1 00:00:03,230 --> 00:00:06,479 So welcome folks. 2 00:00:06,479 --> 00:00:08,639 It's great to see everyone again, 3 00:00:08,639 --> 00:00:13,559 and we're still living in the virtual world in 2021 now. 4 00:00:13,559 --> 00:00:16,709 But it wonderful to see you all and seeing a lot of 5 00:00:16,709 --> 00:00:20,639 people's cameras on its great to, to see folks. 6 00:00:20,639 --> 00:00:23,849 Welcome. And we're so glad that you're joining us 7 00:00:23,849 --> 00:00:27,420 this evening to talk about health careers writing. 8 00:00:27,420 --> 00:00:29,895 Since that topic, that of, 9 00:00:29,895 --> 00:00:31,859 and we're hearing from 10 00:00:31,859 --> 00:00:34,019 experts in the Cornell Writing Center today. 11 00:00:34,019 --> 00:00:36,314 So I'm really excited about that. 12 00:00:36,314 --> 00:00:38,560 For those of you who don't know me. 13 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,495 My name is Dr. Chelsea Rule and I'm Director of 14 00:00:41,495 --> 00:00:45,799 the Cornell Health Careers Advising Program. 15 00:00:45,799 --> 00:00:48,680 And that's located and Cornell Career Services. 16 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,349 So I've given a lot of workshops and I 17 00:00:51,349 --> 00:00:54,155 lead a program called HCA app, 18 00:00:54,155 --> 00:00:55,609 which is the health careers 19 00:00:55,609 --> 00:00:58,249 advising application preparation process. 20 00:00:58,249 --> 00:00:59,989 So for those of you who are planning to 21 00:00:59,989 --> 00:01:01,954 apply to medical or dental school, 22 00:01:01,954 --> 00:01:03,620 you may have seen that this 23 00:01:03,620 --> 00:01:05,030 fall or maybe you're seeing it in 24 00:01:05,030 --> 00:01:07,040 a future year and that's going to help you 25 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,230 prepare for the application process. 26 00:01:09,230 --> 00:01:12,574 A whole big part of that is certainly a. 27 00:01:12,574 --> 00:01:14,179 So today, 28 00:01:14,179 --> 00:01:17,299 specifically about approaching personal statements, 29 00:01:17,299 --> 00:01:19,880 I'm going to talk really briefly about what 30 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,490 health professional programs are looking for. 31 00:01:22,490 --> 00:01:24,200 And then you're going to hear from those 32 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,254 writing experts that I mentioned. 33 00:01:26,254 --> 00:01:27,920 And so if you both would like 34 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,584 to introduce yourself briefly, 35 00:01:29,584 --> 00:01:31,950 that would be wonderful. 36 00:01:32,830 --> 00:01:35,539 Hi, I'm Dr. Kate Navickas 37 00:01:35,539 --> 00:01:38,839 I direct the Cornell Writing Centers 38 00:01:38,839 --> 00:01:41,600 and I teach first year writing 39 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,060 in support graduate student teachers 40 00:01:44,060 --> 00:01:45,110 in the teaching of writing. 41 00:01:45,110 --> 00:01:48,329 So all writing things via the Knight Institute. 42 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,720 And I'm Zach Grobe and 43 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,130 my PhD candidate with 44 00:01:55,130 --> 00:01:57,545 the English department and my fifth year. 45 00:01:57,545 --> 00:01:59,030 And I help as 46 00:01:59,030 --> 00:02:02,640 the Assistant Director of the Cornell writing centers. 47 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,684 Wonderful. Thank you both for being here tonight. 48 00:02:06,684 --> 00:02:08,440 Excited to hear more. 49 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:13,329 I think you just advance the slide for me Kate thanks so much 50 00:02:13,329 --> 00:02:17,964 So first I'm going to share the slides with you all. 51 00:02:17,964 --> 00:02:19,510 And I know some people are, 52 00:02:19,510 --> 00:02:21,189 are just coming in. 53 00:02:21,189 --> 00:02:23,904 But hopefully everyone can see that. 54 00:02:23,904 --> 00:02:25,390 And then there's a couple more 55 00:02:25,390 --> 00:02:28,869 times because I want you all to be able to have these. 56 00:02:28,869 --> 00:02:31,119 I'm going to speak a little quickly. 57 00:02:31,119 --> 00:02:34,029 First. I want to just talk about what 58 00:02:34,029 --> 00:02:36,594 you need to write some logistics for 59 00:02:36,594 --> 00:02:39,309 those who are planning on going into health careers 60 00:02:39,309 --> 00:02:41,319 application process is pretty 61 00:02:41,319 --> 00:02:44,259 long and extensive and you will do a lot of writing. 62 00:02:44,259 --> 00:02:46,099 So what do you write? 