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Medical School personal statement NO NOs!
A bad personal statement can put your medical school application on life support. Don't negate an otherwise impressive application with an innocent mistep. Avoid these approaches like a virus:
1. Don’t repeat information from other parts of your application. Take this unique opportunity to provide some deeper insight into who you are; don’t regurgitate your resume.
2. Avoid generalities. Admissions officers read an enormous number of (probably boring) essays. If you want to be remembered, the devil is in the details. Use specific incidents and examples from your life.
3. Maintain the proper tone. You don't need to be ultra-formal, but remember that this is a professional document, not a post on your blog. Skip the outrageous stories and casual slang.
4. Be careful with humor. Only a select few can pull off humor in this context. Keep it subtle and restrained, and have someone else read your essay and tell you if you’re as funny as you think. If you are successful, you won’t soon be forgotten.
5. Don’t get (too) political. Medical schools want students committed to the preservation of human life. Left or right, blue or red doesn’t matter as much. If you opt to write about a controversial issue, tread with care and respect.
6. No gimmicks, no gambles. Standing out is a far cry from going off the deep end. Don't write a satire or a mocked-up front-page newspaper article. Don't rhyme. Gimmicky personal statements often appear contrived and usually fall flat. Stick to a straightforward narrative.
7. Don’t revisit grades or test scores. They speak for themselves. Trying to explain away bad credentials just draws unnecessary attention to them.
8. “I want to become a doctor to help people.” Duh. A statement like this seems insincere unless you back it up with evidence. Demonstrate your commitment through the example of your work and your life.
1. Don’t repeat information from other parts of your application. Take this unique opportunity to provide some deeper insight into who you are; don’t regurgitate your resume.
2. Avoid generalities. Admissions officers read an enormous number of (probably boring) essays. If you want to be remembered, the devil is in the details. Use specific incidents and examples from your life.
3. Maintain the proper tone. You don't need to be ultra-formal, but remember that this is a professional document, not a post on your blog. Skip the outrageous stories and casual slang.
4. Be careful with humor. Only a select few can pull off humor in this context. Keep it subtle and restrained, and have someone else read your essay and tell you if you’re as funny as you think. If you are successful, you won’t soon be forgotten.
5. Don’t get (too) political. Medical schools want students committed to the preservation of human life. Left or right, blue or red doesn’t matter as much. If you opt to write about a controversial issue, tread with care and respect.
6. No gimmicks, no gambles. Standing out is a far cry from going off the deep end. Don't write a satire or a mocked-up front-page newspaper article. Don't rhyme. Gimmicky personal statements often appear contrived and usually fall flat. Stick to a straightforward narrative.
7. Don’t revisit grades or test scores. They speak for themselves. Trying to explain away bad credentials just draws unnecessary attention to them.
8. “I want to become a doctor to help people.” Duh. A statement like this seems insincere unless you back it up with evidence. Demonstrate your commitment through the example of your work and your life.
Advice to stregthen your application
1. Medical Experience
The majority of successful applicants have some experience in a hospital, clinic, hospice or other health care setting. You should aim to hold a volunteer or paid position for at least six months.
2. Diverse Interests
medical schools admit students who have displayed a strong aptitude for science. But they also look for applicants with an interest in the wider world. Diversity comes in all flavors: academic, extracurriculars, experience.
3. Commitment
Medical school is lengthy, challenging, and physically strenuous. Admissions committees want to know if you can commit to something over a long period of time. (RM's this is where you talk about your mission)
4. Altruism
Altruism distinguishes a strong medical school applicant from a mediocre one. Volunteer work and community service are vital.Many schools expect you to explain how service to others has informed your decision to become a doctor.
Teaching experience is always an asset to a medical school application because it suggests an ability to communicate clearly and confidently. How have you demonstrated a genuine concern for the well-being of other people? In other words you must be able to show through experiences compassion and ultimately why you wish to persue a carreer in medicine.
5. The Whole Picture
Medical schools look for individuals who have a strong interest in science and a wide-ranging intellect. They want to graduate physicians who listen to their patients and use their acquired talents to heal them. There is no magic combination of scores or personal qualities that will create an unbroken path into medical school, so sell yourself, not someone else. Admissions personel can tell when you aren't genuine.
6. Don't Make Excuses
In order to mitigate your weaknesses own up to your mistakes and explain how you learned and grew from them. Excuses show a lack of responibility and deficit in charactor two charactoristics which stand out more so than your bad grade or low MCAT score.
The majority of successful applicants have some experience in a hospital, clinic, hospice or other health care setting. You should aim to hold a volunteer or paid position for at least six months.
2. Diverse Interests
medical schools admit students who have displayed a strong aptitude for science. But they also look for applicants with an interest in the wider world. Diversity comes in all flavors: academic, extracurriculars, experience.
3. Commitment
Medical school is lengthy, challenging, and physically strenuous. Admissions committees want to know if you can commit to something over a long period of time. (RM's this is where you talk about your mission)
4. Altruism
Altruism distinguishes a strong medical school applicant from a mediocre one. Volunteer work and community service are vital.Many schools expect you to explain how service to others has informed your decision to become a doctor.
Teaching experience is always an asset to a medical school application because it suggests an ability to communicate clearly and confidently. How have you demonstrated a genuine concern for the well-being of other people? In other words you must be able to show through experiences compassion and ultimately why you wish to persue a carreer in medicine.
5. The Whole Picture
Medical schools look for individuals who have a strong interest in science and a wide-ranging intellect. They want to graduate physicians who listen to their patients and use their acquired talents to heal them. There is no magic combination of scores or personal qualities that will create an unbroken path into medical school, so sell yourself, not someone else. Admissions personel can tell when you aren't genuine.
6. Don't Make Excuses
In order to mitigate your weaknesses own up to your mistakes and explain how you learned and grew from them. Excuses show a lack of responibility and deficit in charactor two charactoristics which stand out more so than your bad grade or low MCAT score.
6 comments:
I left out a book I realized upon reviewing this post that I think is worthy of mention. An Uncertain Art is similar to Better and How doctors think although in my opinion those books are better written and overall more entertaining that being said I think its still worth reading.
I recommend anything by Malcolm Gladwell such as the tipping Point, Blink, or Outliers. Although not medically centered he touches on topics that will open your mind to the world around you and show you everyday things through new eyes. I especially think the 10,000 hours required for success is very prevalent in the medical profession. I also think a lot of premeds get caught up in their own little worlds and another book I'd recommend to break you out of this is Freakonomics this will give you a broad look at a variety of social issues which will make you think twice the next time you try to jump to concussions.
when I interviewed, the question was brought up, What was the last book you read? which was the medium abridged Le Misrables, and we talked about it for a while
I agree, in my med school interviews it was brought up a few times. Questions like what was the last book you read? and your favorite book? and I was just glad that I found some time during my breaks to be able to have something to talk about. Medical School is full of reading, so I guess that's why they ask because if you don't enjoy reading you will be miserable throughout med school.
I agree with Sheri- reading non-medical books is healthy when all you are thinking about is biochem/organic chem/anatomy...
That being said, I really liked Intern by Dr. X.
i like your blog post and i am so grateful for your blog post.thanks
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