Torn between advice

[Nomemal]

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So I feel that when it comes to getting advice for my personal statement, I’ve experienced great advice from a bunch of writing tutors but some bad advice that sounds contradictory from my pre health advisor.

I don’t know if this may just be the advisor or not because after speaking to the other pre health advisors I leave the appointment with a bright and optimistic view, while after speaking to this one prehealth advisor I leave shaken and questioning whether I am good enough and mature enough for medical school.


Ex: me saying I can’t imagine doing anything else but medicine in my essay.

Tutors said: that I’ve shown well why medicine through my essay and that I have made a journey to make that conclusion.

Advisor: thinks it’s immature and shows a lack of imagination if I can’t imagine being anything else. Thinks this is a red flag to say in my personal statement.

Who’s advice should I follow more?

 

[Nomemal]

By good advice I mean it supports my paper, bad advising I mean it is negative in nature towards my paper.

 

[676188]

I would not use those exact words, but essentially that’s the message your ps should convey.

 

[Sunna12]

So I feel that when it comes to getting advice for my personal statement, I’ve experienced great advice from a bunch of writing tutors but some bad advice that sounds contradictory from my pre health advisor.

I don’t know if this may just be the advisor or not because after speaking to the other pre health advisors I leave the appointment with a bright and optimistic view, while after speaking to this one prehealth advisor I leave shaken and questioning whether I am good enough and mature enough for medical school.


Ex: me saying I can’t imagine doing anything else but medicine in my essay.

Tutors said: that I’ve shown well why medicine through my essay and that I have made a journey to make that conclusion.

Advisor: thinks it’s immature and shows a lack of imagination if I can’t imagine being anything else. Thinks this is a red flag to say in my personal statement.

Who’s advice should I follow more?

It's hard to give you helpful advice based on one sentence. My best suggestion is that if your pre-med advisor has been through a couple application cycles, he/she likely knows what is good content vs what isn't. A writing tutor is likely unaffiliated and unfamiliar with the med school admission process and is only providing comments based on grammar and content that they are familiar with. I'd err on the side of your pre-med advisor.

For what it's worth, the PS is often times only read before your interview and not so much by those screening 6,000+ applications before they decide who to extend interviews to. In the end it's just one small factor in your application- as long as you don't stand out as a red flag, you should be good.

 

[gyngyn]

I mostly agree with your advisor in this case...
You should be good at many things if you are capable of becoming a physician.
All of my students could have become something else (and been amazing at it). I'm just glad to have them.

 

[Catalystik]

Ex: me saying I can’t imagine doing anything else but medicine in my essay.

Advisor: thinks it’s immature and shows a lack of imagination if I can’t imagine being anything else. Thinks this is a red flag to say in my personal statement.

Considering that only 40% of those applying to med school get an acceptance, it would display maturity to have a backup plan.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Agree with the advisor. Tunnel vision isn’t a good look.


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