Personal Statement

If someone wished to hunt me down using this blog, I've realized the task would not be difficult.

I've come to realize that writing a personal statement signifies much more than the simple task of writing an essay. Whereas general writing often finds fluidity in train of thought as characters move about or theses are proven, this task of answering "why I want to go to medical school" is a much more stagnant process.

Many applicants will still approach the 5000 character work with only a single thought in mind: What will the admissions committee think? While it is a worthwhile pursuit to write with the purpose and audience in mind, I've learned that subjection and chance play too large a role to be able to do so effectively. Instead, one should write for themselves because in effect the very answering of the question requires a reassessment and evaluation of the 20+ years that has led to this very moment. And who, then, is your true audience if not it is yourself?

Thinking back to a nearly day-by-day basis, I attempt to recall reasoning processes, powerful choices, and important events that make the current version of me different than me five years ago. Aside from the societal perception of maturation attributed to a greater age, why can I consider myself more wisened and for what reasons can I laugh at the naivete of my former self? And once we can answer those questions, we then must dissect how we reasoned and arrived at those answers. In essence, the personal statement allows us to more concretely define and understand who we are.

I implore everyone, regardless of whether the essay will be read by anyone, to write one.

The prompt is unimportant and even unnecessary. For my purposes, it happens to be "Why do you want to go to medical school?" because that happens to be the current phase of my academic career. But the question could just as easily be "Why do I want to become _____?" or "Why do I believe ____?" Without a topic, the process comes just as easily.

There is, however, an added benefit of having an audience outside yourself. Writing this essay moves at a glacial speed because I've begun to feel the need to word phrases and sentences to adequately reflect the level of thought put into them. For the past three weeks I've written roughly 6-7 pages of which has been edited down to half a page.

It has truly become a method of meeting yourself and in many ways it feels as if I'm reacquainting myself to a friend to which I haven't spoken for many years. And best of all, it's offering much insight on how to move forward.

Boston is lovely.