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An Eye-Opening Conversation on the Personal Statement | Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A Ep. 107

Medical School HQ

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This premed has a question about how to show resilience in your medical school personal statement. Our conversation reveals a whole mindset shift he needed to make!

If you find this video helpful, be sure to subscribe and check out all our Meded Media podcasts at http://premedpodcasts.com.

Today, we discuss:
Why med school "acceptance rate" numbers are so scary, but they really shouldn't be.
Why to avoid pitching yourself as "resilient" or "strong" or "accomplished" in your personal statement, and instead just tell your story.
Why your med school personal statement doesn't actually need to be that stressful to write.
The ONE thing you need to address in your personal statement.
What if your "story" and why you want to be a doctor isn't unique?
How to have your voice and your story come through in your application.

For more episodes of Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A, check out http://askdrgray.com.

18 Comments

@davide7965 5 years ago

Best vlog yet! Best of luck to this applicant. He was very mature and humble throughout the discussion

@sarahlozier4627 1 month ago

Great stuff! Will add that almost every school will offer a place to address academic concerns in your secondary, so you don't need to bring this into the PS.

@SunshineKane1 5 years ago

This is you’re best PS vlog yet, IMO!!🥰

@kathleengomez682 5 years ago

I need to re-watch this every day until I submit my application because I hear the message, but years of anxious premed forums have ingrained a different story in my mind. This is indeed mind blowing because no one talks about personal statements this way. At least, not this clearly. TY!!

@corennakhieu5483 2 years ago

This was very helpful!!! Thank you. I think this is a common mistake.

@okiegirl3470 1 year ago

If only more undergrad programs taught this way ❤

@jonathandelatorre7269 5 years ago

By far one of the most eye-opening videos I've seen on your channel. Congrats

@DaKuawn 5 years ago

I really think more people need to approach writing their personal statements from this perspective and something that I internalized early, but never knew how to articulate. Just be comfortable in who you are and that you want the admission committees just want to know you.

@beishahernandez500 5 years ago

What a beautiful conversation. Thank you, Dr. Gray!

@briaunnaaleece7514 5 years ago

I have watched so many of your videos and this gave me so much relief. I have a 3.8 GPA and have some decent clinical experience while working full-time and being a first generation college student/financially supporting myself through college. I’ve always worried about not being “good enough” even though I’ve shown my resilience in many areas.
This really made me less anxious!

@DC-a048 5 years ago

Really great points discussed in the first 5 mins of this video! Loved the insight Dr. Gray, and appreciate your commitment in helping those desiring to get into medical school.

@beakittie 4 years ago

He just like me fr

@SqwareCircle10 5 years ago (edited)

This has to be the best, right now I feel like that I was that 21 years old student again and ended up failing my college courses all over again. I really wish he was around when I went to college. I am in my thirties and feel like I missed out on my opportunity to become a great doctor. thank you Dr. gray for all of your advice.

@kylemerenaandfinley 5 years ago

Such good questions

@ShinySephiroth1 5 years ago

Some schools' ad comms are blinded to the transcripts, though.

@CamtheMac 5 years ago

The committees aren't rejecting YOU they are rejecting the fluff.

@bridgetlynnx 5 years ago

Hey Dr. Gray! So I watched a lot of your videos and I'm one of the students who ended up getting a masters after college to look like a better applicant (I had a 3.0 undergrad GPA). (I ended up getting a 3.4 in my masters). In some of your videos, you speak about writing an advocate letter to schools about your GPA; I was wondering, what's the best way to approach this without looking like I'm making a bunch of excuses?

Thanks again!

@alvint4485 5 years ago

Hey Dr Gray, how would medical school interpret grades that come from a harder grading scale. For example if I have B+ in two classes but in actuality it should be an A-, they are both 92 percent but the grading scale puts them as B+ instead of A-.