MCAT Dos and Don’ts of your med school essay

[TPR Laura]

The painful reality of applying to med school is that there are about 40,000 applicants for approximately 18,000 spots. You might be wondering how you can elbow your way to the top of such a talented pool of applicants. While your GPA and MCAT scores will play a large role in the admissions decision, they aren’t everything. Solid numbers are a good start, but medical schools are also quite interested in who you are, why you want to be a physician, and whether you have a clue about what being a doctor is like.

A well-written personal statement is one of the easiest ways to present yourself and your unique strengths in a way that mere numbers can’t. Despite the odds, there are always large numbers of seemingly average applicants who don’t get straight A’s or perfect MCAT scores who still manage to get accepted to great medical schools.

The Princeton Review has pulled together 42 real personal statements from applicants who got accepted into schools across the country in the book Medical School Essays that Made a Difference. In addition to guidance on how to construct a thoughtful and cohesive essay, there are also ideas about brainstorming and grammar refreshers.

And here are a few DOs and DON’Ts:

• DO focus on a single theme or thesis. Elaborate on your theme through details, opinions, and experiences.
• DO outline your theme and main points before you start writing. Aim for an organized, direct statement.
• DO tell a personal story rather than make generalizations.
• DO write something medically oriented.
• DO start your essay with a solid, attention-grabbing sentence.
• DO end your essay with a strong conclusion.
• DO maintain the proper tone.
• DO spend time on your personal statement—it isn’t a “throw away” part of the application.
• DO abide by the word limits.
• DO proofread carefully.
• DO spell check and spell check again.
• DO have three different reviewers, but not many more than that.
• DON’T list all of your awards and achievements or try to include everything you have ever done on a single page.
• DON’T be overly philosophical or abstract, which is a common mistake.
• DON’T try to be funny unless what you have to say is actually funny.
• DON’T be self-aggrandizing or try too hard to impress the admissions committee; tell a real story and let the details speak for themselves.
• DON’T use clichés or resort to attention-grabbing gimmicks to stand out. Use real, honest detail to make your personal statement unique.
• DON’T lie or exaggerate.
• DON’T use too much detail. Aim to be succinct and direct.
• DON’T be too controversial. Avoid topics that may raise eyebrows.
• DON’T make negative statements unless you can show how they lead to a positive counter-argument.
• DON’T use the word “I” too often. If you state an opinion, the reader will assume it’s yours. Tell a story and let the details speak for themselves.

Above all else: AVOID GRAMMATICAL ERRORS. Though a thoughtful essay that offers true insight will undoubtedly stand out, it will not receive serious consideration if it’s riddled with poor grammar and misspelled words. We recommend that you read The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr., E. B. White, and Roger Angell. This little book is a great investment.

And when you’re finished, let your personal statement sit a few days and then come back to it and read it again. A sentence or two might stand out as awkward, or you might even find where your storyline seems choppy or too confusing.

The personal statement on your med school application is a representation of who you are, and you want it to be the best it can be. You wouldn’t show up to the interview without showering and dressing properly, would you? Now, go get to writing!


Good luck!

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[maeryn]

I see that you have essays from students who got into medical school and do's and don'ts, but do you have any input from advisors or adcoms on why the essays were helpful? Advice or critique from the people making the decisions would be helpful.

 

[TPR Laura]

That’s a great question! We did actually speak with some admissions officers, and we have a whole chapter of FAQs. We don’t have specific critiques of the essays we printed because, well, admissions officers have enough on their plates as it is, but the answers the admissions officers give offer some great insight into the kinds of things they see (and cringe at) on personal statement essays.

Here’s an example:

Q: What’s an example of a ridiculous achievement that you’ve seen referenced in a personal statement or essay?
Admissions officer #2’s A: “At age four I was reading human anatomy books for fun…”

All told, the section of FAQs covers topics concerning subject matter and writing, grammar, plagiarism, and general application questions—such as how applications are handled once they are received—in addition to other various topics.

Of course, personal statements don’t stand alone; they have a place within the larger admissions context. In the book, we try to give you the whole picture with the student’s GPA information, extracurriculars, hometown, race, and MCAT scores. We also include a list of admissions decisions for every single applicant whose personal statement you’ll read.

I hope this helps!
Laura

 

[cnortorious]

This seems like a must have book. Does it also give you writing prompts to suggest ways to start piecing your essay together?