63 00:02:46,099 --> 00:02:49,775 Firstly, the primary application to 64 00:02:49,775 --> 00:02:53,119 health professional programs involves 65 00:02:53,119 --> 00:02:54,620 a personal statement and that's what we're 66 00:02:54,620 --> 00:02:56,509 really going to get into today, 67 00:02:56,509 --> 00:02:58,924 is talking about the personal statement. 68 00:02:58,924 --> 00:03:01,129 What this does it is explains 69 00:03:01,129 --> 00:03:03,020 your interests in the profession and it 70 00:03:03,020 --> 00:03:04,520 delivers your story 71 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,429 this meaningful narrative about your path. 72 00:03:07,429 --> 00:03:11,764 And so this is a really important piece of writing. 73 00:03:11,764 --> 00:03:14,749 You will, that's not all you will write though. 74 00:03:14,749 --> 00:03:17,435 And so you will also write descriptions of 75 00:03:17,435 --> 00:03:19,385 your work and activities or 76 00:03:19,385 --> 00:03:21,649 just engagements that you have outside the classroom. 77 00:03:21,649 --> 00:03:24,034 That's a big part of every application. 78 00:03:24,034 --> 00:03:27,634 And in there you will detail what you have done. 79 00:03:27,634 --> 00:03:30,620 Work activities, clinical experiences, 80 00:03:30,620 --> 00:03:32,450 service, and then what you 81 00:03:32,450 --> 00:03:34,819 learned and gained for each of those activities. 82 00:03:34,819 --> 00:03:36,800 So that's kind of your logistics. 83 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:38,674 That's almost your resume. 84 00:03:38,674 --> 00:03:40,849 And the personal statement. 85 00:03:40,849 --> 00:03:42,485 I'll talk a little bit about that later. 86 00:03:42,485 --> 00:03:43,609 It's going to be very different 87 00:03:43,609 --> 00:03:45,364 from that. That's your story. 88 00:03:45,364 --> 00:03:47,734 So there are also 89 00:03:47,734 --> 00:03:51,590 optional essays and primary applications. 90 00:03:51,590 --> 00:03:53,629 And in your primary application, 91 00:03:53,629 --> 00:03:55,520 know that all these pieces of writing are going 92 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,634 to all the schools to which you apply. 93 00:03:57,634 --> 00:03:59,809 These are meant to be general. 94 00:03:59,809 --> 00:04:02,090 Optional essays include what's 95 00:04:02,090 --> 00:04:04,009 called disadvantage statement. 96 00:04:04,009 --> 00:04:05,390 And this is common for 97 00:04:05,390 --> 00:04:08,059 medical and dental school to ask about this. 98 00:04:08,059 --> 00:04:09,785 It's kind of confusing. 99 00:04:09,785 --> 00:04:11,435 I know. And many of you are not 100 00:04:11,435 --> 00:04:13,070 sure whether that applies to you or not. 101 00:04:13,070 --> 00:04:14,600 So always feel free to speak with 102 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,029 a health careers advisors such as myself. 103 00:04:17,029 --> 00:04:19,490 But essentially, health professional schools have 104 00:04:19,490 --> 00:04:20,959 a strong commitment to 105 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:23,974 increasing the diversity of the professions. 106 00:04:23,974 --> 00:04:26,810 So they want to know if there are barriers you have faced. 107 00:04:26,810 --> 00:04:28,639 And so you could write an essay about that. 108 00:04:28,639 --> 00:04:30,784 If you have faced barriers, 109 00:04:30,784 --> 00:04:33,949 you also will an institutional actions. 110 00:04:33,949 --> 00:04:35,479 If you've ever had any kind of 111 00:04:35,479 --> 00:04:39,800 institutional actions such as something with a JA office. 112 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,990 And again, if you're not sure, 113 00:04:41,990 --> 00:04:44,689 please talk with health careers advisor. 114 00:04:44,689 --> 00:04:47,209 Throughout the rest of the application cycle, 115 00:04:47,209 --> 00:04:49,444 you will also write more. 116 00:04:49,444 --> 00:04:51,289 And so for most health 117 00:04:51,289 --> 00:04:53,000 professional schools, like medical schools, 118 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,340 you will write secondary applications that are 119 00:04:55,340 --> 00:04:57,199 school-specific essays and they will 120 00:04:57,199 --> 00:04:59,344 ask you about a variety of prompts, 121 00:04:59,344 --> 00:05:01,699 such as describe a time when you 122 00:05:01,699 --> 00:05:04,115 experience difficulty, things like that. 123 00:05:04,115 --> 00:05:06,080 So lots more writing after 124 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,959 that personal statement and the work and activities. 125 00:05:08,959 --> 00:05:12,529 And if you are Cornell undergraduate or an alum who is 126 00:05:12,529 --> 00:05:15,769 registering for the HCEC, our committee letter process. 