essay on medical store

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• v.4(2); Apr-Jun 2012

Medical Store Management: An Integrated Economic Analysis of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India

Department of Pharmacology, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

Economic analysis plays a pivotal role in the management of medical store. The main objectives of this study were to consider always better control-vital, essential and desirable (ABC-VED) analysis with economic order quantity (EOQ), comparison of indexed cost and the actual cost, and to assess the expenditure for the forthcoming years. Based on cost and criticality, a matrix of nine groups by combining ABC and VED analysis was formulated. Drug categories were narrowed down for prioritization to direct supervisory monitoring. The subgroups AE and AV of the categories category I and II should be ordered based on EOQ. The difference between the actual annual drug expenditure (ADE) and the derived indexed cost using the cost inflation index (CII) was calculated. Linear regression was used to assess the expenditure for the forth coming years. The total ADE for the financial year of 2010–2011 was Rs. 1,91,44,253 which was only 7.68% of annual hospital expenditure. Using the inflation index, the indexed cost of acquisition of ADE for year 2010–2011 was Rs. 1,95,10,387. The difference between the two was estimated to be 2.11%. Thus, the CII justifies the demand of increased budget for next year and prompts us for cautious use of drugs. By taking into consideration the ADE of last 10 years, we have forecasted the budget for forthcoming years which will help significantly for making policies according to the available budget.

INTRODUCTION

Hospital supply systems should ensure adequate stock of all the required items to maintain uninterrupted supply. Advances in medical care and drugs have disproportionately increased the expenditure on health care delivery.[ 1 ] Therefore, about one-third of the hospital budget is spent on purchasing various materials and supplies including medicines.[ 2 ] This necessitates the effective and efficient management of medical store by keeping a close supervision on important drugs, prevention of pilferage, and priority setting in purchase and distribution of drugs. A study suggested that review and control measures for expensive drugs can bring about 20% savings in medical store budget.[ 3 ] Hence, the essentiality of inventory control is emphasized. The inventory control can bring about substantial improvement not only in patient care but also in the optimal use of resources.[ 4 ] Continuous quality management in medical store can provide the value added services to the patients. Of all inventory control systems available, the ABC (always better control) and VED (vital, essential and desirable) matrix is the most preferred for medical stores.[ 5 ]

ABC analysis is “Always Better Control” analysis based on Pareto's principle of “Vital few and trivial many” depending on capital investment of the items. Although ABC analysis is based on the monetary value and rate of consumption of the item, there are items which have low capital investment and consumption but is life saving. Therefore, to overcome the limitation of ABC analysis, VED is applied. VED analysis is based on the need of the drug in the hospital and classified as ‘Vital, Essential and Desirable’. Combination of ABC and VED matrix allows more meaningful control over the inventory.[ 6 ] Economic order quantity (EOQ) is another form of inventory control model which balances the possessing cost with the cost of running out of the items.[ 7 ] It is the level of inventory that minimizes total inventory holding costs and ordering costs. EOQ only applies when demand for a product is constant over the year and each new order is delivered in total when the inventory reaches zero. A fixed cost is charged for each order placed, regardless of the number of units ordered. EOQ along with ABC-VED analysis is proposed to be the most effective and efficient model for inventory control.[ 8 ] Ours is a tertiary care centre and number of patients coming to the hospital is increasing with passage of time. To satisfy the healthcare needs of the increased number of patients, increased capital is required every year. The government hospitals have to claim the budget in advance for the future year. This budget can be accessed from the actual budget consumed in the previous year using the cost inflation index (CII). The application of CII justifies the claim for increased annual drug expenditure (ADE). Based on previous economic data, prediction for the future can be done using regression analysis. This helps in framing the policies to ensure uninterrupted supply of drugs in the limited budget. Detailed literature search revealed scanty data regarding the relevance of CII and regression analysis in medical store management.

We therefore considered it worthwhile to carry out an integrated economic analysis of the medical store. The main objectives of the study were to consider ABC-VED analysis along with EOQ, to assess the indexed cost of acquisition of ADE, comparison of indexed cost and the actual cost and to forecast expenditure for the forthcoming years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The annual drug consumption and expenditure on each item was collected from the medical store of a tertiary care hospital in Central India, for the financial year 2010–2011. The data were transcribed in a MS-Excel spreadsheet and arranged in the descending order based on ADE. Then cumulative cost, cumulative cost percentage, and percentage of number of items were calculated and based on capital investment; A, B and C items were separated. Group A was constituted by approximately first 10% items which consumed 70% of the budget. The next 20% were group B items which took 20% of the financial resources. Group C included remaining 70% items accounting for just 10% of the budget.[ 9 ] VED classification of items was done in consultation with physicians and senior staff of department of pharmacology. Vital category included the drugs which should be available in the hospital at all times and are critically required for the survival of the patients. Essential items, as per WHO, are those which satisfy the health care needs of the majority of the population and are intended to be available at all times and in adequate amounts.[ 10 ] Desirable items are those of lowest criticality, the shortage of which would not be detrimental to the health of the patients. A matrix of nine groups by combining ABC and VED analysis was formulated.[ 11 ] Two drug categories (I and II) requiring different types of monitoring based on the ABC-VED matrix was identified to direct supervisory monitoring. Category I comprised of AV, AE, AD, BV and BE groups and required high management priority. Category II with lower management priority constituted items belonging to BD, CV, CE and CD groups of the ABC-VED matrix.[ 12 ] The first alphabet in the category denotes its place in ABC analysis while the second alphabet is for its place in VED analysis.

The annual hospital expenditure (AHE) was obtained from the office of the hospital superintendent. Indexed cost of acquisition[ 13 ] of ADE for the year 2010–2011 was calculated using the formula where the year 2009–2010 was taken as the base. The CII as determined[ 14 ] by the Government of India was applied as suggested.[ 15 ]

The difference between the actual ADE and the derived indexed cost was calculated. Percentage of actual ADE and percentage of indexed cost in comparison to ADE of the previous year were estimated and finally the difference between the two was calculated. Linear regression was used to assess the expenditure for the forth coming years taking into consideration the ADE of last 10 years. Statistical calculations were performed with the help of Graph Pad Prism, version 3.02.

The AHE as obtained from the superintendent office for the year 2010–2011 was Rs. 24,91,61,000. The drug formulary consisted of 210 items, out of which 165 were available in 2010–2011. The total ADE of medical store for the financial year 2010–2011 was Rs. 1,91,44,253. The drug expenditure included the expenditure for 28,068 indoor admissions and 4,59,569 outdoor patients who were dispensed with drugs for 3 days routinely except for specialty clinics where the drugs were dispensed for 7 days. The split of ADE incurred on ABC and VED categories of drugs during the financial year 2010–2011 is shown in Table 1 . The cutoff values were not exactly 70%, 20%, and 10% but differed marginally. Category I consisted of 52 drugs and 113 drugs in category II.

Split of annual drug expenditure depending on ABC-VED analysis for financial year 2010–2011

The ABC graph of the year 2010–2011 using cumulative cost and % items has different curves representing groups A, B, and C consuming about 70%, 20%, and 10% of the total budget, respectively [ Figure 1 ]. ABC-VED cumulative curve is shown in Figure 2 . However, the individual drug budget cannot be visualized from this graph which can be best represented by plotting the percentage cost of each drug with respect to ADE [ Figure 3 ]. This concave type of plotting showed the individual drug expenditure as a percentage of the total ADE at a glance which can be further used for EOQ. The indexed cost of acquisition of ADE for year 2010–2011 came out to be Rs. 1,95,10,387 using the ADE for year 2009–2010, i.e. Rs. 1,73,42,566 as the base. The index factor for the year 2010–2011 as fixed by the Government of India was 711 and that of 2009–2010 was 632. The difference between the actual ADE and the indexed cost is Rs. 3,66,133.8. The percentage of actual ADE as compared to that of previous year was found out to be 110.39% whereas the percentage of indexed cost as compared to that of previous year was found out to be 112.5% after inflationary correction. The difference between the two came to be just 2.11%. The ADE for the forthcoming years applying linear regression from 2011 to 2015 is in Table 2 and shows a statistically significant value ( P <0.001) which will be helpful for framing the policies for the respective years. The actual ADE for the financial year 2010–2011 was maximum (Rs. 1,91,44,253) and minimum in the financial year 2003–2004 (Rs. 87,80,577). Using the linear regression function of Graph Pad Prism, version 3.02, the forecasted ADE for the forthcoming years till 2015 showed that for the financial year 2011–2012, budgetary requirement is Rs. 1,90,70,533 [ Figure 4 ].

ABC analysis of drugs for the financial year 2010–2011

ABC-VED cumulative curve for the financial year 2010–2011

ABC analysis depicting percentage cost of each drug of group A with respect to annual drug expenditure in the year 2010–2011

Projected annual drug expenditure for the next 5 years using linear regression analysis

Annual drug expenditure for last 10 and forthcoming years using regression analysis

We preferred the integrated economic analysis due to the paucity of data in the literature. In a tertiary care centre, along with proper care, timely availability of drugs is a prime concern. From our study, we found that the ADE for the year 2010–2011 was 7.68% of AHE. This percentage of ADE is lower compared to previous studies.[ 2 , 16 ] This reflects more refined drug inventory in our tertiary hospital. For drug inventory management if only ABC analysis based on cost factor alone is considered, control of only 24 drugs (out of 165) from group A consuming about 70% of the drug budget is needed. This group requires greater monitoring as it has fewer drugs, consuming most of the budget. We also noted that not all the drugs in this group were vital. It had drugs from the essential and desirable category such as injection imipenam–cilastin combination, injection amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, and dipeptiven. Due to this, the availability of drugs of vital nature from B and C categories (12 + 22) will be compromised. Similarly, if VED analysis is considered alone as ideal, control is to be exerted on 40 vital and 113 essential drugs accounting for 96.8% of ADE. However, the VED classification differs from hospital to hospital depending on the health care needs of the patients. Moreover, we had a desirable drug in group A, which consumed a good chunk of the budget. Hence, a desirable group cannot be ignored totally. Thus, not only criticality analysis, but the cost factor also has to be taken into consideration. Therefore, the coupling of ABC-VED analysis is used for prioritization. From the ABC-VED matrix, it is absolutely clear that all stock is not equally valuable and hence, does not require the same management focus.

Categorization of drugs by the ABC-VED matrix helped us to narrow down our focus on category I drugs which required high management priority and stringent control as they consumed the maximum budget. From our study, we found category I drugs consumed about 89.1% of the budget. Rational use of drugs with deletion of nonessential drugs and imposition of fixed budget to this category can bring about substantial savings without harming the patient care. Category II drugs consumed nearly 10.9% of the budget. The ABC-VED matrix can help us in improving the drug availability and lesser emergency purchase and adequate inventory control, thereby reducing the financial budget.

The cumulative curve does not depict the actual expenditure consumed by each drug which is well cited from the concave graph. In our study, it was observed that maximum budget was consumed by injection imipinem–cilastin combination whereas in the previous study the same place was secured by injection cefotaxim.[ 16 ] We could not predict the exact cause for this observed change in our study, but plausible explanation for this may be a resistance pattern developed by the microorganisms or different antimicrobial drug policy in our institution. Moreover, the concave curve has helped us to decide EOQ and time of order placement. EOQ is the amount of inventory to be ordered at one time for the purpose of minimizing annual inventory cost. It is the size of the order which gives maximum economy in purchasing any material and ultimately contributes toward maintaining the materials at the optimum level and at the minimum cost. The subgroups AV and AE of category I comprised of only 23 drugs, holding a valuable budget of 69.5%, should be monitored for EOQ and ordering of these items must be rational and justifiable. As category II drugs consumed limited amount of budget, these drugs can be ordered once or twice in a year using EOQ and shelved to save management efforts without blocking substantial capital. EOQ along with ABC-VED analysis can be effectively applicable in non-government hospitals where there is no limitation of maintaining the stock of 3 months only. Being a government hospital, we can keep stock of drugs for 3 months only as per directives of Government of Maharashtra. To avoid unavailability of drugs, order placement has to be done in advance to cover the processing time. Therefore, concave plotting is preferred over the cumulative plotting.

The indexed ADE for the financial year 2010–2011 was just 2.11% higher than actual ADE. At present, very few studies are available to compare the indexed ADE, but still this figure is less as compared to the previous study where it was 2.84%.[ 16 ] This may be attributed to smaller drug formulary of our hospital and to some extent, the continuous efforts made by us to satisfy the healthcare needs of our area within limitation of budget of medical store. The inflation index represents the general trend and is not constant for all commodities. In developing country where the value for money is changing every day, the purchasing power of the currency is also changing. Due to this impact, the item which cost low in the current year will cost more in the forthcoming years. Hence, the application of CII makes sense for prediction of the drug expenditure with the use of inflation factor. As the inflation factor for the future years cannot be predicted in advance, hence the drug expenditure prediction for the forthcoming years cannot be done with CII but it can be done better using regression analysis. Therefore, the ADE for the forthcoming years was estimated using regression analysis.

One of the secondary objectives of inventory management is the financial forecasting for the forthcoming years. In Government institutions where the financial resources are already fixed, planning can be done for the future based on the economic data of today. However, such planning does not include the inclusion and exclusion of any drug in inventory or any unavoidable circumstances such as epidemic which can then cause economic burden. In such cases, we recommend to spare 5% of the total budget. Moreover, the forecasting of ADE for the future years using the ADE of the previous year's helps us to visualize the increasing trend in the consumption of the budget. This also helps for justifying the demand of increased budget during allocation of the budget in government institutions for next year. We found coefficient of determination ( r 2 ) as 0.92 which suggest that 92% of the variation is shared between financial years and forecasted budget, respectively. The application of CII which includes the inflation factor also gives another justification for the increased claim for the budget. Forecasting of the budget for coming years helps in deciding the policies in advance to curb the deficiency of drugs and to satisfy the healthcare needs of society. Hence, economic analysis plays a pivotal role in the management of medical store. Thus, we recommend that ABC-VED analysis along with EOQ and integrated economic analysis should be strictly followed in every government medical college to utilize the available limited budget for maximum gains.

ABC-VED analysis identifies drugs requiring stringent control for the optimal use of resources. Due to inflation, total expenditure for the drugs is increased each year which supports the higher budgetary requirement for the forthcoming years. At the same time, forecasting of budget helps for better management of medical store. Hence, ABC-VED along with EOQ and integrated economic analysis optimizes the costs of medicare services besides making materials available to the patients which can increase the quality of healthcare services.

Source of Support: Nil

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Health Care Policy — The Importance Of Medical Supplies

The Importance of Medical Supplies

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10 Successful Medical School Essays

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I started writing in 8th grade when a friend showed me her poetry about self-discovery and finding a voice. I was captivated by the way she used language to bring her experiences to life. We began writing together in our free time, trying to better understand ourselves by putting a pen to paper and attempting to paint a picture with words. I felt my style shift over time as I grappled with challenges that seemed to defy language. My poems became unstructured narratives, where I would use stories of events happening around me to convey my thoughts and emotions. In one of my earliest pieces, I wrote about a local boy’s suicide to try to better understand my visceral response. I discussed my frustration with the teenage social hierarchy, reflecting upon my social interactions while exploring the harms of peer pressure.

In college, as I continued to experiment with this narrative form, I discovered medical narratives. I have read everything from Manheimer’s Bellevue to Gawande’s Checklist and from Nuland’s observations about the way we die, to Kalanithi’s struggle with his own decline. I even experimented with this approach recently, writing a piece about my grandfather’s emphysema. Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love. I have augmented these narrative excursions with a clinical bioethics internship. In working with an interdisciplinary team of ethics consultants, I have learned by doing by participating in care team meetings, synthesizing discussions and paths forward in patient charts, and contributing to an ongoing legislative debate addressing the challenges of end of life care. I have also seen the ways ineffective intra-team communication and inter-personal conflicts of beliefs can compromise patient care.

Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love.

By assessing these difficult situations from all relevant perspectives and working to integrate the knowledge I’ve gained from exploring narratives, I have begun to reflect upon the impact the humanities can have on medical care. In a world that has become increasingly data driven, where patients can so easily devolve into lists of numbers and be forced into algorithmic boxes in search of an exact diagnosis, my synergistic narrative and bioethical backgrounds have taught me the importance of considering the many dimensions of the human condition. I am driven to become a physician who deeply considers a patient’s goal of care and goals of life. I want to learn to build and lead patient care teams that are oriented toward fulfilling these goals, creating an environment where family and clinician conflict can be addressed efficiently and respectfully. Above all, I look forward to using these approaches to keep the person beneath my patients in focus at each stage of my medical training, as I begin the task of translating complex basic science into excellent clinical care.

In her essay for medical school, Morgan pitches herself as a future physician with an interdisciplinary approach, given her appreciation of how the humanities can enable her to better understand her patients. Her narrative takes the form of an origin story, showing how a childhood interest in poetry grew into a larger mindset to keep a patient’s humanity at the center of her approach to clinical care.

This narrative distinguishes Morgan as a candidate for medical school effectively, as she provides specific examples of how her passions intersect with medicine. She first discusses how she used poetry to process her emotional response to a local boy’s suicide and ties in concern about teenage mental health. Then, she discusses more philosophical questions she encountered through reading medical narratives, which demonstrates her direct interest in applying writing and the humanities to medicine. By making the connection from this larger theme to her own reflections on her grandfather, Morgan provides a personal insight that will give an admissions officer a window into her character. This demonstrates her empathy for her future patients and commitment to their care.

Her narrative takes the form of an origin story, showing how a childhood interest in poetry grew into a larger mindset to keep a patient's humanity at the center of her approach to clinical care.

Furthermore, it is important to note that Morgan’s essay does not repeat anything in-depth that would otherwise be on her resume. She makes a reference to her work in care team meetings through a clinical bioethics internship, but does not focus on this because there are other places on her application where this internship can be discussed. Instead, she offers a more reflection-based perspective on the internship that goes more in-depth than a resume or CV could. This enables her to explain the reasons for interdisciplinary approach to medicine with tangible examples that range from personal to professional experiences — an approach that presents her as a well-rounded candidate for medical school.

