Personal Statement. Risky

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There's a difference between writing something that is memorable and writing a good personal statement for admission to medical school. You've been told to scrap it and have been told that this statement could bar you from admission. If you're smart enough to be applying to medical school, you should be smart enough to listen to people involve in the admission process.
 
The entire medical school admissions process is a game. You jump through hoops until they let you in. Why throw a wild card out at the very end of the process? Play it safe. Do you not have any secular reasons for applying to medical school? Omission isn't being dishonest.

PS. Advisor 2 is an idiot for thinking that god/faith are offensive. Advisor 2 is a scum bag.
 
I disagree. Perhaps your PS does need editing, but I wouldn't scrap including God if that's an honest contributor to why you want to go into medicine. I didn't dwell on my faith in my PS or interviews, but it did come up and as far as I can tell it never hurt me in an interview. In fact, some of my interviewers opened up to me about their faith more than I did when the topic presented itself. I'd be happy to take a look at your PS if you'd like.
 
Here's what I would do if I were you. Take this:

-Talk about abstract idea and tie it to faith/God
-eventually I tie faith to why I want to go into med.

Substitute a value that you have, that is part of your religion, in place of faith/God. For example, you might value laboring for the good of something greater than yourself, or using your strengths (logical/science-oriented + compassionate) to make the world a better place. Those values might relate to your religion, and that connection might be important to you, but you don't have to explicitly write about your religion. End result:

-Talk about abstract idea and tie it to my values
-eventually I tie values to why I want to go into med.

Some people find certain religions offensive. It's unfortunate but true. Or they might wonder whether you would still want to be a doctor if you lost your faith (which does happen to some people). For these reasons, I would avoid writing about religion at this stage of the game. Most people will accept you for who you are, but you don't want to gamble your future on a few people's reactions to such a controversial topic.
 
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goldenwest said:
I disagree. Perhaps your PS does need editing, but I wouldn't scrap including God if that's an honest contributor to why you want to go into medicine. I didn't dwell on my faith in my PS or interviews, but it did come up and as far as I can tell it never hurt me in an interview. In fact, some of my interviewers opened up to me about their faith more than I did when the topic presented itself. I'd be happy to take a look at your PS if you'd like.
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Feedback is always nice. But dont be alarmed! It's very unusual. How would I go about sending it to you?
 
Lilliput said:
Here's what I would do if I were you. Take this:

-Talk about abstract idea and tie it to faith/God
-eventually I tie faith to why I want to go into med.

Substitute a value that you have, that is part of your religion, in place of faith/God. For example, you might value laboring for the good of something greater than yourself, or using your strengths (logical/science-oriented + compassionate) to make the world a better place. Those values might relate to your religion, and that connection might be important to you, but you don't have to explicitly write about your religion. End result:

-Talk about abstract idea and tie it to my values
-eventually I tie values to why I want to go into med.

Some people find certain religions offensive. It's unfortunate but true. Or they might wonder whether you would still want to be a doctor if you lost your faith (which does happen to some people). For these reasons, I would avoid writing about religion at this stage of the game. Most people will accept you for who you are, but you don't want to gamble your future on a few people's reactions to such a controversial topic.
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I see exactly what you are saying. The thing is that many advisors always tell pre med students about being genuine about why they want to go into medicine, but when you take a bold stance and state the reasons why ( no matter how concrete or abstract the reason may be, in my case it is an abstract reason as to why i want to go into med) advisors start to back pedal. I just want to be true to who I am. I feel that it would give my a good understanding as to which med school will be the right fit for me.
 
Gust said:
I see exactly what you are saying. The thing is that many advisors always tell pre med students about being genuine about why they want to go into medicine, but when you take a bold stance and state the reasons why ( no matter how concrete or abstract the reason may be, in my case it is an abstract reason as to why i want to go into med) advisors start to back pedal. I just want to be true to who I am. I feel that it would give my a good understanding as to which med school will be the right fit for me.
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There are plenty of people like Advisor #2 out there. I'm sure if you apply broadly and have good stats you'll get some interviews though..
 