127 00:05:15,769 --> 00:05:17,689 You probably already know this time of 128 00:05:17,689 --> 00:05:19,160 year that you have a lot of 129 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,005 writing that you submit to the committee. 130 00:05:21,005 --> 00:05:22,610 And in fact, it all mirrors 131 00:05:22,610 --> 00:05:24,709 the application to complete 132 00:05:24,709 --> 00:05:26,539 a background information form. 133 00:05:26,539 --> 00:05:28,550 This is your work and activity section, 134 00:05:28,550 --> 00:05:30,875 essentially and will look very similar. 135 00:05:30,875 --> 00:05:33,980 And then your personal statement can be a draft of 136 00:05:33,980 --> 00:05:37,249 what you submitted for HCA app in the fall. 137 00:05:37,249 --> 00:05:39,320 And it basically could 138 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:40,999 be something you've worked on a little bit more, 139 00:05:40,999 --> 00:05:42,289 but that you will continue to work 140 00:05:42,289 --> 00:05:45,269 on for the primary application. 141 00:05:45,370 --> 00:05:48,810 So next slide, please. 142 00:05:49,660 --> 00:05:52,460 Importantly, from my perspective, 143 00:05:52,460 --> 00:05:54,140 I'm the Director of 144 00:05:54,140 --> 00:05:56,360 Health Careers advising program so you know 145 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,279 what I care about and what I can share 146 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:00,275 with you all is why you need to write, 147 00:06:00,275 --> 00:06:02,165 why this writing is important. 148 00:06:02,165 --> 00:06:04,519 This is your opportunity to provide 149 00:06:04,519 --> 00:06:08,194 a new perspective and depth to your candidacy. 150 00:06:08,194 --> 00:06:11,569 And so this will help you stand out was a 3D candidate, 151 00:06:11,569 --> 00:06:13,399 that you're not just numbers, 152 00:06:13,399 --> 00:06:15,080 you are a full person and this is 153 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,644 your opportunity to communicate some of that. 154 00:06:17,644 --> 00:06:20,479 Note that it's never going to tell your entire story. 155 00:06:20,479 --> 00:06:25,385 It is limited. And so it's going to be a snapshot. 156 00:06:25,385 --> 00:06:26,989 But medical and dental schools and 157 00:06:26,989 --> 00:06:28,190 other health profession schools 158 00:06:28,190 --> 00:06:30,080 really want to get to know you. 159 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,380 So this is an important way to communicate your story and 160 00:06:33,380 --> 00:06:35,389 to highlight the core competencies 161 00:06:35,389 --> 00:06:36,530 if you're not familiar with those, 162 00:06:36,530 --> 00:06:38,989 again, check the slides that we sent. 163 00:06:38,989 --> 00:06:42,245 Noting this holistic review model 164 00:06:42,245 --> 00:06:44,089 that I have to the right. 165 00:06:44,089 --> 00:06:47,869 And medical and dental schools are certainly looking for 166 00:06:47,869 --> 00:06:49,670 the full picture of what you've 167 00:06:49,670 --> 00:06:52,549 experienced and care about. 168 00:06:52,549 --> 00:06:54,964 So this is your chance to share that. 169 00:06:54,964 --> 00:06:58,130 Please note that the personal statement is not a resume. 170 00:06:58,130 --> 00:06:59,975 You can enter resumes 171 00:06:59,975 --> 00:07:03,469 like document and your work Activities section. 172 00:07:03,469 --> 00:07:06,740 You need to answer in your personal statement, 173 00:07:06,740 --> 00:07:09,769 what are some important characteristics you want 174 00:07:09,769 --> 00:07:12,770 the readers to know about you or their characteristics, 175 00:07:12,770 --> 00:07:15,080 traits, features about you 176 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,004 that you think are unique and really want to share. 177 00:07:18,004 --> 00:07:20,089 And really importantly, why does 178 00:07:20,089 --> 00:07:23,869 profession to why medicine why dentistry, 179 00:07:23,869 --> 00:07:25,430 why a particular health 180 00:07:25,430 --> 00:07:29,600 profession and what your broad goals are. 181 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,120 And i say broad underline because you don't 182 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,180 need to declare a specialty interest here and please don't. 183 00:07:35,180 --> 00:07:37,160 So. Just explained generally 184 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,110 what kind of physician you want to be, 185 00:07:39,110 --> 00:07:40,400 what you want to do with. 186 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:44,405 dentistry, things like that. some broad goals can be. 187 00:07:44,405 --> 00:07:47,824 But they don't need to be highly, highly specific. 188 00:07:47,824 --> 00:07:53,120 And you need to be specific about is why that profession. 