The Premed Playbook by Gray Ryan

Author:Gray, Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2018-06-18T16:00:00+00:00

AC Final Draft

As a new volunteer at the free clinic, I sat in the corner of the exam room and observed an experienced volunteer begin an intake for a new patient. The patient was a young man with a couple of cracked front teeth, sitting opposite me with his uncle. I silently listened to the other volunteer ask for basic contact information while thinking that this guy couldn’t even bother to take care of teeth let alone his overall health. I was soon proven very wrong as the story of his life and health unfolded. The young man was only nineteen years old; he had cracked his teeth in a fast food restaurant, his face hitting the counter when he lost consciousness during an epileptic seizure. The boy’s parents were drug addicts and often not present, the only person in his life he could rely on was his uncle. At this point during the intake the other volunteer stopped what he was doing, got up, walked over to the uncle, shook his hand and said, “Thank you.” Although I played no part in this encounter other than to observe, I soaked up so much more information beyond how to take a medical history. It was the first time I confronted the impact social factors could have on a person’s health; and at that free clinic, it wouldn’t be last.

The student opens up the personal statement in a very similar way to before, but she has changed her takeaway. It explains not judging and jumping to conclusions much better, but it’s still not as strong as I would have liked. If I were reading this, I would ask: “Why not be a social worker then?” The takeaway isn’t tied to medicine, so it’s not as strong as it could be, but much improved over the first draft.

My premedical path has not been a traditional one, but it has certainly taught me a lot about myself and my chosen career path. I rounded out the first year of college with less than stellar grades. I recognize this was in part due to the novelty of being away from home, never previously learning how to study, and not yet having a passion for medicine instilled in me. In an effort to redeem myself, I improved my grades, became involved in research, shadowed physicians, engaged in clinical volunteer work, continued academic pursuit, and found employment in healthcare settings. The prolonged premedical path I have taken has allowed me to ensure I have chosen the right career path and persevering through mistakes and setbacks has motivated me to obtain this goal.

This is a red flag paragraph. The student is trying to make me aware of why she has poor grades and what she did to improve them.

It’s a little long, at over 16% of the total character count, but it does what it needs to do.

The continual intellectual stimulation and the necessity of staying up-to-date on information and advancements is a factor that has drawn me into this career, but even more so, the prospect of contributing to it.

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