Struggling to determine personal statement topic (no exciting event + major change)

[agirlwithdrdreams]

I am starting to think about writing my personal statement. The problem is that I don't know what to write about! From what I've gathered from talking with some of peers / pre-med clubmates as well as from online, and forums like sdn and reddit, many pre-meds use a particular moment in their life that made them sure they wanted to be a MD. That was not the case for me. I have always loved school and have been very interested in stem since middle school. I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to be throughout high school but was thinking of engineering, physical therapy, medicine, biology/chemistry, etc. My parents said I couldn't go into college being undeclared, so I picked chemical engineering because I loved chemistry and thought engineering would be a fun job. I got into college took one chemical engineering class, instantly regretted choosing it, and chose medicine instead. I didn't have a car at that time, so I couldn't really get out and shadow/volunteer (some on campus), but spend hundreds of hours researching what medical school is like, how to apply, and what it is actually like to be a physician. Switched my major to chemistry and biology beginning of my sophomore year (2019-2020). Started getting involved and building up my experiences for AMCAS. Although a lot of it got shut down quickly due to COVID, I was able to get back heavily involved in volunteering again like I was in high school, since I had a car now, got into research, healthcare-related extracurriculars, shadowing, teaching assistant, tutoring, clinical volunteering and clinical jobs (all by the time of applying). I also went on a medical mission to Central America (didn't do anything illegal, worked in an international volunteer-run elderly clinic (didn't take jobs from locals) doing hr, bp, temp, glucose, etc. testing every day). The more clinical exposure I had the more I got excited about being a physician. The internet was my best friend at the time. I watched many many day-in-the-life videos and read many blogs/articles on what it's like to be a physician -- and those got me hooked.

The problem I see is that I have none of the typical making of a PS:

• No extremely "important" event, like a death, patient experience, etc.
• Didn't know I wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid, changed my mind in fall 2018 and changed my major officially spring/fall 2019 and didn't start most experiences until Fall 2019 (I wanted to be an author lol)
• No hooking and grasping story

So If anyone has advice on how to write a personal statement for someone like me that would be awesome! I want to reiterate that me not easily finding a PS topic means I'm not sure that I want to be a MD, I am soooooo sure that this is exactly what I want to do in my life. I am just struggling to find a specific topic or path for my PS to take so it is intriguing to adcoms and gets the point across that I really want this despite not having any of the stereotypical PS ideas.

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[stickgirl390]

Hey, found your original thread so I figured we’d continue the convo here.

why don’t you start by writing about your medical mission trip, and go from there? Write about some specific things you got to do, what you learned and how you think that will make you be a better doctor.

my advice is to not mention any internet searches or “day in the life” videos, as those are very unrealistic as to what being a physician day to day is actually like.

And don’t feel bad about being “greedy”, you can write about what excites you about medicine without it having to be awe inspiring and full of meaning. You can just say “studying the immune system was super cool, I really enjoyed it and want to learn more”

 

[stickgirl390]

Replying to your post in the other thread:

you say that nothing major or exciting has happened during your clinical experience, so you don’t know what to write about.

THAT is what you write about. Nothing dramatic had to happen and you’re still interested in medicine. Why? What is it? What kept you hooked must have had meaning otherwise you would have been bored and quit.

 

[wysdoc]

Also go read the posts that are "stickies" on the main premed forum, lots of pithy advice.

To Premeds: General Advice on Personal Statements

Okay, so I’m exhausted as heck but had a chance to go through about 10 personal statements recently, and I can say that here are some common issues that we see in essays (as I’ve talked to peers, other admissions members, and the like): 1) Numero Uno: On SDN: If a reader says they are UNABLE...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[LunaOri]

You pretty much outlined your PS in your post above. Don't feel that there had to be a single event that led to your decision. Write about your personal journey to medicine, as you did above.

 

[deleted1032897]

Coming from someone who did not consider medicine until halfway through college, I think the anti- "I've wanted to be a doctor since I was 5" angle can actually benefit you. You don't need a dramatic one-off event to rally behind for sure. In fact, I think unless those experiences are GENUINELY very reflective and life-shaping, it comes off contrived and makes adcom want to do an eye-roll. Your days as a physician are (mostly) not going to be Grey's Anatomy reenactment-esque scenes of rescue, bravery, and life-saving. Anyone reading your PS will know that. I framed my PS around the chronological experiences and subsequent reflections that led me to know that the mundane, everyday, unassuming responsibility of a physician was what I found the most satisfaction in. That those often-overlooked interactions were actually where I could enact the most service and change. The anti- grandiose dreamer, realist angle worked quite well for me so I would say don't shy away from it if that's who you are. It shows you can be trusted to know what you're really getting into and still want to do it.

 

[GoPenguinsGo]

Its actually quite simple: WHY do you want to go to medical school?

 

[Talldoctor96]

In my personal statement, I spoke about 3 or 4 major moments that impacted why I wanted to be a doctor. It is incorrect thinking that you need to focus on one.

 

[Orangekiwi]

In my personal statement, I spoke about 3 or 4 major moments that impacted why I wanted to be a doctor. It is incorrect thinking that you need to focus on one.

To build on this, I would recommend that you not focus on just just one moment. Try to bring in at least three anecdotes that when combined, show a clear reasoning for why you want to be a doctor and not do something else. So think about what aspects of medicine appeal to you- maybe it’s the ability to think scientifically, making a concrete, positive impact on people’s lives, and being able to take a leadership position in a team setting. In this case, you’d want three stories from your path to medicine that showed how you came to each of these conclusions as a draw for you to medicine. Maybe you’d start with a time you made a small impact on someone while volunteering, and being able to make a bigger impact on more people as a doctor appeals to you. Then talk about time you’ve spent doing research and how you like thinking scientifically and solving problems, you felt that the positive impact you were making was a little too abstract for your taste. Then a story from a leadership experience that showed you what it takes to be a good leader and, more importantly a team player when solving problems. Bonus points if the experience required you to recognize your own lack of knowledge or shortcomings and seek outside help. Sometimes being a leader means recognizing when to take a step back too, and there’s a lot of value in that. Do you see how with those three stories you would not only allow the person reading your personal statement to get a sense of who you are and what kinds of things you’ve done, but also answer the question of why you want to be a doctor with examples proving you’ve considered other options and that you want to work with a set of skills that would be very difficult to combine in any other profession? Don’t try to reinvent the wheel here- every good reason that there is for wanting to be a doctor, ADCOMs have heard before. Its not about having unique reasons or one “aha” moment that led you to medicine. Its about showing you have reflected on the question “why do I want to be a doctor” for long enough and deep enough to show maturity and that you know what you’re getting into.

 

[deleted889094]

I think most people's interest in medicine is a slow burn rather than a firework. That's totally normal and way less likely to seem naive and overly idealistic.

Here's what helped me a lot when I wrote mine: Not Another Crayon in the Box: Writing a Successful Personal Statement for Medical School Part 1