189 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:54,709 That's where the specificity 190 00:07:54,709 --> 00:07:57,065 certainly needs to come into play. 191 00:07:57,065 --> 00:07:59,960 You don't need to necessarily go 192 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:02,209 into full detail on holiday. On here. 193 00:08:02,209 --> 00:08:04,714 It's just going to be a snapshot. 194 00:08:04,714 --> 00:08:07,414 One really important side note 195 00:08:07,414 --> 00:08:09,665 to share from my perspective, 196 00:08:09,665 --> 00:08:11,765 please do not include 197 00:08:11,765 --> 00:08:14,810 any patient information that could be identifiable. 198 00:08:14,810 --> 00:08:16,880 So remember HIPAA, if you wanted 199 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,010 to share any kind of thoughts 200 00:08:19,010 --> 00:08:21,530 on shadowing experience or 201 00:08:21,530 --> 00:08:23,839 working with patients that, that can be great. 202 00:08:23,839 --> 00:08:26,944 But remember to use pseudonyms, rename, 203 00:08:26,944 --> 00:08:28,400 do what you need to do to protect 204 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,190 patient health information. 205 00:08:31,190 --> 00:08:35,149 So really briefly in the next couple of slides, 206 00:08:35,149 --> 00:08:36,560 again, I'm sharing these slides. 207 00:08:36,560 --> 00:08:38,870 I'm not gonna go through them in great depth. 208 00:08:38,870 --> 00:08:40,295 We're providing the prompts 209 00:08:40,295 --> 00:08:41,449 for different personal statements. 210 00:08:41,449 --> 00:08:42,740 So I've really just copied and 211 00:08:42,740 --> 00:08:46,069 pasted the prompts for MD schools, 212 00:08:46,069 --> 00:08:49,970 AMCAS prompts for a ACOMAS, DO schools. 213 00:08:49,970 --> 00:08:51,724 And then on the next page, 214 00:08:51,724 --> 00:08:55,534 the prompts for dental school, ADSAS 215 00:08:55,534 --> 00:08:57,199 these are all primary applications. 216 00:08:57,199 --> 00:08:58,819 And then the Texas, application, 217 00:08:58,819 --> 00:09:02,599 which is its own process for dental and medical school. 218 00:09:02,599 --> 00:09:04,639 And so you can see the character 219 00:09:04,639 --> 00:09:06,350 counts you can see with the prompts are. 220 00:09:06,350 --> 00:09:09,200 So please just check out those slides. 221 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,720 And from here I'm going to turn it 222 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,179 over to the experts on writing. 223 00:09:14,179 --> 00:09:17,240 Oh, one more brief thing about MD, PhD. 224 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,000 I know many of you are interested in this career. 225 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,465 You have two additional essays, so congrats. 226 00:09:23,465 --> 00:09:25,580 In your primary application, 227 00:09:25,580 --> 00:09:27,019 you will also write, 228 00:09:27,019 --> 00:09:30,005 say specifically on write MD, PhD. 229 00:09:30,005 --> 00:09:31,160 And that's kind of short. 230 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:33,080 It's shorter than the personal statement. 231 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,630 And then you will write a much longer essay 232 00:09:35,630 --> 00:09:38,494 called significant research experiences, 233 00:09:38,494 --> 00:09:40,489 where you go into some depth on 234 00:09:40,489 --> 00:09:43,129 your research and you really name the projects 235 00:09:43,129 --> 00:09:45,500 you who've worked with what 236 00:09:45,500 --> 00:09:48,575 their goals were kinda go into great depth. 237 00:09:48,575 --> 00:09:51,829 And so you note that you may also have 238 00:09:51,829 --> 00:09:54,560 specific additional secondary essays 239 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:55,835 would just do more writing. 240 00:09:55,835 --> 00:09:57,409 You're signing up for a dual degree 241 00:09:57,409 --> 00:09:59,495 and they're more writing there. 242 00:09:59,495 --> 00:10:01,549 So that's the last thing that I'm 243 00:10:01,549 --> 00:10:03,110 going to say in this presentation. 244 00:10:03,110 --> 00:10:05,269 I really want to turn it over to the writing center, 245 00:10:05,269 --> 00:10:06,740 but I'll be here in the background. 246 00:10:06,740 --> 00:10:10,860 There are some questions if you have and Thanks. 247 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:15,019 Thanks Chelsea. So Zack 248 00:10:15,019 --> 00:10:16,849 and I are gonna kinda go back and forth and 249 00:10:16,849 --> 00:10:19,400 talk through some of our advice for writing 250 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,160 personal statements for medical schools. 