Medical Struggling with how to write personal statement - how should I get started?

[Goro]

Hello,

I'm applying to medical school next year and have been thinking about and trying to come up with ideas for my personal statement. I read that the personal statement is supposed to reflect "your story" and why you want to pursue medicine. The problem is "my story" is mostly comprised of horrible life experiences which would undoubtedly be hard for the adcom to even read. Traumatic childhood, abuse, disownment due to being transgender, depression, having to be self-supporting in undergrad, barely getting by sometimes, doing everything alone. If I include much of this it's probably just going to be seen as a giant string of so-called "red flags." If I don't, I'll be lying, and including only the "why I want to pursue medicine" part would likely make for a very bland personal statement. I feel so incredibly frustrated and trapped. Advice on how to write this is appreciated but please go easy on me. Thank you for reading.

Talk out your thoughts into your voice recorder and then transcribe into text. Edit from there.

The PS is for "Who am I?" and "Why Medicine?"

Living through terrible events isn't a red flag.

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[tantacles]

It sounds like you've lived through a lot of hardship. I'm sorry that life has been hard. However, your application to medical school is not the time to shy away from the difficulties you've faced. Patients also experience difficult life events, and the empathy you bring by having suffered can be mobilized to make you a better physician. Medical schools want to see that side of you, and they want to see how you've grown. Patients experience depressionm, abuse, and trauma. Patients also are discriminated against for being LGBTQ+. Your story is important, and I hope that when you write your personal statement, you find a way to include the adversity you've faced. You don't need to include every single facet. I would focus on one thing. Here are questions you could examine in your personal statement that could make an entire personal statement.

1. How has being transgender affected your life? How do you think your experience can help you better serve not only trans patients, but patients who have suffered adversity due to being in a minority group?

2. What has supporting yourself through college taught you? How could your experience better help you serve patients who come from limited means?

3. What difficulties have you been through because of being disowned? What have you learned from this experience that might help you serve patients who have been through something similar? For example, consider children in the foster system, children with separated parents where one family member has no contact with the child.

None of the things you mentioned are red flags. They are all pieces of your story that make you interesting and unique. Your job is not to hide them; it is to figure out how to write about them. Write about them in a way that expresses how your story will make you a better doctor. Patients need doctors who can empathize with their problems, and it sounds like you have a lot to give.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

The advice I have told my advisees: there is NO one personal essay for your application. You will be writing or thinking about multiple stories that define your decision to pursue medicine or tell people who you are or are going to be as a professional. If anything you should have maybe 3-4 different stories about moments or people that have been influential in your decision to work in health care. You will have a chance to talk about adversities you have had to overcome and a unique perspective that contributes to appreciating diversity and inclusion. It does not all have to be leveraged on one essay.