Autobiographical Sketch

[kpm]

What should you include in the sketch? Do they want you to talk about how you currently spend your time and why or can you write about things you did and why you did them? Can you talk about why you want to be a doctor or should you avoid that?

[The Mist]

The best advice that I can give in this situation is to read the question, ensure you understand it and then answer it specifically. You will notice that the second question asks why you wish to be a doctor, so you are covered on that front. That first essay should describe your character traits, the activities that have impacted you the most (and perhaps how they have developed some part of who you are), and (very) briefly some of your hobbies.

 

There was some debate in previous threads as to how much this personal sketch should revolve around medically oriented activities. One POV that emerged was that this is the only part of the application where you can really showcase yourself as an individual and be creative (or as much as 2000 characters allows anyways...). While you should highlight activities that promote things like compassion, work ethic and leadership, you don't necessarily have limit yourself to something medicallly oriented. As an example, if you have been involved in a martial art for a decade and have corresponding awards, leadership roles and mentoring experience, this would make for a solid basis.

 

Some advice I have found useful:

 

1. Be concise where possible. Those characters get eaten up quick, so choose little words over big words where possible.

2. In your first drafts, don't worry about a limit on length. Things can be edited after-wards.

3. After a draft, sit on it for a few days. The reread the question to ensure you have stayed on topic and that you are happy with what you have said.

4. When you are happy with your product, have someone who knows you well check it over. I find that sometimes I will spend too much time expanding on one area to the detriment of other areas. A fresh outside perspective can help in areas such as balance and focus.