Personal Statement Help

[creepreek]

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Hello. I am reapplying for the 2010 cycle. I intend to rewrite my essay. I will be attending SMP program next august to address my gpa. But part of the reason for the rewrite is that I feel in my previous essay i was too "laid back". I basically tried to relate medicine to things that I like and I started the essay by writing something like "so i decided to write this essay while having a drink at the beach". I feel that I have to be much more somber now. So some pertinent questions:

1) Should I mention in my essay that I got rejected everywhere this past application cycle? During the last year's essay I did not mention my less than stellar gpa..
2) Should I mention my near-term plans (i.e. SMP or anything else I plan on doing)?
3) How about the EC's that I've done in the past year in case they have nothing to do with medicine (i.e. I've been teaching mcats)?

Or should the essay still be more or less autobiographical?
Thanks.

 

[DrYoda]

1) Should I mention in my essay that I got rejected everywhere this past application cycle? During the last year's essay I did not mention my less than stellar gpa..

You're trying to sell yourself, so unless it spurred you to go do something positive, I would tend to leave out anything negative.

2) Should I mention my near-term plans (i.e. SMP or anything else I plan on doing)?

You can, I don't think it's absoultely necessary. Also, things you have already done or are doing hold tend to be more impressive, since they are compete or being completed. Not to say you won't do your all your near term plans, but talk is cheap and the people reading your PS know it.

3) How about the EC's that I've done in the past year in case they have nothing to do with medicine (i.e. I've been teaching mcats)?

There's space on the AMCAS application to put this, your PS doesn't need to be (and shouldn't be) a list of your ECs.

Or should the essay still be more or less autobiographical?

Well, it should be about you and make a case for why you want to be a doctor/ why you should be accepted to med school. But you really have a lot of lattitude as to how you do this.

There's a personal statement reader list stickied at the top of the pre-allo main page if you're interested.

 

[Tensyle]

Hello. I am reapplying for the 2010 cycle. I intend to rewrite my essay. I will be attending SMP program next august to address my gpa. But part of the reason for the rewrite is that I feel in my previous essay i was too "laid back". I basically tried to relate medicine to things that I like and I started the essay by writing something like "so i decided to write this essay while having a drink at the beach". I feel that I have to be much more somber now. So some pertinent questions:

1) Should I mention in my essay that I got rejected everywhere this past application cycle? During the last year's essay I did not mention my less than stellar gpa..
2) Should I mention my near-term plans (i.e. SMP or anything else I plan on doing)?
3) How about the EC's that I've done in the past year in case they have nothing to do with medicine (i.e. I've been teaching mcats)?

Or should the essay still be more or less autobiographical?
Thanks.

1. No need to mention that you got rejected everywhere. It's sort of negative-sounding.

2. Near-term plans...if for SURE you are doing SMP, find a clever way of working that into your PS...obviously they will see that you are doing SMP on your Amcas, but I dont think it can hurt you if you include it cleverly in your PS. Other near-term plans...I think you should only focus on things you have done or already are doing. You can list these things in the EC section of your Amcas, and remember, you can always update the Amcas during the application process.

3. Teaching MCATs surely has to do with medicine. If anything, it shows you have teaching experience, that you did well on the Mcat, that you're brave enough to teach your peers (you'll be doing a lot of this in medschool), that you are working a legit job, and that you understand the science well. Surely this is a plus. But be careful not to make it sound like you're listing your ECs in your PS again. Work it in cleverly along the lines of how you are keeping atop your educaiton by teaching others, blah blah blah.

4. Don't write a life story...just pick out relevant materials and find a way to connect all of them together into a story, to show why you wanna go to med school. You are welcome to send me your new personal statement if you'd, and I'd be willing to give you some pointers. PM me if ineterested.

Best of luck to you. 👍

 

[creepreek]

Thank you very much for your advice! I plan to start writing my PS some time next week.

 

[Tensyle]

good luck!

 

[235009]

Hello. I am reapplying for the 2010 cycle. I intend to rewrite my essay. I will be attending SMP program next august to address my gpa. But part of the reason for the rewrite is that I feel in my previous essay i was too "laid back". I basically tried to relate medicine to things that I like and I started the essay by writing something like "so i decided to write this essay while having a drink at the beach". I feel that I have to be much more somber now.

who said a personal statement was supposed to be "laid back" ....it should be creative, bring out the best aspects of your personality while still striking a professional tone. what you wrote was verging on ridiculous.

1) Should I mention in my essay that I got rejected everywhere this past application cycle? During the last year's essay I did not mention my less than stellar gpa..
2) Should I mention my near-term plans (i.e. SMP or anything else I plan on doing)?
3) How about the EC's that I've done in the past year in case they have nothing to do with medicine (i.e. I've been teaching mcats)?

Or should the essay still be more or less autobiographical?
Thanks.

1. no. there's nothing positive that can come out of this
2. this is usually covered in most secondaries. i think it would be out of place in a PS
3. i dont think teaching MCAT is worth mentioning in a PS

honestly from what you wrote in your last PS and the three questions you asked i dont think you understand the point of the PS. i strongly suggest you buy a book or find some examples of good personal statements and think deeply and contemplatively about why you want to go into medicine and about your experiences thus far.