Let's Talk Personal Statements | Ask Dr. Gray Ep. 172

This premed needs help with her personal statement- let's see how we can help her and others working on their PS!
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[@TheMonsterMimic]

I’ve gained so much insight watching these videos. I love the variety of ways you address different aspects of the application process. It’s tough finding the best approach while writing these statements, but it’s important to check yourself and truly consider why you chose this!

[@PlaysPlaystation]

editing my personal statement as this is posted lol

[@TheAnatomyGal]

This is such a great video.Thanks for posting!

[@Coconinga]

Very helpful! She asked same questions I was having.

[@austinehst7859]

Thank you for these videos.

[@JordanNicoleMoreno]

This is so helpful 😭

[@michaelthomas1460]

This was good!

[@nemomemo5191]

Dr gray you better be uploading in the next 4years because I wanna be in a video once I get into med school I’m 19 atm hoping to be 23-24 by the time I get in

[@aestheticdiaries3231]

Is there a template or any questions that must be answered while writing the personal statement as a high school student for medicine undergrad

[@Anniefawesome]

I wanted to know if the activities section is in the book? thanks!

[@densestlemon6241]

It’s not in his personal statement book, but he doesn’t cover it in his book on the overall application process

[@PFsmang]

where can I buy his personal statement book?

[@MedicalSchoolHQ]

medicalschoolhq.net/the-premed-playbook-guide-to-the-medical-school-personal-statement/

[@arturo7926]

Dr. Gray, I am extremely thrilled that I found you, I want to speak with you as soon as possible. I come from a horrible upbringing and recently decided I wasn't going to let anything stop me anymore. How do I get the opportunity to talk to you? I am going to read your book. Thank you so much for everything you do.

[@edhcb9359]

As tempting as it may be, don’t peddle the sob story in your personal statement.

[@arturo7926]

@@edhcb9359 I'm not going to and that's why I didn't even delve into it om this comment. I do wish the adcoms would want to hear a little bit about our backgrounds though. There is a lot to learn about people in their backgrounds.

[@edhcb9359]

@@arturo7926 The problem is that the adcoms have no way of verifying what are saying is true. And what constitutes a “horrible upbringing”? For some it would be being raised in the foster care system while for others it would be their family not owning a Tesla. I’m joking of course but you see what I’m saying? You are way better off focusing on a super positive application.

[@arturo7926]

@@edhcb9359 I understand and appreciate your input. I was homeless, broke, uneducated, and the son of illegal immigrants who raised me in a bad community with drugs and violence. I do feel like I want to briefly mention it super fast in the most objective manner. This upbringing taught me skills I use every day, like learning to work with the resources I had to attain even more resources. But yeah, I'm far from an interview, so I'll have plenty of time to think about it. I appreciate your feedback.

[@edhcb9359]

@@arturo7926 If it is in the context of where you came from, how it shaped you, and they can be impressed on how you have overachieved(higher than average stats, better than average experiences and letters of recommendation) then you will be in good shape. If it’s just in the context of trying to explain away low grades and scores, lack of experiences, etc. then most likely it will not work because thousands of other applicants are trying to do the exact same thing.

[@carsonmckenna8777]

Why does everyone recommend scribing for clinical experience then?

[@nealkim4166]

i think part of it has to do with premeds seeing other premeds do it and seeing it as a rite of passage. maybe another component is that you can do it part time and low barriers to entry to become a scribe, which is a good fit for student. personally and in hindsight for myself as well, i would have focused on looking for an activity that i had a greater personal connection to, that also happened to be clinical and therefore, not box myself in into traditional premed clinical experiences

[@edhcb9359]

It’s a super vanilla “check the box” activity.

[@jzhvaeduh]

I was a scribe, and now I am struggling with my personal statement because of the lack of patient interaction. HOWEVER, I would highly recommend scribing to every premed but I would NOT recommend it being the sole clinical experience you do if you can help it. Highly disagree with it being a check the box activity like the comment above said. it is a valuable experience but you gotta work hard to interact with patients if you want to meaningfully talk about it. I understood that too late but now im applying with a weak narrative, but I have valid reasons for wanting to be a doctor so thats what im discussing in my personal statement.

[@edhcb9359]

@@jzhvaeduh You can work hard to interact with the patients and write about it in your personal statement but in the end the adcoms know that you were just scribing.

[@jzhvaeduh]

@@edhcb9359 at the end of the day, if you want to go into medicine you need to see what it’s like. Scribing helps you do that and helps you ease lives of the health care team. Plenty of ppl get into med school without any paid clinical experience of any kind. So let’s not belittle activities bc work experience is valuable even if it’s not medical related.