Disclaimer: With exception of the removal of identifying details, essays are reproduced as originally submitted in applications; any errors in submissions are maintained to preserve the integrity of the piece. The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this article.

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"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The tribulations I've overcome in my life have manifested in the compassion, curiosity, and courage that is embedded in my personality. Even a horrific mishap in my life has not changed my core beliefs and has only added fuel to my intense desire to become a doctor. My extensive service at an animal hospital, a harrowing personal experience, and volunteering as an EMT have increased my appreciation and admiration for the medical field.

At thirteen, I accompanied my father to the Park Home Animal Hospital with our eleven-year-old dog, Brendan. He was experiencing severe pain due to an osteosarcoma, which ultimately led to the difficult decision to put him to sleep. That experience brought to light many questions regarding the idea of what constitutes a "quality of life" for an animal and what importance "dignity" plays to an animal and how that differs from owner to owner and pet to pet. Noting my curiosity and my relative maturity in the matter, the owner of the animal hospital invited me to shadow the professional staff. Ten years later, I am still part of the team, having made the transition from volunteer to veterinarian technician. Saving a life, relieving pain, sharing in the euphoria of animal and owner reuniting after a procedure, to understanding the emotions of losing a loved one – my life was forever altered from the moment I stepped into that animal hospital.

As my appreciation for medical professionals continued to grow, a horrible accident created an indelible moment in my life. It was a warm summer day as I jumped onto a small boat captained by my grandfather. He was on his way to refill the boat's gas tank at the local marina, and as he pulled into the dock, I proceeded to make a dire mistake. As the line was thrown from the dock, I attempted to cleat the bowline prematurely, and some of the most intense pain I've ever felt in my life ensued.

Saving a life, relieving pain, sharing in the euphoria of animal and owner reuniting after a procedure, to understanding the emotions of losing a loved one – my life was forever altered from the moment I stepped into that animal hospital.

"Call 911!" I screamed, half-dazed as I witnessed blood gushing out of my open wounds, splashing onto the white fiberglass deck of the boat, forming a small puddle beneath my feet. I was instructed to raise my hand to reduce the bleeding, while someone wrapped an icy towel around the wound. The EMTs arrived shortly after and quickly drove me to an open field a short distance away, where a helicopter seemed to instantaneously appear.

The medevac landed on the roof of Stony Brook Hospital before I was expeditiously wheeled into the operating room for a seven-hour surgery to reattach my severed fingers. The distal phalanges of my 3rd and 4th fingers on my left hand had been torn off by the rope tightening on the cleat. I distinctly remember the chill from the cold metal table, the bright lights of the OR, and multiple doctors and nurses scurrying around. The skill and knowledge required to execute multiple skin graft surgeries were impressive and eye-opening. My shortened fingers often raise questions by others; however, they do not impair my self-confidence or physical abilities. The positive outcome of this trial was the realization of my intense desire to become a medical professional.

Despite being the patient, I was extremely impressed with the dedication, competence, and cohesiveness of the medical team. I felt proud to be a critical member of such a skilled group. To this day, I still cannot explain the dichotomy of experiencing being the patient, and concurrently one on the professional team, committed to saving the patient. Certainly, this experience was a defining part of my life and one of the key contributors to why I became an EMT and a volunteer member of the Sample Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The startling ring of the pager, whether it is to respond to an inebriated alcoholic who is emotionally distraught or to help bring breath to a pulseless person who has been pulled from the family swimming pool, I am committed to EMS. All of these events engender the same call to action and must be reacted to with the same seriousness, intensity, and magnanimity. It may be some routine matter or a dire emergency; this is a role filled with uncertainty and ambiguity, but that is how I choose to spend my days. My motives to become a physician are deeply seeded. They permeate my personality and emanate from my desire to respond to the needs of others. Through a traumatic personal event and my experiences as both a professional and volunteer, I have witnessed firsthand the power to heal the wounded and offer hope. Each person defines success in different ways. To know even one life has been improved by my actions affords me immense gratification and meaning. That is success to me and why I want to be a doctor.

This review is provided by EFIIE Consulting Group’s Pre-Health Senior Consultant Jude Chan

This student was a joy to work with — she was also the lowest MCAT profile I ever accepted onto my roster. At 504 on the second attempt (502 on her first) it would seem impossible and unlikely to most that she would be accepted into an allopathic medical school. Even for an osteopathic medical school this score could be too low. Additionally, the student’s GPA was considered competitive at 3.80, but it was from a lower ranked, less known college, so naturally most advisors would tell this student to go on and complete a master’s or postbaccalaureate program to show that she could manage upper level science classes. Further, she needed to retake the MCAT a third time.

However, I saw many other facets to this student’s history and life that spoke volumes about the type of student she was, and this was the positioning strategy I used for her file. Students who read her personal statement should know that acceptance is contingent on so much more than just an essay and MCAT score or GPA. Although many students have greater MCAT scores than 504 and higher GPAs than 3.80, I have helped students with lower scores and still maintained our 100% match rate. You are competing with thousands of candidates. Not every student out there requires our services and we are actually grateful that we can focus on a limited amount out of the tens of thousands that do. We are also here for the students who wish to focus on learning well the organic chemistry courses and physics courses and who want to focus on their research and shadowing opportunities rather than waste time deciphering the next step in this complex process. We tailor a pathway for each student dependent on their health care career goals, and our partnerships with non-profit organizations, hospitals, physicians and research labs allow our students to focus on what matters most — the building up of their basic science knowledge and their exposure to patients and patient care.

Students who read her personal statement should know that acceptance is contingent on so much more than just an essay and MCAT score or GPA.

Even students who believe that their struggle somehow disqualifies them from their dream career in health care can be redeemed if they are willing to work for it, just like this student with 502 and 504 MCAT scores. After our first consult, I saw a way to position her to still be accepted into an MD school in the US — I would not have recommended she register to our roster if I did not believe we could make a difference. Our rosters have a waitlist each semester, and it is in our best interest to be transparent with our students and protect our 100% record — something I consider a win-win. It is unethical to ever guarantee acceptance in admissions as we simply do not control these decisions. However, we respect it, play by the rules, and help our students stay one step ahead by creating an applicant profile that would be hard for the schools to ignore.

This may be the doctor I go to one day. Or the nurse or dentist my children or my grandchildren goes to one day. That is why it is much more than gaining acceptance — it is about properly matching the student to the best options for their education. Gaining an acceptance and being incapable of getting through the next 4 or 8 years (for my MD/PhD-MSTP students) is nonsensical.

-- Accepted To: Imperial College London UCAT Score: 2740 BMAT Score: 3.9, 5.4, 3.5A

My motivation to study Medicine stems from wishing to be a cog in the remarkable machine that is universal healthcare: a system which I saw first-hand when observing surgery in both the UK and Sri Lanka. Despite the differences in sanitation and technology, the universality of compassion became evident. When volunteering at OSCE training days, I spoke to many medical students, who emphasised the importance of a genuine interest in the sciences when studying Medicine. As such, I have kept myself informed of promising developments, such as the use of monoclonal antibodies in cancer therapy. After learning about the role of HeLa cells in the development of the polio vaccine in Biology, I read 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' to find out more. Furthermore, I read that surface protein CD4 can be added to HeLa cells, allowing them to be infected with HIV, opening the possibility of these cells being used in HIV research to produce more life-changing drugs, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP). Following my BioGrad laboratory experience in HIV testing, and time collating data for research into inflammatory markers in lung cancer, I am also interested in pursuing a career in medical research. However, during a consultation between an ENT surgeon and a thyroid cancer patient, I learnt that practising medicine needs more than a scientific aptitude. As the surgeon explained that the cancer had metastasised to her liver, I watched him empathetically tailor his language for the patient - he avoided medical jargon and instead gave her time to come to terms with this. I have been developing my communication skills by volunteering weekly at care homes for 3 years, which has improved my ability to read body language and structure conversations to engage with the residents, most of whom have dementia.

However, during a consultation between an ENT surgeon and a thyroid cancer patient, I learnt that practising medicine needs more than a scientific aptitude.

Jude’s essay provides a very matter-of-fact account of their experience as a pre-medical student. However, they deepen this narrative by merging two distinct cultures through some common ground: a universality of compassion. Using clear, concise language and a logical succession of events — much like a doctor must follow when speaking to patients — Jude shows their motivation to go into the medical field.

From their OSCE training days to their school’s Science society, Jude connects their analytical perspective — learning about HeLa cells — to something that is relatable and human, such as a poor farmer’s notable contribution to science. This approach provides a gateway into their moral compass without having to explicitly state it, highlighting their fervent desire to learn how to interact and communicate with others when in a position of authority.

Using clear, concise language and a logical succession of events — much like a doctor must follow when speaking to patients — Jude shows their motivation to go into the medical field.

Jude’s closing paragraph reminds the reader of the similarities between two countries like the UK and Sri Lanka, and the importance of having a universal healthcare system that centers around the just and “world-class” treatment of patients. Overall, this essay showcases Jude’s personal initiative to continue to learn more and do better for the people they serve.

While the essay could have benefited from better transitions to weave Jude’s experiences into a personal story, its strong grounding in Jude’s motivation makes for a compelling application essay.

-- Accepted to: Weill Cornell Medical College GPA: 3.98 MCAT: 521

Sponsored by E fie Consulting Group : “ EFIIE ” boasts 100% match rate for all premedical and predental registered students. Not all students are accepted unto their pre-health student roster. Considered the most elite in the industry and assists from start to end – premed to residency. EFIIE is a one-stop-full-service education firm.

Following the physician’s unexpected request, we waited outside, anxiously waiting to hear the latest update on my father’s condition. It was early on in my father’s cancer progression – a change that had shaken our entire way of life overnight. During those 18 months, while my mother spent countless nights at the hospital, I took on the responsibility of caring for my brother. My social life became of minimal concern, and the majority of my studying for upcoming 12th- grade exams was done at the hospital. We were allowed back into the room as the physician walked out, and my parents updated us on the situation. Though we were a tight-knit family and my father wanted us to be present throughout his treatment, what this physician did was give my father a choice. Without making assumptions about who my father wanted in the room, he empowered him to make that choice independently in private. It was this respect directed towards my father, the subsequent efforts at caring for him, and the personal relationship of understanding they formed, that made the largest impact on him. Though my decision to pursue medicine came more than a year later, I deeply valued what these physicians were doing for my father, and I aspired to make a similar impact on people in the future.

It was during this period that I became curious about the human body, as we began to learn physiology in more depth at school. In previous years, the problem-based approach I could take while learning math and chemistry were primarily what sparked my interest. However, I became intrigued by how molecular interactions translated into large-scale organ function, and how these organ systems integrated together to generate the extraordinary physiological functions we tend to under-appreciate. I began my undergraduate studies with the goal of pursuing these interests, whilst leaning towards a career in medicine. While I was surprised to find that there were upwards of 40 programs within the life sciences that I could pursue, it broadened my perspective and challenged me to explore my options within science and healthcare. I chose to study pathobiology and explore my interests through hospital volunteering and research at the end of my first year.

Though my decision to pursue medicine came more than a year later, I deeply valued what these physicians were doing for my father, and I aspired to make a similar impact on people in the future.

While conducting research at St. Michael’s Hospital, I began to understand methods of data collection and analysis, and the thought process of scientific inquiry. I became acquainted with the scientific literature, and the experience transformed how I thought about the concepts I was learning in lecture. However, what stood out to me that summer was the time spent shadowing my supervisor in the neurosurgery clinic. It was where I began to fully understand what life would be like as a physician, and where the career began to truly appeal to me. What appealed to me most was the patient-oriented collaboration and discussions between my supervisor and his fellow; the physician-patient relationship that went far beyond diagnoses and treatments; and the problem solving that I experienced first-hand while being questioned on disease cases.

The day spent shadowing in the clinic was also the first time I developed a relationship with a patient. We were instructed to administer the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) test to patients as they awaited the neurosurgeon. My task was to convey the instructions as clearly as possible and score each section. I did this as best I could, adapting my explanation to each patient, and paying close attention to their responses to ensure I was understood. The last patient was a challenging case, given a language barrier combined with his severe hydrocephalus. It was an emotional time for his family, seeing their father/husband struggle to complete simple tasks and subsequently give up. I encouraged him to continue trying. But I also knew my words would not remedy the condition underlying his struggles. All I could do was make attempts at lightening the atmosphere as I got to know him and his family better. Hours later, as I saw his remarkable improvement following a lumbar puncture, and the joy on his and his family’s faces at his renewed ability to walk independently, I got a glimpse of how rewarding it would be to have the ability and privilege to care for such patients. By this point, I knew I wanted to commit to a life in medicine. Two years of weekly hospital volunteering have allowed me to make a small difference in patients’ lives by keeping them company through difficult times, and listening to their concerns while striving to help in the limited way that I could. I want to have the ability to provide care and treatment on a daily basis as a physician. Moreover, my hope is that the breadth of medicine will provide me with the opportunity to make an impact on a larger scale. Whilst attending conferences on neuroscience and surgical technology, I became aware of the potential to make a difference through healthcare, and I look forward to developing the skills necessary to do so through a Master’s in Global Health. Whether through research, health innovation, or public health, I hope not only to care for patients with the same compassion with which physicians cared for my father, but to add to the daily impact I can have by tackling large-scale issues in health.

Taylor’s essay offers both a straightforward, in-depth narrative and a deep analysis of his experiences, which effectively reveals his passion and willingness to learn in the medical field. The anecdote of Taylor’s father gives the reader insight into an original instance of learning through experience and clearly articulates Taylor’s motivations for becoming a compassionate and respectful physician.

Taylor strikes an impeccable balance between discussing his accomplishments and his character. All of his life experiences — and the difficult challenges he overcame — introduce the reader to an important aspect of Taylor’s personality: his compassion, care for his family, and power of observation in reflecting on the decisions his father’s doctor makes. His description of his time volunteering at St. Michael’s Hospital is indicative of Taylor’s curiosity about medical research, but also of his recognition of the importance of the patient-physician relationship. Moreover, he shows how his volunteer work enabled him to see how medicine goes “beyond diagnoses and treatments” — an observation that also speaks to his compassion.

His description of his time volunteering at St. Michael's Hospital is indicative of Taylor's curiosity about medical research, but also of his recognition of the importance of the patient-physician relationship.

Finally, Taylor also tells the reader about his ambition and purpose, which is important when thinking about applying to medical school. He discusses his hope of tackling larger scale problems through any means possible in medicine. This notion of using self interest to better the world is imperative to a successful college essay, and it is nicely done here.

-- Accepted to: Washington University

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Running has always been one of my greatest passions whether it be with friends or alone with my thoughts. My dad has always been my biggest role model and was the first to introduce me to the world of running. We entered races around the country, and one day he invited me on a run that changed my life forever. The St. Jude Run is an annual event that raises millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. My dad has led or our local team for as long as I can remember, and I had the privilege to join when I was 16. From the first step I knew this was the environment for me – people from all walks of life united with one goal of ending childhood cancer. I had an interest in medicine before the run, and with these experiences I began to consider oncology as a career. When this came up in conversations, I would invariably be faced with the question “Do you really think you could get used to working with dying kids?” My 16-year-old self responded with something noble but naïve like “It’s important work, so I’ll have to handle it”. I was 16 years young with my plan to become an oncologist at St. Jude.

As I transitioned into college my plans for oncology were alive and well. I began working in a biochemistry lab researching new anti-cancer drugs. It was a small start, but I was overjoyed to be a part of the process. I applied to work at a number of places for the summer, but the Pediatric Oncology Education program (POE) at St. Jude was my goal. One afternoon, I had just returned from class and there it was: an email listed as ‘POE Offer’. I was ecstatic and accepted the offer immediately. Finally, I could get a glimpse at what my future holds. My future PI, Dr. Q, specialized in solid tumor translational research and I couldn’t wait to get started.

I was 16 years young with my plan to become an oncologist at St. Jude.

Summer finally came, I moved to Memphis, and I was welcomed by the X lab. I loved translational research because the results are just around the corner from helping patients. We began a pre-clinical trial of a new chemotherapy regimen and the results were looking terrific. I was also able to accompany Dr. Q whenever she saw patients in the solid tumor division. Things started simple with rounds each morning before focusing on the higher risk cases. I was fortunate enough to get to know some of the patients quite well, and I could sometimes help them pass the time with a game or two on a slow afternoon between treatments. These experiences shined a very human light on a field I had previously seen only through a microscope in a lab.

I arrived one morning as usual, but Dr. Q pulled me aside before rounds. She said one of the patients we had been seeing passed away in the night. I held my composure in the moment, but I felt as though an anvil was crushing down on me. It was tragic but I knew loss was part of the job, so I told myself to push forward. A few days later, I had mostly come to terms with what happened, but then the anvil came crashing back down with the passing of another patient. I could scarcely hold back the tears this time. That moment, it didn’t matter how many miraculous successes were happening a few doors down. Nothing overshadowed the loss, and there was no way I could ‘get used to it’ as my younger self had hoped.

I was still carrying the weight of what had happened and it was showing, so I asked Dr. Q for help. How do you keep smiling each day? How do you get used to it? The questions in my head went on. What I heard next changed my perspective forever. She said you keep smiling because no matter what happened, you’re still hope for the next patient. It’s not about getting used to it. You never get used to it and you shouldn’t. Beating cancer takes lifetimes, and you can’t look passed a life’s worth of hardships. I realized that moving passed the loss of patients would never suffice, but I need to move forward with them. Through the successes and shortcomings, we constantly make progress. I like to imagine that in all our future endeavors, it is the hands of those who have gone before us that guide the way. That is why I want to attend medical school and become a physician. We may never end the sting of loss, but physicians are the bridge between the past and the future. No where else is there the chance to learn from tragedy and use that to shape a better future. If I can learn something from one loss, keep moving forward, and use that knowledge to help even a single person – save one life, bring a moment of joy, avoid a moment of pain—then that is how I want to spend my life.

