Psychiatry personal statement

[kassy]

I'm not too sure how my personal statement would seem to a Psychiatrist.
Would a psychiatry person be willing to take a look please?

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[gutonc]

I'm not too sure how my personal statement would seem to a Psychiatrist.
Would a psychiatry person be willing to take a look please?

Do you not have an adviser/dean/clerkship director/etc at your school to go over this with you? If not, you should. Not that having someone else read your PS is a bad idea, just that somebody who knows you should read it too.

 

[kassy]

Unfortunately, not really.

There was a (fmed) doc at the school that did volunteer to read students' statements, so it did help to have him read and tell me to write more about myself. Then a friend (ob-gyn) helped me more with the flow of the essay, but she felt that she couldn't really address content. When I referred to things like "dual-diagnoses" we weren't certain if that was a common psych word or something that I needed to explain out.
So I'm just hoping for a psych perspective if possible that would help with a or a .

 

[gutonc]

Unfortunately, not really.

There was a (fmed) doc at the school that did volunteer to read students' statements, so it did help to have him read and tell me to write more about myself. Then a friend (ob-gyn) helped me more with the flow of the essay, but she felt that she couldn't really address content. When I referred to things like "dual-diagnoses" we weren't certain if that was a common psych word or something that I needed to explain out.
So I'm just hoping for a psych perspective if possible that would help with a or a .

Why don't you have some sort of an adviser or dean? I'm struggling to understand that. Unless you're an IMG of course, then you can write whatever you want and it won't make much difference.

Have you not done a Psych clerkship? Ask one of your attendings or the clerkship director to read it. Seriously. That's part of the job of a faculty member at a teaching institution.

 

[kassy]

My assigned adviser is a IM doc and is the kind that needs 2 months notice for things.
My Psych clerkship attending is old school, doesn't use computers, and is 4 states away.
My clerkship site actually "disappeared" and is no longer with my school due to med school wars. So really, at this time I feel like an IMG even though I'm not. I've gotten my LORs from my audition rotations, but I'm not sure how appropriate it would be to send those attendings my P.S. as they'll be the ones reading them when I apply to their program?

 

[handwriting]

Unless you're an IMG of course, then you can write whatever you want and it won't make much difference.

Can you explain that a bit more? Why would being an IMG make the personal statement useless?

 

[smq123]

Moving to the psychiatry forum.

 

[notdeadyet]

My Psych clerkship attending is old school, doesn't use computers, and is 4 states away.
My clerkship site actually "disappeared" and is no longer with my school due to med school wars. So really, at this time I feel like an IMG even though I'm not.

I take it from this that you're a DO-to-be? Mention that and you might get some traction from the several osteopaths on this forum who've had similar headaches and would be willing to read your personal statement for you.

Just my $0.02? Be authentic. It's the one quality everyone wants to read in a personal statement and the one thing that 90% of applicants kill by taking what could be a good opportunity to just present yourself honestly and instead turn in an overwrought, jargon-filled, "no $hit, there I was" comp lit exercise that ultimately just conveys how good a writer you are (or more likely, think you are).

Just speak clearly and honestly from the heart about who you are, what lead you to where you are, and why you want to be a psychiatrist. Do that and you're golden. Anything else is gilding the lily and almost everyone prefers gazing and a pretty lily than a bunch of gild.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Reposting my general Personal Statement advice--
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5373207&postcount=7

 

[deleted452516]

at this time I feel like an IMG even though I'm not

I feel the same way: my school doesn't have a psychiatry advisor or deans and I'm pretty much on my own.

I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but I'd be down for a "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" type deal- and I mean personal statements.

But I appreciate your desire for some sort of expert opinion, which OPD has done a wonderful job of providing already.

 

[peppy]

I'm a DO and a senior psych resident. While I don't think of myself as an expert on residency selection, if you think getting another opinion on it will be helpful, you can PM your statement to me and I'll tell you what my reaction to it is.

 

[splik]

Can you explain that a bit more? Why would being an IMG make the personal statement useless?

I cannot speak for other specialties but for psychiatry the personal statement is MORE important for IMGs not less. Now, regardless of specialty, a PS will not gain you and interview, but it can cause you to NOT get an interview. The reason why it is more important for IMGs is (a) it is the only evidence of written communication in English that programs have and (b) it is the (usually) the only evidence of commitment/interest in psychiatry that programs have, so you can prove you are not applying because you're too **** to do anything else.

It doesn't have to be amazing, lyrical, inspiring, but it must be grammatical, with proper spelling, logical, coherent, and explain 'why' you are interested in pursuing a career in psychiatry.

It is better to be boring that to be 'adventurous' or 'experimental' in your writing.