comments on P.S.

[Pebbles]

Could I get some feedback from some of you who have already writen your personal statement?

I am not really sure what format to use. Should I write about something that I enjoy doing, an example...dance. Then relate it to how things dance has taught me. Have an intro really grabbing to intise the reader.

OR

Should I go with the approach an my experience. I have tons of experiences in the medical field, being a nurse for a couple of years. I also have done research (hard core) on the humane genome project. Of course other woopy things about my life.

What did you guys do? What would be better: eye grabbing and different (something for them to rememeber my statement by) or eye grabbing and calibrational (something for them to measure my experience by)?

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[Pikevillemedstudent]

I would definitely go with the latter. I wrote about my personal experiences with medicine and how it had influenced me to be a physician. It worked for me and many of my friends. I know one girl who wrote a poem for her personal statement and from what I was told it was really good, but she didn't get in anywhere! Being different could work but it also leaves room for discrimination.

 

[drhenderson]

Door #2

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Jim Henderson, MD of MedicalStudent.net
http://www.medicalstudent.net

 

[Pebbles]

Thanks I thing I'll go for door #2.

 

[scully]

Pebbles-

It seems that you have gotten good answers to your question. Can I ask you--how did you get involved in "hard core" human genome research? I would like to do something like this, but I have just graduated and so I don't have a university connection. I also don't have a science degree (humanities with premed reqs.) Advice from you or anyone would be appreciated!

 

[Ryebass]

I went with the "gosh darn I've always wanted to be a doc and find huge textbooks and the notion of being presented with case after intrigueing case" approach...along with, in my case having a 4 year old daughter on weekends the perspective that has given me...I write really well and I didn't come across a single interviewer (assumin they had my app in advance which wasn't always the case) who didn't mention how impressed/and/or intrigued by my personal statement...just go with whatever it is that EXCITES you about the prospect of practicing medicine...because I HAVE to believe that these interviewers are looking for the visceral rather than the rehearsed cliche statements...granted a given interviewer may not identify at ALL with your visceral inklings...and this is precisely why we apply to more than one school...

btw I was just accepted to BU school of med and it's SO much easier to comment on this stuff post acceptance...I went with the lazy 'don't prepare at all' approach to interviews and I truly believe that is the only way to go...



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Ryan Bassette

 

[Pebbles]

Scully

After my nursing degree I decided to go back to school for another degree, which I chose to do Genetics. So I just got hooked up with a Bioinformatics and Computational Biology lab. We deal with mass quanity genes in the vertabra family: range of Human, chicken, dog, pig, horse, fish etc. If you are interested in lab experience try you local companies or even local forensic labs. Don't be shy to call around and specifically ask for experience in their lab. "Squeaky wheel gets the oil!" Good luck

 

[Sheon]

I hate to be the lone voice of objection here, but I would go with #1.

There will be 20,000+ people using formula #2, and it is doubtful that you will say or have done anything that stands out among these thousands of applications.

The biggest trap we fall into (as premeds) is we fail to make ourselves unique. An admissions committee receives about 500 applicantions a month. How fascinating do you think research is to read about? Especially when you get 50 one-page essays on it a week.

Do yourself a favor, stand out!!! They will use the GPA and MCAT to calibrate you.

P.S. I did this, and I got an interview invitation from every school to which I completed a secondary. Three schools mentioned my secondary in the interview (all with very positive comments). One interviewer told me that she specifically requested to interview me in light of my entertaining essay, another told me it was among the best they'd ever read.



[This message has been edited by Sheon (edited 02-22-2000).]

 

[Pebbles]

Sheon

What do ya think...I will kind of combine both techniques. Talk about how I dance around in the research lab!! That would be funny. Whoo....I think today has been too long at school if I think that is funny

Seriously, I think I will do a twist of bulletpoints, eyechecking, different and maybe funny- but not too funny of course.

 

[DoctorK]

I agree with Sheon. Your essay needs to be different from everyone else's in order to catch someone's attention. I have a background in theatre arts as well as science and medicine, and I was told in numerous interviews that they were very impressed with that. You will have an opportunity to describe your volunteer and research activities elsewhere on the application. Use the personal statement to make them want to meet you.

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We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams.

--Willy Wonka

 

[Tanya]

Well I was planning on taking door number #1. But I was wondering where you draw the line on creativity? With writing my resume in prose at one extreme and composing a haiku at the other extreme, how do you keep the right balance? After all, medicine is a conservative profession and we have to keep the audience in mind.

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"Just like moons and like suns...With the certainty of tides...Just like hopes springing high...Still I'll rise" -Maya Angelou "Still I Rise"

 

[Tanya]

Well I was planning on taking door number #1. But I was wondering where you draw the line on creativity? With writing my resume in prose at one extreme and composing a haiku at the other extreme, how do you keep the right balance? After all, medicine is a conservative profession and we have to keep the audience in mind.

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"Just like moons and like suns...With the certainty of tides...Just like hopes springing high...Still I'll rise" -Maya Angelou "Still I Rise"

 

[nicolette]

Hi Pebbles,

Just a word of caution about "creative" essays-if you're going to be really different, you need to be sure you can pull it off (ie you should be a very good writer) and also people reading your essay should have a clear idea of what you're trying to convey. When I was writing my essay, I read quite a few essays and without doubt, the best ones I've read are the ones that focus on one particular subject/idea with that idea weaved throughout the entire essay. It is tempting to try and cram your essay with all of your experiences, but try to have a common thread that holds your essay together. Just my two cents.

Good luck.