251 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:23,900 As well as we're going 252 00:10:23,900 --> 00:10:25,490 to talk through some examples and I 253 00:10:25,490 --> 00:10:26,539 think those are going to be really 254 00:10:26,539 --> 00:10:29,255 illuminating for you in particular. 255 00:10:29,255 --> 00:10:31,249 And we're going to kind of echo out 256 00:10:31,249 --> 00:10:33,230 other things Chelsea already said in the beginning, 257 00:10:33,230 --> 00:10:34,985 but kind of give them more depth 258 00:10:34,985 --> 00:10:37,820 and maybe kind of explain what they mean. 259 00:10:37,820 --> 00:10:40,369 But so for us, 260 00:10:40,369 --> 00:10:41,930 we kind of think about how to write 261 00:10:41,930 --> 00:10:45,320 a successful statement as the first, 262 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,350 the selection of meaningful stories, 263 00:10:48,350 --> 00:10:51,754 the actual writing of the meaningful stories. 264 00:10:51,754 --> 00:10:53,239 And then we review them for 265 00:10:53,239 --> 00:10:56,269 substance and consider our writing process. 266 00:10:56,269 --> 00:10:58,745 So this is what we're going to talk about today. 267 00:10:58,745 --> 00:11:00,635 And one of the things that I 268 00:11:00,635 --> 00:11:02,989 always want to start with is that we, 269 00:11:02,989 --> 00:11:04,489 we work with a lot of writers 270 00:11:04,489 --> 00:11:06,485 around applications for medical school, 271 00:11:06,485 --> 00:11:08,420 personal statements in particular. 272 00:11:08,420 --> 00:11:10,759 And regularly we had writers who come 273 00:11:10,759 --> 00:11:13,579 in and want to dig into the writing. 274 00:11:13,579 --> 00:11:15,320 They brought in front of them. 275 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,505 But we actually pause and step back a bit and we say, 276 00:11:19,505 --> 00:11:21,590 let's look at what meaningful stories 277 00:11:21,590 --> 00:11:24,109 you have available to you first. 278 00:11:24,109 --> 00:11:26,030 Because sometimes the first story 279 00:11:26,030 --> 00:11:27,770 isn't always the best story. 280 00:11:27,770 --> 00:11:30,440 And so you'll see that all four of these things are 281 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,645 primarily about the content 282 00:11:32,645 --> 00:11:34,759 of the stories you're telling. 283 00:11:34,759 --> 00:11:37,805 And that's what we really want to emphasize today. 284 00:11:37,805 --> 00:11:40,234 So hopefully we'll be able to do that. 285 00:11:40,234 --> 00:11:44,779 Whoops. And so what makes a meaningful story? 286 00:11:44,779 --> 00:11:46,100 And this was something that echoes 287 00:11:46,100 --> 00:11:48,185 those opening comments. 288 00:11:48,185 --> 00:11:51,500 Stories are meaningful to others when they are genuine, 289 00:11:51,500 --> 00:11:54,380 when they reflect some aspect of yourself 290 00:11:54,380 --> 00:11:57,575 that's important to you that you can identify and name. 291 00:11:57,575 --> 00:12:00,605 So qualities, characteristics, and values. 292 00:12:00,605 --> 00:12:02,345 And when you can explain 293 00:12:02,345 --> 00:12:05,090 how your stories are meaningful to you. 294 00:12:05,090 --> 00:12:06,544 In particular, 295 00:12:06,544 --> 00:12:09,605 in why you wanted to be a doctor or a dentist. 296 00:12:09,605 --> 00:12:11,570 So that why am, 297 00:12:11,570 --> 00:12:13,100 as Chelsea already said, is really 298 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:15,780 essential to your statement. 299 00:12:19,330 --> 00:12:23,119 And so we've broken down these types 300 00:12:23,119 --> 00:12:26,690 of stories into four specific categories. 301 00:12:26,690 --> 00:12:28,370 There's going to be some overlaps, 302 00:12:28,370 --> 00:12:31,189 but a new kind of helpful to see these groupings. 303 00:12:31,189 --> 00:12:32,720 So for the first one here we have 304 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:34,730 internship stories where you might write 305 00:12:34,730 --> 00:12:37,100 about a particular patients 306 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:39,334 working with a specific doctor. 307 00:12:39,334 --> 00:12:41,900 In that particular moment that was heartwarming, 308 00:12:41,900 --> 00:12:44,974 intriguing, problematic, and so on. 309 00:12:44,974 --> 00:12:47,750 But whatever you describe should be something that's 310 00:12:47,750 --> 00:12:51,830 specific and that has a meaningful impact on you. 311 00:12:51,830 --> 00:12:54,710 And that should get at that central question of why are 312 00:12:54,710 --> 00:12:57,874 that should work to highlight a personal value. 