Should I omit this from my personal statement?

[Dmpg5746]

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I will start writing my personal statement soon to apply for medical school in the summer, but I am really having some trouble trying to determine what I should include. I initially decided to pursue medical school over a clinical psychology program because I believed that being a doctor would provide me with more job security over being a clinical psychologist. I was a freshman in college when I decided this so I had not yet shadowed any doctors at that point and had not done any clinical volunteer work. As I kept taking more biology classes through college though, I realized I really do enjoy learning biology. I also kept studying psychology since I really do enjoy it and realized how essential biology was for me to really understand physiological processes occurring in the brain (which does not get taught so much in psychology courses). I now know I want to pursue medical school after I did some shadowing and volunteer work. My question is, should I include in my personal statement how I first decided to pursue medicine? I feel that I should because I want to be as honest as possible about how I ended up on this path, but I am also afraid admissions committees will see that as a negative thing.

I really appreciate any advice on this. Thank you so much in advance!

 

[flyingeagle]

I'm not exactly positive but I think it would be good to mention it, if anything it would show that you are making an informed decision that medicine is for you. I definitely would not use too much space on the clinical psych part, and instead, would focus on your experiences with medicine that have allowed you to realize it is the field for you.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Should you include that your first attraction to medicine was about job security? Obviously not...

 

[Dmpg5746]

Should you include that your first attraction to medicine was about job security? Obviously not...

Thank you for your reply. I realize how that could be a bad thing to mention in the personal statement. From reading other threads, I realize that I need to express my interest in medicine in a positive way based on my experiences.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Haha probably not but maybe there were other factors? Theres many jobs with security, there must have been something that attracted you to medicine that wasn't security related.

 

[candbgirl]

Maybe you could spin it where you were thinking about both options and as you spent time learning and doing ECs you realized your options were far greater with a MD than a PhD.


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[mimelim]

This is your personal statement. NOT a history lesson. We want to know why you are interested in medicine and whether you have any idea what you are talking about (opinion based on experience). Everyone wants financial stability. Every pre-med, "likes Science". Telling us that means next to nothing.

 

[LizzyM]

I'd leave out the job stability part but many adcoms want to know if you have considered other careers. Given your interest in the brain, you have considered clinical psychology but after learning more about the profession of medicine through shadowing and reflection, you feel that medicine provides more __ (don't say job security).

 

[Dmpg5746]

I'm not exactly positive but I think it would be good to mention it, if anything it would show that you are making an informed decision that medicine is for you. I definitely would not use too much space on the clinical psych part, and instead, would focus on your experiences with medicine that have allowed you to realize it is the field for you.

Thank you for your response. I'm not sure yet if I will mention the interest I had in clinical psychology, but I will definitely mention my clinical experiences.

 

[Dmpg5746]

Haha probably not but maybe there were other factors? Theres many jobs with security, there must have been something that attracted you to medicine that wasn't security related.

You are correct. That is definitely not the main thing that has kept me interested in the medical field. I will focus on the other factors that really attracted me to pursue a career in medicine. Thank you for your response!

 

[Dmpg5746]

This is your personal statement. NOT a history lesson. We want to know why you are interested in medicine and whether you have any idea what you are talking about (opinion based on experience). Everyone wants financial stability. Every pre-med, "likes Science". Telling us that means next to nothing.

Thank you very much for your comment. I just wasn't really sure where to start at exactly when trying to explain my interest in medicine. I didn't want to leave out some things and feel like I was being dishonest.

 

[Dmpg5746]

I'd leave out the job stability part but many adcoms want to know if you have considered other careers. Given your interest in the brain, you have considered clinical psychology but after learning more about the profession of medicine through shadowing and reflection, you feel that medicine provides more __ (don't say job security).

Thank you very much for your reply. Do you suggest that I include my prior interest in clinical psychology in my personal statement then? Or is that something that I could talk about maybe during an interview if it's a question I get asked?

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

I'd leave out the job stability part but many adcoms want to know if you have considered other careers. Given your interest in the brain, you have considered clinical psychology but after learning more about the profession of medicine through shadowing and reflection, you feel that medicine provides more __ (don't say job security).

Is it a good or bad thing that I've compared medicine to other careers that I have considered but still want to go the medicine route?

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you very much for your reply. Do you suggest that I include my prior interest in clinical psychology in my personal statement then? Or is that something that I could talk about maybe during an interview if it's a question I get asked?

If it works in your personal statement, go ahead. It can be an interview question (if not medicine, what alternative would you consider?), and your response would be a thoughtful one.

Is it a good or bad thing that I've compared medicine to other careers that I have considered but still want to go the medicine route?

Yes, that is very reasonable.

 

[DingoPingo]

I've only wanted to be two things in life: either a doctor, or an owner of a mobile toy store that gives out free toys to children on holidays. Unfortunately, only one of these options is financially sustainable.

^ What I wish I could write in my personal statement

 

[Moko]

I've only wanted to be two things in life: either a doctor, or an owner of a mobile toy store that gives out free toys to children on holidays. Unfortunately, only one of these options is financially sustainable.

You could eventually do both 😉

 

[DingoPingo]

You could eventually do both 😉

Yup. Why do you want to become a doctor? So that one day I can own a toy store.

 

[Dmpg5746]

If it works in your personal statement, go ahead. It can be an interview question (if not medicine, what alternative would you consider?), and your response would be a thoughtful one.

May I ask, why do adcoms ask the alternative career question? I've always been a little confused about how your answer to that question is evaluated by adcoms.

 

[caffeinemia]

Nobody wants to be anyone else's alternative or fall back. Avoid answering questions about "why medicine" as a comparative... it's better than... or less xyz than...

It's not that we're better than psychology, it's because we're the only way you'll gain a complete understanding of the human brain... irrespective of pscyhology etc etc.... All in how you frame it 😉.