Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The medical school personal statement struggle

Sheindel Ifrah
Education
March 4, 2019
207 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

If you are in the same boat as I and aspiring to become a physician, you are likely in the process of compiling an application for medical school. If you are like me, then one of the most intimidating parts of the application process is the personal statement segment of the American Medical College Application Service. It is increasingly difficult to stand out in the medical school application pool, as there are so many competitive applications, and the rate of students applying to medical school is growing. Many personal statement tactics that I have tried to apply to my own essay have made my statement sound as if I am reciting my resume, bragging, or asking for sympathy.

Here is what I am afraid of sounding like:

My name is Sheindel Ifrah. I am from Baltimore, Maryland. I studied at W.I.T.S. Baltimore, which is an affiliate college of Thomas Edison State University. In college, I focused on elementary, and, more specifically, special education. Afterward, I taught special education biology and earth science, as well as high school nutrition. I also was an administrative coordinator of the International Cornea Foundation and participated in cornea research. Although I do not have a 4.0 GPA, I can explain myself by telling you all the details of my responsibilities outside of school. I can also tell you that I am a capable student by listing all of my accomplishments.

As hard as it is to sum yourself up in a couple of pages, it is equally hard to present something balanced: sounding enthusiastic about patient care (but not hungry for blood), thrilled with research (but not a lab rat), caring (but not crying whenever you see a puppy), factual (but not robotic). Even with the many tips and advice I receive, summing up what makes me deserve training to become a doctor is as challenging as it sounds. Am I a product of my environment? Or is there something inside me that “calls” toward medicine? If it is a mix of these two, which is most likely, where are the crossroads?

What I know for sure is that I want to communicate that medicine is my dream, and that it always has been no matter how many turns my life has taken. I want to communicate that I will make an excellent doctor whom any medical school will be proud to have as a student. I want whoever reads my statement to see a woman who has had her fair share of struggles, has grown from these struggles, who is grateful to have had the opportunities to be involved in science and patient care, and grateful to have the chance to apply to medical school.

The more I reflect on my reasons for pursuing a career in medicine, the more evident it becomes to me that medicine is always where I felt most excited. Whether it was being treated for a cornea scratch in the fourth grade, the blood draws I watched a nurse conduct on my grandfather, or elementary school lab dissections, my enthusiasm for the field of medicine has been consistent throughout my life, despite the path my journey has veered.  I hope that I am able to reflect this in a powerful and open personal statement.

Sheindel Ifrah is a post-baccalaureate student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Never take your eyes off of a bleeding patient

March 4, 2019 Kevin 2
…
Next

Apple, PC, HD, DM: No, we're talking about health care

March 4, 2019 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Medical school

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Never take your eyes off of a bleeding patient
Next Post >
Apple, PC, HD, DM: No, we're talking about health care

More by Sheindel Ifrah

  • The consequences of celebrity endorsements in health care

    Sheindel Ifrah
  • Does work-life balance really exist for young mothers pursuing medical careers?

    Sheindel Ifrah
  • A key tip for premedical students: Ask for help

    Sheindel Ifrah

Related Posts

  • End medical school grades

    Adam Lieber
  • Beyond the Fauci effect: As medical school application rates soar, medical students struggle

    Natalie LaBossier
  • Why medical school is like playing defense

    Jamie Katuna
  • Promote a culture of medical school peer education

    Albert Jang, MD
  • The unintended consequences of free medical school

    Anonymous
  • A meditation in medical school

    Orly Farber

More in Education

  • Improving medical specialty selection with pre-training examinations

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • The erosion of compassion in medicine

    Daniel Luger, MD
  • Decoding doctor designations: the crucial need to ditch the “provider” label

    Austin Miller
  • September in medicine: scouting season for future doctors

    Stephen J. Foley
  • From medical humanities student to physician

    Nicholas Bellacicco, DO
  • How Tratak yoga reshaped my USMLE Step 2 prep

    Dr. Nikita Mehdiratta
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses

      Christopher Habig, MBA | Policy
    • The dark role of science, medicine, and tasers

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Physician
    • From fishing licenses to gun control

      Mitch Bruss, MD | Policy
    • 3 key things to do before year end to reduce taxes

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance
    • America’s pain management nightmare: How the DEA shaped the opioid epidemic

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Physician
    • Physicians turn feelings of frustration and powerlessness into purpose and hope

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn’t be this complicated.

      Catherine L. Chen, MD, MPH | Physician
    • The erosion of compassion in medicine

      Daniel Luger, MD | Education
    • Emergency department burnout: a cry for change

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses

      Christopher Habig, MBA | Policy
    • Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD and Stephen E. Nadeau, MD | Conditions
    • When medical protocol meets family concerns

      Richard Young, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • America’s pain management nightmare: How the DEA shaped the opioid epidemic

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Physician
    • The middleman dilemma in health care

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Tips for success as a plastic surgeon [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why write? Physicians share their stories of healing through writing.

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • A complex patient interviews a retired physician

      Ann McColl and James Whitlock, MD | Conditions
    • Navigating life’s crossroads: Change, accept, or leave [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Less-Frequent Surveillance Mammo Feasible in Older Breast Cancer Survivors
  • AI and Breast Cancer Screening; Cancer After Treatment for Sickle Cell
  • Yes, Conversion Therapy Efforts Still Exist in Medical Practice
  • Bilateral Mastectomy Not Tied to Better Survival in BRCA1-Positive Breast Cancer
  • FDA Inspections of Foreign Drug Manufacturers Haven't Bounced Back After Pandemic

Meeting Coverage

  • Less-Frequent Surveillance Mammo Feasible in Older Breast Cancer Survivors
  • Bilateral Mastectomy Not Tied to Better Survival in BRCA1-Positive Breast Cancer
  • Is Omitting Radiation Therapy in Low-Risk Breast Cancer a Good IDEA?
  • Study Supports ADC as a New Option for Endocrine-Resistant Metastatic Breast Cancer
  • Maintenance Pembrolizumab-Olaparib Fails to Boost Survival in TNBC
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses

      Christopher Habig, MBA | Policy
    • The dark role of science, medicine, and tasers

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Physician
    • From fishing licenses to gun control

      Mitch Bruss, MD | Policy
    • 3 key things to do before year end to reduce taxes

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance
    • America’s pain management nightmare: How the DEA shaped the opioid epidemic

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Physician
    • Physicians turn feelings of frustration and powerlessness into purpose and hope

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn’t be this complicated.

      Catherine L. Chen, MD, MPH | Physician
    • The erosion of compassion in medicine

      Daniel Luger, MD | Education
    • Emergency department burnout: a cry for change

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses

      Christopher Habig, MBA | Policy
    • Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD and Stephen E. Nadeau, MD | Conditions
    • When medical protocol meets family concerns

      Richard Young, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • America’s pain management nightmare: How the DEA shaped the opioid epidemic

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Physician
    • The middleman dilemma in health care

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Tips for success as a plastic surgeon [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why write? Physicians share their stories of healing through writing.

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • A complex patient interviews a retired physician

      Ann McColl and James Whitlock, MD | Conditions
    • Navigating life’s crossroads: Change, accept, or leave [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

The medical school personal statement struggle
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...