313 00:12:57,874 --> 00:12:59,720 So for stories of struggle, 314 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,420 topics can include your own experiences 315 00:13:02,420 --> 00:13:04,250 with health issues or injuries, 316 00:13:04,250 --> 00:13:07,339 as well as those experienced by loved ones. 317 00:13:07,339 --> 00:13:10,205 And it might also be effective to reflect on 318 00:13:10,205 --> 00:13:13,744 other challenges like access to medical care. 319 00:13:13,744 --> 00:13:15,620 Language and cultural barriers in 320 00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:17,179 medical settings, for instance, 321 00:13:17,179 --> 00:13:18,230 can be really effective 322 00:13:18,230 --> 00:13:22,020 narratives and similar things of that nature. 323 00:13:22,690 --> 00:13:25,760 And then for heritage stories, 324 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,024 these are the kinds of narratives that connect 325 00:13:28,024 --> 00:13:30,964 family histories or other kinds of facets of 326 00:13:30,964 --> 00:13:34,144 personal identity to the emergence 327 00:13:34,144 --> 00:13:37,775 of your motivation to pursue medicine. 328 00:13:37,775 --> 00:13:41,104 So these stories might also be ones of struggle, 329 00:13:41,104 --> 00:13:43,250 but a discussion of heritage or 330 00:13:43,250 --> 00:13:45,950 identity doesn't necessarily have to be, 331 00:13:45,950 --> 00:13:47,719 in that vein to still be really 332 00:13:47,719 --> 00:13:50,149 effective and really engage in. 333 00:13:50,149 --> 00:13:52,594 And then you could also talk about 334 00:13:52,594 --> 00:13:55,340 academic or nonmedical experiences, 335 00:13:55,340 --> 00:13:56,990 something a little less obviously 336 00:13:56,990 --> 00:13:59,765 related to the topic at hand. 337 00:13:59,765 --> 00:14:02,135 So you might write about things like research, 338 00:14:02,135 --> 00:14:03,935 projects you've undertaken, 339 00:14:03,935 --> 00:14:07,760 influential mentors, leadership positions, 340 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,970 organizations that you've been a part of, 341 00:14:10,970 --> 00:14:15,049 activist activities or other kinds of extra curriculars, 342 00:14:15,049 --> 00:14:16,895 what you'd been apart. 343 00:14:16,895 --> 00:14:18,964 And so while these may not have 344 00:14:18,964 --> 00:14:21,725 that sort of obvious connection to the why, 345 00:14:21,725 --> 00:14:23,360 or for personal value, 346 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:24,409 they can still make for 347 00:14:24,409 --> 00:14:27,140 really effective material if 348 00:14:27,140 --> 00:14:29,750 that narrative can draw that connection. 349 00:14:29,750 --> 00:14:32,464 So there's that little extra challenge there, 350 00:14:32,464 --> 00:14:35,779 but it can still be a really great angle to take. 351 00:14:35,779 --> 00:14:39,109 And we want to be clear that these types of, 352 00:14:39,109 --> 00:14:41,600 these are common types of statements, 353 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,899 stories, but they're not the only thing available to you. 354 00:14:44,899 --> 00:14:46,670 It just sometimes when you hear them 355 00:14:46,670 --> 00:14:49,025 articulated as things people write about, 356 00:14:49,025 --> 00:14:51,215 it can give you inspiration. 357 00:14:51,215 --> 00:14:52,669 It can help you know what's 358 00:14:52,669 --> 00:14:55,624 possible and know how to break, 359 00:14:55,624 --> 00:14:57,260 breakout from what's possible 360 00:14:57,260 --> 00:14:59,480 to to kind of go outside of that box. 361 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,240 So this isn't meant to restrain you in any way so much 362 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,960 as to give you a sense of the stories we tend to see. 363 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,600 But how do you select the store? 364 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,340 So this goes back to kind of 365 00:15:10,340 --> 00:15:12,604 my claims in the beginning about 366 00:15:12,604 --> 00:15:14,299 making sure you're selecting 367 00:15:14,299 --> 00:15:17,225 really excellent, strong stories. 368 00:15:17,225 --> 00:15:19,790 We recommend that you start by 369 00:15:19,790 --> 00:15:23,345 brainstorming as many stories as possible. 370 00:15:23,345 --> 00:15:27,320 I know because I've read a lot at each HCEC forms, 371 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,830 the big long form that all of you have many, 372 00:15:30,830 --> 00:15:32,434 many stories to pick from. 373 00:15:32,434 --> 00:15:35,420 So I would recommend listing them, bullet points. 374 00:15:35,420 --> 00:15:39,755 Free writing in a non-formal way, right? 