Advisor two is a loser. If it is what you want to write about do it; however, I would have readers on SDN look it over - that way, there would be a more general consensus for you to work with

GL!
 
I wish we had Advisor 2's email address.
 
kcin said:
I wish we had Advisor 2's email address.
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Dude we got it, you don't like advisor 2's opinion.

I think you guys might at least consider the possibility though that there are ways of writing about God/faith that might indeed be inappropriate on an admission essay. Or the OP might just not be able to write very well, and statements about faith come off sounding offensive to some people. Just a thought before you advocate harassing somebody you don't even know.
 
Why would you make your PS into something that could be labeled as "risky" in the slightest bit? I understand that it's probably a genuine representation of your reasons for pursuing medicine, but honestly you need all the help you can get in this process. I say scrap it and write about something that doesn't have anything to do with religion.
 
Gust said:
As of late, I've been preparing for the upcoming cycle and I finished writing my personal statement.

The basic content of my personal statement goes like this...

-Talk about abstract idea and tie it to faith/God
-eventually I tie faith to why I want to go into med.

These were the reactions/statements I received.

Advisor 1- "Very honest/genuine but risky approach"
Advisor 2- "I encourage you to completely start over but at the same
time,the letter was different and memorable/charming"
(Advisor 2 talks to colleagues/professors that are involved in pre med process and they all said that I cant communicate effectivly and that they would reject me immediately after reading my letter. Advisor 2 also thought that mentioning God/Faith was offensive)
Advisor 3- "I really like the paper, I think it is really good!"

I feel that my approach was the most effective/genuine way of introducing myself. I feel that if a medical school wants me, it wont be because I fit the mold of the ideal student, and have a letter that fits the ideal letter, but I rather would want to be accepted to a school that cherishes diversity and my values. Personally, I see the risks and I'm prepared to be rejected from a lot of schools.

Questions for SDN, LizzyM, etc.

What are your thoughts? Would you take the advice of Advisor 2 or would you stick with your personal beliefs?

I feel if I trash my paper, then I'm being dishonest with myself.
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Advisor #2 obviously didn't get into med school, so he/she takes it out on people. Advisors are fools. Take there word for a grain of salt. The ones I dealt with if its not in a book they dont know crap.
 
2 out of your 3 advisors agree that you're taking a risk, although some people are focusing only on advisor 2 who was clearly more blunt.

You could try to rework the paper, to add some of the more "conventional" reasons for pursuing medicine into the mix. It would likely cut down on the risk. The people reading your statements are just humans, they'll run the gamut of their own views or prejudices. The trick is to remain appealing to a wide range of people while still standing out; the more narrow your appeal, the lesser your chances. It doesn't mean you don't have a chance though, so if you feel that strongly about your essay by all means give it a try with that one, and see what happens.
 
Tic said:
Dude we got it, you don't like advisor 2's opinion.

I think you guys might at least consider the possibility though that there are ways of writing about God/faith that might indeed be inappropriate on an admission essay. Or the OP might just not be able to write very well, and statements about faith come off sounding offensive to some people. Just a thought before you advocate harassing somebody you don't even know.
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Thanks for the lecture, champ.
 
Lol @ the poster itching to fight for his deity! You go!

There are many, many ways to talk about God that would be considered offensive by even the most accomodating reader. I would like to hear OP's supernatural reasons for wanting to go into medical school.

Care to share, OP?
 
democritus said:
lol @ the poster itching to fight for his deity! You go!

There are many, many ways to talk about god that would be considered offensive by even the most accomodating reader. I would like to hear op's supernatural reasons for wanting to go into medical school.

