sample medical school personal statements

Like in a battlefield, survival is a struggle in medical school. You have to be emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially prepared to face all the challenges that might come your way. If you are not equipped with appropriate weapons or provided with proper training, you will have an even more difficult struggle than the rest. To survive life in medical school, you always have to be one step higher than what is expected from you. Here are some of the things you should do to prepare for medical school.

* Take up required courses

Like most graduate studies, medical education also comes with its share of academic requirements. The required courses for medical school are biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and English. Laboratory units in biology, chemistry, and physics are also needed. Although there are no specific requirements for a pre-medical college course, you are still advised to take up a science-related college course like biology or chemistry. Science-related courses, aside from including the basic academic requirements for medical school in their curriculum, are also good stepping stones for medical school. In medical school, be prepared to take up courses on biochemistry, pharmacology, anatomy, and other pure biological sciences. So, it’s important that you have a solid background on them.

* Develop study habits

Medical school should be taken seriously. If you successfully finished college by simply depending on your “stocked knowledge,” then you should probably start developing a new study habit for medical school. School work in medical school is overwhelming and if you are not prepared for it, you might easily give in and just drop out. Before the academic year starts, try reading medical textbooks to refresh your mind with scientific concepts. If you want, you can also prepare yourself for exams by answering medical quizzes on the Internet. Practice studying now because you need to get used to it anyway.

In medical schools, professors expect their students to come to class prepared. This means that students should have done some advanced reading on the topics to be discussed so that they can participate actively in the discussion. The long hours spent reading and studying for subjects in medical school are the primary reason medical students stay up all night studying.

* Prepare your physical health

In medical school, your best weapon against stress and pressure is your health. You have to maintain a fit physique and a healthy mind to endure the limited sleep hours, overwhelming school work, and endless academic pressure. How can you pass clinical pathology if you are too weak to get up from bed? Health is wealth, and in this case, wealth is your education. You cannot enrich your education if you cannot attend classes or perform experiments because you are too sickly to function. Besides, how can you be a good doctor if you don’t even know how to take care of your own health?

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After finishing medical school, it is very likely that you will get into a point where you want to consider being a medical specialist over being a general practitioner. To help you get a decision, here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a medical specialist:

Advantages of being a medical specialist

Being an internist or surgeon or neurologist will give you the chance to learn more about a particular medicine field. This will give you the benefit of having more credibility than a general practitioner.

Being a medical specialist will also open new doors for you. You will have the chance to make your name famous. For example, years of further study as an internist or specialist can give you the chance to be respected by your colleagues in the medical field. Your co-workers might even heed your advice regarding matters that they cannot solve. Your specialization can also transform you into a highly-recommended doctor. Being a specialist will also give you the opportunity to work on more challenging medical cases.

Also, your specialization can also be your ticket to earn more money. Medical specialists earn at least $20,000 more than general practitioners. Having a specialization can also boost your chances of getting various job opportunities.

Disadvantages of being a medical specialist

The life of a medical specialist is not always too good to be true. To be able to establish a prestigious name and earn more money, you have to work hard for it. Once you graduate from medical school you will have to work in a hospital for a number of years. You should also spend several years as a resident. Practicing will make it easier for you decide on your medical specialization.

Being a medical specialist can also limit your work. For example, if you are a cardiologist, you will only be involved with patients who have cardiovascular system-related illnesses. General practitioners, on the other hand, are allowed to handle patients with varying disorders.

Whether you decide to be a general practitioner or a medical specialist, always take into consideration your interests. Your financial stability and work-life balance can also be factors in your career decisions.

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