religion/faith emphasis in personal statement

[treetrunk]

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[SaltySqueegee]

In my opinion, a personal statement, is exactly a personal statement.

A statement of what defines you to be you.

If religion has made you who you are today, and plays a large and/or significant part of your application, then by all means include it. Otherwise, you would be ignoring who you consider to be you.

If you don't get an interview, or are rejected somewhere along the app process, it is probably a reflection on your app as a whole, and definitely not because of your religious/spiritual affiliations.

I personally included the whole Religion thing in my Secondary essays. Not because it was less important, but because it didn't fit well with the flow of my Personal Statement theme.

Best Regards,

-Salty 👍

 

[sweatybrain]

Hey--

I'm not sure whether this answers your question, but I talked about teaching yoga in ~1/2 of my PS. (I have a PhD and intentionally try to underemphasize research.) I was actually advised by a former ad com person that I came across as too "touchy-feely." But since 14 out of 15 people who read my PS gave me positive review and teaching is such a large part of who I am, I decided to go with the yoga bit anyway. (Disclaimer: I didn't talk about yoga in the religious sense. Instead, I talked about yoga in the context that it helps cultivated my "soft" skills: empathy, communication, and dedication.)

I was also a buddhist monk and decided to put that in my post secondary experience section. However, i did cover all my bases. I essentially said that I studied christianity in HS--this should be obvious since I went to a christian school--and studied yoga philsophy in college. Studying buddhism not only informed my personal ethics, but also exposed me to a different culture and a different belief.

Here's hoping THAT wasn't too controversial.

😳

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Hey--

I'm not sure whether this answers your question, but I talked about teaching yoga in ~1/2 of my PS. (I have a PhD and intentionally try to underemphasize research.) I was actually advised by a former ad com person that I came across as too "touchy-feely." But since 14 out of 15 people who read my PS gave me positive review and teaching is such a large part of who I am, I decided to go with the yoga bit anyway. (Disclaimer: I didn't talk about yoga in the religious sense. Instead, I talked about yoga in the context that it helps cultivateed my "soft" skills: empathy, communication, and dedication.)

I was also a buddhist monk and decided to put that in my post secondary experience section. However, i did cover all my bases. I essentially said that I studied christianity in HS--this should be obvious since I went to a private christian school--and studied yoga philsophy in college. Studying buddhism not only inform my personal ethics, but also expose me to a different culture and a different belief.

Here's hoping THAT wasn't too controversial.

😳

Well put. Religion in the sense of broadening and increasing personal growth is a good way to put it. 👍

 

[jackiechan]

I think it's totally fine to talk about your faith and how it ties into your desire to go into medicine. I wrote about how service at church helped me figure out what kind of doctor I wanted to be and how I wanted to model my practice after Jesus who was called the Great Physician. Some people told me not to do that but it turned out pretty good...a lot of interviewers asked about it so it'll give you an opportunity to share what you are passionate about.

 

[treetrunk]

thanks guys- I'm not gonna let those adcoms and what they might think about my personal statement change how I would like to present myself.

-treetrunk

 

[Sweet Tea]

Hey--

I'm not sure whether this answers your question, but I talked about teaching yoga in ~1/2 of my PS. (I have a PhD and intentionally try to underemphasize research.) I was actually advised by a former ad com person that I came across as too "touchy-feely." But since 14 out of 15 people who read my PS gave me positive review and teaching is such a large part of who I am, I decided to go with the yoga bit anyway. (Disclaimer: I didn't talk about yoga in the religious sense. Instead, I talked about yoga in the context that it helps cultivated my "soft" skills: empathy, communication, and dedication.)

I was also a buddhist monk and decided to put that in my post secondary experience section. However, i did cover all my bases. I essentially said that I studied christianity in HS--this should be obvious since I went to a christian school--and studied yoga philsophy in college. Studying buddhism not only inform my personal ethics, but also expose me to a different culture and a different belief.

Here's hoping THAT wasn't too controversial.

😳

Very well put. 👍

 

[kenshinoro2004]

I talked alot in my PS and in some essays (i.e. what is the belief that guides your life?)... no problem... if its real, trust that God will work on the admissions committee's hearts...