Care to share, op?
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+1
 
Yeah, if I were you I'd scrap the letter and write about something else, or include God, but don't make your religion the primary focus of your essay. Although I agree that, in a perfect world, adcoms would focus more on your credentials than your religion and would value your faith (so long as it doesn't leave you close minded), this isn't a perfect world. And, unfortunately, the "God Topic" turns a lot of intelligent people off. Even with a 4.0 GPA, and a pretty respectable presence on campus with all the extracurriculars I do, I still have conversations with students from the Secular Alliance who treat me poorly the minute they find out I believe in god. Prejudice goes both ways.

You may get lucky and none of the adcoms reviewing your essay will have a problem with it. But it only takes one militant atheist reviewer, or a fundamentalist from a religion you do not ascribe to, to ruin your chances at a school. You want to try and write a letter that will appeal to people from a wide spectrum of beliefs.

That being said, don't lose your integrity over the admissions process. If you feel like re-writing your essay would be a cop-out, than don't do it. But realize that you are reducing your chances of getting into med school.
 
You people are forgetting that for all intents and purposes medical schools choose people who are entering a professional world. In the professional world, it is considered inappropriate to talk about your religious beliefs. Find something else to talk about my friend.
 
I talked about faith/God in my PS but it was not the overwhelming focus of the essay. It was crucial to the story I was telling and to who I am and I have not found anyone who was offended by my statement. However, I do think it is a tricky area. You can talk about spirituality without being offensive or unprofessional. If someone is telling your phrasing could potentially be offensive then I would take that into consideration and consider revising. But if they are telling you not to talk about spirituality at all when that's a large part of who you are, I would disregard their comments.

You might also want to consider applying to schools where religion is a part of their school culture. I can't remember if AMCAS allowed you to designate certain PS's to certain schools like other application databases but if so, you might also consider drafting multiple statements for various schools.
 
You can mention faith but don't make it the focal point of your essay.

"Risky" and med admissions should not be in the same sentence. In this competitive process, the applicants that eliminate the risk are the most successful ones.

I'm not saying you will, but a religious person can come off very arrogant and condescending to someone who is not religious.

Talk about faith in an indirect way, like the values (may come from religion, may not, you can leave it ambiguous) that you feel are important and guide your path toward medicine.
 
Serious7 said:
You might also want to consider applying to schools where religion is a part of their school culture. I can't remember if AMCAS allowed you to designate certain PS's to certain schools like other application databases but if so, you might also consider drafting multiple statements for various schools.
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Your PS goes to all schools and you cannot send different ones to different schools.

However, most schools have secondary essays specific to them.

So, make your PS appeal to all. If you apply to a more "religious" school, you can make your secondary a bit more focused on religion.

However, the only school I know that seems really religious is Loma Linda. There are four Jesuit schools (Georgetown, Creighton, Loyola, St. Louis U). While Jesuit and talk about religious ideals, mostly in regards to serving the underserved, all of them still seem pretty secular.
 
Med school admissions is a game, and you're choosing to play handicapped. You're purposely taking an unnecessary risk at the expense of your future.

Well, good luck sir.
 
Also, I feel I should add this.

Another weakness of talking about faith is getting too caught up in your IDEAS for pursuing medicine.

What adcoms really want to see is your ACTIONS. What have you actually done to show you are serious about medicine? You need specific examples of this. You can't just talk about why you want to pursue medicine.

Not trying to say you don't have these experiences. You certainly do need to talk about your ideas and abstract reasons why you are interested in medicine. But be careful and don't overdo it.
 
If your religion is a reason why you want to be a doctor, by all means talk about it. The content of your essay, as long as it's not something crazy, is a lot less important than it being INTERESTING and a quality piece of writing. I've spoken to adcom members about this at my school. They don't even consider most of the personal statements as a factor because they are boring, generic, and safe. Reading hundreds of these things is more boring than watching grass grow, and they appreciate it when they get something interesting to read. Yes it is a risk to do something different, but if you do it well it can open a lot of doors for you.
 
Just to add I mentioned Buddhism in my essay which is obviously just as risky if not more. IMHO its okay to mention faith so long as its not the focal point to make faith your only reason for entering medicine is not a good idea and i'm sure your reasons go beyond that.

