pokaroo Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 For all those you were INTERVIEWED- could you help the prospective applicants and how you approached it. It is so open ended but some sort of direction or formatting advice would be very helpful! thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Well, I started with a humorous "hook" which was a story about volunteering in a hospital where I did something laughable and silly. Then I basically started at the beginning and did a little paragraph about each major bullet point in the story of why I want to go into medicine. I tried to tell it like a narrative, and I tried to do "showing not telling" and use imagery and interesting words. It's all about keeping their attention. Then I finished by linking the points together and referring again to my "hook" to give it a cyclic feel and a sense of closure. At first, don't worry about the length. Just say everything you want to say and then pare it down and streamline your wording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anxious_101 Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 I started off my essay about my first time landing a plane on my own - flying solo. I devoted an entire paragraph to this experience and how it has shaped me as a person. Always good to start with something unique, interesting and compelling. Remember, the 3 file reviewers who will read your essay read dozens of these in a single sitting so you want to keep them engaged. They score each essay right after reading it - so I am told. Don't pull a plain vanilla. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funnyboy6 Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 I got this directly from UofT website: 6) Will an interesting narrative style make my application stand out? No. The essay is assessed on content rather than style. A thoughtful, clear and concise essay with proper spelling, grammar and punctuation is the best way to get your ideas across. OMSAS renders essays in a standardized format. According to them, style/narrative doesn't get you any more points--what are your thoughts on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anxious_101 Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I got this directly from UofT website: 6) Will an interesting narrative style make my application stand out? No. The essay is assessed on content rather than style. A thoughtful, clear and concise essay with proper spelling, grammar and punctuation is the best way to get your ideas across. OMSAS renders essays in a standardized format. According to them, style/narrative doesn't get you any more points--what are your thoughts on this? fb6 - You're right in that you don't want to make the point of your essay about style and swagger rather than substance. But being interesting and compelling in your writing isn't necessarily about upping the style. It's about content. A clear and professional to the point essay with minimal flowery language will work best. What I meant by don't pull a vanilla is to not talk about the same old boring thing. You know: I volunteered at this hospital. I was president of that club. Instead, talk about unique and exciting things you've done and how those experiences have shaped you as a person - and ultimately for a career in medicine. Don't use the essay as a venue to thread your 48 autobiographical sketch items into sentences. Instead use it as an outlet to sell yourself in a unique and exciting manner - content-wise that is. Good luck with it. I thoroughly enjoyed writing my essay for U of T last year. It's the only part of the entire OMSAS application process that I actually enjoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Technically, they won't give you points for it, but it's a subjective process and IMO anything you can do to make your essay catchy and appealing will work for you, as long as it's not super gimmicky and obvious. You want the person reading it to like/be interested in/want to meet you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funnyboy6 Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thanks for the quick responses! I totally agree with anxious and ellorie. The essay is about being honest, personal, and talking about how your experiences have shaped your path. I totally agree that simply saying the same old stuff about helping people, and regurgitating the 48-item sketch won't get you too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pokaroo Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I agree- it needs to be personal... so from what I hear an anecdote at the starting would be most ideal.. also in terms of courses how did people address that stem of the question? Finally.. what qualities does UofT generally look for iin their class... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 I agree- it needs to be personal... so from what I hear an anecdote at the starting would be most ideal.. also in terms of courses how did people address that stem of the question? . Finally.. what qualities does UofT generally look for iin their class... They are looking for the same qualities as all med schools are seeking and these qualities should fly off the pages in your Essay (without listing them). Your essay needs to be compelling such that the readers will want to meet you. There is no standard beginning but it must be well written so that it flows, well structured and organized. Having a theme helps to keep you focused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iicii Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 keep it real don't use "flowery" language Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patho_Medicus Posted July 16, 2011 Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 I started out with a hook, a pretty emotional one I guess about a teacher of mine. Then I used it as recurrent metaphor throughout the essay I suppose. I wrote my essay in a day and asked 2 of my friends to read it through...I was happy with what I wrote cause I actually believed in what I wrote, it made sense to me and I got that satisfied-smirk/happy gut feeling about it once it was done. Be yourself, don't exaggerate and don't tell lies..I think that is all they ask for anyways right? Have fun with the process!