How should I approach a medical school admissions essay, including the secondaries?

Question

When approaching a medical school admissions essay, including the secondary applications, it's essential to highlight your unique qualities, experiences, and motivations that make you a strong candidate for a medical career. Here are some tips to guide you through the process:

1. Understand the purpose of the essay:

- Recognize that the admissions essay is an opportunity to demonstrate your personal and professional qualities beyond your academic achievements.

- Use the essay to explain why you are passionate about medicine, showcase your suitability for the field, and convey your potential as a future physician.

2. Research the school and its values:

- Familiarize yourself with the medical school's mission, values, and unique aspects.

- Tailor your essay to align with the school's specific goals, values, and offerings.

- Showcase how you will contribute to the school's community and advance its mission.

3. Reflect on your experiences and motivations:

- Reflect on your personal and academic journey, including experiences that have shaped your desire to pursue medicine.

- Highlight moments that have influenced your understanding of healthcare, patient care, and your own goals in the field.

- Explain how these experiences have prepared you for a career in medicine and influenced your personal growth.

4. Communicate your qualities and achievements:

- Identify and emphasize your key qualities, such as compassion, empathy, resilience, leadership, teamwork, and adaptability.

- Showcase your achievements, academic or otherwise, that demonstrate your commitment, dedication, and ability to excel in the medical field.

- Use specific examples or stories to illustrate these qualities and achievements.

5. Demonstrate your understanding of the medical profession:

- Discuss your knowledge of the challenges, responsibilities, and rewards of a career in medicine.

- Reflect on any healthcare-related research, clinical experiences, or shadowing that have deepened your understanding of the medical profession.

- Highlight how your experiences have confirmed your commitment and motivation to pursue medicine as a lifelong vocation.

6. Address any weaknesses or challenges:

- If you have any academic or personal challenges that may be evident in your application, use the essay to address them honestly and provide context.

- Explain how you have grown or overcome these challenges, and how they have contributed to your resilience and determination.

7. Tailor your secondary applications:

- Each medical school's secondary application prompts may differ. Read and understand each prompt carefully.

- Customize your responses to address the specific question or theme posed by the secondary application.

- Avoid duplicating content from your primary application and focus on providing new insights or experiences.

8. Show, don't just tell:

- Instead of simply listing qualities or skills, provide specific examples and anecdotes that illustrate your attributes.

- Use storytelling techniques to engage the reader and make your experiences come alive.

9. Seek feedback and revise:

- Share your essay with trusted mentors, advisors, or healthcare professionals to gain valuable feedback.

- Revise your essay based on the feedback received, ensuring clarity, coherence, and impact.

- Polish your essay for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

10. Be authentic and passionate:

- Be true to yourself and express your genuine passion for medicine.

- Avoid using generic or clichéd language. Instead, let your unique voice and personal experiences shine through your writing.

Remember, the medical school admissions essay provides an opportunity to showcase your motivations, qualifications, and suitability for a career in medicine. By crafting a compelling and authentic essay that addresses the specific prompts and aligns with the school's values, you can increase your chances of standing out among other applicants.

Good Luck & Happy Writing!

Answer 1

Let's address the 800-pound gorilla in the room regarding medical school admissions essays, particularly the personal statement. Every applicant is essentially providing a version of the same exact response:

"I want to be a doctor because I want to help people."

Most advisors will teach you to:

1. Comprehend the objective of the essay 
2. Research the institution's values
3. Showcase your abilities and accomplishments
4. Include your past experiences and inspirations
5. Show your knowledge of the medical field
6. Address any shortcomings or difficulties

While those tips are practical, following them blindly often results in you writing essentially the same personal statement as 98% of the applicants. Your essay will not pop, and you will not stand out from the field.

Medical school admission is far too difficult for you not to have a distinctive essay that rouses the reader, pulls them in, elicits an emotional response (because subjective decisions are made emotionally), ends on a memorable note, and lingers in the mind of the reader hours later.

To ensure you're among the undoubtedly memorable 2%, you will need to:

1. Create an intriguing hook that pulls the reader into the scenario you're describing
2. Write a story that is difficult to put down
3. If possible, utilize a Hollywood story arc to build tension and get the reader invested
4. Craft a tale that affects the reader on an emotional level
5. Demonstrate your devotion to medicine and passion for the work
6. Utilize a personal narrative that illustrates to the reader, rather than tells them, why you want to be a physician
7. Imbue qualities like compassion, introspection, and curiosity into your stories
8. Draft a clever conclusion that is memorable

Remember:

If most everyone is qualified and is essentially providing a slightly different version of the exact same answer, everyone's list of accomplishments and stated motivations lose value.

WHAT you have done and WHY you want to attend med school become less important than HOW you convey that message to the reader.