Stuck on Most Meaningful Experience Essay

[WillburCobb]

All I have left to finish before submitting my AMCAS app is my third most meaningful experience essay and I'm royally stuck. This is what I wrote for experience description: "I provide companionship visits for hospice patients, respite care for patients’ families, and comfort visits for patients who are actively dying. Being able to provide assistance, no matter how small it may seem, to patients and families during such emotionally difficult times has been extremely rewarding. Most of all, I enjoy being a part of ensuring that individuals facing the end of life are able to do so with dignity and comfort."

The bolded/italicized part is what has made it most meaningful for me and I can't come-up with a better way to express that. The more I try to expand on it with out directly repeating it in the most meaningful section the less sincere it sounds to me. Would it be okay or just look lazy if I just cut that last part and used as the most meaningful essay?

Also, yes, yes, I know I'm submitting "late" as a re-applicant so no comments are needed to point that out.

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[Harpsx]

What about providing an anecdotal story that demonstrates a time where you were able to provide comfort?

 

[freakingoutabit]

Do you have a specific experience you could share? Maybe a patient/family member who said something meaningful to you about death or dying, or how you dealt with seeing the death of your first patient?

ETA: Woops, repeated what timeless said.

 

[chem4ever]

All I have left to finish before submitting my AMCAS app is my third most meaningful experience essay and I'm royally stuck. This is what I wrote for experience description: "I provide companionship visits for hospice patients, respite care for patients’ families, and comfort visits for patients who are actively dying. Being able to provide assistance, no matter how small it may seem, to patients and families during such emotionally difficult times has been extremely rewarding. Most of all, I enjoy being a part of ensuring that individuals facing the end of life are able to do so with dignity and comfort."

The bolded/italicized part is what has made it most meaningful for me and I can't come-up with a better way to express that. The more I try to expand on it with out directly repeating it in the most meaningful section the less sincere it sounds to me. Would it be okay or just look lazy if I just cut that last part and used as the most meaningful essay?

Also, yes, yes, I know I'm submitting "late" as a re-applicant so no comments are needed to point that out.

Why not leave it at that and just have 2 most meaningful's?

 

[WillburCobb]

What about providing an anecdotal story that demonstrates a time where you were able to provide comfort?

I thought about that but the only real anecdot I can think of is about a patient I had when working as an aid who made me want to volunteer with hospice, so it's not really about my experience with hospice. Maybe that would work though? Thoughts?

Why not leave it at that and just have 2 most meaningful's?

Thought about that too, but I'm a reapplicant and its one of the few new things on my app so I want to show growth and activities since last year.

 

[freakingoutabit]

Yeah, that could work. Something like, "I became interested in providing hospice care when I met Mrs. Jacobson, a patient in the ICU at Kennedy Memorial Hospital..." or whatever.

I would try to think of hospice experiences to talk about before you start interviewing, though.

 

[dcamkl1]

Yeah, that could work. Something like, "I became interested in providing hospice care when I met Mrs. Jacobson, a patient in the ICU at Kennedy Memorial Hospital..." or whatever.

That would be a HIPAA violation if you actually wrote something like that.

 

[WillburCobb]

Yeah, that could work. Something like, "I became interested in providing hospice care when I met Mrs. Jacobson, a patient in the ICU at Kennedy Memorial Hospital..." or whatever.

I would try to think of hospice experiences to talk about before you start interviewing, though.

I feel like I have plenty to talk about hospice wise, I guess I just think I can better express verbally rather than through writing. So you think if I write something like "while working at x...blah blah...patient dying alone....blah blah...this led me to volunteer for hospice (obviously stated much more elegantly than that!). Then close with, or something along the lines of: being able to provide assistance, no matter how small it may seem, to patients and families during such emotionally difficult times has been extremely rewarding. Most of all, I enjoy being a part of ensuring that individuals facing the end of life are able to do so with dignity and comfort (the lines I already have)?

 

[WillburCobb]

That would be a HIPAA violation if you actually wrote something like that.

I'm well aware of what would and wouldn't constitute a violation of one of the dumbest f-ing laws in our country. I'd know what details to leave out. Not trying to attack or anything, I just REALLY hate HIPAA.

 

[dcamkl1]

The key is to keep it from not sounding cheesy. So if you have a specific example in mind, make sure you don't turn something seemingly small into an overdramatic event.

