Rewriting PS: need direction!

[mayson4]

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Hello:
I am in the process of rewriting my PS from last year. I have no idea how to start and what to write. Nothing actually change other than mcat score improved. Interms of clinic experience or shadowing ....nothing new. I have already explained my desire to be a physican in last year's PS.

For those who redo the whole essay...what is your new theme?

Please direct me!

thanks,

 

[gman33]

Focus on the improvements you made and how this extra year has reinforced your desire to become a physician. Find a couple people you trust to read over your PS. You may think your PS from last year was good, but since you didn't get in, it may be possible that it was holding you back.

 

[thoffen]

I'd say you should tell a story of your personality and dedication if at all possible. For non-trads, this is a huge opportunity to stick out from the "I've always wanted to be a doctor/I volunteered here and did this/look at me I was in high school band" mold. Start with something interesting, and tell the story of your unique journey into medicine. Then, supplement this with significant examples from your medical experience. If you have a serious deficiency somewhere, take the room to explain it after you've clearly explained your motivation.

 

[mayson4]

thanks a lot for the feedback.

 

[Tekar]

What makes you revisit your PS completely? Was that a stated weakness by ADCOMS?

 

[riceman04]

Focus on the improvements you made and how this extra year has reinforced your desire to become a physician. Find a couple people you trust to read over your PS. You may think your PS from last year was good, but since you didn't get in, it may be possible that it was holding you back.

yeah seriously....don't just trust anyone to read your essay on these threads. I trusted some chick from Boston to read an incomplete draft of my essay and I am quite sure she had no intention of helping. She probably wanted to steal some ideas for applying this coming cycle.

Good luck with that! I second everything gman said

 

[sunny1]

yeah seriously....don't just trust anyone to read your essay on these threads. I trusted some chick from Boston to read an incomplete draft of my essay and I am quite sure she had no intention of helping. She probably wanted to steal some ideas for applying this coming cycle.

Agreed, this is why I would recommend only having current medical students or people who have already been accepted this cycle read your PS if you are looking for people from SDN to read it and provide feedback.

 

[mayson4]

No Tekar.. It is not. I thought I had an excellent PS. However, I am retaking the mcat and some said, redoing my PS will show the admis. that " I am not lazy" and that I have improved since then...

regarding another pair of eyes to look at my PS, how about going to professional ppl i.e. online professinoal profreading. Someone try it b/4?

 

[thoffen]

Your best bed is probably advice from people who see many personal statements. It's hard to judge unless you have a good baseline.

 

[nu2004]

although i know it's very "personal," if you PM me your personal statement, i could make specific suggestions.

apart from that, there's a lot of good info out there in the world about how to write a personal statement. if you are re-applying, i would certainly consider investing in one of those books of "personal statements from top applicants." some even include the GPA and MCAT scores of applicants and to which schools they were accepted.

regarding another pair of eyes to look at my PS, how about going to professional ppl i.e. online professinoal profreading. Someone try it b/4?

isn't there anyone in your life who you trust to help you with proofreading? i understand that it's hard to get help formulating a story, but proofreading? remember that online services can only help you with the nuts and bolts of grammar and punctuation; they can't help you sell yourself. if they claim that they can, i would be highly suspicious; first, because they may just be looking to rip someone off, and second (and most important) because you would be submitting someone else's writing to AMCAS, which is a pretty serious offense.