As for what you say about your essay... the content you mentioned confusing to me it seems like its one part abstract idea, two parts faith, one part why med...

realistically it should be majority why med, with a little what you want to do as a doctor and why am i interesting sprinkled in....
 
My PS included a significant emphasis on a topic that I knew would be "risky." It was nothing to do with faith/god. Actually, I think my subject might have been even more "risky" than a faith/god topic, but it was so much a part of who I am and why I am interested in medicine and research, that I didn't see any other way to represent myself.

I took the risk, tried to just tell my story and not be too "in your face" about my path, and I don't know if it hurt me at some of the schools where I applied. I applied at 20 schools and received interviews at 10, I have one acceptance. I did not receive an interview at most of my so called "safety schools" (ie schools where my stats well exceeded the schools average per MSAR). But I will never know if the content of my PS was the limiting factor.

I can tell you that I was asked about the situation I discussed in my PS by nearly every interviewer. Several interviewers expressed a strong opinion about the content of my PS. So, if you take the risk, you need to be prepared to respond in an appropriate way when it comes up in your interviews.

Good Luck!
 
50Fly said:
My PS included a significant emphasis on a topic that I knew would be "risky." It was nothing to do with faith/god. Actually, I think my subject might have been even more "risky" than a faith/god topic, but it was so much a part of who I am and why I am interested in medicine and research, that I didn't see any other way to represent myself.

I took the risk, tried to just tell my story and not be too "in your face" about my path, and I don't know if it hurt me at some of the schools where I applied. I applied at 20 schools and received interviews at 10, I have one acceptance. I did not receive an interview at most of my so called "safety schools" (ie schools where my stats well exceeded the schools average per MSAR). But I will never know if the content of my PS was the limiting factor.

I can tell you that I was asked about the situation I discussed in my PS by nearly every interviewer. Several interviewers expressed a strong opinion about the content of my PS. So, if you take the risk, you need to be prepared to respond in an appropriate way when it comes up in your interviews.

Good Luck!
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Ok well can you please tell us what you talked about? I'm just curious.
 
this guy at my school wrote about faith/god in his statement and is now attending mayo
 
Barcu said:
Your PS goes to all schools and you cannot send different ones to different schools.

However, most schools have secondary essays specific to them.

So, make your PS appeal to all. If you apply to a more "religious" school, you can make your secondary a bit more focused on religion.

However, the only school I know that seems really religious is Loma Linda. There are four Jesuit schools (Georgetown, Creighton, Loyola, St. Louis U). While Jesuit and talk about religious ideals, mostly in regards to serving the underserved, all of them still seem pretty secular.
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Emory has religious affiliation w/ the united methodist church, dunno if that counts.
 
I think your reasoning needs to involve a little more of the "physical" and a little less of the "metaphysical". But that doesn't necessarily mean finding another motivation for going into medicine. Look at it like this:

1. you think God wants you to go into medicine
2. God has probably given you beliefs that determine where your passions lie.
3. your EC's, etc. should be driven by what you're passionate about.

You're starting at #1. It's very abstract and heady. Try and focus more on #'s 2 and 3. Instead of saying, God wants me to go into medicine because he gave me a passion for x, y, and z, try saying, I have passions for x, y, and z that I realized by doing a, b, and c activities and my experiences here and there have given me a strong motivation to enter medicine... etc. Make sense?

It's very likely that whoever reviews your application won't be a Christian, or even if they are, they likely won't share your exact beliefs about God. So I think for your PS, it's important to express things in a manner they understand. Talk about supernatural motivation and they may have no idea what you're talking about or even think it's possible. Talk about having a passion for something ... and that is something most if not all people can relate to.
 
bleargh said:
this thread. i like where it is going.
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SDN is seriously the wrong place to ask this question. It's possible to be professional and still be honest. There's a difference in believing something and cramming your beliefs down your colleagues' throats. The personal statement is meant to declare your reasons for being a doctor, and the adcoms want an honest answer. If God or religion is your whole reason for becoming a doctor then it isn't a very good one. The Bible, Torah, Quran, etc. never tells people to be doctors. Mostly they do not make a big case about healing people physically at all. Religion can be an excellent motivator for being a selfless servant, but it doesn't provide a good answer as to why you want to be a doctor.
 
