sample medical school personal statements

Wondering how to go about writing down your ideas for your medical school admissions essays? Read on to learn more.

Writing your medical school application essay is a tough job because it comes with so much pressure. A well-written essay can mean the difference between getting in or getting that dreaded rejection letter. Organizing your essay is one way to make it look presentable.

Organize your ideas for your medical school admission statement

Organization is one of the attributes that make medical school admissions essays stand out when read by a member of the admissions committee–that and proper grammar and god content. If you are not used to writing application essays, you may see the need for organizing a jumble of ideas into paper a daunting task. For one, you may have a lot of topics in your mind, and you have no idea how to group them in order to form a coherent, cohesive piece. The quickest way to start organizing is to create an outline. Do an outline by jotting down the main ideas that you have. Sort these according to relevance, putting ideas into headings and subheadings if you see fit. If you do not know whether a topic should be heading or a subheading, the quickest way to solve this problem is to look for the broader topic and use that as a heading, relegating the less broad topic as a subheading.

Discussing your thesis effectively in application essays

A thesis statement should be clear. Most professors prefer a concrete thesis compared to something that is abstract, something that you will find difficult with clear examples. As much as possible, avoid vague words. Instead, give specifics when writing your application essay. Write down your thesis with clear, simple terms. A common mistake of applicants when writing their thesis is to use high-falutin words in an attempt to impress admissions personnel with their extensive vocabulary. However, this often backfires, especially if the emerging medical school admission statement sounds unnatural, forced, and unrealistic. If you are not used to using complicated terms and sophisticated-sounding words, stick to the words that you know because this is the only way for you to be able to express yourself best.

Using concrete examples is also effective when discussing the thesis statement of your medical school admissions essays. Examples also break the monotony that often accompanies most essays, and they can be enjoyable to read if they are infused with a bit of humor.

Related questions:

1. How do I select a thesis topic for my medical school admissions essays?

2. How long should my medical school admissions essays be?

3. Are there sample medical school admissions essays available for download online?

Want to learn how to write an essay according to a set word count? Read on to know how.

Why a short and simple application essay is more effective

Most schools instruct applicants to write an essay that is a certain number of words long. The most common is 500 words or roughly one page. Most schools are pretty strict about the length of the application essays they want to receive. This is because they usually receive hundreds of application essays and it is not practical to read through several pages from just one applicant. This is also one way for them to sift through the good and the bad candidates. If your essay has more than the indicated word count, this usually goes straight to the trash pile. Keeping your essay short also lets the admissions officer know that you know how to get to the point. Often, most applicants think that making their application essays long will get the attention of the admissions panel, but this often backfires because it is so easy to get bored by long admission essays.

Tips to keep your admission essays short but effective

The best tip would be to go straight to the point with simple words. Avoid flowery words that will most likely get you nowhere. Also avoid jargon in your application essay. While you can expect to be inundated with medical jargon the moment you enter medical school, your application is not the best time to start using them. The worst case scenario would be that you will appear too presumptuous and full of yourself, and this can easily turn off anyone. Getting straight to the point and using the words you are most comfortable using is the best way to express your thoughts and personality on paper. Using an outline will help you stick to the important parts so you do not exceed the required words. An outline will give you an idea which topics to keep short and which topics to explain more.

Related questions:

1. How long should my application essay be?

2. Should I stick to the word count or is it acceptable to write an essay that is a few words less or more than what is required?

3. How long should my essay be if no word count is indicated?

Tragic personal experience can be of use to you when you apply for medical school. Aside from being a rich resource of insights, you can also use them to show your admission committee how you battled and overcame difficult periods in your life.

Tragic experiences as an effective application essay topic

Most admissions experts advise applicants to use personal experiences and anecdotes to reveal themselves to the admissions committee. However, with the many experiences one is bound to accumulate in a lifetime, choosing which experience is worthy to be written down can be hard. Oftentimes, applicants resort to difficult times in their life to show their character and support their motivations for attending med school.

Essay writing tips when discussing your tragic life experiences

There is no set criteria for personal experiences that you should include in your medical school admission statement. As long as you can create a good personal statement around it, any kind of personal story can work to your advantage. Experiences may not have to be exactly yours. Your application essay could be about an accident that you witnessed or a tragic event that happened in the life of a close friend or loved one You can use all the emotions, the lessons and insights learned to show a side of your character.

A common obstacle when opting for this route is when you feel like you do not have an experience that it tragic enough to be useful in a medical school admission statement. Most applicants when faced with this problem tend to go the easy way and embellish. Some may even lie in their applications. But this is a definite no-no when making your personal statement for any application, as you will likely be found out. At the least, an overly melodramatic story is not something you want your admissions officers to read.

It is always better to stick to the truth rather than risk the embarrassment and the certainty that you will not be accepted when your story is found to be a fabrication. Be careful when using humor with this kind of essay. Humor can easily backfire and appear irreverent when injected into an essay that has a personal tragedy as its central theme.