The change wasn’t overnight. The next loss still brought pain, but I took solace in moving forward so that we might learn something to give hope to a future patient. I returned to campus in a new lab doing cancer research, and my passion for medicine continues to flourish. I still think about all the people I encountered at St. Jude, especially those we lost. It might be a stretch, but during the long hours at the lab bench I still picture their hands moving through mine each step of the way. I could never have foreseen where the first steps of the St. Jude Run would bring me. I’m not sure where the road to becoming a physician may lead, but with helping hands guiding the way, I won’t be running it alone.

This essay, a description of the applicant’s intellectual challenges, displays the hardships of tending to cancer patients as a milestone of experience and realization of what it takes to be a physician. The writer explores deeper ideas beyond medicine, such as dealing with patient deaths in a way to progress and improve as a professional. In this way, the applicant gives the reader some insight into the applicant’s mindset, and their ability to think beyond the surface for ways to become better at what they do.

However, the essay fails to zero in on the applicant’s character, instead elaborating on life events that weakly illustrate the applicant’s growth as a physician. The writer’s mantra (“keep moving forward”) is feebly projected, and seems unoriginal due to the lack of a personalized connection between the experience at St. Jude and how that led to the applicant’s growth and mindset changes.

The writer explores deeper ideas beyond medicine, such as dealing with patient deaths in a way to progress and improve as a professional.

The writer, by only focusing on grief brought from patient deaths at St. Jude, misses out on the opportunity to further describe his or her experience at the hospital and portray an original, well-rounded image of his or her strengths, weaknesses, and work ethic.

The applicant ends the essay by attempting to highlight the things they learned at St. Jude, but fails to organize the ideas into a cohesive, comprehensible section. These ideas are also too abstract, and are vague indicators of the applicant’s character that are difficult to grasp.

-- Accepted to: New York University School of Medicine

Sponsored by MedEdits : MedEdits Medical Admissions has been helping applicants get into medical schools like Harvard for more than ten years. Structured like an academic medical department, MedEdits has experts in admissions, writing, editing, medicine, and interview prep working with you collaboratively so you can earn the best admissions results possible.

“Is this the movie you were talking about Alice?” I said as I showed her the movie poster on my iPhone. “Oh my God, I haven’t seen that poster in over 70 years,” she said with her arms trembling in front of her. Immediately, I sat up straight and started to question further. We were talking for about 40 minutes, and the most exciting thing she brought up in that time was the new flavor of pudding she had for lunch. All of sudden, she’s back in 1940 talking about what it was like to see this movie after school for only 5¢ a ticket! After an engaging discussion about life in the 40’s, I knew I had to indulge her. Armed with a plethora of movie streaming sights, I went to work scouring the web. No luck. The movie, “My Son My Son,” was apparently not in high demand amongst torrenting teens. I had to entreat my older brother for his Amazon Prime account to get a working stream. However, breaking up the monotony and isolation felt at the nursing home with a simple movie was worth the pandering.

While I was glad to help a resident have some fun, I was partly motivated by how much Alice reminded me of my own grandfather. In accordance with custom, my grandfather was to stay in our house once my grandmother passed away. More specifically, he stayed in my room and my bed. Just like grandma’s passing, my sudden roommate was a rough transition. In 8th grade at the time, I considered myself to be a generally good guy. Maybe even good enough to be a doctor one day. I volunteered at the hospital, shadowed regularly, and had a genuine interest for science. However, my interest in medicine was mostly restricted to academia. To be honest, I never had a sustained exposure to the palliative side of medicine until the arrival of my new roommate.

The two years I slept on that creaky wooden bed with him was the first time my metal was tested. Sharing that room, I was the one to take care of him. I was the one to rub ointment on his back, to feed him when I came back from school, and to empty out his spittoon when it got full. It was far from glamorous, and frustrating most of the time. With 75 years separating us, and senile dementia setting in, he would often forget who I was or where he was. Having to remind him that I was his grandson threatened to erode at my resolve. Assured by my Syrian Orthodox faith, I even prayed about it; asking God for comfort and firmness on my end. Over time, I grew slow to speak and eager to listen as he started to ramble more and more about bits and pieces of the past. If I was lucky, I would be able to stich together a narrative that may or may have not been true. In any case, my patience started to bud beyond my age group.

Having to remind him that I was his grandson threatened to erode at my resolve.

Although I grew more patient with his disease, my curiosity never really quelled. Conversely, it developed further alongside my rapidly growing interest in the clinical side of medicine. Naturally, I became drawn to a neurology lab in college where I got to study pathologies ranging from atrophy associated with schizophrenia, and necrotic lesions post stroke. However, unlike my intro biology courses, my work at the neurology lab was rooted beyond the academics. Instead, I found myself driven by real people who could potentially benefit from our research. In particular, my shadowing experience with Dr. Dominger in the Veteran’s home made the patient more relevant in our research as I got to encounter geriatric patients with age related diseases, such as Alzhimer’s and Parkinson’s. Furthermore, I had the privilege of of talking to the families of a few of these patients to get an idea of the impact that these diseases had on the family structure. For me, the scut work in the lab meant a lot more with these families in mind than the tritium tracer we were using in the lab.

Despite my achievements in the lab and the classroom, my time with my grandfather still holds a special place in my life story. The more I think about him, the more confident I am in my decision to pursue a career where caring for people is just as important, if not more important, than excelling at academics. Although it was a lot of work, the years spent with him was critical in expanding my horizons both in my personal life and in the context of medicine. While I grew to be more patient around others, I also grew to appreciate medicine beyond the science. This more holistic understanding of medicine had a synergistic effect in my work as I gained a purpose behind the extra hours in the lab, sleepless nights in the library, and longer hours volunteering. I had a reason for what I was doing that may one day help me have long conversations with my own grandchildren about the price of popcorn in the 2000’s.

The most important thing to highlight in Avery’s essay is how he is able to create a duality between his interest in not only the clinical, more academic-based side of medicine, but also the field’s personal side.

He draws personal connections between working with Alice — a patient in a hospital or nursing home — and caring intensely for his grandfather. These two experiences build up the “synergistic” relationship between caring for people and studying the science behind medicine. In this way, he is able to clearly state his passions for medicine and explain his exact motives for entering the field. Furthermore, in his discussion of her grandfather, he effectively employs imagery (“rub ointment on his back,” “feed him when I came back from school,” etc.) to describe the actual work that he does, calling it initially as “far from glamorous, and frustrating most of the time.” By first mentioning his initial impression, then transitioning into how he grew to appreciate the experience, Avery is able to demonstrate a strength of character, sense of enormous responsibility and capability, and open-minded attitude.

He draws personal connections between working with Alice — a patient in a hospital or nursing home — and caring intensely for his grandfather.

Later in the essay, Avery is also able to relate his time caring for his grandfather to his work with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients, showcasing the social impact of his work, as the reader is likely already familiar with the biological impact of the work. This takes Avery’s essay full circle, bringing it back to how a discussion with an elderly patient about the movies reminds him of why he chose to pursue medicine.

That said, the essay does feel rushed near the end, as the writer was likely trying to remain within the word count. There could be a more developed transition before Avery introduces the last sentence about “conversations with my own grandchildren,” especially as a strong essay ending is always recommended.

-- Accepted To: Saint Louis University Medical School Direct Admission Medical Program

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The tension in the office was tangible. The entire team sat silently sifting through papers as Dr. L introduced Adam, a 60-year-old morbidly obese man recently admitted for a large open wound along his chest. As Dr. L reviewed the details of the case, his prognosis became even bleaker: hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiomyopathy, hyperlipidemia; the list went on and on. As the humdrum of the side-conversations came to a halt, and the shuffle of papers softened, the reality of Adam’s situation became apparent. Adam had a few months to live at best, a few days at worst. To make matters worse, Adam’s insurance would not cover his treatment costs. With no job, family, or friends, he was dying poor and alone.

I followed Dr. L out of the conference room, unsure what would happen next. “Well,” she muttered hesitantly, “We need to make sure that Adam is on the same page as us.” It’s one thing to hear bad news, and another to hear it utterly alone. Dr. L frantically reviewed all of Adam’s paperwork desperately looking for someone to console him, someone to be at his side. As she began to make calls, I saw that being a physician calls for more than good grades and an aptitude for science: it requires maturity, sacrifice, and most of all, empathy. That empathy is exactly what I saw in Dr. L as she went out of her way to comfort a patient she met hardly 20 minutes prior.

Since high school, I’ve been fascinated by technology’s potential to improve healthcare. As a volunteer in [the] Student Ambassador program, I was fortunate enough to watch an open-heart surgery. Intrigued by the confluence of technology and medicine, I chose to study biomedical engineering. At [school], I wanted to help expand this interface, so I became involved with research through Dr. P’s lab by studying the applications of electrospun scaffolds for dermal wound healing. While still in the preliminary stages of research, I learned about the Disability Service Club (DSC) and decided to try something new by volunteering at a bowling outing.

As she began to make calls, I saw that being a physician calls for more than good grades and an aptitude for science: it requires maturity, sacrifice, and most of all, empathy.

The DSC promotes awareness of cognitive disabilities in the community and seeks to alleviate difficulties for the disabled. During one outing, I collaborated with Arc, a local organization with a similar mission. Walking in, I was told that my role was to support the participants by providing encouragement. I decided to help a relatively quiet group of individuals assisted by only one volunteer, Mary. Mary informed me that many individuals with whom I was working were diagnosed with ASD. Suddenly, she started cheering, as one of the members of the group bowled a strike. The group went wild. Everyone was dancing, singing, and rejoicing. Then I noticed one gentleman sitting at our table, solemn-faced. I tried to start a conversation with him, but he remained unresponsive. I sat with him for the rest of the game, trying my hardest to think of questions that would elicit more than a monosyllabic response, but to no avail. As the game ended, I stood up to say bye when he mumbled, “Thanks for talking.” Then he quickly turned his head away. I walked away beaming. Although I was unable to draw out a smile or even sustain a conversation, at the end of the day, the fact that this gentleman appreciated my mere effort completely overshadowed the awkwardness of our time together. Later that day, I realized that as much as I enjoyed the thrill of research and its applications, helping other people was what I was most passionate about.

When it finally came time to tell Adam about his deteriorating condition, I was not sure how he would react. Dr. L gently greeted him and slowly let reality take its toll. He stoically turned towards Dr. L and groaned, “I don’t really care. Just leave me alone.” Dr. L gave him a concerned nod and gradually left the room. We walked to the next room where we met with a pastor from Adam’s church.

“Adam’s always been like that,” remarked the pastor, “he’s never been one to express emotion.” We sat with his pastor for over an hour discussing how we could console Adam. It turned out that Adam was part of a motorcycle club, but recently quit because of his health. So, Dr. L arranged for motorcycle pictures and other small bike trinkets to be brought to his room as a reminder of better times.

Dr. L’s simple gesture reminded me of why I want to pursue medicine. There is something sacred, empowering, about providing support when people need it the most; whether it be simple as starting a conversation, or providing support during the most trying of times. My time spent conducting research kindled my interest in the science of medicine, and my service as a volunteer allowed me to realize how much I valued human interaction. Science and technology form the foundation of medicine, but to me, empathy is the essence. It is my combined interest in science and service that inspires me to pursue medicine. It is that combined interest that makes me aspire to be a physician.

Parker’s essay focuses on one central narrative with a governing theme of compassionate and attentive care for patients, which is the key motivator for her application to medical school. Parker’s story focuses on her volunteer experience shadowing of Dr. L who went the extra mile for Adam, which sets Dr. L up as a role model for Parker as she enters the medical field. This effectively demonstrates to the reader what kind of doctor Parker wants to be in the future.

Parker’s narrative has a clear beginning, middle, and end, making it easy for the reader to follow. She intersperses the main narrative about Adam with experiences she has with other patients and reflects upon her values as she contemplates pursuing medicine as a career. Her anecdote about bowling with the patients diagnosed with ASD is another instance where she uses a story to tell the reader why she values helping people through medicine and attentive patient care, especially as she focuses on the impact her work made on one man at the event.

Parker's story focuses on her volunteer experience shadowing of Dr. L who went the extra mile for Adam, which sets Dr. L up as a role model for Parker as she enters the medical field.

All throughout the essay, the writing is engaging and Parker incorporates excellent imagery, which goes well with her varied sentence structure. The essay is also strong because it comes back full circle at its conclusion, tying the overall narrative back to the story of Dr. L and Adam, which speaks to Parker’s motives for going to medical school.

-- Accepted To: Emory School of Medicine

Growing up, I enjoyed visiting my grandparents. My grandfather was an established doctor, helping the sick and elderly in rural Taiwan until two weeks before he died at 91 years old. His clinic was located on the first floor of the residency with an exam room, treatment room, X-ray room, and small pharmacy. Curious about his work, I would follow him to see his patients. Grandpa often asked me if I want to be a doctor just like him. I always smiled, but was more interested in how to beat the latest Pokémon game. I was in 8th grade when my grandfather passed away. I flew back to Taiwan to attend his funeral. It was a gloomy day and the only street in the small village became a mourning place for the villagers. Flowers filled the streets and people came to pay their respects. An old man told me a story: 60 years ago, a village woman was in a difficult labor. My grandfather rushed into the house and delivered a baby boy. That boy was the old man and he was forever grateful. Stories of grandpa saving lives and bringing happiness to families were told during the ceremony. At that moment, I realized why my grandfather worked so tirelessly up until his death as a physician. He did it for the reward of knowing that he kept a family together and saved a life. The ability for a doctor to heal and bring happiness is the reason why I want to study medicine. Medical school is the first step on a lifelong journey of learning, but I feel that my journey leading up to now has taught me some things of what it means to be an effective physician.

With a newfound purpose, I began volunteering and shadowing at my local hospital. One situation stood out when I was a volunteer in the cardiac stress lab. As I attached EKG leads onto a patient, suddenly the patient collapsed and started gasping for air. His face turned pale, then slightly blue. The charge nurse triggered “Code Blue” and started CPR. A team of doctors and nurses came, rushing in with a defibrillator to treat and stabilize the patient. What I noticed was that medicine was not only about one individual acting as a superhero to save a life, but that it takes a team of individuals with an effective leader, working together to deliver the best care. I want to be a leader as well as part of a team that can make a difference in a person’s life. I have refined these lessons about teamwork and leadership to my activities. In high school I was an 8 time varsity letter winner for swimming and tennis and captain of both of those teams. In college I have participated in many activities, but notably serving as assistant principle cellist in my school symphony as well as being a co-founding member of a quartet. From both my athletic experiences and my music experiences I learned what it was like to not only assert my position as a leader and to effectively communicate my views, but equally as important I learned how to compromise and listen to the opinions of others. Many physicians that I have observed show a unique blend of confidence and humility.

What I noticed was that medicine was not only about one individual acting as a superhero to save a life, but that it takes a team of individuals with an effective leader, working together to deliver the best care.

College opened me up to new perspectives on what makes a complete physician. A concept that was preached in the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions in Medicine (GPPA) was that medicine is both an art and a science. The art of medicine deals with a variety of aspects including patient relationships as well as ethics. Besides my strong affinity for the sciences and mathematics, I always have had interest in history. I took courses in both German literature and history, which influenced me to take a class focusing on Nazi neuroscientists. It was the ideology of seeing the disabled and different races as test subjects rather than people that led to devastating lapses in medical ethics. The most surprising fact for me was that doctors who were respected and leaders in their field disregarded the humanity of patient and rather focused on getting results from their research. Speaking with Dr. Zeidman, the professor for this course, influenced me to start my research which deals with the ethical qualms of using data derived from unethical Nazi experimentation such as the brains derived from the adult and child euthanasia programs. Today, science is so result driven, it is important to keep in mind the ethics behind research and clinical practice. Also the development of personalized genomic medicine brings into question about potential privacy violations and on the extreme end discrimination. The study of ethics no matter the time period is paramount in the medical field. The end goal should always be to put the patient first.

Teaching experiences in college inspired me to become a physician educator if I become a doctor. Post-MCAT, I was offered a job by Next Step Test Prep as a tutor to help students one on one for the MCAT. I had a student who stated he was doing well during practice, but couldn’t get the correct answer during practice tests. Working with the student, I pointed out his lack of understanding concepts and this realization helped him and improves his MCAT score. Having the ability to educate the next generation of doctors is not only necessary, but also a rewarding experience.

My experiences volunteering and shadowing doctors in the hospital as well as my understanding of what it means to be a complete physician will make me a good candidate as a medical school student. It is my goal to provide the best care to patients and to put a smile on a family’s face just as my grandfather once had. Achieving this goal does not take a special miracle, but rather hard work, dedication, and an understanding of what it means to be an effective physician.

Through reflecting on various stages of life, Quinn expresses how they found purpose in pursuing medicine. Starting as a child more interested in Pokemon than their grandfather’s patients, Quinn exhibits personal growth through recognizing the importance of their grandfather’s work saving lives and eventually gaining the maturity to work towards this goal as part of a team.

This essay opens with abundant imagery — of the grandfather’s clinic, flowers filling the streets, and the village woman’s difficult labor — which grounds Quinn’s story in their family roots. Yet, the transition from shadowing in hospitals to pursuing leadership positions in high schools is jarring, and the list of athletic and musical accomplishments reads like a laundry list of accomplishments until Quinn neatly wraps them up as evidence of leadership and teamwork skills. Similarly, the section about tutoring, while intended to demonstrate Quinn’s desire to educate future physicians, lacks the emotional resonance necessary to elevate it from another line lifted from their resume.

This essay opens with abundant imagery — of the grandfather's clinic, flowers filling the streets, and the village woman's difficult labor — which grounds Quinn's story in their family roots.

The strongest point of Quinn’s essay is the focus on their unique arts and humanities background. This equips them with a unique perspective necessary to consider issues in medicine in a new light. Through detailing how history and literature coursework informed their unique research, Quinn sets their application apart from the multitude of STEM-focused narratives. Closing the essay with the desire to help others just as their grandfather had, Quinn ties the narrative back to their personal roots.