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkspider Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Everyone above almost covers anything. I really valued Joshua's thoughts on his blog post (http://www.medhopeful.com/archive/mastering-the-university-of-toronto-medical-school-essay-part-1-the-secret/) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All_star Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 I don't suppose starting off with your experience with psilocibin is appropriate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 I would think you would want to skip over it just to be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Applemanv3 Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Hi Everyone, I just completed the second draft of my essay and finally got the word count down to just a few over 1000. Now, I'm pretty happy with my essay because it highlights the most important aspects of my experiences while also answering the specifics in UofT's prompt. However, so much good stuff has simply been left out due to the word count. I am assuming that given UofT's holistic review system, they will read the essay, but also look at the 48-item sketch for plenty more details. Do you think it's safe to not try and put every conceivable award, experience, and item possible in the essay and just let them consult the 48-item sketch for more info? Any ideas/comments would be helpful. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OIC Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Absolutely. I think if you tried to list each of the 48 items you'd be left with about one sentence per item and really that is a waste of an opportunity to provide a coherent story for the evaluators to read. Personally, my essay focused on about 3 aspects and each included 2ish items from my list. I used the essay to talk about the bigger things and how they shaped me and and even introduce some background about myself that had no place on the ABS. There are many approaches to writing this essay but I think if you feel like you've answered the prompt well and you are happy with the piece (both of which you seem to have covered) then you are well on your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Absolutely. I think if you tried to list each of the 48 items you'd be left with about one sentence per item and really that is a waste of an opportunity to provide a coherent story for the evaluators to read. Personally, my essay focused on about 3 aspects and each included 2ish items from my list. I used the essay to talk about the bigger things and how they shaped me and and even introduce some background about myself that had no place on the ABS. There are many approaches to writing this essay but I think if you feel like you've answered the prompt well and you are happy with the piece (both of which you seem to have covered) then you are well on your way. yeah I would second this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Applemanv3 Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Coming from OIC and rmorelan, the advice is gold! Thanks for the quick responses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepontrying Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I'm wondering if it's a good idea to write a new essay considering that I got an interview last year? I've read in past threads that I should go with whatever worked before? Sort of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix" mentality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utmed13 Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Hi Everyone, I just completed the second draft of my essay and finally got the word count down to just a few over 1000. Now, I'm pretty happy with my essay because it highlights the most important aspects of my experiences while also answering the specifics in UofT's prompt. However, so much good stuff has simply been left out due to the word count. I am assuming that given UofT's holistic review system, they will read the essay, but also look at the 48-item sketch for plenty more details. Do you think it's safe to not try and put every conceivable award, experience, and item possible in the essay and just let them consult the 48-item sketch for more info? Any ideas/comments would be helpful. Thanks! You want your essay to highlight the most important aspects of your application i.e what were the big 5 reasons that convinced you to pursue medicine. You can try and expand on some of 48 items from your list but try and avoid being redundant. When you get interviewed, they will look at both and you should know them both really well. There has to be a good reason why something deserves to be in your application to 'medical school' so you have to learn to be selective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I'm wondering if it's a good idea to write a new essay considering that I got an interview last year? I've read in past threads that I should go with whatever worked before? Sort of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix" mentality? Consider updating it where appropriate, otherwise I would not tinker with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoteny Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I'm wondering if it's a good idea to write a new essay considering that I got an interview last year? I've read in past threads that I should go with whatever worked before? Sort of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix" mentality? This is something I want to find out about as well. What is the general consensus on re-using your personal essay from the last application cycle if it netted you an interview before? I'm tempted to change a few things (updates really), but leave the rest pretty much as is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepontrying Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Thanks f_d. I'll just add an extra paragraph to add more insights and that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Good call And the safest route! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonekid Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Consider updating it where appropriate, otherwise I would not tinker with it.Agreed. If you feel like you have a solid essay, why mess with a good thing? Just update it for the past year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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