Related questions:

1. How do I know which tragic experience to include in my essay?

2. Where can I find samples of application essays that are written around the theme of a personal tragedy?

3. Does the tragic experience have to be my own, or can I draw from the experiences of others?

Taropanda contains articles about a wide variety of topics,including health and beauty, food, entertainment, medical issues, schools, relationships, and current events. There are actually a lot of things to expect from this site. Many of them are really very interesting. The blog seems to be about everything, but if you explore it, you will know that the blogger is really passionate particularly about food and topics related to medicine. The theme and the tone of the blog suggest that it is intended for teen audience.
What’s to like about the site

One thing I like about the blog is its theme. The design is simple, but at the same time attractive. The color combinations are appealing to the eyes as well. The theme is a great choice for it complements the content of the blog. Like the design, the entries are light in tone and as interesting as the colors in the design.

One of the interesting entries is the Random + Weird Medical Stuff. The post contains different medicine-related ideas that are surprising and insightful. Aside from the entries, I also like the layout of the site. It is very easy to navigate. In the category “Blogs that I Like,” for instance, you can have a view of the list of blogs in the subcategory just by hovering the cursor on it.

What’s not to like about the site

I think it would be more fun if the blogger includes videos and several interesting photos in the homepage. This will make the site more interactive, refreshing, and appealing to readers. But, this is only a minor concern. Overall, I like the site because of its well-written articles and diverse topics to offer. It seems like the blogger really is passionate about life.

NursingNet is a site dedicated to nursing students and those who are aspiring to enter nursing schools. The site provides news on issues related to nursing. Aside from this, the site also provides tips and advice that could help many nursing students. Some entries throw frequently asked questions. For example, there is a question about an NCLEX-RN review book. This post is really useful to many nursing students.

What’s to like about the blog

One thing I like about the blog is the question section. I think this is a very important part of a blog dedicated to helping students. This section is very useful to a lot of nursing students. Another thing I like about the site is that the approach is really appealing to students. Unlike other blogs with similar topics, this one has a friendlier and less formal approach when it comes to the tone. The blog does not only inform students, but also encourages students to raise questions. This blog also discusses things that are really relevant to nursing students. The tips and advice are really practical and very useful. The layout is also good. I find the blog easy to navigate.

What’s not to like about the blog

There are a few things I don’t find appealing about this blog. One is the design. The design should have complemented the approach of the entries. It seems to me that the design is too formal. Except for the logo, the overall design is stiff and very formal. I also find the color less appealing. I think there is a better choice of color for this site. Overall, the site is good. It just needs a little improvement with the design. An attractive color and design can make a significant difference to this site.

Med Obsession is a blog written by a medical student in order to share her experiences in med school and in hospital work. A good example of this post is Postpartum Hemorrhage. In this blog, she shares not only her experiences in the field of medicine, but also her experiences as a student of life. She also talks about her family and friends. There is also a useful section for advice.

Things to like about Med Obsession

One of the things I like about Med Obsession is the theme, which is quite attractive. I also like the layout of the blog. The site is easy to explore because of this design feature. The categories are strategically placed in the upper left part of the layout, where they are easily seen. Another thing that makes this site excellent is its neatness. The sections in the home page are located in places that make the home page look well-organized. The neatness of the blog and the color of the theme are very refreshing to the eyes. Although the blog has wide empty spaces, it does not look bare. The wide expanse even encourages visitors to explore the site further. The entries are good and the style is consistent that I am really convinced that the posts are only written by a single person. The topics didn’t fail to arouse my interest as well.

Things that are not really very impressive about Med Obsession

Overall, I don’t find any serious problem with the blog. I only think that one of the minor issues is that the blog lacks pictures and other images. Since the approach of the blogger is personal, it would be better if she also provides photos related to her experiences. Occasional posting of video clips could also add to the appeal of the site.

Inquarta is a site dedicated to providing readers with graduate school admissions advice. In order to avail the full services Inquarta provides, clients need to sign up. The site advertises Inquartas’s other products such as books on med school admissions and premed admissions planner. The site also provides updates regarding med school tuition increase and other related topics posted on the blog.

Unique things about this site

Inquarta is a professional-looking site, but it does not sacrifice creativity. Although the site is simple, there are images that render creativity. The homepage, for instance, has a very cool image. This alone can hold the attention of the readers and even first-time visitors. The posts are also very interesting. Many entries start with attention-grabbing cues. Another thing I like about the entries is that they’re very informative. The entries that give advice are very concise–they’re brief but they’re able to explain important ideas very well.

I find the “Recent” and “Most Commented” categories very useful. The links to various sites are also very useful. The interface is good because the site encourages navigation. The layout is really excellent. I find it easy to search for the information I need. Without saying it outright, the site gives me a reason to explore further.