I'm a Christian...and I know my God is bigger than any admissions committee. They should know what they gettin 🙂

 

[Psycho Doctor]

well said...great point!

when truth is on the line, silence is not a virtue...

 

[KBSO]

I agree with the others. If you're faith is a large part of who you are say it, don't make a "holier than thou," or prostelyzting thing but be true to yourself. As a believer is Jesus Christ, I think you gotta speake your mind. Doctors have to take a stance and not back down at times. During my interview, I thought it was horrible, because the ethical questions were aimmed at my faith. So I thought, screw it, I'm not getting in this place, so I'll say what i really want to say. Didn't think I'd ever end up in that place. But, here I am.

Good luck

 

[kaikai128]

I agree, that if it is who you are...that there should be no problem with including it. However, if i were you, I would be thoroughly ready to answer questions about it. Religion is one of those things not usually (or shouldn't be) brought up in interviews...but if it is you opening up the conversation with it by putting it in your PS...then you must be willing to answer questions about it (which i am sure will be no problem since it is such a big part of your life...but some ppl don't think aobut that sort of thing).

 

[Premedtomed]

If I were adcom then i wouldn't mind reading it as long as you aren't an evangelical Christian (How I wish I could be an adcom one day )

 

[Psycho Doctor]

And what's the matter if you *are* an evangelical Christian?

 

[akalaka]

in my personal statement last year, i definitely wrote about how my faith was important to my decision to become a physician. At the end, I even quoted a verse from Phillippians. But when I went to my interviews, some of the interviewers were kind of iffy about my faith and my pursuit of medicine. Some of them were open to it. some of them were afraid that I was going to do something extreme and like proselytize to every patient of mine. They sometimes inquired what i would do if my patient was another religion and stuff.

Now that i'm on a lot of waitlists (i got accepted only to one school and got waitlisted on like 7), i asked my pre-med advisor what might have gone wrong. She said that if i had to re-apply all over again, I should remove all the religious content in my personal statement. i thought she was being unfair. But perhaps she's right. you can judge for yourself. I got a 37 on my MCAT, graduated with a 3.83 GPA and a joint bachelor's/master's degree in biochemistry. if i were to reapply, i think i would try avoiding using bold statements about my faith. but still i would imply a lot of things about my faith, that's all.

 

[Premedtomed]

And what's the matter if you *are* an evangelical Christian?

You'd know If you weren't a Christian living among Christians!

 

[ad_sharp]

I agree with the above posters. My father is a minister in the United Methodist Church. A large part of my desire to study medicine came from visiting sick people at the hospital with my dad. I saw the tremendous positive impact he had on the lives of these people. I desired to do the same, but in a physical way rather than a spiritual one. I am by no means as spiritually "gifted" as my father, but I was gifted in other ways that lend themselves to he study of medicine. The PS is:
1) who you are
2) why medicine is the best field for you

Your goal is to tell why the role of physician fits. If that includes religion, then so be it.

 

[Premedtomed]

I have respect for people like ad_sharp just to make sure what I was talking about

 

[smc927]

If you religion is a significant part of who you are, and has had a significant influence on why you want a career in medicine there is no need to be scared of it. If you walk into an interview, hand the interviewer Bible and tell him you expect to see him accept God at your next baptismal service you might have a problem. But I imagine you are mature, experienced, and professional enough to let it be part of who you are while properly showing the other aspects of your personality and background as well.

Good luck!

 

[Severus]

This is a touchy subject. I think it would probably be safest to include it if you did something with it, and it sort of came up either in an EC capacity or something like that. Things like a mission trip, building a hospital in a third world country, teaching... that sort of thing, would provide a good introduction into a religious experience and one's desire to practice medicine.

Personally, I think I'm going to leave religion out of it, unless, of course, they ask what I've been doing with my year off; in which case, I'll tell them I've been studying to be a wiccan high priestess (1st degree). There's a bit of diversity for 'em.

Anyway, off to baking more cookies.

Sev

 

[velo]

Hey all,

This is kinda related to the LOR thread. What do you guys think about discussing religion/faith and its impact on you and your decision to practice medicine in the personal statement? Some people say its better to play it safe but since faith is a large part of who I am, I want to be honest and show them this. If they don't like it, then perhaps I wasn't meant to go to their school anyway. As a follow up, would you handle this situation differently if you were christian, jewish, muslim, or anything else? Thanks for the input.

