Question about personal statement

[obgyny]

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I've heard some different advice about what to write about in your PS. Some people advise not rehashing your ECs-- write about something else. Others suggest you must "show, not tell" why you would make a good doctor or how you've explored this career. However, I'm not sure how I would "show, not tell" how I've explored the career of medicine without mentioning my ECs.

My plan was to start off with how I chose medicine (non-EC related), then mention a few key experiences that confirmed my decision to go into medicine (these would be key experiences from ECs). This would include a clinical experience, a research experience, and maybe one more thing. Obviously it would be boring to list ALL your ECs.

Any advice? THanks!

 

[TexasHopeful]

What I've been told:

Bad = Describing an EC in your PS
Good = Describing what you got out of an EC, and how this influenced you in one way or another.

 

[obgyny]

What I've been told:

Bad = Describing an EC in your PS
Good = Describing what you got out of an EC, and how this influenced you in one way or another.

Yeah, that's what I mean by using EC's in your personal statement. But some people advise not mentioning your EC's at all... as in use that space to talk about something else.

 

[AH3]

What I've been told:

Bad = Describing an EC in your PS
Good = Describing what you got out of an EC, and how this influenced you in one way or another.

I think that's pretty accurate. I'm still editing my PS, but I did the following things:

1) Opened with a story of an experience I had shadowing
2) Told how I came to be interested in medicine and what interested me
3) Explained a couple ECs (very little of the paragraph) and specific details that impacted me (most of the paragraph)

I think you have to briefly describe an EC to provide context. Like I said, I'm still editing mine and am by no means an expert in PS writing. These are just some things I gathered from research and my own writing.

 

[jpatel]

I am not great at writing or anything but I think I somewhat know what they mean.

For example when you write a story on how you helped a blind man cross the road when nobody bothered, u show ur kind and compassionate. its better than just writing your kind and compassionate.

And when u list ur research experience, dont just list what u did. tell them how in the first day u had no idea and made lots of mistakes. But u persevered and now love it. How researching about some specific thing gave u goose bumps and allowed u 2 use critical thinking skills. U accompish 2 things by doing this. not only do u tell ad commite about ur research but u also show them how ur hardworking, not ashamed to admit mistakes, can manage stress, possess critical thinking skills and love science.

Anyways u shouldn't trust me cuz i had M on writing lol. GL