375 00:15:39,755 --> 00:15:41,810 To get started, because you really want to 376 00:15:41,810 --> 00:15:44,464 lay out your resources on the table. 377 00:15:44,464 --> 00:15:46,609 What are the stories that you have to 378 00:15:46,609 --> 00:15:49,369 tell from all areas of your life? 379 00:15:49,369 --> 00:15:51,500 Again, so often we see people 380 00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:54,199 draft that first story that comes to mind, 381 00:15:54,199 --> 00:15:56,209 but think deeply about what is 382 00:15:56,209 --> 00:15:58,595 the best story for this purpose. 383 00:15:58,595 --> 00:16:01,159 So once you have your list of stories, 384 00:16:01,159 --> 00:16:04,069 how do you know narrowing it down is about first, 385 00:16:04,069 --> 00:16:07,610 we recommend naming the value or the y of each one of 386 00:16:07,610 --> 00:16:12,110 those stories in order to help you select 1 to 3 stories. 387 00:16:12,110 --> 00:16:13,564 So a personal statement, 388 00:16:13,564 --> 00:16:16,970 I might include as many as three, 389 00:16:16,970 --> 00:16:18,800 but it might focus in on just 390 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,485 one for the whole statement, right? 391 00:16:21,485 --> 00:16:23,270 But in order to get to 392 00:16:23,270 --> 00:16:25,400 which story is you really want to be 393 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,849 able to be sure about what is a stout story. 394 00:16:28,849 --> 00:16:32,720 Tell readers about who you are as a person. 395 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,844 And about why you want to pursue a future and medicine. 396 00:16:36,844 --> 00:16:39,259 So it has to do double duty. 397 00:16:39,259 --> 00:16:41,000 You know, you can't just say, 398 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,459 hey, this is a story of me being a leader. 399 00:16:43,459 --> 00:16:46,640 It has to be this is a leadership position I took that 400 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:48,469 shows my investment and 401 00:16:48,469 --> 00:16:50,525 being a doctor in the future, right? 402 00:16:50,525 --> 00:16:52,774 So it has to do all of that work. 403 00:16:52,774 --> 00:16:54,649 And so we really recommend 404 00:16:54,649 --> 00:16:59,039 brainstorming as many as possible before you get started. 405 00:16:59,620 --> 00:17:03,214 And then just to really bring home what I just said, 406 00:17:03,214 --> 00:17:06,920 the thing we recommend avoiding is being overly committed 407 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,865 to either a particular story or your first story. 408 00:17:10,865 --> 00:17:12,710 We actually see a lot of 409 00:17:12,710 --> 00:17:15,440 beautifully written stories aren't 410 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,179 the writer's best story. 411 00:17:17,179 --> 00:17:20,569 So again, if you can't explain the why 412 00:17:20,569 --> 00:17:23,629 of this particular story why meaningful and how 413 00:17:23,629 --> 00:17:26,809 it is meaningful for the purpose of 414 00:17:26,809 --> 00:17:28,729 your application statement 415 00:17:28,729 --> 00:17:31,535 meaning why you want to go to med school. 416 00:17:31,535 --> 00:17:39,109 Go back to brainstorming. 417 00:17:39,109 --> 00:17:41,990 And these are some attributes of and also 418 00:17:41,990 --> 00:17:45,695 strategies for writing meaningful stories. 419 00:17:45,695 --> 00:17:48,695 So they typically provide brief snapshots 420 00:17:48,695 --> 00:17:51,845 of smaller, really specific moments. 421 00:17:51,845 --> 00:17:54,049 And the kind of mode that you want to be writing 422 00:17:54,049 --> 00:17:57,319 in is doing more Showing versus telling. 423 00:17:57,319 --> 00:17:59,779 Or to put that differently, 424 00:17:59,779 --> 00:18:02,015 think about demonstrating or 425 00:18:02,015 --> 00:18:05,974 illustrating what you mean rather than just declaring it. 426 00:18:05,974 --> 00:18:07,909 And you can do so by really 427 00:18:07,909 --> 00:18:10,580 placing your reader in that moment. 428 00:18:10,580 --> 00:18:12,380 Provide adjectives, 429 00:18:12,380 --> 00:18:15,560 descriptions, sensory detail, and dialogue. 430 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,090 But in a purposeful way, 431 00:18:17,090 --> 00:18:19,610 it should be doing that work that you need it to, 432 00:18:19,610 --> 00:18:20,930 to answer the why, 433 00:18:20,930 --> 00:18:23,030 to highlight that value. 