AB application Personal Statement - “Why I would be an asset to the Medical School”.

[eg77]

Hello all,

just curious about people's approach to this essay. I'm used to the essay style of introducing myself to the committee, and my motivation for medicine. I'm an older applicant since I took a few years off after my undergrad. Should I mention maturity and life experience in there?!? Or do you guys think that could be questionable in the Irish Med education system since a lot of the applicants are younger?

How about cross-cultural experience? I was born and raised in a developing country, lived in Canada since I was 12, and have overseas medical volunteering experience. Cross-cultural experience is a big factor in a diverse country as Canada. Is this the same in Ireland or would this be irrelevant? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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[Mr. McDuck]

I talked about my clinical experience, since I've been a surgical PA for about 2 years. I think I said something about my abililty to focus on the end goal in stressful situations. I forget exactly what I wrote, but it sounded good when I mailed it.

 

[pattycanuck]

Some suggestions (many more I am sure):

1) key buzz words - empathic, team member, well-rounded, social, self-directed learner, maturity

2) what is unique to you? how can that/those experience(s) apply to the school that you are applying to? In medicine in general?

3) Any ties to the region/school, if any, can always help.

Remember a few things when writing:

1) a number (potentially hundreds) of applicants will be handing these statements in also; there are only a few reviewers and they get tired very quickly and get very agitated when reading fodder. Just like a newpaper article, you may want to hit them hard with a good eye-catching opening paragraph. Maybe even change the narrative to jolt the reader?

2) as with above, short but sweet is much better than rambling on

3) most NA applicants keep forgetting this last one - you are there for the entire EXPERIENCE and not just for the medicine - there are many who have come and gone that came for the latter and hated every minute of it, conversely, those who came for the entire Irish/European experience had the time of their life. They both graduated with the same degree, but who do you think got the better deal? Maybe you can work that in as why going to that medical school and country is worth it?

Again, only suggestions and others please add appropriately

 

[JediBookworm]

pattycanuck, those are great suggestions...

My confusion revolves around which approach I should take in the essay:

1) Why medicine, why I would make a good doctor (eg. experience), and why I choose to study in Ireland

2) Why I choose to study in Ireland, how I would make a good med student there (eg. hobbies & interests)... (with less focus on medicine aspect)

Afterall, they ask "Why I would be an asset to the Medical School", inferring a student focus and personal attributes for the school environment, rather than a generic "why I would make a good doctor" plus why I should study in Ireland.

I hope this makes sense....

 

[Mr. McDuck]

Some suggestions (many more I am sure):

1) key buzz words - empathic, team member, well-rounded, social, self-directed learner, maturity

2) what is unique to you? how can that/those experience(s) apply to the school that you are applying to? In medicine in general?

3) Any ties to the region/school, if any, can always help.

Remember a few things when writing:

1) a number (potentially hundreds) of applicants will be handing these statements in also; there are only a few reviewers and they get tired very quickly and get very agitated when reading fodder. Just like a newpaper article, you may want to hit them hard with a good eye-catching opening paragraph. Maybe even change the narrative to jolt the reader?

2) as with above, short but sweet is much better than rambling on

3) most NA applicants keep forgetting this last one - you are there for the entire EXPERIENCE and not just for the medicine - there are many who have come and gone that came for the latter and hated every minute of it, conversely, those who came for the entire Irish/European experience had the time of their life. They both graduated with the same degree, but who do you think got the better deal? Maybe you can work that in as why going to that medical school and country is worth it?

Again, only suggestions and others please add appropriately

NOW you tell me... Nah, I pretty much hit all that stuff, so I should be okay PS-wise.

 

[pattycanuck]

pattycanuck, those are great suggestions...

My confusion revolves around which approach I should take in the essay:

1) Why medicine, why I would make a good doctor (eg. experience), and why I choose to study in Ireland

2) Why I choose to study in Ireland, how I would make a good med student there (eg. hobbies & interests)... (with less focus on medicine aspect)

Afterall, they ask "Why I would be an asset to the Medical School", inferring a student focus and personal attributes for the school environment, rather than a generic "why I would make a good doctor" plus why I should study in Ireland.