-- Accepted To: Edinburgh University UCAT Score: 2810 BMAT Score: 4.6, 4.2, 3.5A

Exposure to the medical career from an early age by my father, who would explain diseases of the human body, sparked my interest for Medicine and drove me to seek out work experience. I witnessed the contrast between use of bone saws and drills to gain access to the brain, with subsequent use of delicate instruments and microscopes in neurosurgery. The surgeon's care to remove the tumour, ensuring minimal damage to surrounding healthy brain and his commitment to achieve the best outcome for the patient was inspiring. The chance to have such a positive impact on a patient has motivated me to seek out a career in Medicine.

Whilst shadowing a surgical team in Texas, carrying out laparoscopic bariatric procedures, I appreciated the surgeon's dedication to continual professional development and research. I was inspired to carry out an Extended Project Qualification on whether bariatric surgery should be funded by the NHS. By researching current literature beyond my school curriculum, I learnt to assess papers for bias and use reliable sources to make a conclusion on a difficult ethical situation. I know that doctors are required to carry out research and make ethical decisions and so, I want to continue developing these skills during my time at medical school.

The chance to have such a positive impact on a patient has motivated me to seek out a career in Medicine.

Attending an Oncology multi-disciplinary team meeting showed me the importance of teamwork in medicine. I saw each team member, with specific areas of expertise, contributing to the discussion and actively listening, and together they formed a holistic plan of action for patients. During my Young Enterprise Award, I facilitated a brainstorm where everyone pitched a product idea. Each member offered a different perspective on the idea and then voted on a product to carry forward in the competition. As a result, we came runners up in the Regional Finals. Furthermore, I started developing my leadership skills, which I improved by doing Duke of Edinburgh Silver and attending a St. John Ambulance Leadership course. In one workshop, similar to the bariatric surgeon I shadowed, I communicated instructions and delegated roles to my team to successfully solve a puzzle. These experiences highlighted the crucial need for teamwork and leadership as a doctor.

Observing a GP, I identified the importance of compassion and empathy. During a consultation with a severely depressed patient, the GP came to the patient's eye level and used a calm, non-judgmental tone of voice, easing her anxieties and allowing her to disclose more information. While volunteering at a care home weekly for two years, I adapted my communication for a resident suffering with dementia who was disconnected from others. I would take her to a quiet environment, speak slowly and in a non-threatening manner, as such, she became talkative, engaged and happier. I recognised that communication and compassion allows doctors to build rapport, gain patients' trust and improve compliance. For two weeks, I shadowed a surgeon performing multiple craniotomies a day. I appreciated the challenges facing doctors including time and stress management needed to deliver high quality care. Organisation, by prioritising patients based on urgency and creating a timetable on the ward round, was key to running the theatre effectively. Similarly, I create to-do-lists and prioritise my academics and extra-curricular activities to maintain a good work-life balance: I am currently preparing for my Grade 8 in Singing, alongside my A-level exams. I also play tennis for the 1st team to relax and enable me to refocus. I wish to continue my hobbies at university, as ways to manage stress.

Through my work experiences and voluntary work, I have gained a realistic understanding of Medicine and its challenges. I have begun to display the necessary skills that I witnessed, such as empathy, leadership and teamwork. The combination of these skills with my fascination for the human body drives me to pursue a place at medical school and a career as a doctor.

This essay traces Alex's personal exploration of medicine through different stages of life, taking a fairly traditional path to the medical school application essay. From witnessing medical procedures to eventually pursuing leadership positions, this tale of personal progress argues that Alex's life has prepared him to become a doctor.

Alex details how experiences conducting research and working with medical teams have confirmed his interest in medicine. Although the breadth of experiences speaks to the applicant’s interest in medicine, the essay verges on being a regurgitation of the Alex's resume, which does not provide the admissions officer with any new insights or information and ultimately takes away from the essay as a whole. As such, the writing’s lack of voice or unique perspective puts the applicant at risk of sounding middle-of-the-road.

From witnessing medical procedures to eventually pursuing leadership positions, this tale of personal progress argues that Alex's life has prepared him to become a doctor.

The essay’s organization, however, is one of its strengths — each paragraph provides an example of personal growth through a new experience in medicine. Further, Alex demonstrates his compassion and diligence through detailed stories, which give a reader a glimpse into his values. Through recognizing important skills necessary to be a doctor, Alex demonstrates that he has the mature perspective necessary to embark upon this journey.

What this essay lacks in a unique voice, it makes up for in professionalism and organization. Alex's earnest desire to attend medical school is what makes this essay shine.

-- Accepted To: University of Toronto MCAT Scores: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems - 128, Critical Analysis and Reading Skills - 127, Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems - 127, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior - 130, Total - 512

Moment of brilliance.

Revelation.

These are all words one would use to describe their motivation by a higher calling to achieve something great. Such an experience is often cited as the reason for students to become physicians; I was not one of these students. Instead of waiting for an event like this, I chose to get involved in the activities that I found most invigorating. Slowly but surely, my interests, hobbies, and experiences inspired me to pursue medicine.

As a medical student, one must possess a solid academic foundation to facilitate an understanding of physical health and illness. Since high school, I found science courses the most appealing and tended to devote most of my time to their exploration. I also enjoyed learning about the music, food, literature, and language of other cultures through Latin and French class. I chose the Medical Sciences program because it allowed for flexibility in course selection. I have studied several scientific disciplines in depth like physiology and pathology while taking classes in sociology, psychology, and classical studies. Such a diverse academic portfolio has strengthened my ability to consider multiple viewpoints and attack problems from several angles. I hope to relate to patients from all walks of life as a physician and offer them personalized treatment.

I was motivated to travel as much as possible by learning about other cultures in school. Exposing myself to different environments offered me perspective on universal traits that render us human. I want to pursue medicine because I believe that this principle of commonality relates to medical practice in providing objective and compassionate care for all. Combined with my love for travel, this realization took me to Nepal with Volunteer Abroad (VA) to build a school for a local orphanage (4). The project’s demands required a group of us to work closely as a team to accomplish the task. Rooted in different backgrounds, we often had conflicting perspectives; even a simple task such as bricklaying could stir up an argument because each person had their own approach. However, we discussed why we came to Nepal and reached the conclusion that all we wanted was to build a place of education for the children. Our unifying goal allowed us to reach compromises and truly appreciate the value of teamwork. These skills are vital in a clinical setting, where physicians and other health care professionals need to collaborate as a multidisciplinary team to tackle patients’ physical, emotional, social, and psychological problems.

I hope to relate to patients from all walks of life as a physician and offer them personalized treatment.

The insight I gained from my Nepal excursion encouraged me to undertake and develop the role of VA campus representative (4). Unfortunately, many students are not equipped with the resources to volunteer abroad; I raised awareness about local initiatives so everyone had a chance to do their part. I tried to avoid pushing solely for international volunteerism for this reason and also because it can undermine the work of local skilled workers and foster dependency. Nevertheless, I took on this position with VA because I felt that the potential benefits were more significant than the disadvantages. Likewise, doctors must constantly weigh out the pros and cons of a situation to help a patient make the best choice. I tried to dispel fears of traveling abroad by sharing first-hand experiences so that students could make an informed decision. When people approached me regarding unfamiliar placements, I researched their questions and provided them with both answers and a sense of security. I found great fulfillment in addressing the concerns of individuals, and I believe that similar processes could prove invaluable in the practice of medicine.

As part of the Sickkids Summer Research Program, I began to appreciate the value of experimental investigation and evidence-based medicine (23). Responsible for initiating an infant nutrition study at a downtown clinic, I was required to explain the project’s implications and daily protocol to physicians, nurses and phlebotomists. I took anthropometric measurements and blood pressure of children aged 1-10 and asked parents about their and their child’s diet, television habits, physical exercise regimen, and sunlight exposure. On a few occasions, I analyzed and presented a small set of data to my superiors through oral presentations and written documents.

With continuous medical developments, physicians must participate in lifelong learning. More importantly, they can engage in research to further improve the lives of their patients. I encountered a young mother one day at the clinic struggling to complete the study’s questionnaires. After I asked her some questions, she began to open up to me as her anxiety subsided; she then told me that her child suffered from low iron. By talking with the physician and reading a few articles, I recommended a few supplements and iron-rich foods to help her child. This experience in particular helped me realize that I enjoy clinical research and strive to address the concerns of people with whom I interact.

Research is often impeded by a lack of government and private funding. My clinical placement motivated me to become more adept in budgeting, culminating in my role as founding Co-President of the UWO Commerce Club (ICCC) (9). Together, fellow club executives and I worked diligently to get the club ratified, a process that made me aware of the bureaucratic challenges facing new organizations. Although we had a small budget, we found ways of minimizing expenditure on advertising so that we were able to host more speakers who lectured about entrepreneurship and overcoming challenges. Considering the limited space available in hospitals and the rising cost of health care, physicians, too, are often forced to prioritize and manage the needs of their patients.

No one needs a grand revelation to pursue medicine. Although passion is vital, it is irrelevant whether this comes suddenly from a life-altering event or builds up progressively through experience. I enjoyed working in Nepal, managing resources, and being a part of clinical and research teams; medicine will allow me to combine all of these aspects into one wholesome career.

I know with certainty that this is the profession for me.

Jimmy opens this essay hinting that his essay will follow a well-worn path, describing the “big moment” that made him realize why he needed to become a physician. But Jimmy quickly turns the reader’s expectation on its head by stating that he did not have one of those moments. By doing this, Jimmy commands attention and has the reader waiting for an explanation. He soon provides the explanation that doubles as the “thesis” of his essay: Jimmy thinks passion can be built progressively, and Jimmy’s life progression has led him to the medical field.

Jimmy did not make the decision to pursue a career in medicine lightly. Instead he displays through anecdotes that his separate passions — helping others, exploring different walks of life, personal responsibility, and learning constantly, among others — helped Jimmy realize that being a physician was the career for him. By talking readers through his thought process, it is made clear that Jimmy is a critical thinker who can balance multiple different perspectives simultaneously. The ability to evaluate multiple options and make an informed, well-reasoned decision is one that bodes well for Jimmy’s medical career.

While in some cases this essay does a lot of “telling,” the comprehensive and decisive walkthrough indicates what Jimmy’s idea of a doctor is. To him, a doctor is someone who is genuinely interested in his work, someone who can empathize and related to his patients, someone who can make important decisions with a clear head, and someone who is always trying to learn more. Just like his decision to work at the VA, Jimmy has broken down the “problem” (what his career should be) and reached a sound conclusion.

By talking readers through his thought process, it is made clear that Jimmy is a critical thinker who can balance multiple different perspectives simultaneously.

Additionally, this essay communicates Jimmy’s care for others. While it is not always advisable to list one’s volunteer efforts, each activity Jimmy lists has a direct application to his essay. Further, the sheer amount of philanthropic work that Jimmy does speaks for itself: Jimmy would not have worked at VA, spent a summer with Sickkids, or founded the UWO finance club if he were not passionate about helping others through medicine. Like the VA story, the details of Jimmy’s participation in Sickkids and the UWO continue to show how he has thought about and embodied the principles that a physician needs to be successful.

Jimmy’s essay both breaks common tropes and lives up to them. By framing his “list” of activities with his passion-happens-slowly mindset, Jimmy injects purpose and interest into what could have been a boring and braggadocious essay if it were written differently. Overall, this essay lets the reader know that Jimmy is seriously dedicated to becoming a physician, and both his thoughts and his actions inspire confidence that he will give medical school his all.

The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this content.

• Recommended

Medical journals that accept stories and essays from physicians

Health and health care are hot topics lately, and not just for journalists and bloggers debating Obamacare. Suddenly – or so it seems; in fact the trend has been building for years – people from all walks of life want to read about medicine.

Within medicine, a majority of journals now have essay, viewpoint, or perspectives sections. Not only are such sections frequently the most widely read portions of the journal (i.e.  JAMA’s A Piece of My Mind ), but for some, including the New England Journal of Medicine , if you have the table of contents delivered to your inbox as I do, all you see are the essays; if you want the science, you need to scroll down. And that’s just the traditional medical press. Increasing numbers of health professionals write for and read blogs to learn about, reflect upon, and engage with others about issues in medicine from the results of a new study to coping with burnout and inspiring tales from the front lines of research and practice.

But the trend isn’t just among health professionals. The blogosphere is replete with sites focus on wellness, illness, aging, and the patient experience. Many of the writers for these sites are themselves patients or caregivers, but others write about these topics because they matter not just today with the ACA debates, but always, since birth, death, disease, and caring are the touchstones of most lives. This reality was recognized in the 2012 edition of  Best American Essays  in which eight, or fully one third, of the essays were about medicine. The topics ranged from menopause as a vehicle to the true self and how an aging doctor wants to die to a writing class for children at a cancer hospital and the benefits of gaining weight to treat depression. Only two were written by physicians. All combined great writing and storytelling with novel insights and important information or thoughts about life, illness, caregiving, and death. And, no, the editor of the 2012 edition was not a doctor.

So whether you’re a health profession who writes or wants to write or a writer working on a piece that deals in some way with medicine, health, or illness, there is clearly interest in this sort of work, and possibly even growing interest.  Professional society annual meetings now feature workshops on narrative, advocacy writing, and social media, and many universities and medical schools now have courses in this sort of  Public Medical Communication (PMC)  writing, sponsor PMC-related annual conferences, and publish journals of essays, short stories, poetry, and art. Annual conferences around the nation invite anyone, professional or not, to come write about health and illness.

So what do all these essays and stories and blogs have in common? Each uses literary and journalistic techniques to explore topics related to health and health care in ways that are compelling, entertaining, and accessible to all. Mostly, it’s about communicating clearly, often using a story and characters to illustrate a point, and always about striving to understand and represent real lived experience.

Below is a partial list, in alphabetical order, of medical journals that publish this sort of work.

Academic Medicine

Medicine and the Arts (MATA): Two facing pages: left-hand page features an excerpt from literature, a poem, a photograph, etc. of no more than 700 words; right-hand page is a commentary of about 900 words that explores the relevance of the artwork to the teaching and/or practice of medicine.

Teaching and Learning Moments (TLM): Pieces vary in style and subject, but most are first-person, informal narratives from 250-600 words written from the perspective of instructor, student, or patient.

American Journal of Kidney Disease

In a Few Words: A nonfiction narrative essay up to 1,600 words which gives voice to the personal experiences and stories that define kidney disease. Submissions from physicians, allied health professionals, patients, or family members are welcome.

Annals of Internal Medicine

Perspective : Unstructured essays up to 1500 words representing opinions, presenting hypotheses, or considering controversial issues.

On Being a Doctor: Short essays or fiction up to 1500 words on illuminating experiences in practice.

On Being a Patient : Short essays up to 1500 words by physicians on their own experiences of illness and accounts written by patients or their families.

Personal Views: Highly readable, opinion based essays of about 850 words that make a single strong, novel, and well-argued point and are also often topical, significant, insightful, and attention grabbing.

Fillers : A articles of up to 600 words on topics such as: A patient who changed my practice; A memorable patient; A paper that changed my practice; The person who has most influenced me; My most informative mistake; Any other story conveying instruction, pathos, or humor.

Humanities: Unsolicited poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction limited to 1000 words or 75 lines (poems) that convey personal and professional experiences with a sense of immediacy and realism.

Salon: 700 word op-ed style articles of novel, lively, thoughtful and sometimes quirky ideas designed to ignite sparks of insight and stimulate thought and online discussion using our e-letters function.

Family Medicine

Narrative Essays : Stories from clinical practice or from the educational setting limited to 1000 words by teachers, learners, patients, or professionals practicing in the primary care disciplines that present a creative perspective both in their content and in their story-telling style. Narrative essays should illuminate the unique complexity and genuine personal dimensions of patient care and education in family medicine, primary care, or community medicine.

Health Affairs

Narrative Matters: Narrative essays of 2,500 words based on firsthand encounters with the health care system that explore the personal, ethical, and moral issues of delivering or receiving health care today.

A Piece of My Mind: Personal vignettes of up to 1800 words (eg, exploring the dynamics of the patient-physician relationship) taken from wide-ranging experiences in medicine; occasional views and opinions.

Poetry and Medicine: Poems no longer than 50 lines related to the medical experience, whether from the point of view of a health care worker or patient, or simply an observer.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Old Lives Tales: Stories, experiences, or incidences of which have instructed, saddened or gladdened us and, above all, taught us something about the care of the older adult. 750 words.

Journal of General Internal Medicine

Materia Medica: Well-crafted, highly readable and engaging personal narratives, essays or short stories of up to 1500 words and poetry of up to 100 lines.

Text and Context: Excerpts from literature (novels, short stories, poetry, plays or creative non-fiction) of 200-800 words followed by an accompanying essay of up to 1000 words discussing the significance of the work for clinical practice or medical education.

Perspective: Articles limited to 1000 to 1200 words cover a wide variety of topics of current interest in health care, medicine, and the intersection between medicine and society.

Reflections: Poetry or prose, fiction or non-fiction, up to 2000 words that illustrate facets of the profession of neurology, particularly if written from a new perspective, are preferred. The quality of the writing style will be as important as the content.

Louise Aronson is a geriatrician and the author of A History of the Present Illness . She blogs at her self-titled site, Louse Aronson , and can be found on Twitter @LouiseAronson .

Image credit:  Shutterstock.com

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• Sample Essays

Sample Medical School Essays

Applying to medical school is an exciting decision, but the application process is very competitive. This means when it comes to your application you need to ensure you’ve put your best foot forward and done everything you can to stand out from other applicants. One great way to provide additional information on why you have decided to pursue a career in medicine and why you’re qualified, is your medical school essay. Read these samples to get a good idea on how you can write your own top-notch essay.

