Guest gnb Posted May 28, 2003 Report Share Posted May 28, 2003 To those of you who have applied (or are currently applying) to US med schools... I am trying to decide between two versions of my essay for AMCAS and I am wondering if it is really necessary to describe why I want to do medicine. In one version of the essay I describe my experiences in competitive sport and the in the other version I describe a research experience. I have tried to incorporate reasons for wanting to go into medicine however, they don't really seem to fit anywhere. Any thoughts?? Thanks, Gabrielle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jeffsimz Posted May 28, 2003 Report Share Posted May 28, 2003 I am also having trouble with my personal statement. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WesternGirl Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 Hi Gabrielle, What is it about your experiences in competitive sports and research that makes you an EXCELLENT candidate for medicine? What have you learned from those experiences that can be applied to medicine? That is probably the most important thing from all your experiences - what you learned from them and how they made you a "better" person. For example, in sports, you might have learned to take on a leadership role, which can help you in medicine. Or it helped you learn the importance of being a team player, group dynamics, etc that could also be an asset in medicine. Personally, I would write about why I want to go into medicine and then perhaps "prove" that I am a suitable candidate through the various experiences that I've been through. I'm not on any admissions committee, so don't take my word as being correct. However, I think that the ad coms are not as interested in your actually experiences as they are in what you learned. So, don't spend the whole essay writing about the details of your research (which you probably didn't) but instead talk about personal characteristics that it illustrated - perhaps a long term committment, dedication, persistance, patience, etc. Remember, that depending on the school, a variety of people could be reading the essays - not necessarily are they all docs. At Mac, we have a faculty member, a med student and a member of the general community reading the essays...so it really needs to appeal to all three. Good luck in your personal essay! WesternGirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gnb Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 Thanks for the advice WesternGirl. I decided to focus on sports and what I learned from competing (i.e. teamwork, leadership, defeat, commitment, growth as a person, etc, etc...). Thanks again! Gabrielle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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