 

[TPR Laura]

Mostly, for the personal statements you probably won’t be given a specific prompt as much as you’ll be given topics to consider. These topics typically concern your motivation for a medical career and the experiences, situations, and ideas that have influenced your life and academic career and are not mentioned elsewhere in your application. So, there are basic themes that you can use. We do mention a few of these in the book, including:

• A life-changing personal experience with medicine, as a patient or as a person close to a patient, which led to an interest in a career as a doctor.
• An experience that challenged or changed your perspective about medicine.
• An insight into the nature of medical practice or the future of medical technology.

No one theme is inherently better than another—there are excellent personal statements written using commonplace themes and poor ones written using extraordinary themes. The best, however tend to focus on a single theme supported by a few well-chosen, illustrative examples.

In the book we give potential questions that you might consider, and we give advice about brainstorming and organizing the structure of your essay.

Some of the idea generators we discuss are:

• Clustering
• Free writing
• Talk, talk, talk

And some of the key bragging points we discuss are:

• Academic strength
• Commitment to ideals
• Balance

The real trick to having a great essay, though, is lots and lots and lots of drafts. Everybody has a distinct voice, and the personal statement is the first and best opportunity you have to speak directly to the admissions committee. Don’t underestimate its power to make a strong, positive impression. Most colleges have writing centers with free editorial assistance, or you can buy dinner for that friend of yours who is always correcting your grammar! Either way, you’ll definitely need to do more than one draft. You’ve spent how long getting to the point where you’re ready for the MCAT with strong scores and a strong GPA. The time you spend on your personal statement is not a time to skimp.

So grab a keyboard and just get those creative writing thoughts to flowing! You can always edit out the superfluous stuff later. The most important thing is to just get started!

 

[PhoenixBlaze500]

How old are the personal statements in the book? Are they seperated based on theme (ex. one chapter with personal statements discussing academic problems and another chapter with personal statments discussing a life-changing experience, etc.) or bunch together?

 

[SilentSoldier]

I was told we should avoid talking about experiences like if a close family member was hospitalized and if that had any influence on our decision to pursue a career in medicine. They called it the "Soap Opera Principle". Is that something to consider even if said experience actually happened and did influence our decision in one way or the other?

I'm really hoping that my PS and my ECs get myself in since my GPA is (hopefully) going to be the only low point in my app.

 

[TPR Laura]

We added essays to the book just this past fall, so there are applicants whose undergraduate graduation date is in 2007! Granted, there are a few essays that are a few years older than that, but even those personal statements will be relevant and helpful in their form and content. Think of it as though you are taking advice from someone who has already graduated from med school, and they are already practicing. Their advice may even be more helpful than someone who has simply just been accepted even though it might seem like they are a few years out of the process.

The essays in the book aren't grouped together by topic or by year. They are in a pretty random order, actually, because the scope and topics tend to run the spectrum.

I hope this helps!
Laura

 

[TPR Laura]

I’ll say it again: “Speak from experience, not from desire.”

Have you ever heard the saying about there’s no such thing as a new story? There’s not. It’s all in how you tell it. If your motivations to go to med school are because of a family member’s experience with illness, then by all means write about it. Just keep in mind that many other pre-med students have similar stories with similar epiphanies and similar outcomes. Even if your essay is heartfelt, it might get tossed into the same pile as all the others about a similar experience.

Perhaps the key to having a successful personal statement is to take a specific scene or monumental glimpse from that story and use it to lead into the rest of your essay.

Here’s an example: “As I listened to the doctor explain to my brother the intricacies of the experimental treatment, I realized that there’s more to being a doctor than just healing; you have to make your patients confident in you and your abilities, and you have to inspire them to fight a tough battle. My brother was really motivated to struggle through the tough times because of his confidence in his doctor. Being a part of that conversation changed my future.”

Boom! You have the concrete story there, in one paragraph, and you avoid letting your brother’s story take over the essay that’s supposed to be about you. That leaves tons of room to talk about your motivations to become an oncology specialist, professional experiences (such as volunteering with children who have cancer), and commitment to the profession instead of your abstract desire to simply practice medicine. Many students who choose to study medicine truly feel the decision is the result of a long-term life calling, but making such statements will not distinguish you from the crowd.

If it helps, write out the full story behind your motivations just to get it out on paper, as a first draft. Then, edit, edit, edit!!!! Read through it carefully and decide what are the absolutely necessary parts of the story. So much of writing is actually about knowing what can be cut away so that you leave the details of your core experience, which will make an impressive and memorable personal statement.

Now, go give it your best shot!
Laura