I am applying to a program specifically for post-baccs at a local university that has a partnership with a local med school. You can apply to the post-bacc/MD program now and get accepted and be guaranteed a seat at the medical school after you complete the post-bacc coursework after 2 years (and take the MCAT’s and maintain grades, etc.) It would be a WONDERFUL opportunity. I just recently found out about this program and am beginning to prep my application.
That being said, I had a conversation with a dr/mentor I have been shadowing. I’ve known him for a few years now and he knows me pretty well and my situation. He was my mom’s dr and saw how much exposure I had to the medical field and saw my potential well before I even did. I shared with him that I am worried about my lack of research and volunteer work on my application and he seemed baffled by my statement. He said to me, “why would you need more volunteer experience when you spent so much of your time in the hospital with your mom? You probably have been through more and seen more than the majority of your competition.” And he added, "Getting more experience volunteering in an ER is not going to to give you a more meaningful encounter. " I really had not thought about it like that, he has a point. BUT he is not the adcom…
The problem I am running into is that all of the advice I read about personal statements on the internet say that stories of hospitalized loves ones are trite and boring and that I should only make mention of it if I keep it brief. But then I read that if you’re a career changer you need to explain why medicine and why now. Following that advice seems so contradictory in my situation because I want to pursue medicine BECAUSE of what I went through. And how I handled what I went through demonstrates how I would be a good dr.
I made another draft of my statement and took out some details of what I went through and included more about maintaining skills from my former career that could help me become a good dr and I included a paragraph about my volunteer experience outside of being my mother’s caregiver. I am still worried it’s too focused on what I went through, but I am hesitant to remove it because what I went through moved me, and I want the adcom to see that.
Thoughts?
I have read (and made decisions on) many thousands of post-bac applications and essays so I can provide some guidance for you. This advice applies to both a post-bac essay and one written in conjunction with a medical school application.
Including experiences taking care of loved ones is germane IF it actually impacted your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Whatever you decide to include in the statement should be considered carefully; ask yourself if what you include helps explain your motivation to become a physician. I have read many essays written by applicants who went through a transformative experience taking care of a critically ill family member. In those cases including information about the experience was important in helping them articulate WHY they wanted to pursue a career in medicine and WHAT they learned from it. In many cases these applicants had followed up the personal experience with more objective “formal” experience by volunteering at a hospital or in a clinic. This allowed them to get distance from the experience with a loved one and validated objectively their impulse to pursue a medical career.
I hope this helps. If you have further questions feel free to send me an email at liza@thompsonadvising.com
Cheers,
Liza