This section contains five sample medical school essays

• Medical School Sample Essay One
• Medical School Sample Essay Two
• Medical School Sample Essay Three
• Medical School Sample Essay Four
• Medical School Sample Essay Five

Medical School Essay One

When I was twelve years old, a drunk driver hit the car my mother was driving while I was in the backseat. I have very few memories of the accident, but I do faintly recall a serious but calming face as I was gently lifted out of the car. The paramedic held my hand as we traveled to the hospital. I was in the hospital for several weeks and that same paramedic came to visit me almost every day. During my stay, I also got to know the various doctors and nurses in the hospital on a personal level. I remember feeling anxiety about my condition, but not sadness or even fear. It seemed to me that those around me, particularly my family, were more fearful of what might happen to me than I was. I don’t believe it was innocence or ignorance, but rather a trust in the abilities of my doctors. It was as if my doctors and I had a silent bond. Now that I’m older I fear death and sickness in a more intense way than I remember experiencing it as a child. My experience as a child sparked a keen interest in how we approach pediatric care, especially as it relates to our psychological and emotional support of children facing serious medical conditions. It was here that I experienced first-hand the power and compassion of medicine, not only in healing but also in bringing unlikely individuals together, such as adults and children, in uncommon yet profound ways. And it was here that I began to take seriously the possibility of becoming a pediatric surgeon.

My interest was sparked even more when, as an undergraduate, I was asked to assist in a study one of my professors was conducting on how children experience and process fear and the prospect of death. This professor was not in the medical field; rather, her background is in cultural anthropology. I was very honored to be part of this project at such an early stage of my career. During the study, we discovered that children face death in extremely different ways than adults do. We found that children facing fatal illnesses are very aware of their condition, even when it hasn’t been fully explained to them, and on the whole were willing to fight their illnesses, but were also more accepting of their potential fate than many adults facing similar diagnoses. We concluded our study by asking whether and to what extent this discovery should impact the type of care given to children in contrast to adults. I am eager to continue this sort of research as I pursue my medical career. The intersection of medicine, psychology, and socialization or culture (in this case, the social variables differentiating adults from children) is quite fascinating and is a field that is in need of better research.

Although much headway has been made in this area in the past twenty or so years, I feel there is a still a tendency in medicine to treat diseases the same way no matter who the patient is. We are slowly learning that procedures and drugs are not always universally effective. Not only must we alter our care of patients depending upon these cultural and social factors, we may also need to alter our entire emotional and psychological approach to them as well.

It is for this reason that I’m applying to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as it has one of the top programs for pediatric surgery in the country, as well as several renowned researchers delving into the social, generational, and cultural questions in which I’m interested. My approach to medicine will be multidisciplinary, which is evidenced by the fact that I’m already double-majoring in early childhood psychology and pre-med, with a minor in cultural anthropology. This is the type of extraordinary care that I received as a child—care that seemed to approach my injuries with a much larger and deeper picture than that which pure medicine cannot offer—and it is this sort of care I want to provide my future patients. I turned what might have been a debilitating event in my life—a devastating car accident—into the inspiration that has shaped my life since. I am driven and passionate. And while I know that the pediatric surgery program at Johns Hopkins will likely be the second biggest challenge I will face in my life, I know that I am up for it. I am ready to be challenged and prove to myself what I’ve been telling myself since that fateful car accident: I will be a doctor.

Tips for a Successful Medical School Essay

• If you’re applying through AMCAS, remember to keep your essay more general rather than tailored to a specific medical school, because your essay will be seen by multiple schools.
• AMCAS essays are limited to 5300 characters—not words! This includes spaces.
• Make sure the information you include in your essay doesn't conflict with the information in your other application materials.
• In general, provide additional information that isn’t found in your other application materials. Look at the essay as an opportunity to tell your story rather than a burden.
• Keep the interview in mind as you write. You will most likely be asked questions regarding your essay during the interview, so think about the experiences you want to talk about.
• When you are copying and pasting from a word processor to the AMCAS application online, formatting and font will be lost. Don’t waste your time making it look nice. Be sure to look through the essay once you’ve copied it into AMCAS and edit appropriately for any odd characters that result from pasting.
• Avoid overly controversial topics. While it is fine to take a position and back up your position with evidence, you don’t want to sound narrow-minded.
• Revise, revise, revise. Have multiple readers look at your essay and make suggestions. Go over your essay yourself many times and rewrite it several times until you feel that it communicates your message effectively and creatively.
• Make the opening sentence memorable. Admissions officers will read dozens of personal statements in a day. You must say something at the very beginning to catch their attention, encourage them to read the essay in detail, and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
• Character traits to portray in your essay include: maturity, intellect, critical thinking skills, leadership, tolerance, perseverance, and sincerity.

Medical School Essay Two

If you had told me ten years ago that I would be writing this essay and planning for yet another ten years into the future, part of me would have been surprised. I am a planner and a maker of to-do lists, and it has always been my plan to follow in the steps of my father and become a physician. This plan was derailed when I was called to active duty to serve in Iraq as part of the War on Terror.

I joined the National Guard before graduating high school and continued my service when I began college. My goal was to receive training that would be valuable for my future medical career, as I was working in the field of emergency health care. It was also a way to help me pay for college. When I was called to active duty in Iraq for my first deployment, I was forced to withdraw from school, and my deployment was subsequently extended. I spent a total of 24 months deployed overseas, where I provided in-the-field medical support to our combat troops. While the experience was invaluable not only in terms of my future medical career but also in terms of developing leadership and creative thinking skills, it put my undergraduate studies on hold for over two years. Consequently, my carefully-planned journey towards medical school and a medical career was thrown off course. Thus, while ten-year plans are valuable, I have learned from experience how easily such plans can dissolve in situations that are beyond one’s control, as well as the value of perseverance and flexibility.

Eventually, I returned to school. Despite my best efforts to graduate within two years, it took me another three years, as I suffered greatly from post-traumatic stress disorder following my time in Iraq. I considered abandoning my dream of becoming a physician altogether, since I was several years behind my peers with whom I had taken biology and chemistry classes before my deployment. Thanks to the unceasing encouragement of my academic advisor, who even stayed in contact with me when I was overseas, I gathered my strength and courage and began studying for the MCAT. To my surprise, my score was beyond satisfactory and while I am several years behind my original ten-year plan, I am now applying to Brown University’s School of Medicine.

I can describe my new ten-year plan, but I will do so with both optimism and also caution, knowing that I will inevitably face unforeseen complications and will need to adapt appropriately. One of the many insights I gained as a member of the National Guard and by serving in war-time was the incredible creativity medical specialists in the Armed Forces employ to deliver health care services to our wounded soldiers on the ground. I was part of a team that was saving lives under incredibly difficult circumstances—sometimes while under heavy fire and with only the most basic of resources. I am now interested in how I can use these skills to deliver health care in similar circumstances where basic medical infrastructure is lacking. While there is seemingly little in common between the deserts of Fallujah and rural Wyoming, where I’m currently working as a volunteer first responder in a small town located more than 60 miles from the nearest hospital, I see a lot of potential uses for the skills that I gained as a National Guardsman. As I learned from my father, who worked with Doctors Without Borders for a number of years, there is quite a bit in common between my field of knowledge from the military and working in post-conflict zones. I feel I have a unique experience from which to draw as I embark on my medical school journey, experiences that can be applied both here and abroad.

In ten years’ time, I hope to be trained in the field of emergency medicine, which, surprisingly, is a specialization that is actually lacking here in the United States as compared to similarly developed countries. I hope to conduct research in the field of health care infrastructure and work with government agencies and legislators to find creative solutions to improving access to emergency facilities in currently underserved areas of the United States, with an aim towards providing comprehensive policy reports and recommendations on how the US can once again be the world leader in health outcomes. While the problems inherent in our health care system are not one-dimensional and require a dynamic approach, one of the solutions as I see it is to think less in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and more in terms of access to primary care. Much of the care that I provide as a first responder and volunteer is extremely effective and also relatively cheap. More money is always helpful when facing a complex social and political problem, but we must think of solutions above and beyond more money and more taxes. In ten years I want to be a key player in the health care debate in this country and offering innovative solutions to delivering high quality and cost-effective health care to all our nation’s citizens, especially to those in rural and otherwise underserved areas.

Of course, my policy interests do not replace my passion for helping others and delivering emergency medicine. As a doctor, I hope to continue serving in areas of the country that, for one reason or another, are lagging behind in basic health care infrastructure. Eventually, I would also like to take my knowledge and talents abroad and serve in the Peace Corps or Doctors Without Borders.

In short, I see the role of physicians in society as multifunctional: they are not only doctors who heal, they are also leaders, innovators, social scientists, and patriots. Although my path to medical school has not always been the most direct, my varied and circuitous journey has given me a set of skills and experiences that many otherwise qualified applicants lack. I have no doubt that the next ten years will be similarly unpredictable, but I can assure you that no matter what obstacles I face, my goal will remain the same. I sincerely hope to begin the next phase of my journey at Brown University. Thank you for your kind attention.

Additional Tips for a Successful Medical School Essay

• Regardless of the prompt, you should always address the question of why you want to go to medical school in your essay.
• Try to always give concrete examples rather than make general statements. If you say that you have perseverance, describe an event in your life that demonstrates perseverance.
• There should be an overall message or theme in your essay. In the example above, the theme is overcoming unexpected obstacles.
• Make sure you check and recheck for spelling and grammar!
• Unless you’re very sure you can pull it off, it is usually not a good idea to use humor or to employ the skills you learned in creative writing class in your personal statement. While you want to paint a picture, you don’t want to be too poetic or literary.
• Turn potential weaknesses into positives. As in the example above, address any potential weaknesses in your application and make them strengths, if possible. If you have low MCAT scores or something else that can’t be easily explained or turned into a positive, simply don’t mention it.

Medical School Essay Three

The roots of my desire to become a physician are, thankfully, not around the bedside of a sick family member or in a hospital, but rather on a 10-acre plot of land outside of a small town in Northwest Arkansas. I loved raising and exhibiting cattle, so every morning before the bus arrived at 7 a.m. I was in the barn feeding, checking cattle for any health issues and washing the show heifers. These early mornings and my experiences on a farm not only taught me the value of hard work, but ignited my interest in the body, albeit bovine at the time. It was by a working chute that I learned the functions of reproductive hormones as we utilized them for assisted reproduction and artificial insemination; it was by giving vaccinations to prevent infection that I learned about bacteria and the germ theory of disease; it was beside a stillborn calf before the sun had risen that I was exposed to the frailty of life.

Facing the realities of disease and death daily from an early age, I developed a strong sense of pragmatism out of necessity. There is no place for abstractions or euphemisms about life and death when treating a calf’s pneumonia in the pouring rain during winter. Witnessing the sometimes harsh realities of life on a farm did not instill within me an attitude of jaded inevitability of death. Instead, it germinated a responsibility to protect life to the best of my abilities, cure what ailments I can and alleviate as much suffering as possible while recognizing that sometimes nothing can be done.

I first approached human health at the age of nine through beef nutrition and food safety. Learning the roles of nutrients such as zinc, iron, protein and B-vitamins in the human body as well as the dangers of food-borne illness through the Beef Ambassador program shifted my interest in the body to a new species. Talking with consumers about every facet of the origins of food, I realized that the topics that most interested me were those that pertained to human health. In college, while I connected with people over samples of beef and answered their questions, I also realized that it is not enough simply to have adequate knowledge. Ultimately knowledge is of little use if it is not digestible to those who receive it. So my goal as a future clinical physician is not only to illuminate the source of an affliction and provide treatment for patients, but take care to ensure the need for understanding by both patient and family is met.

I saw this combination of care and understanding while volunteering in an emergency room, where I was also exposed to other aspects and players in the medical field. While assisting a nurse perform a bladder scan and witnessing technicians carry out an echocardiogram or CT scan, I learned the important roles that other professionals who do not wear white coats have in today’s medical field. Medicine is a team sport, and coordinating the efforts of each of these players is crucial for the successful execution of patient care. It is my goal to serve as the leader of this healthcare unit and unify a team of professionals to provide the highest quality care for patients. Perhaps most importantly my time at the VA showed me the power a smile and an open ear can have with people. On the long walk to radiology, talking with patients about their military service and families always seemed to take their mind off the reason for their visit, if only for a few minutes. This served as a reminder that we are helping people with pasts and dreams, rather than simply remedying patients’ symptoms.

Growing up in a small town, I never held aspirations of world travel when I was young. But my time abroad revealed to me the state of healthcare in developing countries and fostered a previously unknown interest in global health. During my first trip abroad to Ghana, my roommate became ill with a severe case of traveler’s diarrhea. In the rural north of the country near the Sahara, the options for healthcare were limited; he told me how our professor was forced to bribe employees to bypass long lines and even recounted how doctors took a bag of saline off the line of another patient to give to him. During a service trip to a rural community in Nicaragua, I encountered patients with preventable and easily treatable diseases that, due to poverty and lack of access, were left untreated for months or years at a time. I was discouraged by the state of healthcare in these countries and wondered what could be done to help. I plan to continue to help provide access to healthcare in rural parts of developing countries, and hopefully as a physician with an agricultural background I can approach public health and food security issues in a multifaceted and holistic manner.

My time on a cattle farm taught me how to work hard to pursue my interests, but also fueled my appetite for knowledge about the body and instilled within me a firm sense of practicality. Whether in a clinic, operating room or pursuing public and global health projects, I plan to bring this work ethic and pragmatism to all of my endeavors. My agricultural upbringing has produced a foundation of skills and values that I am confident will readily transplant into my chosen career. Farming is my early passion, but medicine is my future.

Medical School Essay Four

I am a white, cisgender, and heterosexual female who has been afforded many privileges: I was raised by parents with significant financial resources, I have traveled the world, and I received top-quality high school and college educations. I do not wish to be addressed or recognized in any special way; all I ask is to be treated with respect.

As for my geographic origin, I was born and raised in the rural state of Maine. Since graduating from college, I have been living in my home state, working and giving back to the community that has given me so much. I could not be happier here; I love the down-to-earth people, the unhurried pace of life, and the easy access to the outdoors. While I am certainly excited to move elsewhere in the country for medical school and continue to explore new places, I will always self-identify as a Mainer as being from Maine is something I take great pride in. I am proud of my family ties to the state (which date back to the 1890’s), I am proud of the state’s commitment to preserving its natural beauty, and I am particularly proud of my slight Maine accent (we don’t pronounce our r’s). From the rocky coastline and rugged ski mountains to the locally-grown food and great restaurants, it is no wonder Maine is nicknamed, "Vacationland.” Yet, Maine is so much more than just a tourist destination. The state is dotted with wonderful communities in which to live, communities like the one where I grew up.

Perhaps not surprisingly, I plan to return to Maine after residency. I want to raise a family and establish my medical practice here. We certainly could use more doctors! Even though Maine is a terrific place to live, the state is facing a significant doctor shortage. Today, we are meeting less than half of our need for primary care providers. To make matters worse, many of our physicians are close to retirement age. Yet, according to the AAMC, only 53 Maine residents matriculated into medical school last year! Undoubtedly, Maine is in need of young doctors who are committed to working long term in underserved areas. As my primary career goal is to return to my much adored home state and do my part to help fill this need, I have a vested interest in learning more about rural medicine during medical school.

I was raised in Cumberland, Maine, a coastal town of 7,000 just north of Portland. With its single stoplight and general store (where it would be unusual to visit without running into someone you know), Cumberland is the epitome of a small New England town. It truly was the perfect place to grow up. According to the most recent census, nearly a third of the town’s population is under 18 and more than 75% of households contain children, two statistics which speak to the family-centric nature of Cumberland’s community. Recently rated Maine's safest town, Cumberland is the type of place where you allow your kindergartener to bike alone to school, leave your house unlocked while at work, and bring home-cooked food to your sick neighbors and their children. Growing up in such a safe, close-knit, and supportive community instilled in me the core values of compassion, trustworthiness, and citizenship. These three values guide me every day and will continue to guide me through medical school and my career in medicine.

As a medical student and eventual physician, my compassion will guide me to become a provider who cares for more than just the physical well-being of my patients. I will also commit myself to my patients’ emotional, spiritual, and social well-being and make it a priority to take into account the unique values and beliefs of each patient. By also demonstrating my trustworthiness during every encounter, I will develop strong interpersonal relationships with those whom I serve. As a doctor once wisely said, “A patient does not care how much you know until he knows how much you care.”

My citizenship will guide me to serve my community and to encourage my classmates and colleagues to do the same. We will be taught in medical school to be healers, scientists, and educators. I believe that, in addition, as students and as physicians, we have the responsibility to use our medical knowledge, research skills, and teaching abilities to benefit more than just our patients. We must also commit ourselves to improving the health and wellness of those living in our communities by participating in public events (i.e by donating our medical services), lobbying for better access to healthcare for the underprivileged, and promoting wellness campaigns. As a medical student and eventual physician, my compassion, trustworthiness, and citizenship will drive me to improve the lives of as many individuals as I can.

Cumberland instilled in me important core values and afforded me a wonderful childhood. However, I recognize that my hometown is not perfect. For one, the population is shockingly homogenous, at least as far as demographics go. As of the 2010 census, 97.2% of the residents of Cumberland were white. Only 4.1% of residents speak a language other than English at home and even fewer were born in another country. Essentially everybody who identified with a religion identified as some denomination of Christian. My family was one of maybe five Jewish families in the town. Additionally, nearly all the town’s residents graduated from high school (98.1%), are free of disability (93.8%), and live above the poverty line (95.8%). Efforts to attract diverse families to Cumberland is one improvement that I believe would make the community a better place in which to live. Diversity in background (and in thought) is desirable in any community as living, learning, and working alongside diverse individuals helps us develop new perspectives, enhances our social development, provides us with a larger frame of reference, and improves our understanding of our place in society.

Medical School Essay Five

“How many of you received the flu vaccine this year?” I asked my Bricks 4 Kidz class, where I volunteer to teach elementary students introductory science and math principles using Lego blocks. “What’s a flu vaccine?” they asked in confusion. Surprised, I briefly explained the influenza vaccine and its purpose for protection. My connection to children and their health extends to medical offices, clinics and communities where I have gained experience and insight into medicine, confirming my goal of becoming a physician.