rafflecopter said:
You people are forgetting that for all intents and purposes medical schools choose people who are entering a professional world. In the professional world, it is considered inappropriate to talk about your religious beliefs. Find something else to talk about my friend.
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+1

It's a med school application, not a divinity school application. It's not your 5 minutes with a microphone to proselytize at Bible class.

It's fine to take a risk when the outcome is a significant advantage you wouldn't otherwise have. In this case, the overwhelming likelihood is that the consequence will be neutral or negative. There's no benefit and a likely detriment. Why would you choose to pass on an opportunity to write an essay that would have broad appeal and make a positive impression?
 
Musclemass said:
+1

It's a med school application, not a divinity school application. It's not your 5 minutes with a microphone to proselytize at Bible class.

It's fine to take a risk when the outcome is a significant advantage you wouldn't otherwise have. In this case, the overwhelming likelihood is that the consequence will be neutral or negative. There's no benefit and a likely detriment. Why would you choose to pass on an opportunity to write an essay that would have broad appeal and make a positive impression?
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It's not a game worth playing if you constantly have to restructure your morals, values, and beliefs to fit the norm. After reading this guy's PS, it would be pretty offensive and over the top, but writing about what truly motivates you is not a bad idea. Letting that be the only thing that motivates you towards medicine is a terrible idea; there are tons of other professions that religious people can be drawn to for service.
 
goldenwest said:
The Bible, Torah, Quran, etc. never tells people to be doctors. Mostly they do not make a big case about healing people physically at all.
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I don't know about the Torah and the Quran, but the Bible in fact does make quite a big deal about the healing of the ill. That was one of the primary things Jesus did, as recorded by the gospels.

I cant say for sure that I know any of you taking the "Don't Do This" stance are right or wrong, but consider this: if the OP does make a faith-based personal statement and admissions committees deny him/her admission based solely on that, it is discrimination. Most school's non-discrimination statements include a statement about religion. I understand that the reality is likely different than theory, but as long as the OP keeps it professional, there should be no reason why having faith as a motivation to go into medicine should be a problem.

That being said, OP, I suggest if you decide to go this route, make sure to take all of the constructive advice that has been offered here. Use your faith to explain your values, and use your values to explain why you want to go into medicine. As others have noted, faith can change sometimes, but your values are (typically) less likely to change. Or at least that will be the perception by anyone reading your statement. You should also make sure that you feel comfortable applying to all of the schools with religious affiliations mentioned earlier in this thread: Loma Linda and the four Jesuit schools. Those are the places where your faith will probably fit in the best.

Edit: @goldenwest-I realized my message to you might come across as snotty and that truly wasn't my intention. Just to mention that in the Bible, healing is an important theme.
 
Astarael said:
I don't know about the Torah and the Quran, but the Bible in fact does make quite a big deal about the healing of the ill. That was one of the primary things Jesus did, as recorded by the gospels.

I cant say for sure that I know any of you taking the "Don't Do This" stance are right or wrong, but consider this: if the OP does make a faith-based personal statement and admissions committees deny him/her admission based solely on that, it is discrimination. Most school's non-discrimination statements include a statement about religion. I understand that the reality is likely different than theory, but as long as the OP keeps it professional, there should be no reason why having faith as a motivation to go into medicine should be a problem.

That being said, OP, I suggest if you decide to go this route, make sure to take all of the constructive advice that has been offered here. Use your faith to explain your values, and use your values to explain why you want to go into medicine. As others have noted, faith can change sometimes, but your values are (typically) less likely to change. Or at least that will be the perception by anyone reading your statement. You should also make sure that you feel comfortable applying to all of the schools with religious affiliations mentioned earlier in this thread: Loma Linda and the four Jesuit schools. Those are the places where your faith will probably fit in the best.

