Personal Statement

<p>Personal statement is generally understood to be: "Why do you want to go into medicine?"
How honest do you have to be in writing this?
I heard that there are only 4 reasons people become doctors: Chicks, money, power and chicks.
Does anyone actually write about these 4 reasons in their personal statement and get accepted by top med schools?
If you really don't have any other reasons other than those, then should you make up more appropriate reasons (eg. You want to help people live healthy lives)?</p>

<p>My PS was 1/2 "Why do I want to go into medicine" and 1/2 "Why am I qualified to be a doctor." I talked a lot about my experiences, what I learned, and how they motivated me. Remarks like "I want to help people" or "I like science" just sounds empty without anything to back them up.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I heard that there are only 4 reasons people become doctors: Chicks, money, power and chicks.

[/quote]

Woohoo! Scrubs FTW!</p>

<p>Yeah, let's be clear that this is a Scrubs reference and not something that people normally say...even though they may be ulterior/latent motives.</p>

<p>Simply put, especially now that the PS is actually given a prompt, you should explain your JOURNEY to medicine. What was that exact moment you knew that medicine was for you. Describe that epiphany. If you're like me, and you knew from a very early age that you were to be a doc, then spend time describing the things that confirmed that for you. If you got the calling later on, then describe that. Then spend the time talking about why medicine continues to work for you. There are a million other jobs ranging from social worker to restaurant chef where you can help people, and likewise where science is paramount. You absolutely must focus on what makes medicine unique and the ultimate answer.</p>

<p>Further you must, if you have any glaring faults to your application (poor grades or MCAT score or something else) how, despite these problems medicine remains your goal.</p>

<p>Is there a word count for the personal statement? Is this question the same for all schools?</p>

<p>I would write more appropriate reasons.
I think the money and chicks as you said might be the benefits of becoming a doctor byt seriously no one goes through 12 years of school after high school for money or girls. Because you don't have money or time for GF/BF after high school of your serious about it and afterwards you are probably under so much loan and all that it takes time to get all that payed off. Sure ones you are a MD it is easy to pay it off but no one starts off getting $1000 per patient.
Inshallah when I write my p.s in 3 years, for me its that even when I was little I had to be in and out of the hospital because of my grand dad.
All four of my grand parents died of hart attacks and 4 out of 8 of my uncles have heart diseases. One of my uncle had to have a by pass surgery ( they let me watch it even though I was only 10). Almost every one in my family started out wanting to be a doctor then went in engeenering ( all of cuz back home) thats not going to happen here. I have known from a very young age that I wanted to go to medical school.</p>