My motivation to pursue a career in medicine developed when my mother, who was diagnosed with Lupus, underwent a kidney transplant surgery and suffered multiple complications. I recall the fear and anxiety I felt as a child because I misunderstood her chronic disease. This prompted me to learn more about the science of medicine. In high school, I observed patients plagued with acute and chronic kidney disease while briefly exploring various fields of medicine through a Mentorship in Medicine summer program at my local hospital. In addition to shadowing nephrologists in a hospital and clinical setting, I scrubbed into the operating room, viewed the radiology department, celebrated the miracle of birth in the delivery room, and quietly observed a partial autopsy in pathology. I saw many patients confused about their diagnoses. I was impressed by the compassion of the physicians and the time they took to reassure and educate their patients.

Further experiences in medicine throughout and after college shaped a desire to practice in underserved areas. While coloring and reading with children in the patient area at a Family Health Center, I witnessed family medicine physicians diligently serve patients from low-income communities. On a medical/dental mission trip to the Philippines, I partnered with local doctors to serve and distribute medical supplies to rural schools and communities. At one impoverished village, I held a malnourished two-year old boy suffering from cerebral palsy and cardiorespiratory disease. His family could not afford to take him to the nearest pediatrician, a few hours away by car, for treatment. Overwhelmed, I cried as we left the village. Many people were suffering through pain and disease due to limited access to medicine. But this is not rare; there are many people suffering due to inadequate access/accessibility around the world, even in my hometown. One physician may not be able to change the status of underserved communities, however, one can alleviate some of the suffering.

Dr. X, my mentor and supervisor, taught me that the practice of medicine is both a science and an art. As a medical assistant in a pediatric office, I am learning about the patient-physician relationship and the meaningful connection with people that medicine provides. I interact with patients and their families daily. Newborn twins were one of the first patients I helped, and I look forward to seeing their development at successive visits. A young boy who endured a major cardiac surgery was another patient I connected with, seeing his smiling face in the office often as he transitioned from the hospital to his home. I also helped many excited, college-bound teenagers with requests for medical records in order to matriculate. This is the art of medicine – the ability to build relationships with patients and have an important and influential role in their lives, from birth to adulthood and beyond.

In addition, medicine encompasses patient-centered care, such as considering and addressing concerns. While taking patient vitals, I grew discouraged when parents refused the influenza vaccine and could not understand their choices. With my experience in scientific research, I conducted an informal yet insightful study. Over one hundred families were surveyed about their specific reasons for refusing the flu vaccine. I sought feedback on patients’ level of understanding about vaccinations and its interactions with the human immune system. Through this project, I learned the importance of understanding patient’s concerns in order to reassure them through medicine. I also learned the value of communicating with patients, such as explaining the purpose of a recommended vaccine. I hope to further this by attending medical school to become a physician focused on patient-centered care, learning from and teaching my community.

Children have been a common thread in my pursuit of medicine, from perceiving medicine through child-like eyes to interacting daily with children in a medical office. My diverse experiences in patient interaction and the practice of medicine inspire me to become a physician, a path that requires perseverance and passion. Physicians are life-long learners and teachers, educating others whether it is on vaccinations or various diseases. This vocation also requires preparation, and I eagerly look forward to continually learning and growing in medical school and beyond.

To learn more about what to expect from the study of medicine, check out our Study Medicine in the US section.

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30+ Medical Argumentative Essay Topics for College Students

by  Antony W

April 21, 2023

Medical argumentative essay topics give you some brilliant ideas that you can explore and defend depending on the research you’ve conducted.

As with any argumentative essay topic ,  a medical related essay also requires you to take a stance and use objective, verifiable, and reasonable evidence to defend your position.

However, the kinds of topics many students pick to explore in the medical field are often quite too common.

Think of type II diabetes, cardiovascular illness, breast cancer, and cirrhosis. These are topics you don’t want to cover for the simple reason that they are too common.

In this post, we give you a list of 30+ medical argumentative essay topics that aren’t too obvious.

These topic ideas should enable you to add a new spin to your work, so that you can write a medical essay that focuses on an issue that will capture the attention of your audience (reader) almost instantly.

30+ Medical Argumentative Essay Topics  

Below is a list of 30+ essay topics that you may find interesting for your medical argumentative essay assignment :

Controversial Medical Argumentative Essay Topics 

• The cost of healthcare in the United States of America is not justifiable
• Do homeless people deserve free healthcare simply because they don’t have money to pay medical bills?
• Unconventional medication should not be part of a state’s healthcare system
• There’s a strong link between poor health and poverty
• People should not turn to homeopathy because it isn’t more effective compared to seeking medical advice
• People with no health insurance cover deserve to get equal treatment at medical healthcare facilities
• Should the government take action against unexpected errors in medical settings?
• Doctors should not have the right to endorse medical products until verified for safety and effectiveness
• Healthcare institutions should provide opt-out and opt-in donor system
• There’s no true justification for the rising cost of healthcare in the United States of America

In theory, areas such as genetic engineering, diagnostics, and medical research can be interesting to explore within the medical field.

However, the assignment requires hours of intensive research, proper structuring, writing, and editing.

If you don’t have the time for all that, you can get argumentative assignment help from one of our team of writers.

Health Practices Argumentative Essay Topics 

• The marijuana drug should be made legal worldwide
• TV shows on diet and weight loss don’t motivate people to improve their body image and self-esteem
• Is the state responsible for teaching people how to lead a healthy lifestyle?
• Communication authorities should impose an indefinite ban on TV shows that promote cosmetic surgery
• TV commercials that promote fast foods and alcohol should not be banned.
• It’s a waste of time to impose state regulation on fast food chains and alcohol sales as it undermines people’s freewill to food choices.
• Should we allow and encourage teenagers to use birth control pills?
• The state should not encourage the use of products manufactured at the cost of another person’s well-being.
• Exercise alone can’t improve your health
• Doctors should not ask for medical consent if they know they can save a patient from a particular illness

Medical Laws and Policies Argumentative Essay Topics 

• Should the government declare euthanasia illegal?
• Doctors should not insist on providing medical treatment to minors if their parents are against such treatments.
• The vaccination of children against illnesses should be voluntary
• An organ transplantation committee should not consider an individual’s accomplishment to determine if they can receive an organ
• Patients should decide if they would like to use surrogate pregnancy for health reasons or on demand
• Is doctor-patient confidentially necessary anymore?
• There’s no concrete evidence that living a sedentary and lavish lifestyle is the number one cause of weight gain
• Should we support the legalization of abortion?
• Should patients with mental health conditions receive treatment in or outside of their community?
• People should not accept organ transplantation because of leading an unhealthy life

You may click here to place your order , and one of our writers who has experience in writing medical related essays will help you get the paper completed on time. Since we focus on custom writing, you don’t have to worry about plagiarism at all.

Argumentative Essay Topics on Medical Research 

• Genetic engineering is humanly unethical and morally wrong and should therefore not be allowed
• Are there effective means to mitigate threats posed by medical research?
• There is no reasonable evidence that the Covid-19 global pandemic originated from a lab I Wuhan, China
• Medics should not use animals to test the effective of drugs on humans
• Computers used in medical research and diagnostic cannot replace doctors no matter how sophisticated they become.
• Should human beings be subject to mandatory medical testing without their consent?
• Should the federal government and health organizations, such as the UN and CDC, finance practical medical research?
• Do we need to have limits when subjecting human beings to absolutely necessary medical tests?
• The Corona virus is a biochemical weapon built in the lab to wipe out the human race
• There’s no sufficient evidence to prove that pills that delay aging can make the human race immortal

Medical Argumentative Essay Topics on Healthcare Management 

• Is healthcare management doing enough to maintain the right standards in healthcare facilities?
• Are privately owned hospitals managed better than public hospitals?
• Registered nurses should not assume the role of a physician even in the event of a serious medical emergency
• Human Resource Management (HR) isn’t doing enough to improve and protect the quality of healthcare
• Do surgeons play an important role outside their medical capacities?
• Are healthcare institutions responsible for the protection of the environment?
• The relationship between and among medical staff can affect the quality of patients of different illnesses.
• There’s no relationship between a patient’s medical results and a hospital’s revenue.
• It’s easy to improve the relationship among staff members in a healthcare facility
• Should medical management allow and encourage intimate relationships among the staff members?

General Medical Argumentative Essay Topics 

• Has the American government invested enough funds to improve healthcare service for its residents?
• There should be as many male nurses as there are female nurses
• Are data management systems in hospitals accurate and safe against breach?
• Do prisoners have the right to access quality healthcare?
• Electronic health record systems have more limitations than benefits.

related resources

• Argumentative Essay Topics on Racism
• Argumentative Essay Topics About Animals
• Music Argumentative Essay Topics
• Social Media Argumentative Essay Topics
• Technology Argumentative Essay Topics

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

6 Tips for Writing Your AMCAS® Personal Comments Essay

New section.

The Personal Comments Essay section of the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) application is your opportunity to tell medical school admissions officers who you are and what makes you unique. Here are some tips to help you as you write your essay.

The AMCAS® application to medical school asks for a lot of information about yourself. It includes biographical information, courses taken, and work experiences just to name a few.  The application also requires you to include a Personal Comments Essay, which is entered in Section 8 of the application. This essay provides an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants and provide admissions officers with more insight into why you have chosen to pursue a career in medicine.

Many admissions committees place significant weight on this section, so we have compiled a list of tips to help you craft a well-organized and compelling essay.

• Take time to think about the content of your essay before writing a first draft. As you’re thinking about the structure of your essay, remember to keep the content general because it will go to all medical schools you apply to. Try not to duplicate information provided elsewhere in the application. Some questions you may want to consider before you begin writing include: What are some of your personal values and how have they influenced your desire to enter the medical profession? What motivates you to learn more about medicine? What should medical schools know about you that isn’t described in other sections of the application?
• Show, don't tell.  If challenges in your childhood or a defining experience led you to consider medicine, use details to describe those experiences and bring your essay to life. Try to include content that aligns with the premed competencies for entering medical students . Write in your authentic voice; your essay can help you contextualize and elaborate on topics during your interview.
• Stay on topic. There is a 5,300 character limit (including spaces) in this section. This equals about 1 1/2 pages of writing, single-spaced.  Make sure your essay is interesting, follows a logical and orderly flow, relates to your reasons for choosing medicine, and describes why you believe you will be successful as a physician.
• Don’t be afraid of the editing process.  Be sure to write more than one draft and make edits to your essay. Find a reviewer who does not have a personal relationship with you, as an external reviewer will help you gain new perspectives on your writing and refine the story you want to tell admissions committees.
• Remember to proofread and be mindful of formatting. The AMCAS application does not include spell check, so be sure to proofread your essay for any typos or grammatical errors. You will not be able to go back into this section to make any edits after submitting your application. To avoid formatting issues, we recommend that you draft your essay in text-only word processing software, such as Microsoft Notepad or Mac TextEdit, then copy and paste your essay into the application. You can also type your essay directly into the AMCAS application.
• If you are applying to MD-PhD programs, there are two additional essays you will need to complete. The first essay asks your reasons for pursuing the combined degree and is relatively short. The second essay asks you to describe your research activities and is about three pages long. You can read more about these additional essays in the 2024 AMCAS® Applicant Guide (PDF) or get further guidance from your prehealth advisor or career counselor.

For more AMCAS-related tips, please check out the AMCAS Tools and Tutorials page . There, you’ll find video tutorials, presentations, guides, and recordings of past webinars. For further advice from current prehealth advisors, access our “Advisor Corner: Crafting Your Personal Statement” article .

Sample details

• Social Issues
• Words: 1986

Related Topics

• Discrimination
• Social exclusion
• Teenage Suicide
• Social contract
• Black Lives Matter
• Social Class
• Social constructionism
• Social inequality
• Homosexuality
• Same Sex Marriage
• Social movements

Store Layout and Design

Traditional Medical store Vs. Med-Plus Submitted To:

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1. Introduction In most developed countries, the drug stores are housed within bigger shops like Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy etc. where there’s separation of prescription medicines and Over-The-Counter (OTC) drugs. OTC drugs can be purchased without prescription whereas medicines like antibiotics require prescription and is issued only upon prescription. In India, both OTC and prescription medicines are sold at pharmacy shops (also called Medical Shop or Medical Store in India) with zero to little control over prescription medicines. The pharmacy may stock around 10,000 to 15,000 SKU and only less than 5% pharmacy shops are computerized for inventory. The pharmacy industry is projected to grow at the rate of 15% and the organized sector within pharmaceutical retail will grow at 25%. Many new pharmacy shops like Med-Plus, Apollo, Family Pharma etc. have introduced supplementary services besides selling drugs.

They have 24 hour pharmacy, free reminder services, free health camps, medication tips, discounts and home delivery etc. These pharmacy chains analyze supply & demand closely and assess competition to stay ahead in the game. They also have promotional activities and various marketing campaigns to engage the customers. In India, the layout of pharmacy (or a drug store) is primarily important for identification and retrieval of medicines within the store. In this assignment, we will analyze and assess the different store layouts within Pharmacy shops and their perceived opinions from customers, pharmacists and doctors. 2. Objective of Layout & Design

i. Optimal utilization of space within pharmacy shop for effective presentations ii. High profits due to increased sales as well as reducing the selling expenses to a minimum iii. Easy identification and retrieval of medicines and drugs using multi levels to provide sense and variety usage in an effective manner iv. Provide professional appearance of pharmacy shop to create balance between the sales and shopping space available. v. Space for entrance of incoming goods, stocking and seating for employees 3. Facility and Equipment

A pharmacy’s physical facility and equipment are determined by the services delivered inside the pharmaceutical shop and the size of the shop. A. Facility

There are variations in the size of floor space for traditional unorganized pharmacies or organized pharmacy chains or pharmacy associated with hospitals. For small pharmacies, usually with one or two pharmacists, only one room is usually required for dispensing and administrative services. When sterile products are to be prepared there should be separate room or area for such work. Hospitals with 200 or more beds, there should be a separate area for in-patient services and unit dose dispensing, out-patient services, an office for the chief pharmacist, a compounding, pre-packing and labeling room, a store room, sterile product and IV admixture room. A separate area for drug information services and space assigned on various nursing units for unit dose drug administration and clinical pharmacy service is also required for in-hospital pharmacy shops.

B. Equipment The equipment found within pharmacy shop is determined by the services offered by the shop. These are mostly: i. Drug Stock Cabinets ii. Medicines Cupboards iii. Refrigerator for cold storage iv. Medicines, drugs, syringes etc. v. Safe drawer for narcotic drugs (select drug stores) vi. Office Desk Space for books, receipts and phone vii. Dispensing Window viii. Ortho related equipment like walking stick, wheel chairs etc. 4. Layout and Design

The store layout and design is intended to guide the customer mutely about where they want to go and in turn exposing them to the additional offerings of the store. It can act as a meaningful tool for communication between the retailer and the customer if it is designed in a proper way. In order to design a good store layout, the designers have to balance objectives which are basically conflicting in nature. For instance, the layout should be such that it should tempt the customers to move around the store to purchase more than they have originally planned however if it is too complex, the customers may find it difficult to locate their required stuff and hence decide against patronizing the store. There are two parts to the design and layout of a store – store exterior and store interior.

The objectives of these two categories serve their own purpose for the retailer. The purpose of store exterior would be using window displays, door types, walkways, store entrance, size and color of the building and store and prevention of theft. The store interior design focuses more on the display methods used, the signage to make it easy for the customers and visual merchandising to get additional business. The factors which are taken into consideration in designing the store layout in general and which affect the same to a great deal be as follows Total space availability to design the layout of the store

Types of products and services offered by the store, which in our case is drugs The number of departments the store needs to be divided into The volume and variety ratio in the carried product line

The mode of operation used The type of movements required within the store like locating, picking, storing, etc. Average number of customers visiting the store on a day to day basis What is the inventory level to be kept Degree or level of changes in operations on a regular basis

A. Traditional Medical Stores Customers with specific drug requirements and with prescriptions prefer to go to pharmacy shops that are situated closer to the doctor’s offices or outside hospitals are typically traditional medical stores. They usually have an arrangement with the doctors where doctors recommend medicines and brands stocked by the pharmacist and in-turn the doctors get commissions from the pharmacists. These shops are typically small to medium sized shops 150 to 300 square feet room with single window used for dispensing the medicines to the customers. The front portion below the dispensing table is usually covered with glass to showcase medicated oils, herbal shampoos, condoms, beauty products, moisturizers etc.

These commodities are typically branded products from well-known pharmaceutical companies or selling beauty products like Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, Durex, Himalaya Shampoos, and Nivea etc. The room houses a refrigerator of 300 to 400 Liters to accommodate injections, vaccinations or medicines which must be kept in strict temperature control. The sides of the room contain boxes to store tablets, capsules, ointments and syrups. Traditional Medical stores, being small shops, prefer to open the boxes and store the tablet strips in alphabetically numbered boxes. These stores do not have very good lighting or aesthetically appealing ambience. B. Hospital Pharmacy

The number of pharmacists required for a hospital is calculated on the basis of workload, like the number of prescription received and dispensed number of beds available. For a very small hospital minimum of 3 pharmacists are required. As the number of beds increase, the number of pharmacists also increases. Many hospitals are 24×7 operations with beds for admitting patients (In-Patients i.e. IP) along with visiting patients (Out-Patients i.e. OP). Hospital pharmacies carry more sophisticated medicines and equipment. The hospital’s pharmacy is designed in such a manner to allow patients and visitors to move through the passage and purchase drugs on their way out. The linear layout gives an impression of assembly line where the helpers take the prescriptions from the visitors, pick medicines from the storage boxes and pass it to another person for computerized or manual billing. Hospital pharmacies are very professionally maintained with proper lighting within the shop. Since the hospital pharmacy shop is primarily for the in-patients or out-patients, they do not pay much attention on aesthetics of the shop. The focus is primarily to attend to as many customers as possible by reducing their waiting time. C. Med-Plus

Medplus pharmacy stores, though small stores in comparison to CVS or Walgreens, they have mixed format where the customers can view products for non-medicinal use like diapers, baby products, beauty products etc. The store is maintained clean and uncluttered with separate shelves for medical products and general merchandise. The total area of Medplus pharmacy varies from 200 square feet to 450 square feet. There’s also set of chairs for elderly, customers to sit if there’s queue or for patients who cannot stand for long. The layout is spaced out sparsely for the pharmacist to perform frequent inspection on the current stock. Many Medplus stores also have separate entry for incoming stocks from their depots. This is in contrast to the traditional medical shops where the small entrance is used and can cause inconvenience to the customers waiting for medicines.

