PS Help

[avpu]

For those out there that have been in the military and have applied to medical school how did you tie in all of your experiences into your PS. Right now I work full time, I am active duty in the USMC, Full time student, And volunteering and shadowing at the local hospital 6 hrs a week. My GPA is good I would love to get it up a little more still I am at 3.65 right now.


But back to the original question how did those with military background tie that in with your PS.



Thank you.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Weoh]

Identify the common threads in your experiences (Marine, non-Marine, etc) that have the greatest impact on your personal development. I remember relating the core values of honor-courage-commitment as a Marine to being a physician. I related how each was important in each role, and how I have been in a constant process of developing these traits. I had some other non-Marine experiences that came into play as well, but they were put together in such a way that they pointed to how they'd play a cooperative role in aiding me as a physician.

Regardless of what you write about, however, make sure that it is about YOU.

Don't get too caught up in writing about your experiences that it becomes a story about the Marines, a deployment to X or whatever-- make sure that at the end of it all, your readers can get a real sense of who YOU are. So yes, write about your experiences-- but I'd suggest picking the most valuable one or two, and going deeply into it and identify YOUR role and/or its impact on YOU.

Feel free to pm me if you'd like more input- or just post here. I'll try to look back every once in awhile.

Good luck! Semper Fi

 

[scottyT]

I've not yet applied but I'm working on my PS right now also. I'm hoping to have a rough draft by the time I take the MCAT in June so that I can use the lag time before score reporting to really finalize and hone it. Here are a few things I've thought to talk about but they have yet to develop into sentences or even complete thoughts.

Leadership/responsibility, discipline, the ability to make tough decisions, teamwork, depending on others and having them depend on you, ability to teach others & convey information (esp. if you're an NCO or higher).

And, of course, it helps to use specifics rather than vagaries. Start thinking of anecdotal evidence for how you epitomize whatever you're talking about and how it contributed to your decision to pursue medicine. But, like the last guy said, don't let it turn into a rambling rumination of your time in the Marines. Save that for steak night at the legion hall.

Semper Fi!

 

[avpu]

Thanks for the input! You brought up a couple of points that I was going to focus on.

1. Being the experience that I had during the Tsunami relief effort in Sumatra. I volunteered to stay out on the Island to help out all of the refugees. We were able to provide basic medical care, food, water, and shelter. Out of all of the experiences that I had during my stent in the Marine Corps I would put that one on the top of my list, based on the fact of how it made me feel after.

2. I didnt want to include to much information relating to the Marine Corps, making it seem that is the only thing in life that I have done.

Thanks once agian.

 

[Weoh]

It sounds like you have a really good starting point.

2. I didnt want to include to much information relating to the Marine Corps, making it seem that is the only thing in life that I have done.

Thanks once agian.

With regard to your point above though, don't go too far in thinking that your experiences as a Marine aren't valuable (and I don't think that's what you're saying; I just want to point it out)-- even if it is the only thing that you've done since HS or college. It's an experience that most applicants don't/won't ever have, and it gives you a different perspective on working with others (peers and patients). Keep in mind that this is invaluable. Any additional experience (even if it's just one) is more valuable that only having had your nose to the grind in the sciences.

That's the long winded way of saying that "don't include too much USMC info," but definitely indicate that you have a leg up on much of the competition when it comes to leadership qualities, teamwork, etc.

Semper Fi

 

[phrygian]

Prior FMF corpsman here and it sounds like you have a good start with your experience in Sumatra. For example, I linked those kinds of experiences I had to really seeing the medical needs of those less fortunate. Combine that with the maturity and leadership the Corps has taught you and you can build a good skeleton to build your statement on. Like others have said, it is not all you are so make sure that there is substance beyond the USMC. If you ever need additional proofreading help just send me a PM. Good luck!

 

[avpu]

Thanks for all of the support. It amazes me how many times I have re wrote, changed, edited, or simply started over so far.


Thanks once agian

jeffrey