please give me advice!

[psych2b1]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I have my psych app completed but agonizing over my personal statement. I failed my surgery clerkship 3rd year. I did an "excellent" job on the remediation and subsequetly honored in several other rotations. Should I include the surgery thing in my personal statement or not? Is it unnecessarily drawing attention to something negative or is it better to put it in? Any advice would be great. My advisor left my school recently so can't really ask her. Thanks in advance! I really appreciate it.

 

[maranatha]

I have my psych app completed but agonizing over my personal statement. I failed my surgery clerkship 3rd year. I did an "excellent" job on the remediation and subsequetly honored in several other rotations. Should I include the surgery thing in my personal statement or not? Is it unnecessarily drawing attention to something negative or is it better to put it in? Any advice would be great. My advisor left my school recently so can't really ask her. Thanks in advance! I really appreciate it.

I have a friend in a similar situation. He was told NOT to put it in the personal statement and to use the statement to bring out the best points that are not apparent on his CV. Hope that helps!

[BTW, those shelfs really s*%ked, unless you're good at standardized exams....I also scraped the bottom a few times myself 😳 ...no worries!]

 

[psych2b1]

thanks for replying....i really appreciate your advice...does anyone else feel differently?

 

[raspberry swirl]

i would not mention it. i dont think the personal statement is the place for that ... it should be about what you love about your chosen specialty, what you want to do with your future, etc. if the program even cares about a failed surgery rotation (which they may not), they'll ask you during your interview, and you can explain it then.

 

[DrIng]

My personal thoughts are maybe you should refer to it obliquely, along the lines of obstacles you have faced with initial difficulty but you have worked hard to improve and feel that your ability to learn from mistakes etc is a positive. I feel that they will notice it anyway but it's up to you how you reframe the experience... Just my two cents worth.

 

[Analyzethis]

wow-I almost have the same situation-although I passed my surgery rotation and did fine on the shelf-just the other day I was reviewing my comments from that rotation for my deans letter (thank god stuff gets deleted that doesnt sound good!) but my surgery comments were just piss poor! "student argued with attendings, was unprofessional towards his residents. Showed a poor work ethic in the OR and seemed very disinterested in this rotation" and I am like yes..

It could have been something to do with calling my chief resident a b@tch-I dunno-my dean said he will take most of the bad stuff out so nobody should see most of it-but I could have very well failed as well-it kind of sucks that going into psych-that a poor surgery performance would have any bearing because the fact is even surgeons I worked with have no respect for psychiatrists-makin fun of the field etc-so to think we would be able to perform even decently in a field where we are laughed at-makes no sense to havei t count for anything so I would not be TOO worried at all man-honestly dont think it matters in the least-providing all your other stuff isnt consistently on teh failing cusp

 

[c_daye]

wow-I almost have the same situation-although I passed my surgery rotation and did fine on the shelf-just the other day I was reviewing my comments from that rotation for my deans letter (thank god stuff gets deleted that doesnt sound good!) but my surgery comments were just piss poor! "student argued with attendings, was unprofessional towards his residents. Showed a poor work ethic in the OR and seemed very disinterested in this rotation" and I am like yes..

It could have been something to do with calling my chief resident a b@tch-I dunno-my dean said he will take most of the bad stuff out so nobody should see most of it-but I could have very well failed as well-it kind of sucks that going into psych-that a poor surgery performance would have any bearing because the fact is even surgeons I worked with have no respect for psychiatrists-makin fun of the field etc-so to think we would be able to perform even decently in a field where we are laughed at-makes no sense to havei t count for anything so I would not be TOO worried at all man-honestly dont think it matters in the least-providing all your other stuff isnt consistently on teh failing cusp

Now, I wasn't in love with my surgery rotation, but at the same time there is really no excuse to be "unprofessional towards residents" and "show a poor work-ethic", or "seem disinterested".

I don't mean this as an attack, but I really hope we don't match at the same program. You don't seem like the type of colleague I'd like to have for the next several years.

 

[ginnywc]

One of my current attendings, while reading personal statements, keep saying, "Nah, not family problem, he probably has a major depressive episode." Let your personal statement helps you, not to hurt you. My thoughts are, if your transcript, ERAS application already will point out the surgery course, and if that's the only ONE and ONLY ONE "not as successful attempt," let the interviewers ask you during interview. Using your personal statement to address one episode of life will make ppl wonder.... I would also suggest that if you really feel compulsive to mention it... always mention what you learned, but not how/why/what happened leading to the "failure."

Best of luck...

 

[fan of mencia]

One of my current attendings, while reading personal statements, keep saying, "Nah, not family problem, he probably has a major depressive episode." Let your personal statement helps you, not to hurt you. My thoughts are, if your transcript, ERAS application already will point out the surgery course, and if that's the only ONE and ONLY ONE "not as successful attempt," let the interviewers ask you during interview. Using your personal statement to address one episode of life will make ppl wonder.... I would also suggest that if you really feel compulsive to mention it... always mention what you learned, but not how/why/what happened leading to the "failure."

Best of luck...

Not bad advice....