-treetrunk

hmm..yeah that's pretty interesting. I would think you would want to be very careful about how you use religion in your PS...there are few topics in this world that can alienate someone faster than religion or politics 🙂 . If faith is a big part of who you are...that's great, but i don't think that's reason enough to include it in your PS. I think a good PS shows the adcom how you came to decide medicine was right for you, and why you think you are suited for a career in medicine. If religion was a big part of THAT...well then ok you might want to include it, but please be careful. The committee members personal biases/beliefs (with respect to things like religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation) aren't supposed to affect their desicion...but they're only human. Lets say, for example, you are sitting on an adcom one day and someone's PS says that a major part of their personal development was their realization that there was no God...wouldn't that at least give you pause?

I guess i'm just saying, religion is a touchy touchy subject, only include it if it really makes sense contextually in your PS...don't include it just because you're a religious person and you feel like you should throw it in just because

 

[Severus]

right on velocypedalist... wise words to live by there. 👍

Sev

 

[Emeri Onwunwa]

Hey all,

This is kinda related to the LOR thread. What do you guys think about discussing religion/faith and its impact on you and your decision to practice medicine in the personal statement? Some people say its better to play it safe but since faith is a large part of who I am, I want to be honest and show them this. If they don't like it, then perhaps I wasn't meant to go to their school anyway. As a follow up, would you handle this situation differently if you were christian, jewish, muslim, or anything else? Thanks for the input.

-treetrunk

You know what? I got so much crap for being a URM at my undergrad institution (verbally, and otherwise), and it so negatively impacted my emotional state of being that I absolutely couldn't ignore it. When I eventually came to terms with accepting myself as I was, I realized that the medical institution I would eventually attend would have to as well. A lot of people are quick to deny my experiences and what I went through, but it is as much apart of who I am as my being born in the United States. My standpoint was: if they can't accept my experiences and the impact they have had on me, then I do NOT need to be attending their school. In addition to writing about this in my AMCAS essay, I also wrote about how I came to faith as an undergrad, and how the Lord guided me and allowed me to grow as a person. I [/I]knew the implications of writing about my faith so poignantly in an essay that every institution I applied to was going to see. I knew that I did not want to water down or tailor my background, my religion, or my experiences so that a school would accept me. If your faith is an important component of your life, as it appears to be, then by all means, include it. That's just my opinion.

 

[georgebush43]

And what's the matter if you *are* an evangelical Christian?

i do need someone to represent my favorite COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVE----Jerry Falwell.

hmm, Ariel Sharon is still offering sexual favors if there are any takers.

LATERS< BOYS AND GIRLS

 

[georgebush43]

my faith is a HUGE part of my motivation to practice medicine. In my PS, I just discussed how my desire to serve others has come from my faith. I don't get into anything about my religious beliefs, or anything else. Really, I don;t see how anyone can disagree with a statement like "my religion has always emphasized the importance of serving others." Of course, I know some people will be biased against religion regardless of the context. But, as others have said, I am not going to let what some adcoms might think change how I represent myself. Its interesting. I wrote a PS that didn't deal much at all with my motivation from my faith and I was not happy with it. It seemed too generic and described very little about me or my motivation. THen, once I rewrote it, I thought it was great. 🙂 I thought that I had finally gotten to the heart of the question- why medicine, why medical research. I am very happy with my PS. Of course, if I;m still waiting for an acceptance a year from now, I will not be too happy. 🙁

Have you considered being Jerry Falwell's prostitute? Apparently, there are some openings

LATERS, HONEY......

 

[akalaka]

So, alaka, what did you write in your PS that may have been too strong? I was pretty confident about my PS until you wrote about your experience. Did you come off as preachy? What specifically were your "bold statements about [your] faith?" 😕

I didn't think that anything in my personal statement was too strong, until I was told to take everything out. I definitely was careful to not come out as sounding preachy. I just talked about how in Philippians, when Paul wrote "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, ..." i said that I think that the practice of medicine fits into what Paul asks us to seek.

but in retrospect, i don't think it was bad cuz i was waitlisted everywhere i applied. so i guess they like my statement, but that there was no room in the class since i applied a little later than most people. i hope this helps!