URM Personal Statement Help

[wolfie77]

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Hi Everyone,

So I won't be applying until next year but I wanted to sit down this summer to get started on my personal statement since I'm not taking any classes and am going to be having substantial downtime. This will give me a whole year to polish and perfect whatever I come up with. Since there isn't really a prompt for this kind of thing, I'm not sure how to get started and how to get into the frame of mind for this kind of thing. My immediate impulse is that I have to write a "game-changer" essay, something that's going to blow people's minds. I know this is ridiculous but that's how I feel about it....

I would especially appreciate feedback from those in the cycle right now or who have already been accepted.

Secondary question: I am URM and being URM is an important reason that I think medicine is a path I want to take. (For what it's worth, I want to go primarily into research with my MD and this is an area that is sorely lacking in URMs.) How have other people approached this topic in a personal statement without coming off the wrong way to a reader (whether that reader be "URM-friendly" or unfriendly.)

Thanks

Also, with the recent URM bashing that's been going on, I feel the need to say this: please don't turn this forum into another opportunity for venting of frustrations with the current admissions system.

 

[Medicinewoman85]

Poor fellow

 

[MusicJunkie]

I'm applying this 2012-2013 cycle, and writing the personal statement is one of the most difficult parts of the application. It's great that you're starting early and when you have more time. I also can understand your concerns about the URM thing. I'm African American, and part of the reason why I want to go into medicine is because of things I've seen in my own community that could use remedy.

With that being said, I think a good way to start is by listing all of the reasons why you are at this point in your life in regards to medicine (i.e.: what major events in my life have led me to pursue medicine, what experiences have I had in healthcare that have had a profound impact on me, etc). After that, I think outlining is a good idea. Do you want to have your personal statement be linear (i.e.: start from when you started college to now?) or do you want to go with a different flow? Write out what you may want to cover in each paragraph. Lastly, don't worry about the word count in your initial draft. Write your PS and then cut down later.

I think discussing how being a URM has brought you here is a good idea if it does mean something to you. If it's a part of how you got here, then discuss it. You have seen "X, Y, Z" in your community and maybe you'd like to be a part of the solution. That's fine. Just be honest and genuine.

 

[Narmerguy]

Hi Everyone,

So I won't be applying until next year but I wanted to sit down this summer to get started on my personal statement since I'm not taking any classes and am going to be having substantial downtime. This will give me a whole year to polish and perfect whatever I come up with. Since there isn't really a prompt for this kind of thing, I'm not sure how to get started and how to get into the frame of mind for this kind of thing. My immediate impulse is that I have to write a "game-changer" essay, something that's going to blow people's minds. I know this is ridiculous but that's how I feel about it....

I would especially appreciate feedback from those in the cycle right now or who have already been accepted.

Secondary question: I am URM and being URM is an important reason that I think medicine is a path I want to take. (For what it's worth, I want to go primarily into research with my MD and this is an area that is sorely lacking in URMs.) How have other people approached this topic in a personal statement without coming off the wrong way to a reader (whether that reader be "URM-friendly" or unfriendly.)

Thanks

Also, with the recent URM bashing that's been going on, I feel the need to say this: please don't turn this forum into another opportunity for venting of frustrations with the current admissions system.

Edit: Crap. I didn't mean to name the tread URM. Does anyone know how to change this? If not, it's supposed to be called "URM Personal Statement Help"

You should be able to edit the title when you click "go advanced" while editing your first post.

You don't have to blow the readers away. You want to show them what motivates you, particularly towards a medical career, and how you've explored that interest/why you're well suited for it. If your experience as an URM is a significant reason why you want to become a doctor, sure write about it. As far as your research, I don't think it will be very compelling that you want to do research as an MD because not many MD's do research. You should have legitimate, individual reasons that drive you toward the career path you've chosen, regardless of what other URM are doing. If, however, you want your research to focus on issues that URM face but that you feel are currently neglected, then that can become a more compelling reason for why you'd choose that path.

Don't worry about your reader being "URM-friendly" or not. No one is going to mark you down for writing about your experiences as an URM and caring about them. However, there are plenty of other things that someone could hold against you (sucky PS, poor logic, lack of fit with the medical profession, etc, etc).

 

[wolfie77]

You should be able to edit the title when you click "go advanced" while editing your first post.

You don't have to blow the readers away. You want to show them what motivates you, particularly towards a medical career, and how you've explored that interest/why you're well suited for it. If your experience as an URM is a significant reason why you want to become a doctor, sure write about it. As far as your research, I don't think it will be very compelling that you want to do research as an MD because not many MD's do research. You should have legitimate, individual reasons that drive you toward the career path you've chosen, regardless of what other URM are doing. If, however, you want your research to focus on issues that URM face but that you feel are currently neglected, then that can become a more compelling reason for why you'd choose that path.

