personal statement woes.

[golgotha]

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I need a draft of my personal statement by tomorrow, and I have no idea where to begin. I am staring at the cursor in Word with a couple of ideas, but I don't konw which way to go.

Any help?

 

[Dr JPH]

Here are some tips:

Avoid feel-good stories about how your grandmothers doctor saved her life so now you want to help others, or how when you were 10 you broke your leg you needed surgery and since then youve wanted to be a surgeon.

Dont write about the time you volunteered at a hospital and delivered a patient the morning newspaper and they were so happy that you figured being a doctor would be great.

Those have been done and over done.

Focus on:
1. Why you will be a good doctor. (Job experience is good here.)

2. What sets you apart from others. (Interesting places youve lived and what you experienced there.)

3. Experiences that have shaped who you are today. (Volunteer work for hurricane relief.)

Stay away from mushy stories. No one likes reading those and I hate to say it, they really arent interesting. Its like watching someone vacation photos...its only meaningful if you were actually there.

Go with the simple truth. I will be a great doctor because.... When I was living in (insert poor country here) I saw a healthcare system that needed reform... As a senior manager at IBM my leadership skills developed and...

Good luck.

 

[golgotha]

This is my first paragraph so far:

"Penny." "Penny!" "One, penny!" is the cry one hears on leaving a bakery in west Nairobi. A score of local children swarmed in front of the store waiting for crumbs to fall their way. As we clambered into our air conditioned car, I asked my father, a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy if we could give them some of our fresh bought bread. He replied, "No. If you give them anything, even a penny just one time, they will hound you every day asking for more." As we sped away, I looked through the rear windshield at the crowd of shirtless boys, their brown bellies skinny and ribbed waving and yelling at us. For the first time in my young life, I was staring at true poverty.

 

[Dr JPH]

OK...now that tells a story. It puts you in a place that most people applying to medical school have never been. It gives you a look at a part of human nature that many people have never encountered. Build on it. Still a bit "Artsy" for my personal taste, but I think you are on the right track. Just dont let it get too far gone before pulling it back and talking about yourself.

 

[golgotha]

You are right. It is very artsy. I am hoping using a narrative voice in the first paragraph will pull the readers attention into my story. Because that's how I see the PS: a story of why you will be a good doctor. My fear is that it is too emotional. I can probably keep that paragraph as long as I transition into a different style right away.
So, the trouble right now is transitioning from an anecdote to how that experience would help me be a good physician. I'm working on some ideas. We'll see how they flesh out.

 

[Trevelyan]

I think I would rather have to retake the MCAT than have to write a personal statement again.

 

[daywalker]

I like this thread, as I am thinking of ideas for my PS. Can you tell me how you started yours, what you are writing about, etc. I need some ideas to jog my mind.

 

[golgotha]

Well, there really is no template for this document. You write why you think you will be a good doctor. I am certainly no authority, but in my paper, I am trying to answer some fundamental questions, such as:
You know you want be a doctor. Why? What is inside you that is driving you to trade a decade of your life for a degree in medicine?
What is your background?

 

[Testy McAterson]

This is my first paragraph so far:

“Penny.” “Penny!” “One, penny!” is the cry one hears on leaving a bakery in west Nairobi. A score of local children swarmed in front of the store waiting for crumbs to fall their way. As we clambered into our air conditioned car, I asked my father, a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy if we could give them some of our fresh bought bread. He replied, “No. If you give them anything, even a penny just one time, they will hound you every day asking for more.” As we sped away, I looked through the rear windshield at the crowd of shirtless boys, their brown bellies skinny and ribbed waving and yelling at us. For the first time in my young life, I was staring at true poverty.

i think that's a great start. it got my attention. just make sure you touch on the points they've already brought up and keep it honest/true to who u really are and maybe find a few people to rip it open for u (which can be really frustrating) and u'll get there 👍