I hope this makes sense....

Well, I've looked at your mdapplicant entry and it is pretty impressive ... especially for someone your age (not trying to ageist)!

Remember this first: you are coming into a class that is Irish, 18 years average in age (they are direct entrants from highschool), have never experienced the pleasures of university AND don't have to write any personal statements (they just get matched up according to their "leaving cert" (national high school exams) marks and uni course preferences Thus whoever is reading your essay will also be reading others who are applying from outside Ireland; they want to know "why Ireland"?

Of note, on many interviews back here in Canada for residencies, it ALWAYS came back to "why Ireland" as well.

Think of Ireland as a gateway to the rest of Europe - a chance to explore the rest of Europe is only a few Euro and a few hours away. You have French and Spanish under your belt and could have gone there (and will have the chance to practice these languages in their homelands easily), but for practicality purposes want to learn in English as you want to come back to Canada. I had the chance to use that excuse to see most of Europe (now not with my parents) at different times over my years there and it along with my time in Ireland is something that I will cherish forever.

Ireland has a rich medical history and its graduands are world renound - especially in North America (US eastcoast, Newfoundland and Chicago noteably); why not study there? Irish medicine is renowned for its clinical excellence and is admired over here in NA and around the world; I would suspect that medicine is seen to many as an "art" more than science - this is what you can definitely learn here.

What about Ireland on a social/cultural perspective itself? What do you know about it? Ask some others who actually have BEEN to Ireland and do a search on Irish history and culture and you'll see that like every other place in the world, it will cater to some individuals and will not for others. However, use the positives from this info gathering exercise and incorporate it into your personal essay.

It is really hard to qualify a specific medical school so if you have a generalized "why am I an asset to medicine" statement, try to modify that - you should have this prepared as all schools will ask this. Again, what do you have that makes you a med school candidate and can you back this up by experience or rationalle? At the end of the day, this standard statement should be modified only a little for Ireland (ie cut and paste a few sentences or paragraphs in and out about Ireland).

The funny thing is I don't even remember my letters for medical school in Canada or Ireland, but most of this stuff is after the fact in knowing what Ireland has created for me (ie some of the questions asked of the Irish over there and of Canadians in interviews back here for residencies) - it really is all very similar anyway.

Hope that helps in general if not specifically towards your situation. For me, I loved Ireland so much that I married my Irish classmate

 

[Mr. McDuck]

I don't know if I talked about "why Ireland?" in my PS. I should have, because I probably want to practice there. Oh, well. Hopefully that won't be a deal breaker.

 

[eg77]

Excellent points about what to address in the essay. I just can't believe the avg age for entry is 18?!?!? Wow (not in a negative way but just in a surprised way)
I really appreciate the comment about the european experience and not just focusing on the medical education.

 

[eg77]

So I've been working on the essay and was just wondering if anyone would have time to read it and give me some opinions. It would be good to get some objective thoughts on it. I would like to have the frist draft ready by next week.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JediBookworm]

Hi pattycanuck,

Thanks for your advice...those are definitely great points to incorporate in the essay. I do have a bunch of solid reasons for studying med in Ireland - in fact, many more so than Canada, except that cost is probably the issue that will determine where I go in the end (if I get accepted, of course).

I would love to be in Europe for the travel, culture, languages, etc., but think of all the trips I could go on after my medical education if I were to save the difference in tuition between Ireland and Canada, which is 2-3x cheaper.....just something to think about.

Also, I still find the ABP essay topic confusing, why is it "an asset to the medical school" instead of something along the lines of "an asset to medicine"? I was thinking to write my essay beginning with my interest and preparation for medicine, THEN talking about why I want to study in Ireland. Their question, on the other hand, seems to ask why you would make a good student in their school, which doesn't make sense because the essay is sent to all 4 schools, plus it doesn't really address one's enthusiasm to study in Ireland...