Have you thought about discussing how your time at the hospice has changed your views about death/dying? Has working in a hospice made you think about entering a particular field?

 

[WillburCobb]

The key is to keep it from not sounding cheesy. So if you have a specific example in mind, make sure you don't turn something seemingly small into an overdramatic event.

Have you thought about discussing how your time at the hospice has changed your views about death/dying? Has working in a hospice made you think about entering a particular field?

Honestly I don't think it would. I'm just concerned as to how some adcoms might read into how using an experience that occurred with a different activity led to some other activity being meaningful.

My time at hospice hasn't really changed my views on death/dying. Aside from the whole patient experience thing I've always had a rather strong interest and (cough, rather liberal, cough) opinions in end of life issues. Maybe its made my interest in possibly pursuing palliative medicine, critical care, or even bioethics a bit stronger, but not by much. And given the controversial nature of the subject, I'd like to be able to just linger in the neutral zone as far as med school admissions are concerned.

 

[freakingoutabit]

I feel like I have plenty to talk about hospice wise, I guess I just think I can better express verbally rather than through writing. So you think if I write something like "while working at x...blah blah...patient dying alone....blah blah...this led me to volunteer for hospice (obviously stated much more elegantly than that!). Then close with, or something along the lines of: being able to provide assistance, no matter how small it may seem, to patients and families during such emotionally difficult times has been extremely rewarding. Most of all, I enjoy being a part of ensuring that individuals facing the end of life are able to do so with dignity and comfort (the lines I already have)?

I think that sounds good. 🙂

And to the previous poster, obviously giving identifying information about a patient is never a good idea, and I'm not suggesting that he do that. Using a fake name sounds far better than saying, "There was a patient in the ICU...This patient.." That said, if the patient had a common last name, it's very debatable that using it would be a HIPAA violation at all.

 

[dcamkl1]

Maybe you can talk about what skill(s) you learned and how it can help you in medical school and as a physician. I'm thinking something like patience.

 

[dcamkl1]

I think that sounds good. 🙂

And to the previous poster, obviously giving identifying information about a patient is never a good idea, and I'm not suggesting that he do that. Using a fake name sounds far better than saying, "There was a patient in the ICU...This patient.." That said, if the patient had a common last name, it's very debatable that using it would be a HIPAA violation at all.

I'm just used to "Smith" and "Doe" has common default surnames. "Jacboson" sounds so exotic haha.

 

[freakingoutabit]

I'm just used to "Smith" and "Doe" has common default surnames. "Jacboson" sounds so exotic haha.

That's true, it is unusual. I'm not even sure why it came to mind. 😳

 

[Harpsx]

I feel like I have plenty to talk about hospice wise, I guess I just think I can better express verbally rather than through writing. So you think if I write something like "while working at x...blah blah...patient dying alone....blah blah...this led me to volunteer for hospice (obviously stated much more elegantly than that!). Then close with, or something along the lines of: being able to provide assistance, no matter how small it may seem, to patients and families during such emotionally difficult times has been extremely rewarding. Most of all, I enjoy being a part of ensuring that individuals facing the end of life are able to do so with dignity and comfort (the lines I already have)?

Make sure when you write this story out that you emphasize your experience in the hospice more and do not go too far on about your other non-hospice experience.

IMO, If you want to make it more convincing as a meaningful and unique story, you should try to be as specific as possible. I think you have the general lesson you learned hashed out already (the "providing assistance no matter how small" part) but I think you can even list out some of the ways you provided assistance. Have you ever just sat there and listened to stories from patients? Or perhaps tried to play a game with them to brighten their day? Or even if you just sat there sharing a moment together in silence just so that they knew someone was there for them. If you can specify the little things you did, I think it can make your story more personal.

Good luck

 

[DokterMom]

Would not use the word "enjoy" with respect to helping people die.
Use "find it rewarding" instead...

 

[WillburCobb]

Would not use the word "enjoy" with respect to helping people die.
Use "find it rewarding" instead...

Haha 😳 Good catch! Thanks!

 

[WillburCobb]

Alright, I finally came up with something. I'm still not crazy about it, but its something. Is anyone willing to take a looksy and give me feedback? If so I'll PM it to you.