Question about PS...

[Femtochemistry]

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hey,

I will be submitting my AMCAS this week and i have one question: do you have to write about one topic? For example, if i would write about my research job, should i only talk about that or can i add stuff like other jobs i had, undergrad gpa's, etc.


thanks

 

[Allygator89]

I opened with the job I was holding (Finance) and talked about some of my motivations of the career change. Then I moved onto discussing briefly where I had worked, the places I traveled, and some of the things I learned. I wrapped it up with a few lines about interests, and how I would never change my path to becoming a physician.

You can talk about whatever you want. Just make sure it comes across as who you are, and that medicine isn't just for the money. (it shouldn't be. if it is, you are looking in the wrong place). Don't get to brief on everything. Just talk about a few things well.....

 

[Femtochemistry]

thx


anybody else?
😎

 

[koma]

Originally posted by Femtochemistry
hey,

I will be submitting my AMCAS this week and i have one question: do you have to write about one topic? For example, if i would write about my research job, should i only talk about that or can i add stuff like other jobs i had, undergrad gpa's, etc.


thanks

First, I think - you should have a thesis or structure statement - and build from there. That will let you know which experiences to include and in what detail. Don't talk about undergrad gpa unless it's directly relevant to your statement.

For ex., if your thesis is

"Being involved in a lot of research developed in me qualities that will make me a good doctor." - you should talk about research, your qualities and qualities of a good doctor. You can open up with some interesting incident from research that portrays your qualities and go from there. You should also include reasons why you're going into medicine and not research.

 

[efex101]

Make sure that it does not read like a resume though, talk about maybe one or two important things that really shaped you...this told to me by various adcoms..

 

[Cydney Foote]

Hi Femtochemistry,

Your personal statement is your first and best chance to reveal your personality to the admissions committee. The AAMC says, "Medical schools review candidates qualifications in four areas: personal qualifications, academic qualifications, communication skills, and motivation . . . Integrity and responsibility assume major importance . . . Medical schools also look for evidence of other traits such as leadership, social maturity, purpose, motivation, initiative, curiosity, common sense, perseverance, and breadth of interests.? The topics are generally less important than what you reveal about these areas through the topic.

Like efex101 said, don't recap your resume. So many applicants write a laundry list of their accomplishments, basically reiterating what they've listed as post-secondary experiences. A better approach is to write a human interest story, taking an in-depth look at just one or two of these experiences and showing how you felt about the experience, how it impacted you, and how you grew as a result. You might want to look at some of these sample essays to see what they did.

The key to a great essay is attracting the admission committee's attention with a great theme that unifies the entire essay and specific, illustrative examples that demonstrate the qualities that they're after. That, and of course, revising, revising, revising -- it's not an easy task, but it's definitely worth the investment of your time.

I hope this helps you get started. Good luck!