The organized pharmacy chains like Medplus, Trust and Family Pharma have good visual presentation, pleasing colors inside the shop with lot of attention to sophistication. The medicines are also maintained in proper boxes. The lighting of the shop is bright and pleasing. The color within the pharmacy store is also pleasant. Amongst many unorganized medical shops, the organized pharmacy stores tend to create success in the clutter of customer’s mind by demonstrating cleanliness, well-furnished store and trust.

5. Viewpoints 2 A. Pharmacist’s Viewpoint In India, with most of the Pharmacy shops being small, unorganized and little marketing focus; they tend to follow the layout of Traditional Medical Store. There are many pharmacists who prefer the Vastushastra-way to design the layout of the shop rather than biasing the layout decisions on visual appeal to customers. This is standard layout as per Vastushastra:

B. Customers’ viewpoint Now-a-day’s customers prefer to visit Pharmacy shops for a wide range of requirements. It ranges from basic medicinal needs like medicines, injections, ointments etc. to beauty products like shampoo, lipstick, nail polish etc. to baby products like diapers, baby nutrition etc. to equipment like wheel chairs, Ortho products etc. to electronic gadgets assisting in measuring diabetic sugar, Blood Pressure, Heartbeat monitor etc. However, unlike pharmacy retail stores like CVS, Walgreens etc. big pharmacy shops are rare in India. Customers want wide range of products as indicated earlier and also view variety of OTC drugs to choose from. Himalaya Herbals have the store layout where the consumers can go around the store and be able to pick the right product for themselves. Customers feel contended because they can pick the product from the shelf, assess the need and use of the product along with price before making the purchase.

C. Doctor’s viewpoint For a doctor, a pharmacy shop is where medicines and medical equipment are sold. The pharmacist must be knowledgeable to recognize the needs of customer and fulfill the requirements. Doctors have restrained viewpoint on the layout of a store besides maintaining a good library of drugs and injections. So, the layout should be conducive for easy identification and retrieval of medicines from the shelves. The shelves must be easily accessible so that the pharmacist can perform routine checks to know the supply and expiry dates. 6. Conclusion

Medicines, just like insurance, is an undesired commodity that consumers are required to buy. Lately, pharmaceutical shops are also used by consumers to purchase diapers, baby products, deodorants, derma products, condoms and chocolates etc. As the pharmaceutical shops sell more and more of non-medicinal commodities, it becomes important to retailer to urge the consumer to make impulsive purchases. Thus, it becomes important to layout the store in such a manner that customers can navigate through the store and pick merchandise for utilitarian needs and the store positions related products in such a manner that the consumer conspicuously purchases related products as well. Thus, the older style of design which has a linear layout both in case of traditional and med-plus stores is not effective in the current competitive market. This typical linear layout which stretches along the rear or the side walls where in prescriptions at one end of a long counter and out prescriptions at the other end gives approximately an assembly line idea. A more contemporary design would be one which reflects a modern kitchen concept which has work islands in the middle of the store.

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Brief Description of the Medical Surge Concept Essay

Medical surge definition.

Medical surge is the ability of a health care organization to provide adequate medical evaluation and sufficient medical care to victims of public health disasters.

Public health disasters can result from both natural and human-made causes (Clements & Casani, 2016).

Examples of natural disasters include floods, earthquakes, and pandemic influenza while human-made causes include explosions, exposure from ionization radiation sources, and bioterrorism attacks.

Public health disasters surpass the established limits of medical infrastructure in the affected region.

Therefore, medical surge seeks to establish a framework for healthcare providers and medical institutions to survive the effects of a public health disaster and to maintain or recover compromised operations quickly.

Through medical surge, the healthcare institutions can obtain medical system resiliency which is the survival of a hazard impact and the maintenance or rapid recovery of compromised operations.

Medical Surge Capacity

Medical surge capacity refers to the ability of healthcare facilities to evaluate and provide the necessary medical care to a significant number of patients particularly above its ordinary performance operations (“The MSCC Management System,” 2020).

The evaluation and care provided to patients include laboratory studies and extensive epidemiological investigations. It is not necessarily confined to direct patient care. In cases of a pandemic caused by an outbreak of a new infection, for example, the health care workers have to conduct widespread investigations to determine the appropriate prevention and treatment procedures.

Since medical surge capacity has a direct relation to the number of patients, physical resources such as personnel, hospital beds, supplies, and equipment have to be considered.

The existing assets have to be tested against various elements such as identification of the medical need, identification of the resources required to address the needs in a timely manner, moving the resources quickly to places where they are required, and supporting and managing the resources to their maximum output capacity.

In most occasions, the available resources are not sufficient to cater to the needs of all the patients seeking medical attention.

Therefore, additional resources have to be sought such as state intervention, standby resources, and federal aid.

However, the facilities have to ensure they maximize the available resources before integrating other products.

Medical Surge Capability

Medical surge capability is the ability of healthcare organizations to manage patients who need unusual or specialized medical care and evaluation.

Medical surge provides a variety of specialized medical services such as personnel, information, expertise, equipment, and procedures.

The medical services needed are not normally available where they are required. For example, the need for specialized pediatric care provided in non-pediatric facilities.

Medical surge capability also involves the integration of special intervention methods to protect healthcare providers, other patients, and the reputation of the healthcare facility. The interventions are instituted against patients with severe and highly communicable illnesses.

MSCC System

The MSCC is an abbreviation for medical surge capacity and capability.

It is a system instituted in healthcare facilities to meet patient needs that challenge or surpass the ordinary operational activities of the facility while preserving the quality of its care and the integrity of the healthcare system.

Through MSCC, healthcare organizations and adequately utilize their existing resources and then obtain external help in an efficient and timely manner.

In that case, the facilities can move from the baseline medical capacity and capability to the incident medical surge capacity and capability and then return to the baseline.

The incident MSCC facilitates the ability of the organization to address the needs of catastrophic situations that cause public health disasters.

It incorporates timely and primary strategies for emergency interventions at the local level.

The MSCC system bridges the public and the private gap as it is used to obtain help from the federal government or privately owned medical assets (“The MSCC Management System,” 2020)

Six Levels of Emergency Response and Recovery

The MSCC System provides six tier levels of emergency response and recovery.

• Tier 1 – Management of individual healthcare assets
• Tier 2 – Management of the healthcare coalition
• Tier 3 – Jurisdiction Incident management
• Tier 4 – Management of state response and coordination of interstate jurisdictions
• Tier 5 – Interstate regional management coordination
• Tier 6 – Federal support to state, tribal, and jurisdiction management

How the MSCC System Relates to ICS

The MSCC system involves four processes whereby mitigation reduces or prevents the likelihood of the occurrence of a hazard, preparedness entails capacity and capability approaches for medical resiliency, response activities are taken in anticipation of an event or immediately it has happened while recovery activities are restorative to return the community to its initial state before the catastrophic event struck.

ICS provides the necessary guidelines on how to organize assets to respond to an event and the necessary measures to manage the response through its respective stages (Jensen & Thompson, 2016).

The management of the assets is in relation to various functions of the assets. Through command, the overall response is provided, operations integrate various strategies to achieve the goals set at the command level, logistics provides facilities, personnel, and supplies, planning section outlines the key plans to be followed as well as tracking the resources provided and the finance, also called the administration element, supports ICS through regulatory compliance and financial reimbursement.

Clements, B. W., & Casani, J. (2016). Disasters and public health: Planning and response (2 nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.

Jensen, J., & Thompson, S. (2016). The incident command system: A literature review. Disasters , 40 (1), 158-182.

The MSCC Management System . (2020).

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IvyPanda. (2024, March 3). Brief Description of the Medical Surge Concept. https://ivypanda.com/essays/brief-description-of-the-medical-surge-concept/

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IvyPanda . 2024. "Brief Description of the Medical Surge Concept." March 3, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/brief-description-of-the-medical-surge-concept/.

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Medical School Examples

Craft a Winning Medical School Essay with Examples and Proven Tips

Published on: May 8, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Are you dreaming of becoming a doctor or a health care professional? 

The first step towards achieving that goal is to get accepted into a top-tier medical school. 

But with so many other qualified medical students competing for the same spot, how do you stand out from the crowd? 

It all starts with your medical school essay. 

Your essay is your opportunity to your unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations. 

In this blog, we'll provide you with examples that will help you catch the attention of admissions committees. 

From purpose to common mistakes to avoid, we'll cover everything you need to get accepted into the medical school of your dreams. 

So, let's dive in!

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Types of Medical School Examples 

Medical school essays come in many different forms, each with its own unique requirements and purpose.

In this section, we'll discuss some of the most common types of medical school essays and what you need to know to write them successfully.

Personal Statements 

Personal statements are the most common type of medical school essay. They are usually a one-page essay that introduces you to the admissions officers. 

It explains why you want to pursue medicine as a career. Personal statements should be engaging, and memorable, and show off your unique qualities.

An outline offers a framework to help you craft a compelling narrative that showcases your strengths and experiences.

Check out this personal statement example that can help future physicians getting into the schools of their dreams.

Medical School Personal Statement Examples pdf

Secondary Essays 

Secondary essays are additional essays that some medical schools require in addition to the personal statement. 

They often ask specific questions about your background, experiences, or interests. They give you an opportunity to show off your future patient care and problem-solving skills.

Here is a brief example of a secondary application medical school essay:

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Diversity Essays 

Diversity essays ask you to write about your experiences with diversity and how they have influenced you to pursue a career and your interest in medicine. 

These essays are becoming increasingly common in medical school applications as schools strive to build a more diverse and inclusive student body.

Good Medical School Essay Examples 

Are you struggling to write a standout medical school essay? They say that the best way to learn is by example. That's especially true when it comes to public health school essays. 

We'll provide you with some of the best examples to help you craft an essay that will help your career in medicine.

Medical College Essay Examples

Personal Statement Medical School Examples Pdf

Medical School Covid Essay Examples

Challenging Medical School Essay Examples 

Writing a medical school essay is more than just telling a story about yourself. It's an opportunity to demonstrate your critical thinking and analytical skills. 

In this section, we'll highlight some of the challenging medical school essay examples. This will give you a sense of what admissions committees are looking for. You can learn how to exceed those expectations by writing a successful medical school essay.

Greatest Challenge Medical School Essay Examples

Successful Medicine Personal Statement Examples

Medical School Scholarship Essay Examples

Medical School Essay Examples for Different Schools 

Each medical school has its own unique mission, values, and admissions criteria, and your essay should reflect that. 

In this section, we'll explore how to tailor your medical school essay for different schools and showcase some examples of successful essays.

Let’s explore these Stanford and Harvard medical school essay examples:

Medical School Personal Statement Examples Harvard

Medical School Personal Statement Examples Stanford

Tips on Crafting an Excellent Medical School Personal Statement 

The medical school personal statement is your opportunity to showcase your unique qualities and experiences. 

Here are some tips to help you craft an excellent personal statement:

Start Early 

Don't wait until the last minute to start writing your personal statement. Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm, write, and revise your essay. Starting early also allows you to get feedback from mentors, professors, or peers.

Focus on Your Story 

Your personal statement should tell a story that showcases your journey to medicine. Highlight the experiences and qualities that have led you to pursue a career in medicine. Tell them how you plan to use your skills to make a difference.

Be Specific 

Use specific examples to illustrate your experiences and achievements. Don't just list your accomplishments, but show how they have prepared you for a career in medicine. Use concrete details to make your essay more engaging and memorable.

Show, Don't Tell 

Instead of simply stating your qualities, show them through your experiences and actions. For example, don’t say you're a team player. Describe a time when you worked effectively in a team to achieve a goal.

Tailor Your Essay to the School 

As mentioned earlier, each medical school has its own unique mission and values. Tailor your personal statement to each school to demonstrate your fit with their program and values.

Mistakes to Avoid in a Medical School Personal Statement 

When it comes to your medical school personal statement, there are some common mistakes you should avoid:

Avoid using cliched phrases and ideas that are overused in personal statements. Admissions committees want to see your unique perspective and experiences. They do not want generic statements that could apply to anyone.

Negativity 

Don't focus on negative experiences or aspects of your life in your personal statement. Instead, focus on your strengths and how you have grown from challenges.

Lack of Focus 

Make sure your personal statement has a clear focus and theme. Don't try to cover too many topics or experiences in one essay. Instead, focus on one or two experiences that are meaningful to you and illustrate your journey to medicine.

Too Formal or Informal Tone 

Make sure your personal statement strikes the right tone. Avoid being too formal or using overly complex language. Also, avoid being too informal or using slang.

Plagiarism 

Never copy someone else's personal statement or use a template to write your own. Admissions committees can easily spot plagiarism, and it will result in an immediate rejection.

Grammatical and Spelling Errors

Proofread your personal statement thoroughly for grammatical and spelling errors. Even a few small errors can detract from the overall quality of your essay.

Lack of Authenticity 

Be true to yourself in your personal statement. Don't try to present an image of yourself that is not authentic or that you think the admissions committee wants to see. Be honest and genuine in your writing.

In conclusion, crafting a winning medical school essay is a crucial step toward securing admission to the medical school of your dreams. 

This blog has provided examples of essays along with tips to craft an excellent medical school personal statement. By avoiding mistakes, you can increase your chances of standing out from the crowd and impressing the admissions committee. 

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Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

What is the ideal med school personal statement word limit.

There is no set length for a medical school personal statement, but most schools typically require a personal statement of 500-800 words.

How do I choose a topic for my medical school essay?

Choose a topic that showcases your unique perspective and experiences, and illustrates your journey to medicine. Consider what makes you stand out and what you are passionate about.

Should I mention my grades and test scores in my medical school essay?

It is not necessary to mention your grades and test scores in your medical school essay as they are already included in your application. Instead, focus on showcasing your unique qualities, experiences, and perspective.

Can I get help with writing my medical school essay?

Yes, there are various resources available to help you with writing your medical school essay. Consider seeking help from a writing tutor, career services office, or professional writing service like ours.

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Medical School “Why Us” Essay

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"Why our medical school?" (or "Why us" ) is one of the most frequently requested secondary inquiries by medical schools. It might be challenging to explain why you are drawn to a specific school, especially if you have looked at many different programs.

The same response is frequently given by applicants. Thus, you must make a conscientious effort to ensure that the admissions committee sees something in your essay and grant you an interview. 

They want to know that you have tried to understand especially about them, just as you want them to see how you differ from your competitors.

What are Medical School "Why Us" Essays?

The medical school "Why us" essay asks you to describe why you are applying to a particular medical school and how you would make the most of the institution's exceptional opportunities. 

It is one of the most typical supplementary pushes for medical school. Still, it is also one of the most significant.

This question aims to ascertain your motivation for choosing a specific medical school. Each year, medical schools review hundreds of secondary essays . 

Showing them your affinities with their mission, vision, and values will be more effective than highlighting their program's facts, which they already know.

Mentioning your traits, experiences, and abilities about the school's purpose, vision, values, and programs is crucial. By doing so, you avoid just restating what the school offers and instead highlight how these programs suit you personally.

There are two ways to tackle this assignment: finding subjects on the school's website that interest you or seeing how frequently the school's ideals are referenced. 

8 Ways to Stand Out in the "Why Us" Medical School Essay

Your medical school "Why us" essay is your chance to demonstrate to the admissions panels how or why your values match theirs. 

As you can understand, a vital essay may persuade admissions committees to approve an application. In contrast, a weak essay may convince the reader to reject the applicant.

1. Address the Why Us Question

The secondary prompts for the "Why us" medical school essay are not all created equal. 

Some prompts may inquire about your potential contributions to the institution. 

In contrast, others will focus on your personal traits that might support the goals of the medical school.

Similarly, even if you have a "Why us" response prepared for another school, you must modify it to adequately address their questions. 

If you do not, the school will not be able to respond to the question they are directly posing. Keep in mind that they have a particular reason for asking the question. 

2. Emphasize Your Particular Fit

What specifically about this curriculum — and this program alone — meets your own interests? 

Discuss your passion in that sector and the unique chances the university offers.

Suppose you have read one of their publications. In that case, you might even mention the research of a particular professor or researcher you respect. 

Mention the medical school's multidisciplinary studies and emphasize your interest in their other faculties if you want to look into chances for medical publishing.

3. Research and Brainstorm

Knowing what appeals to you about a school is one thing, but identifying the particulars that set it apart is another. 

By doing this, you can demonstrate that you have done your research and have a sincere interest in that university.

While using their website, do additional research by watching YouTube videos, reaching out to alums or medical students, or looking into the area and community for any relevant information. 

When conducting your own research, think about the following questions:

• What criteria are you using to choose a medical school?
• What distinctive features of this school appeal to you? Why?
• Why would a degree from this institution be the best for your training?
• Does a particular curriculum or learning framework work better for your learning style? Why, if so?
• Is there a family or residence close to this school? You could explain why or how these matter to you and your potential medical education.

4. Explain Why Where Is Significant

You could occasionally include the institution's location and discuss its significance to your schooling. 

A busy urban center will expose you to diverse patient populations found nowhere else and are especially attractive for those interested in fields like infectious disease.

The University of Washington also provides students access to rural medicine that few programs can offer. 

For example, George Washington University is excellent for people interested in community health promotion and policy due to its proximity to Washington, D.C.

Support networks, such as neighboring family members, can also be highlighted, but generally speaking, avoid making geographic accidents the primary focus of this essay.

5. Be Specific

Students frequently make the mistake of discussing how the mission statement speaks to them personally. 

If the mission statement does, in fact, strike a chord with you, be careful to explain why and include instances or supporting data to support your claim.

To show your enthusiasm and interest, it is crucial to be specific about what you find appealing about the school. Doing this will boost your chances of being accepted. 

