Would it be risky or inappropriate to use the word "smartass" in your app or interview?

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SterlingMaloryArcher

SterlingMaloryArcher

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Comparing EMS and scribing:

"While physicians always seemed happy to see you made connections or were following their line of thinking about complicated issues in the note, it so happens many people in EMS would usually consider you a smartass for saying something to the effect of "neurological function intact" anywhere in the EMS call report."
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SterlingMaloryArcher said:
Comparing EMS and scribing:

"While physicians always seemed happy to see you made connections or were following their line of thinking about complicated issues in the note, it so happens many people in EMS would usually consider you a smartass for saying something to the effect of "neurological function intact" anywhere in the EMS call report."
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It's not professional.
 
I would defend the word (I can be a smartass myself at times) but I don't like the insinuation. What I interpret the OP as saying is that he has worked in clinical care and when he tries to be sophisticated in his assessment of a patient's neurological function he would be admired by physicians but ridiculed by EMTs for being too big for his britches. He is therefore saying that he does not get along well with fellow EMTs and feels better suited for medicine because he knows and uses big words.
HomeSkool said:
It would definitely make the adcoms' job easier, and there wouldn't be as much waiting on your end.
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qft
 
If you are going to curse, have a damn good reason for it. I agree with LizzyM, the word is not as big a problem as the sentiment. And if you want to stick with that sentiment, the word is not necessary to express it.

I cursed in a secondary essay for a school that weighs essays heavily. It was an adversity essay and any other word would have been untrue (it was part of something quoted) and also would’ve come off as trite and unrealistic in that aww shucks gee golly way. It was kind of a gritty essay. Result: Interview, can update with decision but at this point, I don’t think my use of the word will really impact one way or another.

Anyway point is I considered it a lot, thought if alternative words would fit, had some people read it, and in the end said screw it and left it in. So I’m not against the words but your essay has to demand it. And prob best to avoid if there’s any other way to get whatever point it is across.
 
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SterlingMaloryArcher said:
Comparing EMS and scribing:

"While physicians always seemed happy to see you made connections or were following their line of thinking about complicated issues in the note, it so happens many people in EMS would usually consider you a smartass for saying something to the effect of "neurological function intact" anywhere in the EMS call report."
Click to expand...

The word "smartass" is actually the only decent component of this sentence.
 
Probably shouldn't hate on other professions in your application. Also I'm not the best writer but this sounds so formal and forced. I feel like you should make your writing a little more relaxed. If the rest of the essay was written similarly I'd personally not wanna read any of it.
 
Save the antics until after you're in and it's too late for them.

Jokes aside, remember, you're dealing with lots of people per school. Each one sees things differently. Best to avoid dabbling in shades of grey or anything controversial. Any form of profanity is controversial. This is coming from a guy who called his professor a d**k straight to his face and is asking that same professor for a letter when he applies.
 
infectiousdisease101 said:
Save the antics until after you're in and it's too late for them.

Jokes aside, remember, you're dealing with lots of people per school. Each one sees things differently. Best to avoid dabbling in shades of grey or anything controversial. Any form of profanity is controversial. This is coming from a guy who called his professor a d**k straight to his face and is asking that same professor for a letter when he applies.
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Yikes!
 
That's to tell you if someone like me is avoiding controversial stuff like that on an application presented to hundreds of people, so should you. These people don't know you. My professor knows me and I know him. We both have a twisted humor. That's why he can get away with saying something similar to me without fear of being reported and I can do the same to him and ask him for a letter.
 
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Random, but on the subject of the actual content of what you're saying, I just came across that thread with the best words used in an AMCAS app and got a good laugh. Easy to tell the people who have worked in healthcare from the ones who haven't... the ones who haven't use lots of big fancy words.

The average American reading level is somewhere around early middle school. If you have a tendency to use big words/fancy phrases all the time, you're going to have a lot of trouble getting your patients to understand you. It's not an attractive trait to advertise for someone who wants to work with people.
 
calivianya said:
Random, but on the subject of the actual content of what you're saying, I just came across that thread with the best words used in an AMCAS app and got a good laugh. Easy to tell the people who have worked in healthcare from the ones who haven't... the ones who haven't use lots of big fancy words.

The average American reading level is somewhere around early middle school. If you have a tendency to use big words/fancy phrases all the time, you're going to have a lot of trouble getting your patients to understand you. It's not an attractive trait to advertise for someone who wants to work with people.
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Agreed. I have a problem with explaining things in depth and my advisor has told me I need to work on being concise and putting it in layman's terms.
 
infectiousdisease101 said:
Agreed. I have a problem with explaining things in depth and my advisor has told me I need to work on being concise and putting it in layman's terms.
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You'll get it. Practice makes perfect. Just talking to people and watching them giving you the confused face, and modifying your explanations over and over until you get the everything just clicked face makes it easier.

...I haven't mastered being concise yet, and I don't think I ever will.
 
calivianya said:
Random, but on the subject of the actual content of what you're saying, I just came across that thread with the best words used in an AMCAS app and got a good laugh. Easy to tell the people who have worked in healthcare from the ones who haven't... the ones who haven't use lots of big fancy words.

The average American reading level is somewhere around early middle school. If you have a tendency to use big words/fancy phrases all the time, you're going to have a lot of trouble getting your patients to understand you. It's not an attractive trait to advertise for someone who wants to work with people.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The people who posted about the cool words they used, like “von Willebrands,” made me cringe a little.
 
Once you start med school your attendings will think you're worse than a smartass if you say "neurological function intact" or its medspeak cousin, "nonfocal."

It's best not to identify with attendings or residents until you become one. For most of med school you will be less important than the EMT.
 
SterlingMaloryArcher said:
Comparing EMS and scribing:

"While physicians always seemed happy to see you made connections or were following their line of thinking about complicated issues in the note,it so happens many people in EMS would usually consider you a smartassknow-it-all, smart-aleck, smarmy suckup, overzealous newbie, for saying something to the effect of "neurological function intact" anywhere in the EMS call report."
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Don't know in what sense you intend the word "smart-ass" but here are some potential replacements and additional edits.
 
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That's a pretty neat regal angel swimming alongside some blastos. no, im definitely not being a smartass

edit--not even blastos... candy canes
 
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THEBACKANDFORTH said:
That's a pretty neat regal angel swimming alongside some blastos. no, im definitely not being a smartass

edit--not even blastos... candy canes
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Actually impressed.
Two smartasses will either get along really well or not at all.
It's a sick colony of caulastrea for sure. Could see why it would be mistaken for blastos.
 
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