Cheers

 

[eg77]

Hi pattycanuck,

Also, I still find the ABP essay topic confusing, why is it "an asset to the medical school" instead of something along the lines of "an asset to medicine"? I was thinking to write my essay beginning with my interest and preparation for medicine, THEN talking about why I want to study in Ireland. Their question, on the other hand, seems to ask why you would make a good student in their school, which doesn't make sense because the essay is sent to all 4 schools, plus it doesn't really address one's enthusiasm to study in Ireland...

Cheers

Good point Jedi...the essay is sent to all 4 schools. So my guess is that the Q is intended only to ask what traits make you unique for medical education. not just medicine but the actuall academic environment. I'm talking about my experience that I can bring to med school.

I really like the concept of explaining one's interest in Eur and Irel in specific...That we would be intersted in more than just the med education. But to be honest I'm not sure how I can incorporate that into the essay and how that would make me an "asset." It will definetly make my stay more enjoyable and learning more effective as Pattycanuck mentioned earlier. But not quite sure about the "asset to the school" factor. I will for sure bring this up in an interview though...that is if I even get one

 

[JediBookworm]

Hey eg77,

Note that of the 4 Irish schools, only RCSI has interviews. I have no idea when, but would like to find out from any current students here...

I think it would be relatively easy to describe why Ireland would be great for me (I hope to end my essay with it), but I'm still not sure whether the focus should be what I can bring to the school as an international student (Canadianism, music, sports), or what would make me a great medical student (interest, experiences, education, volunteering), even without tailoring the response towards a specific school.

After all, the essay is only limited to, what, a page??

EDIT: We have two pages, but no further directions on font size, etc...

 

[eg77]

Hey Jedi,

I can't believe Surgeons is the only one that performs interviews. That's pretty crazy i think!!! Interviews should play such a big role in the admissions process since there are many applicants with excellent MCAT and GPAs that can't carry a conversation. If this is true, that's pretty frustrating.

As for the page limit, I belive it's 2 pages double spaced...I can't remember where I read that but it was either the FAQ or the instructions attachments. And you're toally right, it's not much space to elaborate on our answers. I would've really hoped that the interviews would've been a place to do just that, but I guess not huh ?!?

 

[Mr. McDuck]

Surgeons doesn't hold interviews until May/June according to the email I got from ABP.

 

[eg77]

Surgeons doesn't hold interviews until May/June according to the email I got from ABP.

So that is true then huh...only Surgeons of the 4 schools has interviews?

 

[Mr. McDuck]

Yeah, they are the only school that interviews. I kind of wish the other schools did too; it sucks having to just hope you are well represented on paper by numbers and a few words.

 

[JediBookworm]

I agree...I'd also rather fly out to Ireland for (hypothetically) four interviews rather than just one...

 

[Mr. McDuck]

Well, at least they hold it in NYC (and I think one other place). If I can only go to one interview, I don't want to be flying all the way out there.

 

[JediBookworm]

Hmm that's funny...I emailed Mr. Keenan and he said that the RCSI interview schedule hasn't been decided yet...

I guess it's good in a way that it's in May/June so that I can know about all other acceptances first...but if those don't work out then it's freaky that I need to wait until May/June to know about this one...

NY sounds like a decent location to hold an interview for NA applicants...it's still quite far though, at least I have a few friends there

 

[JediBookworm]

Hey eg77,

You're right...it's 2 pages double-spaced, I think I'm doing 1.5 spacing

As for the resume/CV, only 1 page is allowed?! I'm putting most of the stuff on the actual app form, and then leaving the remainder on the CV itself.

For CVs for apps, would you describe what you did or merely list activities? Would there be a diff between a resume or CV in this case?

 

[pattycanuck]

Surgeons has the interview process as indicated as a vast number of its students are international in origin. All of the other schools have direct entrants from Ireland after high school - as they are the vast majority, they get in on the basis purely on their leaving certificate exam marks - that is the ONLY determinant for them. You can be a "doorknob" and if you get your needed approx 570+ mark on your LC exam and choose medicine as your top choice ... you've got it - no social skills needed to be proven.

