Should I put this in my personal statement?

[Clair de Lune]

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One of the main reasons I want to do path, besides the fact that I 😍 pathology in general, is that my goal is to one day teach pathology in an academic setting. Should I include this in my personal statement? Or do they mainly want to hear about how I like the science of pathology, the diagnostic role of a pathologist, etc.?

So will it hurt me if a good chunk of my personal statement focuses on my desire to teach in the future? Any advice is greatly appreciated--I know you guys won't disappoint me!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Mentioning teaching should be fine, especially if you're headed towards academia.

Oh BTW, on your personal statement, don't yammer on and on about the clinical & scientific issues in pathology, what kind of work a pathologist does, etc. Such generalities make the personal statement very dry. And plus, the reader is well aware what the issues are and the day-to-day work that a pathologist gets done.

Instead, make it personal. Talk about your experiences. Your interests. Your ambitions. Have you done research? If so, talk a little bit about that. Have you done pathology electives, and how many? Perhaps talk about your experiences there. Talk about when you first became interested in pathology (of course, don't say, "I hate clinical medicine, therefore I entertained the possibility for settling into pathology.") Anyways, you can relate your personal experiences to the generalities mentioned above but do so somewhat briefly (remember, the PS should only be a page in length) and only in the spirit of ultimately saying, "hence, pathologist is the best fit for me" or whatever.

If you're interested in academic pathology, there are at least 3 main aspects you might want to focus on (as they apply to you): diagnostics, investigation, and education.

 

[nerfherder]

At my school we received some emails and packets with tips for writing a personal statement. I am also currently in the process of writing this thing , but this is what I heard.
It should be 4-5 paragraphs. First paragraph could be why you decided to be an MD. Second - when you decided to be a pathologist. Third- your unique characteristics that make you a good pathologist. Fourth- what kind of program are you looking and what you want to do with your life! (good place to put in the teaching thing) Fifth- Summary.
I also read somewhere else that they like to see that you have goals beyond residency, that you have plans to do something with your training. But noone is going to hold you to those plans if you change your mind.

 

[yaah]

Yeah that's a good suggestion - one thing that a lot of people neglect from personal statements is "what kind of program I want." They can often tell from your references and your academic record what kind of resident you are likely to be, but telling them what you are looking for is often informative. Some people also recommend, by the way, to add into your PS whether you are planning on AP/CP or just one of them, and what your goals for your career are at this point (obviously not definitive plans, in general).

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Yeah that's a good suggestion - one thing that a lot of people neglect from personal statements is "what kind of program I want." They can often tell from your references and your academic record what kind of resident you are likely to be, but telling them what you are looking for is often informative. Some people also recommend, by the way, to add into your PS whether you are planning on AP/CP or just one of them, and what your goals for your career are at this point (obviously not definitive plans, in general).

Agreed. How general or specific you make the "what kind of program I want" section is a tricky issue though. I would say that it's safe to say something rather general indicating how specimen # and variety might be important. Or let's say you want to be a blood banker or forensic pathologist, you might want to state that your ideal program will provide strong training in these fields. Whatever the case may be, this paragraph will end up meshing nicely with your statements regarding your specific career goals.

As for indicating AP/CP vs. AP only vs. CP only, some programs will ask you to specify on your ERAS application. Others will not. In fact, my impression from the application process was that most programs assume you're AP/CP unless you state otherwise or they have a strong suspicion that you're academically geared (i.e., MD/PhD in many cases). In the end, if they're not sure, they will ask you what you plan to do when you schedule your interview. Hence, I don't see it as a big deal to indicate one way or another in your personal statement. Include it if you want though.

It was interesting...I didn't come right out and say AP only on my personal statement but many programs assumed that I would be AP only from everything else I said in my essay. One program coordinator did ask if I was AP/CP or AP only though. I told her AP/CP and she seemed puzzled. After a short pause, I said, "Just kidding. AP only or me."

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

One of the main reasons I want to do path, besides the fact that I 😍 pathology in general, is that my goal is to one day teach pathology in an academic setting. Should I include this in my personal statement? Or do they mainly want to hear about how I like the science of pathology, the diagnostic role of a pathologist, etc.?

So will it hurt me if a good chunk of my personal statement focuses on my desire to teach in the future? Any advice is greatly appreciated--I know you guys won't disappoint me!

I think it's a good idea--I also included the fact that I see myself teaching pathology to others one day--I think it would only enhance your personal statement.

I wanted the least amount of B.S. in my statement (mostly because I read a prospective surgery student's statement, as was amazed at the amount of fluff), so it is completely based on past work experience, my future plans, and what type of program I'm looking for.

Good luck to everyone! 😉

 

[deschutes]

Definitely mention teaching if that's what you're interested in doing - and any (pathology) teaching experience if you have it.

I read a prospective surgery student's statement, as was amazed at the amount of fluff

I remember thinking that.

Mine was a page. PM me and I'll send it to any of you if you want. I found it helpful to read samples for ideas.

My only disclaimer is that it isn't representative of any tier of applicant. It's just, mine.