Not-so-impressive things about the site

Some entries are so short that they leave me hanging and wanting for more info. Although brevity is a good point, some posts are really very short that they fail to satisfy my curiosity about the topic. I am also bothered by the double posting of an entry. The August 20 entry about the Swiss Government selling UBS stake was posted twice. Well, there’s a slight difference between the URLs of the two posts. I guess it was done on purpose, but I don’t see why there’s a need to post the same entry twice.

Advisor’s Corner is intended for those who are interested in taking up medicine. The articles on this blog, such as the Top Ten Pieces of Advice for Aspiring and Successful Pre-Meds, are obviously written for premed students who want to be in the know. The blog aims at providing a useful resource for med-related issues and concerns. You get the impression that it was created by professionals for aspiring med school students.

The strong points

One of the strong points I see on the site is its layout. The layout and design are reallly professional-looking. The photos of the developers in the home page also help to establish the credibility of the site. The formality of the theme and the photo of the blog’s developers make it seem professional. This is, of course, a very important factor especially if you’re writing about med school advice and tips. In terms of content, the site has well-written articles. The med-related topics highlighted in the blogs are, indeed, very helpful for med school applicants and med school students. The style and tone of the entries are very consistent.

The weak points

What I don’t like about the blog is its very simple design. The colors should be made more attractive. Adding some colors to the site would make it more appealing to visitors. It could also encourage visitors to explore the site. The developers should also improve the frequency of posting entries. Although the entries are excellent, they’re too few. I look forward to seeing more posts. Hopefully, authors will find time to contribute more. I’d also appreciate it if subheadings will be in set in bold face. This typeset will defenitely make reading the entries easier. I can easily spot the information I need to know or the subtopics that really interest me.

A gimmicky statement is designed to attract attention or increase appeal. What are some examples of gimmicky personal statements and why is it usually not considered effective in making your medical school statement?

Examples of gimmicky personal statements

Some examples of gimmicky personal statements include using definitions or quotations from someone else to begin your essay. Using techniques like writing poems may also be considered as such. Generally, writing about something that is considered odd or writing in a very unusual way can be seen as gimmicky.

Why gimmicky personal statements don’t work

You may be asking yourself why the examples mentioned above are not effective, considering that they can show that you are trying to be creative. The fact is that oftentimes it may be too much that it steers your essay away from the point that you are trying to make, and it may even alienate your readers. Writing quotations and definitions also seem cliche, especially if these are often used and do not help much in emphasizing who you are and the contents of your essay.

What to do to avoid submitting a gimmicky personal statement

In order to steer away from having a gimmicky personal statement, you have to find confidence in your strengths. State your good qualities honestly and clearly through stories or anecdotes that would make others see and appreciate who you truly are and how far you have come. Your personal experiences, thoughts, and inspirations tied up with your abilities and goals should already be impressive enough that you wouldn’t feel a need to come up with any gimmicky statement. Make sure that everything you put in is relevant and sensible, especially if there is a given topic. Ascertain also that nothing in your personal statement is plagiarized and that it comes out as uniquely you.

Related links:

Medical school essays – How a sample medical school essay can be useful
Essay Introductions – How to start your essay right
Effective Introductions – Five effective essay introductions
Entering medical school – Questions before entering medical school
Life-changing experiences – Tips on writing admission essays based on your experience

Sometimes, stating things as is is a very daunting task, especially if it includes concepts that are just too complex to explain. That’s why it is also often useful to turn to comparisons with day-to-day things. Use of rhetorical tools such as analogies and metaphors let the readers think and, if well-made, showcases your creativity and good analytical skills.

What are analogies?

Analogies are statements that make an inference that if two or more things agree with one another in some respects they will probably agree in others. It shows a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based. Like when you mention that a person’s brain is like a CPU that can store information, you can also infer that it is as prone to breakdowns. You basically look for their similarities, and use them to make or enhance your point or, as in the example given, to add humor.

What are metaphors?

Metaphors make a concept more vivid by stating an object or a concept because of their similar attributes. One can say through a metaphor that “personal statements is a picture of one’s soul that ultimately reflects a person’s knowledge of one’s self, to give the readers a more vivid picture of the concept you are trying to project.

Tips in effectively using analogies and metaphors in your essay

In order for analogies and metaphors to work well in your personal statement, make sure not to overdo it. Use them only for emphasis. They are supposed to be used to make the readers reflect or consider the similarities proposed, so you should also make sure that they are well thought of. It is also important to be original. Do not use analogies and metaphors that others made, especially those that have already been used a lot of times. These would only make your writing seem trite and lacking in real substance. Always remember that you are using analogies and metaphors because you have a specific concept in mind that you seek to clarify, and not just because you want to impress your readers.

Related links:

Effective writing strategies – All about writing strategies and tips
Personal statements – About personal statement writing tips
Medical school essays – How a sample medical school essay can be useful
Entering medical school – Questions before entering medical school
Medical school essays – Ways on how a sample essay can be useful