using the word "if" vs "when" in secondaries (and PS i guess)

[Oh_Gee]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I went to a seminar about writing essays for medical schools. The guy said to always use "if" (such as "if i become a physician..." or "If i am accepted your medical school") so you don't sound presumptuous. He argued that if you write something like "when i become a physician..." that sounds arrogant, like you already think you're gonna get accepted.

So that is how I wrote my PS and secondaries. I sent them to an old friend of mine who just finished his first year of medical school and told me using "if" doesn't make me sound confident enough.

example: secondary is "
What personal qualities do you possess that will make you a successful physician?

i wrote "If i become a physician..."
He changed it to "As a physician..."

What are your opinions, SDN-er's

 

[67552931811]

I agree saying 'if' makes you sound timid and less-confident. However, I think you're overthinking this. No one that is gonna read your essays is gonna be psychoanalyzing it for buzzword phrasing. Just be honest, open, and truthful and you'll be ok.

But, to answer your question, my approach was more in line with his viewpoint but I never started out any response as you phrased it. Personal preference I suppose...

 

[mathnerd88]

"As a physician" is better than "If I become a physician."

Also, @ChiTownBHawks is correct. Your PS won't affect you unless you've written a terrible one with lots of mistakes (in which case they won't accept you.) It is most likely everyone will be writing very similar experiences as you so as long as you don't have any red flags in your PS, it would be fine.

Adcoms read thousands of PS's. Unless yours really stands out, it won't change much for your application because of slight changes in your grammar or tone. You'll need very extraordinary experiences mentioned in your PS and even then, they won't compensate for a bad MCAT or GPA.

The point is, you'll be fine with either. Adcoms only take a few minutes to read your PS. They're not going to analyze every word choice you make. As long as the general tone is good and it sounds genuine, you will be okay.

 

[FutureDrB]

I went to a seminar about writing essays for medical schools. The guy said to always use "if" (such as "if i become a physician..." or "If i am accepted your medical school") so you don't sound presumptuous. He argued that if you write something like "when i become a physician..." that sounds arrogant, like you already think you're gonna get accepted.

So that is how I wrote my PS and secondaries. I sent them to an old friend of mine who just finished his first year of medical school and told me using "if" doesn't make me sound confident enough.

example: secondary is "
What personal qualities do you possess that will make you a successful physician?

i wrote "If i become a physician..."
He changed it to "As a physician..."

What are your opinions, SDN-er's

Haha, this made me go look at my PS. I only mentioned it in one line: "...life experience that I feel will serve me well as a physician."

Agree with @mathnerd88 I wouldn't say "if", I would say "as a physician."

And yes, you're way over thinking this.

 

[mathnerd88]

Even if you wrote "when I become a physician..." I doubt it would make a difference. You're trying to convince them you're going to be a doctor right?

It means you are confident you can become a physician. That's not arrogance. At interviews you're trying to sell yourself. You want to give an impression that you can handle the workload and dedication.

 

[ahawke100]

I think I used "when" several times. I think it demonstrates confidence and helps paint the picture that I will become a physician - and hopefully their school will help me to accomplish that.