Personal Statement topic

[Collith]

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So I'm sorry if this has been overhashed to death but I'm about to start writing my first personal statement draft and the primary topic I'm contemplating over whether or not to include or rather lead with describing a bit about my home life. Long story short I had a single mother raise me, she became an abusive alcoholic, got DUI's repeatedly including a major car crash in which I destroyed my scapula (fine now though), has been in and out of prison twice as a result, and now can't really find a job to pay all the bills, and all in all was a really strained way of growing up. There's clearly a lot more to all of this and it's also not without bright points so try not to perceive it as such but I won't bore with details.

The thing is that from this whole experience didn't lead me so much to medicine itself but rather led me to being an empathetic person and deciding that I wanted to ultimately spend my professional life in some way contributing to the world and improving people's lives in some way shape or form. Take that spark and combine it with a love of science and the fact that as a child I always loved going to the doctors and I got stuck on medicine.

I'm playing around with the idea and I'm not sure to use this or not mainly because I don't want a sappy "here's another sob story" PS but it really is a series of events that shaped and defined me and continues to do so to this day very significantly (it's not like going to college makes this go away and having an 8 year old brother to think about doesn't help). It wasn't as though at one point in particular made me want to go into medicine but it certainly contributed to the drive.

I was just wondering if I could get some thoughts on whether I should just go in a completely different direction or tone it down, whatever. Thanks guys and again I'm sorry since this topic is overdone but I felt this is pretty case by case.

Edit: I forgot to mention that this would really only be the intro not even the entirety of the paper. Simply a means for describing myself and how I initially got placed on the track for pursuing medicine.

 

[Ohyeah]

I don't think that's a bad way to start at all. Just don't get too detailed with it (it should showcase your development rather than, like you said, a sappy story that invites pity). Stick with the general idea of early development of empathy and a frustration with all of the pain you witnessed that drives you to improve the lives of others. Like you, my family background led me to develop this empathy before I even knew enough science to understand what medicine is about.

Afterward you can move on to other events (sciences, extracurriculars, shadowing/volunteering, research, etc.) that show that medicine in particular is the best fit for how you hope to impact others. Avoid the simple "science-helping" combination... all health professions do this (nurses, dentists, optometrists, physical therapists, etc.). Rather, your PS should drive home the point that your background and experiences lead you specifically to pursue a medical degree.

 

[pathologyDO]

My path to medicine has been somewhat similar to yours. The fact that you have a unique reason for approaching a medical career is a positive thing and will set you apart from other more bland stories of "i like science," or "I want to be rich." But, a good thing can become a bad thing if represented in the wrong way. Let them know what happened but in a brief overview, and HIGHLIGHT the good things that have come from your experiences rather than make it a pity story.

Remember, in the end they are choosing applicants that they will want to see everyday on campus and someone who patients will be able to connect with. Use your story in a way that represents yourself as a positive, enjoyable person, that was shaped by some unfortunate experiences but importantly you were able to overcome those adversities in your life and make something good of it. Hope that helps.