Whats wrong with wanting to be a physician since childhood?

[u/oscarfree252]

I got edits for my first draft back from my pre health advisor, and he has said that I should take off my first paragraph and start with my second. My first paragraph was talking about how I grew up wanting to be a doctor but in hindsight I didn’t truly understand what it meant. Then my second paragraph and the rest do talk about different experiences that have broadened and change my understanding by showing me the realities physicians face

In particular, my second paragraph talks about a health crisis in my immediate family and how that did reinforce my decision to pursue medicine. When I removed the first paragraph the story changed to my family had a health crisis so I want to be a doctor, which is definitely not the narrative. He said that starting off here makes it more interesting than a stereotypical PS. I did end up cutting the first paragraph in half though.

To an extent, aren’t all Personal Statements following a broad checklist where you state your why, have experiences that connect and the reflections? Is it even possible to have a completely unique why or thing that is different from the rest of the thousands of us applying?

I never had a very specific why moment. It’s just been experiences that reinforce the decision to pursue medicine which are far more true to me than just a “this thing happened so I’m pursuing medicine”. I did have a rough childhood in healthcare as in non existent till I got Medicaid in college, but I do feel it would be disingenuous to trauma dump especially as back then it wasn’t as life changing or essential to my motivations to medicine.

[u/Agitated_Depth_6881]

Without having read your essay I agree with your advisor, "I've always wanted to be a Dr" doesn't really forward the narrative like you think it does 

Why have you always wanted it? How did you learn about doctors? Etc

[u/oscarfree252 → u/Agitated_Depth_6881]

That makes sense. To clarify, I do extensively talk about why I want it and what I’ve learned which my advisor liked, barely any edits there. I just do not really feel as comfortable jumping right in because I did want to preserve that x happening didn’t make me want to be a doctor, it just changed my understanding of the kind of doctor I wanted to be.

So to answer you, it really doesn’t forward the narrative? It just gives it context I think. I was just wondering if it was helpful to my essay even though it is true to me.

[u/Agitated_Depth_6881 → u/oscarfree252]

I guess I don't see why it has to be its own paragraph at the beginning and not part of the analysis of later sections

[u/oscarfree252 → u/Agitated_Depth_6881]

That’s a good idea. I did already cut the paragraph but I will ask my advisor if my narrative still stays the same without it. Thank you!

[u/oscarfree252 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you! I had not seen it that way. Would there be a more positive way to frame that? My idea was being vulnerable about the realization.

I do write intensively about the experiences that do motivate me to continue pursuing medicine and in hindsight, because I just finished editing the draft, the first paragraph did take a lot of characters which I’ve cut out. I’m just afraid that it becomes about a family sickness that I can’t support in my activities.

[u/samusta]

I wrote about something really similar in my PS! No real why but I had experiences both personal and while working/volunteering that reinforced my motivation. Still in the app cycle but have 2 interview invites so far. I don’t see why you couldn’t write about it!

[u/oscarfree252 → u/samusta]

It’s nice to hear that! I think I’m similar that the experiences that reinforce my decision do hold significant more weight than the why.

I hope you have a successful cycle!

[u/Mathwiz1697 → u/oscarfree252]

I have also wanted to be a physician since I could talk. And I did use it in my PS. However, it depends on how you frame it. For me it was due to a physicians intervention I am even alive today and that has always stuck with me. I used my desire and combined it with my clinical experience. It’s very hard to pull off making such a sweeping statement I had a very well written narrative to support it.

I’ve had one II so far but I finished up my secondaries in late August so I’m hoping to get more

[u/ipassedstep3]

As a current attending physician, I can tell you there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be a physician from childhood. The medical admissions process in the USA is culturally structured around the upper class WASP community.

Terms like "fit", "passion", and "holistic review" were historically created to filter out marginalized communities, particularly Jewish people, women, and people of color.

The thought process is that you have lived a leisurely enough life that you choose medicine almost through artistic inspiration - and not for practical reasons like wanting to serve your community, financial stability, or application of scientific understanding. These are viewed as cliche and almost vulgar - and yet these are consistently the very same reasons that marginalized communities respect and admire the medical profession.

It's a game you have to play and I'm sorry we all have to play it. It's unfortunate - being a physician is a very beautiful and admirable profession gatekept by inequitable systems.

This is a good read if interested :

The Chosen: The Hidden History of Admission and Exclusion at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton by Jerome Karabel (2005)