Profanity, rant, may not be suitable for sensitive readers.
I have always struggled with personal statements.
Being a doctor by profession doesn’t really help in the language department. Either we talk too much or we don’t at all. Putting our thoughts onto paper is even harder. Selling ourselves on paper is just outright impossible.
I was conned into believing that doctors needed teachers and to teach doctors I needed to become a doctor myself. To become a teacher, which is what I wanted to do when I was three, I had to become a doctor first.
So I went to med school. I need to do residency because that is the next logical step of the way. I cannot practice medicine unless I have a post graduation. I need a visa because I decided to be in this country. I want to do internal medicine because that is all that makes sense to me. I like critical care, because I did not go to med school to forget about 90% of the body to be get fixated on one organ system and ruin the others while being anal about my specialty.
I have lost a few years in transition, because working to pay for my exams, taking exams, moving to the U.S, getting to know the health care system in the U.S, a little bit of my personal life all takes time. In case you didn’t know.
I think having persisted for so long and not given up to do anything else speaks for itself. I want to be a doctor and I will be a damn good one, if only you could take the time to see for yourself.
That is pretty much all I have to say. Yet I have gone through pages and drafts and versions of my personal statement. I am trying to sound all professional and committed and out of the world awesome to get myself a position. It is annoying and frustrating at best.
I don’t know how one can make anything out of my personal statement. How can anyone judge me? How can anyone get to know me? How can anyone know what I been through? What makes me a good candidate? How can anyone tell that I will be the one resident who wont be watch looker, that I will work my ass off, that I will be the one who goes that extra mile since I don’t believe in shift changes. I believe in being a doctor and I know I am a good one at that.
SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS 
Here is my take on personal statements, though not exatcly in context to your post.
The huge dilema about Personal Statements – One can either have a personal statement written when one is aged 12 and then lead the life as per the script. This trend is fast catching on.
The more natural thing is to lead a life according to one’s interest and then go for something in that interest field and again there’s a personal statement that suits the purpose.
The dilema or trouble is when we have to do things which we might not necessarily have an interest but that’s how we want to lead our life.
In context of your post, I think a discerning person can still judge from a personal statement as you are mentioning. But it has to be a person like that. Reminds me of the anecdote that the Freakonmics writer has mentioned in this book about ‘Unifying Theme’. In his case those discerning persons were nobel laureate, so it helped.
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Ed, det-res
Never met a doctor who had good handwriting! I pity the chemists, how do they read you guys from the prescription!!
Favour I ask…..can I stick to calling you Edu Please… the prob is every time I have to scroll up to type in your name!!! please please please please………
Answer to your Q: Nobody will know… but at times these people on the opposite side of the table (maybe from experience) know the right person (say, some intution) irresepective of whether he/she is their choice for the job…..
Ash…
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It’s a pity that essential things cannot be accurately measured by exams.
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GS:
I like your take on things. I wish I had a script to play by which of course ended in me being a world class critical care internist, have 2 healthy children, rich handsome husband and my parents around to see it all.
But no script, just this bleddy life and what have you.
PNA:
I am not EDU any more, try DR. that is shorter.
With the amount we have to write it kind of gets hard to keep the patience to write well. People get used to it.
Abaniko:
You bet and yet we have them!
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I am absolutely with Abaniko. But all I am going to say is I also know you’ll be a kickass doctor. And you know it. Hang in there, the blind will see soon 🙂
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Rohit:
Awwe, thanks! I hope so too.
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DR it is and will be until you change it next time….
And all the best for everything you do, as Rohit says, the blind will see soon……..
Tk,
Ash
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Pingback: Real-life College Essay Writing Tips | college personal statement writing tips
Hahaha, and now you have essay winning tips too ^^ 😀
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PNA:
I hope I can change it to awesome resident. I am trying so hard to get into residency here. It is not even funny. 😦
R:
Seriously! 😛
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All the best sweets.. being in medicine is tough and you have a great responsibility.. heres hoping that you balance all that matters to you.. 🙂
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Hello Doctor,
I was searching for tips on how to write a personal statement and came across your post from 11 years ago, I read some of your posts and really liked them. I’m an IMG and will be applying to the 2021 Match. This is the first time that I’m writing a personal statement and unfortunately I don’t know anyone who can give me a hand with it. Since you’re a doctor AND a writer, I was wondering if you would be comfortable reading my PS and sharing your opinion with me. I would be truly grateful for your help.
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Thank you, but I’m the wrong person to ask. I sought help from my seniors, professors, friends outside of medicine. Perhaps you could do the same.
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Sure, thanks a lot for your response 🙂
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