Edit: @goldenwest-I realized my message to you might come across as snotty and that truly wasn't my intention. Just to mention that in the Bible, healing is an important theme.
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I'm not offended. We could discuss this in PM without excess flaming. Keep in mind though that the healing done was supernatural and that it was generally used for the purpose of spiritual healing. My point was that the profession of medicine is not something Jesus used at all.
 
I wrote my PS about Israel and my internship experience there. Now it was not about my faith in God, but because of the religious background, it definitely stood out to my interviewers and I honestly think it was the one reason I got the number of interviews and acceptances that I did. I actually had one interviewer spend the entire thirty-minute interview talking to me about his faith in God and about the effect God has in healing. I got accepted to that school 2 weeks later.

Now, you can go overboard. If it seriously plays a role in medicine, I would talk about it. If it truly is what makes you want to be a doctor, then be honest. It can however be used against you. I got lucky (probably because I interviewed only in Texas, and for the majority of people here, talking about Israel is something completely different), but some people may look down at it. I think that as long as you avoid any type of proselytizing tone and make it not sound preachy, you may be fine.
 
50Fly said:
My PS included a significant emphasis on a topic that I knew would be "risky." It was nothing to do with faith/god. Actually, I think my subject might have been even more "risky" than a faith/god topic, but it was so much a part of who I am and why I am interested in medicine and research, that I didn't see any other way to represent myself.

I took the risk, tried to just tell my story and not be too "in your face" about my path, and I don't know if it hurt me at some of the schools where I applied. I applied at 20 schools and received interviews at 10, I have one acceptance. I did not receive an interview at most of my so called "safety schools" (ie schools where my stats well exceeded the schools average per MSAR). But I will never know if the content of my PS was the limiting factor.

I can tell you that I was asked about the situation I discussed in my PS by nearly every interviewer. Several interviewers expressed a strong opinion about the content of my PS. So, if you take the risk, you need to be prepared to respond in an appropriate way when it comes up in your interviews.

Good Luck!
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Methinks...homosexuality?
 
The reaction of your three advisors mirrors the reactions you are likely to get from various adcom members. Some will like it and will like that you took a risk to express your true feelings, some will be offended, and some will love it. So you might go 2 for 3 at the application screening level. The interviewers who read your application may have similar reactions. Again, you may go 2 for 3 or even 1 for 3 where you might have gone 3 for 3 with a less risky PS. Still, you can succeed even with an edgy, risky application if you apply early and apply broadly.
 
rafflecopter said:
You people are forgetting that for all intents and purposes medical schools choose people who are entering a professional world. In the professional world, it is considered inappropriate to talk about your religious beliefs. Find something else to talk about my friend.
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This. Depending on how you talk about religion, adcoms might worry that it's something you will talk abut with your patients. Try to come across as accepting of other religions (or lack of religion), or at least make it clear that religion is part of your personal life, not your professional one. For example, if your religion is anti-abortion, your interviewer might worry that you would refuse to refer patients to doctors who perform abortions, even though you are legally required to do so.

All in all, it could end up being a space-waster and a distraction from your proof that 1) you've thoroughly investigated medicine, and 2) you will be a good doctor.

That's just my take. You can always write a safer PS, get accepted, and then email the med students (who you'll meet on interview day) to ask about how well you (a religious person) would fit in.
 
I would write about something else, it sounds like it's not coming off very well. You don't have to lie about who you are, but you should show yourself in the best light possible.
 
I'd have to disagree with anyone who says it is unprofessional to talk about religion in a professional environment. Obviously none of you have ever worked with people in a hospital, but patients bring up their faith constantly. Also, for those of you who are curious, I would recommend reading The Language of God. It is about the director of the human genome project and how he found faith WHILE doing clinical rotations in medical school.

If faith is part of your reason for wanting to be a doctor, by all means write about it. But I would advise not to have a personal statement that is one dimensional. You could go with a safer personal statement and then write about your faith on secondary applications, especially with schools with religious affiliations.
 
