Struggling with WHY MD/PhD Essay

[Sashi1995]

Are there any previous applicants or current applicants that are willing to send me their essay to glance at? I have mine written but I am not sure if it is too general. Reading over some examples of how others wrote there essays would help me.

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[s_med]

I'm not sure if anyone would be willing to send you their essay outright (I'm not), but I can offer a bullet point summary of mine. Each bullet point roughly corresponds to one paragraph.

• Outline, as I see them, the contrasting demands on an MD and PhD student, and likewise those on a clinician and scientist. Explain why carving out the niche between them is important and why I would like to train to enter that intersection.
• Briefly outline some reasons why I am a fit candidate for the MD/PhD program but more importantly for the role of a physician-scientist. Provide 3-4 short examples of experiences/skills I have that demonstrate I can meet the demands listed in the previous bullet point.
• Give a few reasons why both degrees in combination will help me achieve my specific career goals (and obviously, summarize those goals and/or remind the reader of them from other essays). With my specific interests in computational processing and analysis of neural signals, stress that the quantitative rigor of the PhD program will enable me to pursue difficult translational research questions whose answers can manifest into new clinical therapies.
• Finally, explain that my passion for face-to-face interaction and interpersonal service drives me towards medicine, and that research alone would not fulfill this motivation.

Looking over my essay now, it was fairly broad in scope, but I provided 5 distinct examples (concisely) that referenced other parts of my application package and that tied together the threads of MD and PhD. General is fine, but I believe you have to provide concrete justifications and examples to convince adcoms.

 

[Sashi1995]

I'm not sure if anyone would be willing to send you their essay outright (I'm not), but I can offer a bullet point summary of mine. Each bullet point roughly corresponds to one paragraph.

• Outline, as I see them, the contrasting demands on an MD and PhD student, and likewise those on a clinician and scientist. Explain why carving out the niche between them is important and why I would like to train to enter that intersection.
• Briefly outline some reasons why I am a fit candidate for the MD/PhD program but more importantly for the role of a physician-scientist. Provide 3-4 short examples of experiences/skills I have that demonstrate I can meet the demands listed in the previous bullet point.
• Give a few reasons why both degrees in combination will help me achieve my specific career goals (and obviously, summarize those goals and/or remind the reader of them from other essays). With my specific interests in computational processing and analysis of neural signals, stress that the quantitative rigor of the PhD program will enable me to pursue difficult translational research questions whose answers can manifest into new clinical therapies.
• Finally, explain that my passion for face-to-face interaction and interpersonal service drives me towards medicine, and that research alone would not fulfill this motivation.

Looking over my essay now, it was fairly broad in scope, but I provided 5 distinct examples (concisely) that referenced other parts of my application package and that tied together the threads of MD and PhD. General is fine, but I believe you have to provide concrete justifications and examples to convince adcoms.

How did you include all of that in 3000 characters! wow! that is a lot of material for such a short essay

 

[s_med]

How did you include all of that in 3000 characters! wow! that is a lot of material for such a short essay

By writing very succinctly and revising multiple times. There was no room for fluff or flowery language in my essay.

In terms of space limitations, the key was to reference elements of my other essays, particularly the research experience essay, instead of trying to give details in this essay.

 

[sooleiool]

@s_med provided good advice; the key question to answer is why you need and want to do both degrees. I got a lot of positive feedback and praise on my essay during interviews. I basically used an analogy to a non-science interest(s) of mine. I'm not willing to share, but a basic outline was (1) why I want the PhD (my first interest), followed by (2) why I want the MD (my second interest), (3) how I realized doing both would benefit each degree, and (4) why the dual-degree best fit my career goals and aspirations.

I would argue this is not the place to "prove" yourself with what experience you have- your AMCAS application, MD essay, and research essay should all show clear examples of what you've done to show interest in the career and what kind of goals you have for the future as far as research interests. I did not go into too much detail about my past experiences in this essay.

I would say mine had a bit of fluff, but the way I wrote it worked for the point I was getting across. As someone who didn't have the best MCAT/GPA, I think the essays and LORs are what pushed me through to some interviews. Reviewers want to know who you are and why you want to do the MD/PhD- make your voice clear and get the point across. Ask yourself the question of why you want to do a dual-degree program and use that answer to guide how you write your essay. Be succinct, and show that you understand the goals and benefits of an MD/PhD versus just one or the other.