Don't worry about your reader being "URM-friendly" or not. No one is going to mark you down for writing about your experiences as an URM and caring about them. However, there are plenty of other things that someone could hold against you (sucky PS, poor logic, lack of fit with the medical profession, etc, etc).

Fixed. Thanks!

 

[ThirdEye]

It's your story. Just tell it

 

[Arbor Vitae]

Hi Everyone,

So I won't be applying until next year but I wanted to sit down this summer to get started on my personal statement since I'm not taking any classes and am going to be having substantial downtime. This will give me a whole year to polish and perfect whatever I come up with. Since there isn't really a prompt for this kind of thing, I'm not sure how to get started and how to get into the frame of mind for this kind of thing. My immediate impulse is that I have to write a "game-changer" essay, something that's going to blow people's minds. I know this is ridiculous but that's how I feel about it....

I would especially appreciate feedback from those in the cycle right now or who have already been accepted.

Secondary question: I am URM and being URM is an important reason that I think medicine is a path I want to take. (For what it's worth, I want to go primarily into research with my MD and this is an area that is sorely lacking in URMs.) How have other people approached this topic in a personal statement without coming off the wrong way to a reader (whether that reader be "URM-friendly" or unfriendly.)

Thanks

Also, with the recent URM bashing that's been going on, I feel the need to say this: please don't turn this forum into another opportunity for venting of frustrations with the current admissions system.

There aren't alot of URMs that play hockey. You should try out for the NHL while you're at it. Being URM has nothing to do with medicine or hockey.

 

[Narmerguy]

There aren't alot of URMs that play hockey. You should try out for the NHL while you're at it. Being URM has nothing to do with medicine or hockey.

Don't know that I would go that far. It does if one is serious about using one's experience as an URM to address specific URM issues that persist in the medical system. It would be no different than a LGBTQ individual who is serious about addressing problem's that the LGBTQ community faces as well.

It's not one's status as an URM that matters, but one's ability (and motivation) to focus on and address URM issues, perhaps even built from experience.

 

[Arbor Vitae]

Don't know that I would go that far. It does if one is serious about using one's experience as an URM to address specific URM issues that persist in the medical system. It would be no different than a LGBTQ individual who is serious about addressing problem's that the LGBTQ community faces as well.

It's not one's status as an URM that matters, but one's ability (and motivation) to focus on and address URM issues, perhaps even built from experience.

Still though, that has nothing do with "why medicine?". I am URM myself, but that's not why i am passionate about medicine. I have real reasons just like non-URMs.

 

[Narmerguy]

Still though, that has nothing do with "why medicine?". I am URM myself, but that's not why i am passionate about medicine. I have real reasons just like non-URMs.

I think you go too far stating it has "nothing to do" with why one is interested in medicine. There are most definitely experiences or interests that one may have had as an URM that are directly relevant to why one wants to enter medicine. I have already stated these above. There are a variety of reasons why one my answer "why medicine". That's why each of us gets to answer the question.

 

[Fed]

Hi Everyone,

So I won't be applying until next year but I wanted to sit down this summer to get started on my personal statement since I'm not taking any classes and am going to be having substantial downtime. This will give me a whole year to polish and perfect whatever I come up with. Since there isn't really a prompt for this kind of thing, I'm not sure how to get started and how to get into the frame of mind for this kind of thing. My immediate impulse is that I have to write a "game-changer" essay, something that's going to blow people's minds. I know this is ridiculous but that's how I feel about it....

I would especially appreciate feedback from those in the cycle right now or who have already been accepted.

Secondary question: I am URM and being URM is an important reason that I think medicine is a path I want to take. (For what it's worth, I want to go primarily into research with my MD and this is an area that is sorely lacking in URMs.) How have other people approached this topic in a personal statement without coming off the wrong way to a reader (whether that reader be "URM-friendly" or unfriendly.)

Thanks

Also, with the recent URM bashing that's been going on, I feel the need to say this: please don't turn this forum into another opportunity for venting of frustrations with the current admissions system.

Just a heads-up: MD/Ph.D generally take applicants with a ~3.8, ~34, and a lot of research experience.

Good luck with everything!

 

[GNE24]

Try as hard as you can to reveal the true "you" and not anyone else. A lot of times after you have so many people read over it you'll tend to put too much of their thoughts in it. Just remember its your chance to reveal your personality, integrity, movtivations, and goals. Big mistake in my opinion is to put too much of detail in regard to your experiences. Highlight yourself in relation to your global points in the PS, but don't go on and on about all you have done. This would sound like 90% or so of all applicants who feel the only way they can get in is by bragging about their performances. For Harvard and Yale, yes maybe, but I wouldn't think this for most others. Lastly, read it out loud or find one of those text-to-speech converters. If it doesnt sound good out loud its time for a revision.