Personal Statement. . . Sob Story???

[isidella]

Hello all,

The following are suggestions about writing personal statements. I took them from the SND/Essay Edge site:

' ?My Mom Had Cancer?
This theme is really just a variation of ?I was a patient myself? and the same advice applies: If a loved one?s battle with illness, trauma, or disability is truly what inspired your wish to become a doctor, then by all means mention it. But don?t dwell on it, don?t overdramatize, and don?t let it stand as your sole motivation-show that you?ve done your research and you understand the life of a doctor and you chose it for a variety of reasons.

Notes another admissions officer:
?This is going to sound harsh, but I don?t like the tales of woe such as the ones that begin with the mother?s death from cancer. Frankly, I feel manipulated and I don?t think that the personal statement is the proper mode of expression for that kind of emotion.? '

Okay, so that being said, who agrees with the admission officer? One of the best essys I have ever read is from an applicant whose mother died of cancer. She provided total care for her mom up until her death and wrote a beautiful story of how it inspired her to want to become a doctor (she had other reasons as well.)

Above all, a personal statement should be truthful. If a "sob story" is accurate, why or why not???

Thanks for your input,
Isid

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[relatively prime]

For the most part, I agree with the adcom... but it really all depends on how it's written. If the entire essay is totally focused on that... and it really is JUST a sob story, then I totally agreed with the adcom. Such an essay can be interpreted as manipulative and I don't think that's appropriate.

However... if such an experience is used as an introduction... kinda like a "this is what sparked my interest in medicine" and then goes on to talk about other experiences (and ties them together nicely)... then I think that's really good and a powerful way to convince the reader that you are passionate about medicine.

With so many of these possible approaches... it's all about how it's done. It's impossible to say "writing about your mother's battle with cancer is bad and manipulative" without reading the actual essay. It could be good or it could be bad... it just depends.

 

[efex101]

I kind of agree with the adcom but hey who am I, just another applicant writing another sob story.. :wink:
I would include a few lines *if this is truly what motivated me to pursue medicine* prompted
I would not use this just to write about something in my PS due to the fact that I have nothing better to say. An adcom once told me "do you know how many PS we have to read? after a while they all start sounding the same." Be original, be truthful, be witty, but above all give them a picture of *who you really are* aside from gpa, mcat, ec's. Let the adcom's get a glimpse of the real person behind the application, and make them want to meet you in person.

 

[lola]

I actually used the "my dad had cancer" story as the opener for my personal statement. No one who has read it has commented that it was a sob story. In fact, I never even mentioned the outcome. I used it to explain what resparked my interest in medicine after having been out of undergrad for a few years. I agree with relatively prime in that it's all about how you present it. If you are not trying to make the admissions officers feel pity for you, then I think it's fine to use something like this.

 

[Tweetie_bird]

I agree with Lola.
I'm using the "my grandpa/mentor in medicine had an accident and was in coma" story. ofcourse, this is not what sparked my curiosity toward medicine, it strengthened my resolve to be a part of it. Show them you braved through this, and you want to help others do the same....shine light on the positive aspects of the problem, and the essay will look good.