And JBW: going after med school in Canada is a poor probability as 1) you'll be in a large amount of debt anyway; 2) you'll have to fly back from NA over to Europe for about $1000+ while when in Ireland, you can pay only EUR20 per trip (dependent on which cheap fare airline you choose); 3) you wont even have a chance in medical school while in Canada as you'll be doing electives of one sort or another while in Ireland you have major breaks at both summer (4 months) and spring break (3 weeks) - and tell us you'll be studying all that spare time ; and 4) when in residency, you wont be able to travel to Europe at all for more than one week as your program director wont like you taking such a large block off on ANY rotation as it cuts into your rotation evaluation.

 

[pattycanuck]

The interpretation of the question should be: forget the actual 4 medical schools, just what makes me so good for medicine in Ireland AND what is it that makes you want to go to Ireland for med school?

Read between the lines and around the question. What would be the rationalle for asking you to write ONE essay for 4 medical schools when you have to write about one school?

Doesn't make sense does it? So how would it make sense then ...

 

[eg77]

As for the resume/CV, only 1 page is allowed?! I'm putting most of the stuff on the actual app form, and then leaving the remainder on the CV itself.

For CVs for apps, would you describe what you did or merely list activities? Would there be a diff between a resume or CV in this case?

Hey Jeddi,

yeah the resume has a 1 page limit. I'm keeping it strictly for employment experiences, Since we get another page for volunteer experiences. For the resume, I'm listing my employment, dates, brief decription (in point form), and contacts. I had to play around with the margins to make it fir one page

With respect to the CV/resume thing, to be honest, I've never really undersood the difference

 

[eg77]

The interpretation of the question should be: forget the actual 4 medical schools, just what makes me so good for medicine in Ireland AND what is it that makes you want to go to Ireland for med school?

Read between the lines and around the question. What would be the rationalle for asking you to write ONE essay for 4 medical schools when you have to write about one school?

Doesn't make sense does it? So how would it make sense then ...

hi pattycanuck,

thanks for your posts they're always informative. I'm a little confused about something here though. In the essay prompt, I read "asset" as something that will be benefiting the med school. Or something that I can bring to the class. So, How does my compatibility for education in ireland or interest in Ireland's rich medical history be of benefit to the med schools? I might be over-analyzing this prompt

 

[pattycanuck]

In the essay prompt, I read "asset" as something that will be benefiting the med school. Or something that I can bring to the class. So, How does my compatibility for education in ireland or interest in Ireland's rich medical history be of benefit to the med schools? I might be over-analyzing this prompt

I would personally think of that as your desire to learn about the Irish slant on medicine would show that you are open to learning the 5w's and h of medicine with an open mind; not to say it is kissing a$$, but really more times than not, when someone indicates to you that they like you and want to know more about you, wouldn't you be humbled/flattered? That opened mindedness can go a long way when there.

As well, by being outgoing and interested in many things Irish, it should allow you to want to get more involved with things relating to university and Irish culture nonetheless ... if it is genuine, it will show and again will make them realize that you are worthy of being a representative of X university.

What about your track record at your present/old university? What did you do there that can represent what you can do there in Ireland? That may help also. Any individual graduate that you might know that had an influence in you applying to med school there?

Eg, "Dr. X graduated from UCD/TCD/Surgeons/UCC/UCG and one thing that I noticed from him/her was that he/she had fantastic clinical skills; this is something that I have always heard about Irish physicians and it is something I too would like to learn and eventually master. Completing my core medical training in Ireland can definitely help me pursue that dream ... yada, yada, yada" ... you get my drift n'est-ce pas?

 

[JediBookworm]

Eg, "Dr. X graduated from UCD/TCD/Surgeons/UCC/UCG and one thing that I noticed from him/her was that he/she had fantastic clinical skills; this is something that I have always heard about Irish physicians and it is something I too would like to learn and eventually master. Completing my core medical training in Ireland can definitely help me pursue that dream ... yada, yada, yada" ... you get my drift n'est-ce pas?

*cough cough* May I use you?

By the way, I am inclined towards the clinical side of medicine, which is why I am also attracted to Ireland. Do you happen to know of any articles/sources that describe its particular brand of medicine?

What is your personal take on this?