Trouble with my personal statement

[woltej1]

So I've been having trouble forming a nice fluent PS. I've been trying to be creative with mixing in stories and it turns out reading like a steaming pile. I'm just going to go with a good ol' intro paragraph, 3 supporting paragraphs of the main idea from the intro and a conclusion. My trouble is what do you guys thinks are good themes for supporting paragraphs. I've heard that you want to get across that you know what you're getting into, that you've thought about it and are committed, etc.
So what do you guys think are the best 3 supporting points to get across?

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[DrDreams]

I think the absolute most important thing is answering why medicine in a concise manner. I chose a creative approach. I explained my shortcomings and how I have addressed them, and why I had them in the first place.

 

[Warrenc]

I think the absolute most important thing is answering why medicine in a concise manner. I chose a creative approach. I explained my shortcomings and how I have addressed them, and why I had them in the first place.

Agreed.

My PS started with a brief introduction about who I am and where I come from (this is significant for my approach in medicine-- underserved/rural), then paragraphs about why medicine. These paragraphs should explain your reasons for choosing medicine- pull from your experiences, especially shadowing/volunteering etc.

Good luck

 

[DrOneDay7]

So I've been having trouble forming a nice fluent PS. I've been trying to be creative with mixing in stories and it turns out reading like a steaming pile. I'm just going to go with a good ol' intro paragraph, 3 supporting paragraphs of the main idea from the intro and a conclusion. My trouble is what do you guys thinks are good themes for supporting paragraphs. I've heard that you want to get across that you know what you're getting into, that you've thought about it and are committed, etc.
So what do you guys think are the best 3 supporting points to get across?

I began w/ a catchy opening about the event that initially opened my eyes to medicine. I then "showed" how/why medicine really began to grab me based on the hurdles I had to overcome through this particular event.
Then I went on to demonstrate how I tested my interest through various experiences, what I learned from each of these experiences, and how my experiences confirmed my decision to enter medicine.
I ended with a closing paragraph that sort of tied everything together and drove home the point.

Rather than just running through a choppy list of experiences, I used transitions and tried to convey my thought process behind why I chose to do what I did, and how experience A inspired me to do experience B, etc, etc. I think it's critical to construct one seamless story about your path toward medicine, from start to finish.

 

[mcloaf]

Rather than just running through a choppy list of experiences, I used transitions and tried to convey my thought process behind why I chose to do what I did, and how experience A inspired me to do experience B, etc, etc. I think it's critical to construct one seamless story about your path toward medicine, from start to finish.

This is really important. A lot of people feel like they need to include everything from their resume and it ends up reading like ****. Include stuff that supports the narrative arc of your story, but only where it fits and don't feel the need to cram everything in; they'll be reading your AMCAS anyway so it's not like they won't be aware of what doesn't make it into your essay.