You’re interested in applying to BS/MD programs but first you have to apply to the undergraduate college. And that means, most often, completing the Common Application and the personal statement. So what do BS/MD programs want to see from the Common App personal statement?
Actually, it might be easier to answer what they DON’T want to see. They don’t want to see:
- Why you want to be a doctor
- Why you live for science and only science
- Why a BS/MD program is the best option for you
- How you are going to save the world with your research
Are you starting to get the drift? The Common App personal statement has very little to do with your interest in a BS/MD program. The Common App personal statement is used by all colleges to see how well you write and to try and gain a little insight into who you are. This is true even of BS/MD colleges.
Now, there are lots of things you can write about to give insight into who you are and my purpose here is not to do a lesson on how to write the personal statement. But in thinking about what you want to talk about, think about what is important to BS/MD programs.
They already know that you like science and want to become a doctor or you wouldn’t be applying to these programs. So writing about such things is a waste of an essay. However, there are more things than this that are important to the BS/MD programs. Do you care about other people? Are you mature? Are you focused? Are you a leader? Writing a personal statement about a topic that gets at one of these topics is great and very helpful for the BS/MD program to get to know who you are.
The other practical problem with writing a why doctor essay for the personal statement? Virtually every BS/MD program will have you write an essay on why you want to be a doctor. If you have already addressed this topic in the personal statement, you can’t really rehash everything in this essay or you will look foolish.
If you focus on writing a personal statement that addresses one of the smaller issues that are important to BS/MD programs, you will enhance your application and with these competitive programs, that is always the goal.
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