Pons Asinorum said:
Methinks...homosexuality?
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My risky PS was about my recovery from a terminal illness. Why is that risky? Well, my illness is one that mainstream physicians are taught there is no treatment and no recovery. So the risk, in my opinion was threefold:

First, they could believe that I was never diagnosed with this illness and was making it up.

Second, they could think that I really did have this illness and was potentially too ill to warrant the resouces of a medical education. Or,

Third, the treatment that I undertook was unconvential/off label/not mainstream and therefore challenging core beliefs of allopathic medicine.

One of my interviewers actually told me that I could not possibly have had this illness because no one ever recovers from it. My personal situation is in direct conflict with what I will be taught in medical school.
 
Gust said:
As of late, I've been preparing for the upcoming cycle and I finished writing my personal statement.

The basic content of my personal statement goes like this...

-Talk about abstract idea and tie it to faith/God
-eventually I tie faith to why I want to go into med.

These were the reactions/statements I received.

Advisor 1- "Very honest/genuine but risky approach"
Advisor 2- "I encourage you to completely start over but at the same
time,the letter was different and memorable/charming"
(Advisor 2 talks to colleagues/professors that are involved in pre med process and they all said that I cant communicate effectivly and that they would reject me immediately after reading my letter. Advisor 2 also thought that mentioning God/Faith was offensive)
Advisor 3- "I really like the paper, I think it is really good!"

I feel that my approach was the most effective/genuine way of introducing myself. I feel that if a medical school wants me, it wont be because I fit the mold of the ideal student, and have a letter that fits the ideal letter, but I rather would want to be accepted to a school that cherishes diversity and my values. Personally, I see the risks and I'm prepared to be rejected from a lot of schools.

Questions for SDN, LizzyM, etc.

What are your thoughts? Would you take the advice of Advisor 2 or would you stick with your personal beliefs?

I feel if I trash my paper, then I'm being dishonest with myself.
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I went through a similar process when drafting my PS last year. I chose to include my experience with a 'missions' trip I went on and my experience at a christian summer camp that I worked at, however, I didn't bring up my faith directly. I eventually realized that I needed to write a statement that would be received well while being honest with myself and my readers. I think you can do both without being overly religious.

Writing is all about communication. If I were writing an auto-biography, I can see how you'd me more tempted to write something that you felt was the most open, honest, and true to who you are. However, writing a PS is an avenue for you to communicate your personality and passion to adcom members. As an avenue for communication, you must always be aware that communication is a two-way street and you cannot control the reception of your PS. The best thing you can do is write in such a way that your rhetoric bolsters your story rather than obscure it or distract from it. Because religion, homosexuality, abortion, politics, guns, immigration, etc. etc. are all hot-button issues you take the risk in talking about these that you might cause a poor impression. However, a PS that plays it too safe is probably not wise either.
 
Your PS is designed to inform but also give the reader something to relate to. Though the US largely respects a Judeo-Christian perspective, the medical field doesn't necessarily mirror that religious demographic. Many physicians adhere to Eastern philosophies (Hinduism and Buddhism) due to their home culture (a disproportioned amount of Asian physicians compared to US popl). Others, being more scientifically inclined, refute the existence of purposeful and involved diety (plenty of available statistics). I would advise against it. You should also appreciate the Advisor 2's candor; his/her reaction might be eerily similar to someone on a ADCOM, and probabilities are not in your favor.
 
I'll be blunt with you Gust, you're applying to professional school, not to art school or the seminary. As much as they want each person to be a unique butterfly, at the end of the day you, and every other student, has to fit the mold. If you write something that makes them doubt you fit that mold, you are risking your chances.

Ask yourself: Is it more important for you to write an essay expressing yourself, or is it more important to get into school and become a Doctor. If its the latter, scrap it, and try to go for something more safe and conventional, if its the former, fire away, but your mileage may greatly vary.
 
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