

 

[mcatjelly]

You can mention it if you want, but one would hope that you've had meaningful experiences since high school. If you don't have more recent experiences to talk about you might want to work on that!

 

[Thatcher123]

I've also had meaningful conversations and experiences with patients while volunteering and I plan on mentioning those as well. But is it ok to start off my essay with the story of my moms patient?

 

[bluejay456]

It's impossible to make any judgement without the essay posted (don't post your essay lol). My only advice is to write a meaningful story that's interesting and can capture the readers attention. From there just have tons of people edit

 

[cactus8910]

I've also had meaningful conversations and experiences with patients while volunteering and I plan on mentioning those as well. But is it ok to start off my essay with the story of my moms patient?

That sounds like an okay way to start the essay, but I wouldn't center it on that one experience. Just use it as a jumping off point (i.e. This is how I first became interested in medicine and here are a bunch more experiences I've had demonstrating that I know what I'm getting into and I'm sure I want to do this).

 

[Sirphillup]

If you can offer good insight into who you are as a person and future professional, do it. I did the same thing in my statement of purpose with a memory of an older relative who lost a leg to type II diabetes. That type of essay opening is only good, however, if you can bring it full circle.

 

[ProMed13]

The best advice I had while I was rewriting my personal statement many times was to just write why YOU want to go into medicine. Ignore everything else and just write from your heart. My beginning started out with a story that lasted only a paragraph.