Admissions committees look for candidates who are engaged in the institution, educated about it, and eager to energetically represent it.

6. Align Your Beliefs and Philosophies

Finally, trying to learn the school's guiding philosophy and basing your responses on that is one of the best ways to approach the "Why us" medical school essay.

As an illustration, Yale is well known for their "Yale System" and takes great pleasure in their interdisciplinary, non-competitive, self-directed learning style. 

You can learn more about each program's perspective by reviewing their website and speaking with alums if you can.

7. Tell Stories

Like any secondary, it is crucial to provide anecdotes that logically lead readers to a conclusion instead of outright stating the decision. 

In this instance, the author discusses their interactions with a particular homeless shelter resident while volunteering there.

This enables the reader to assume that the author has no trouble relating to people from various backgrounds. This inference is more believable when made through a narrative than when it is made explicitly.

Think about the sentence if it had read, "My prior experience working with homeless students demonstrates that I am someone who easily connects with students from different backgrounds."  

Compared to delivering a story, this is much less persuasive.

8. Aim High

Finally, the "Why us" medical school essay does an excellent job of highlighting the author's goals throughout. 

Whether it is to "bridge the gap" between people and policies, to “shape healthcare policies" by conducting research or "create new programs" for "underserved populations," you must come across as a person with a good and clear idea of what they want to achieve in medical school and how they will specifically do it.

Do not hesitate to express your goals and how they relate to the school.

Medical School "Why Us" Essay Sample Prompts

Below are some "Why us" medical school essay prompts from a few schools to give you an idea of what to expect. 

Remember that the themes in each of these prompts are almost the same.

Stanford School of Medicine

How will you use the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and the need for a scholarly emphasis to advance your professional aspirations?

Weill Cornell Medical College

In a brief essay, please explain why you are applying to Weill Cornell Medical College.

Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

Please explain how your personal traits and learning style might fit the FSM's unique educational philosophy and integrated curriculum.

Pritzker School of Medicine - University of Chicago

If possible, describe your motivations for applying to Pritzker Sch of Medicine in a brief essay.

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Please briefly explain why you want to attend the Perelman School of Medicine.

Medical School "Why Us" Sample Essays

Your application to medical school will not be complete without a strong "Why us" essay. Keep in mind that you are up against hundreds of other applicants. Give it your best shot. 

Here are a few "Why us" sample essays from which you can draw inspiration.

Medical School "Why us" Sample Essay 1:

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Tell me, and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me, and I learn." Through my undergraduate studies, I've discovered that one of the most effective ways for me to learn is to put forth the effort to engage with others and their diverse perspectives.

For instance, I thought diseases were just a collection of observable symptoms from bad genes. After having spent a lot of time with families in Boston's inner city, I've realized how racial, physical, and social factors can affect the likelihood of illness.

As my knowledge of the numerous aspects that affect health increased, I began to have more questions and a desire to learn more. How can the requirements of a community be accurately assessed, and how can suitable solutions be created? How can knowledge of sociocultural factors be applied to treat existing patients and stop the development of future ones?

I think the University of Washington's (UW) Community Health Program will have the answers to these and other queries. I can collaborate directly with teachers and students to build comprehensive community-based solutions thanks to the year-round lecture series on subjects like "Health Disparities: An Unequal World's Biggest Challenge." Additionally, I have the chance to collaborate closely with urban Seattle neighborhoods similar to those I have worked with in Boston, thanks to the UW PEERS clinic and Friends of UW.

My self-awareness and cultural sensitivity have increased due to my interactions with various Boston families representing a range of ages, socioeconomic statuses, and ethnicities. I have faith that the University of Washington and the Community Health Program will help me become a doctor who enhances patients' lives and attends to the needs of entire communities.

Medical School "Why us" Sample Essay 2:

At our homeless shelter, one resident would frequently stay up late studying. I inquired about his sleeping pattern and how I might assist because I was worried about his health. We both attended [name of school]. Still, I soon realized how different our lives were as I started helping him with his academic work and career objectives in my spare time.

His pursuit of professional success served as an outlet, and his profound commitment to his studies served as a means of breaking old bad habits. And unlike him, I never had to put my career ahead of my studies or extracurricular activities, something that many others at our shelter had to do.

Despite our situations being different, we still had a lot in common. I remember having a lot of late-night discussions with him on various subjects, including healthcare and medicine, and heated debates about our favorite NBA players.

My ideals have been shaped by my interactions with these students. I feel compelled to influence healthcare regulations and carry out research to solve issues that broadly impact people. Through the Scholarship & Discovery program at Pritzker, I'll research disease treatment and health policy more while gaining knowledge from trailblazers like Dr. David Meltzer. 

I am interested in how modifications in illness management affect more general care recommendations. As the director of a trial looking into early sepsis resuscitation, I recognize how complicated illness treatment is linked to policy because standards of care and health policies immediately impact patients and doctors.

And I must make more prominent policies more in line with these specific requirements when they are out of sync. Pritzker will allow me to share my findings through its Senior Scientific Session and a variety of fellowships that will pay for presentations at national conferences. My background in education will enable me to contextualize study findings, link them to policy implications, and motivate stakeholders to take action.

As I strive to develop new programs for these patients, Pritzker's distinctive organizations mirror my values by showcasing the student body's passion for assisting the underserved. I revised our food training at the student shelter to account for differences in the cooking abilities of volunteers to feed 10 homeless students.

Encouraging comments from the community confirmed how my concepts might be implemented into effective procedures by guiding a team toward a common goal. I'll keep helping marginalized communities at Pritzker by participating in student organizations like Chicago Street Medicine.

I am particularly interested in their work since I have observed this community's distinct difficulties when working with homeless adolescents. In Chicago Street Medicine, I want to hone my leadership abilities while continuing to delve into these topics. Pritzker student organizations will uniquely help me by giving me early, practical experience caring for these patients and using my developing medical expertise to help others.

My desire to complete my medical education at Pritzker is motivated by opportunities to perform clinical/policy research with distinguished faculty members and distinctive student organizations.

Medical School "Why us" Sample Essay 3:

I never imagined that I’d have a human heart in my hands when I first signed up for the trip. In 2013, I had the opportunity to explore various hospital departments as part of a high school educational trip to Hackensack University. This experience helped me learn more about medicine. It was then that I realized that this one-day tour was insufficient. I yearned to continue learning here after entering one of the top hospitals in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area. I lost my employment six years later when Englewood Health's scribe program was shut down by the end of August 2019.

But it was because of this initial setback that I was able to locate my current position at Hackensack University Medical Center and return to a great learning environment. I worked with and learned from renowned medical professionals like Dr. Sanjeev Kaul, Dr. Javier Martin Perez, and Dr. Saraswati. The chance to learn at some of the top hospitals serving northern, central, and southern New Jersey and from one of the most varied populations in the country is what drew me to the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

I believe I can develop the skills necessary to serve and offer top-notch care to patients from various backgrounds through Hackensack Meridian Health, the largest healthcare network in the state.

I'm curious about the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine's distinctive curriculum and fantastic clinical possibilities. I became more interested in preventive health during high school and more conscious of sleep hygiene, posture, nutrition, and physical activity. I want to pursue a medical career to effectively encourage other people to take responsibility for their health. I'm particularly interested in the Human Dimension course because of this.

I will have a better understanding of the socioeconomic, social, and environmental determinants of health by meeting with families in the community and developing relationships. I will ultimately discover how to actively change the lives of others. The unique 3+1 curriculum, which will let me tailor my fourth year with various options, including research projects, more clinical experience, early admission into residencies, community service endeavors, and several dual-degree opportunities, excites me.

The lower-class size will foster a close-knit group and improve my overall training and learning experience. I am lucky the school is within a 20-minute drive from my house. It allows me to continue to be close to my support system and thrive in a comfortable setting while in medical school.

Additional FAQs – Medical School "Why Us" Essay

When should i submit my medical school secondary essay, what if a school changes its essay prompts, you're no longer alone on your journey to becoming a physician.

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Guest Essay

The Problem With Saying ‘Sex Assigned at Birth’

By Alex Byrne and Carole K. Hooven

Mr. Byrne is a philosopher and the author of “Trouble With Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions.” Ms. Hooven is an evolutionary biologist and the author of “T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone That Dominates and Divides Us.”

As you may have noticed, “sex” is out, and “sex assigned at birth” is in. Instead of asking for a person’s sex, some medical and camp forms these days ask for “sex assigned at birth” or “assigned sex” (often in addition to gender identity). The American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association endorse this terminology; its use has also exploded in academic articles. The Cleveland Clinic’s online glossary of diseases and conditions tells us that the “inability to achieve or maintain an erection” is a symptom of sexual dysfunction, not in “males,” but in “people assigned male at birth.”

This trend began around a decade ago, part of an increasing emphasis in society on emotional comfort and insulation from offense — what some have called “ safetyism .” “Sex” is now often seen as a biased or insensitive word because it may fail to reflect how people identify themselves. One reason for the adoption of “assigned sex,” therefore, is that it supplies respectful euphemisms, softening what to some nonbinary and transgender people, among others, can feel like a harsh biological reality. Saying that someone was “assigned female at birth” is taken to be an indirect and more polite way of communicating that the person is biologically female. The terminology can also function to signal solidarity with trans and nonbinary people, as well as convey the radical idea that our traditional understanding of sex is outdated.

The shift to “sex assigned at birth” may be well intentioned, but it is not progress. We are not against politeness or expressions of solidarity, but “sex assigned at birth” can confuse people and creates doubt about a biological fact when there shouldn’t be any. Nor is the phrase called for because our traditional understanding of sex needs correcting — it doesn’t.

This matters because sex matters. Sex is a fundamental biological feature with significant consequences for our species, so there are costs to encouraging misconceptions about it.

Sex matters for health, safety and social policy and interacts in complicated ways with culture. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to experience harmful side effects from drugs, a problem that may be ameliorated by reducing drug doses for females. Males, meanwhile, are more likely to die from Covid-19 and cancer, and commit the vast majority of homicides and sexual assaults . We aren’t suggesting that “assigned sex” will increase the death toll. However, terminology about important matters should be as clear as possible.

More generally, the interaction between sex and human culture is crucial to understanding psychological and physical differences between boys and girls, men and women. We cannot have such understanding unless we know what sex is, which means having the linguistic tools necessary to discuss it. The Associated Press cautions journalists that describing women as “female” may be objectionable because “it can be seen as emphasizing biology,” but sometimes biology is highly relevant. The heated debate about transgender women participating in female sports is an example ; whatever view one takes on the matter, biologically driven athletic differences between the sexes are real.

When influential organizations and individuals promote “sex assigned at birth,” they are encouraging a culture in which citizens can be shamed for using words like “sex,” “male” and “female” that are familiar to everyone in society, as well as necessary to discuss the implications of sex. This is not the usual kind of censoriousness, which discourages the public endorsement of certain opinions. It is more subtle, repressing the very vocabulary needed to discuss the opinions in the first place.

A proponent of the new language may object, arguing that sex is not being avoided, but merely addressed and described with greater empathy. The introduction of euphemisms to ease uncomfortable associations with old words happens all the time — for instance “plus sized” as a replacement for “overweight.” Admittedly, the effects may be short-lived , because euphemisms themselves often become offensive, and indeed “larger-bodied” is now often preferred to “plus sized.” But what’s the harm? No one gets confused, and the euphemisms allow us to express extra sensitivity. Some see “sex assigned at birth” in the same positive light: It’s a way of talking about sex that is gender-affirming and inclusive .

The problem is that “sex assigned at birth”— unlike “larger-bodied”— is very misleading. Saying that someone was “assigned female at birth” suggests that the person’s sex is at best a matter of educated guesswork. “Assigned” can connote arbitrariness — as in “assigned classroom seating” — and so “sex assigned at birth” can also suggest that there is no objective reality behind “male” and “female,” no biological categories to which the words refer.

Contrary to what we might assume, avoiding “sex” doesn’t serve the cause of inclusivity: not speaking plainly about males and females is patronizing. We sometimes sugarcoat the biological facts for children, but competent adults deserve straight talk. Nor are circumlocutions needed to secure personal protections and rights, including transgender rights. In the Supreme Court’s Bostock v. Clayton County decision in 2020, which outlawed workplace discrimination against gay and transgender people, Justice Neil Gorsuch used “sex,” not “sex assigned at birth.”

A more radical proponent of “assigned sex” will object that the very idea of sex as a biological fact is suspect. According to this view — associated with the French philosopher Michel Foucault and, more recently, the American philosopher Judith Butler — sex is somehow a cultural production, the result of labeling babies male or female. “Sex assigned at birth” should therefore be preferred over “sex,” not because it is more polite, but because it is more accurate.

This position tacitly assumes that humans are exempt from the natural order. If only! Alas, we are animals. Sexed organisms were present on Earth at least a billion years ago, and males and females would have been around even if humans had never evolved. Sex is not in any sense the result of linguistic ceremonies in the delivery room or other cultural practices. Lonesome George, the long-lived Galápagos giant tortoise , was male. He was not assigned male at birth — or rather, in George’s case, at hatching. A baby abandoned at birth may not have been assigned male or female by anyone, yet the baby still has a sex. Despite the confusion sown by some scholars, we can be confident that the sex binary is not a human invention.

Another downside of “assigned sex” is that it biases the conversation away from established biological facts and infuses it with a sociopolitical agenda, which only serves to intensify social and political divisions. We need shared language that can help us clearly state opinions and develop the best policies on medical, social and legal issues. That shared language is the starting point for mutual understanding and democratic deliberation, even if strong disagreement remains.

What can be done? The ascendance of “sex assigned at birth” is not an example of unhurried and organic linguistic change. As recently as 2012 The New York Times reported on the new fashion for gender-reveal parties, “during which expectant parents share the moment they discover their baby’s sex.” In the intervening decade, sex has gone from being “discovered” to “assigned” because so many authorities insisted on the new usage. In the face of organic change, resistance is usually futile. Fortunately, a trend that is imposed top-down is often easier to reverse.

Admittedly, no one individual, or even a small group, can turn the lumbering ship of English around. But if professional organizations change their style guides and glossaries, we can expect that their members will largely follow suit. And organizations in turn respond to lobbying from their members. Journalists, medical professionals, academics and others have the collective power to restore language that more faithfully reflects reality. We will have to wait for them to do that.

Meanwhile, we can each apply Strunk and White’s famous advice in “The Elements of Style” to “sex assigned at birth”: omit needless words.

Alex Byrne is a professor of philosophy at M.I.T. and the author of “Trouble With Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions.” Carole K. Hooven is an evolutionary biologist, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, an associate in the Harvard psychology department, and the author of “T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone That Dominates and Divides Us.”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Where to buy solar eclipse glasses, according to the experts

Solar eclipse enthusiasts have little time left to get their hands on safe viewing glasses before the celestial phenomenon Monday.

Austin residents, and many other Americans, will be able to view the 2024 total solar eclipse from within its path of totality, meaning the sun will be completely blocked by the moon. Except during the brief moment when the sun is completely covered, viewers must wear specialized eye protection to safely see the eclipse, NASA says .

Thankfully, there are several retailers still selling safe eclipse viewing glasses. Here's what to know about the historic event and where to buy eclipse viewing glasses.

What is a solar eclipse?

According to NASA , a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, either fully or partially blocking the sun's light. This casts a momentary shadow on Earth.

A total solar eclipse, which will happen Monday, is when the moon completely blocks out the sun. These do not happen very often, and can only be experienced by people located in the center of the moon's shadow.

Where to buy solar eclipse glasses

The Statesman turned to the experts at the American Astronomical Society for information on safe eclipse viewing glasses. These retailers, and others, are on their approved list :

• Walmart: Prices start at $9.99. They're available to snag online .
• Lowe's: Eclipse glasses are available in-store only .
• The Home Depot: Sells eclipse glasses , but its stock is very limited and may no longer be available.
• Staples: Purchase a 50-pack of eclipse glasses for $149.50 online .
• More local stores: Buc-ee's , Cracker Barrel and Kroger .

Is your local store out of solar eclipse glasses? Check out this map of stores by Linq that still have them in stock .

When buying eclipse viewing glasses, make sure they are certified by the International Organization for Standardization and have the "ISO" icon. The glasses should also have the ISO reference number: 12312-2.

How to spot fake eclipse glasses

Fake eclipse viewing glasses are all over the marketplace, the American Astronomical Society warned in a news release .

The society recommends only buying glasses from sellers on its vetted list .

NASA does not endorse any brand of glasses, so if pairs are marketed as approved by the space agency, that may be a red flag, experts warn.

Before the eclipse, the society recommends testing the glasses indoors and outside. If they are safe, nothing should be visible through the lenses, and bright lights should only faintly appear. When looking at the sun through the glasses, it may appear white, yellow, orange or bluish white, and the light should not hurt the viewers eyes.

When is the eclipse in Texas?

Many Texas cities are within the solar eclipse's updated path of totality , or the direction of the moon's shadow across Earth. These cities will experience brief total darkness, while areas outside the path of totality will see partial darkness.

The eclipse will be visible in Texas, starting near Del Rio and moving northeast, around 1:30 p.m. It will exit the Lone Star State around 1:49 p.m.

Austin viewers will have the best chance to see the eclipse between 1:35 and 1:40 p.m.

How often do total solar eclipses occur?

Total solar eclipses only happen about once every 18 months and can't be seen from everywhere. The next total eclipse that will be viewable from the United States after Monday will be Aug. 23, 2044.

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Body-spirit centered Biodynamic Craniosacral therapy

My approach to plant medicine integration involves working holistically and at depth with the body, mind and with spirit-including the plant spirit that you worked with if it is relevant (no medicines are involved). I use craniosacral touch with therapeutic dialogue, breathwork and visual imagery. I offer a field of safety, depth, unconditional acceptance and love that allows your body to express the unspoken. Together we work though what is left unanswered or what needs resolution physically, emotionally and energetically. The work takes place initially through a face to face conversation and then the rest of the lesson will be body and energy work with you lying down. All sessions are completely confidential. I do not use psychoactive plants in any preparation or integration work.

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