434 00:18:23,030 --> 00:18:25,429 And that's precisely how that story is going to 435 00:18:25,429 --> 00:18:28,729 be meaningful if it connects back to the value, 436 00:18:28,729 --> 00:18:31,160 if it's addressing the why. 437 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,099 So you should really know what you're trying to 438 00:18:34,099 --> 00:18:37,055 highlight about yourself and who you are. 439 00:18:37,055 --> 00:18:40,489 And you can also think about really focusing on 440 00:18:40,489 --> 00:18:42,740 the impressions and the impacts 441 00:18:42,740 --> 00:18:46,174 left on you by that moment that you described. 442 00:18:46,174 --> 00:18:48,785 So what did it lead you to feel, 443 00:18:48,785 --> 00:18:50,810 think, or do differently? 444 00:18:50,810 --> 00:18:52,760 Why did it really stick with you? 445 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:54,289 How is it formative? 446 00:18:54,289 --> 00:18:56,239 These are all kinds of questions to keep in 447 00:18:56,239 --> 00:18:58,190 mind that will really help guide 448 00:18:58,190 --> 00:19:00,665 your writing and develop 449 00:19:00,665 --> 00:19:04,649 a moment into a really meaningful narrative. 450 00:19:05,020 --> 00:19:09,725 So Zack and I are going to talk for a couple of really 451 00:19:09,725 --> 00:19:11,960 strong and then a couple of 452 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,734 weaker example paragraphs from statements, 453 00:19:14,734 --> 00:19:17,390 because we are big believers that seeing 454 00:19:17,390 --> 00:19:21,374 examples helps illustrate exactly what our points are. 455 00:19:21,374 --> 00:19:23,829 So we hope they kind of taking the time to read 456 00:19:23,829 --> 00:19:25,960 these and talk through them will be useful. 457 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:27,039 So Zack is going to go ahead and 458 00:19:27,039 --> 00:19:28,359 read this first one and then I'll 459 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:29,469 talk through what we like 460 00:19:29,469 --> 00:19:31,749 about this one. This is a strong one. 461 00:19:31,749 --> 00:19:34,674 I remember the moment vividly. 462 00:19:34,674 --> 00:19:36,760 I was standing behind Dr. 463 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,135 X as he sat on a stool facing a young mother, 464 00:19:40,135 --> 00:19:42,249 probably in her early thirties, 465 00:19:42,249 --> 00:19:45,430 who had her two-year-old son cradled in her arm. 466 00:19:45,430 --> 00:19:49,944 The little boy had an ear infection and a dangerously high fever. 467 00:19:49,944 --> 00:19:51,400 But in that moment, he was 468 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,664 sitting silently in his mother's lap. 469 00:19:53,664 --> 00:19:56,559 The mother, on the other hand, was in tears. 470 00:19:56,559 --> 00:19:59,424 I could not I could see not only worry, 471 00:19:59,424 --> 00:20:01,659 but also exhaustion in her eyes. 472 00:20:01,659 --> 00:20:03,925 As she listed her son's symptoms. 473 00:20:03,925 --> 00:20:07,809 She explained how he was unable to sleep at night and 474 00:20:07,809 --> 00:20:11,544 was almost constantly screaming in pain between sniffles. 475 00:20:11,544 --> 00:20:14,530 She informed us that she was a single mother and had been 476 00:20:14,530 --> 00:20:15,849 staying home from work for 477 00:20:15,849 --> 00:20:18,429 the past three days to take care of her son, 478 00:20:18,429 --> 00:20:21,040 to be a patient as to be vulnerable. 479 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,844 Standing in that small examination room. 480 00:20:23,844 --> 00:20:26,470 I learned that being a physician means taking 481 00:20:26,470 --> 00:20:30,009 that very vulnerability and giving it back as comfort. 482 00:20:30,009 --> 00:20:32,890 When that mother turn to Dr. X for help, 483 00:20:32,890 --> 00:20:36,220 he handed her a tissue and said it's going to be okay. 484 00:20:36,220 --> 00:20:39,955 Though he never stated explicitly with those words. 485 00:20:39,955 --> 00:20:43,375 He made a silent promised her, I will help you. 486 00:20:43,375 --> 00:20:45,084 He took the information, 487 00:20:45,084 --> 00:20:46,574 she entrusted him with 488 00:20:46,574 --> 00:20:48,740 Son's symptoms and her pain 489 00:20:48,740 --> 00:20:50,930 and created a solution for her. 490 00:20:50,930 --> 00:20:52,969 After that experience, I 491 00:20:52,969 --> 00:20:55,084 began approaching shadowing differently. 492 00:20:55,084 --> 00:20:56,689 I stopped trying to memorize 493 00:20:56,689 --> 00:20:58,789 the terminology that doctors would say to 494 00:20:58,789 --> 00:21:01,069 their scribes are focusing solely on 495 00:21:01,069 --> 00:21:04,294 which symptoms corresponded with which conditions. 496 00:21:04,294 --> 00:21:06,800 I realized that those were all things that 497 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,544 would eventually be taught from textbooks and lectures. 498 00:21:09,544 --> 00:21:11,810 Instead, I started observing how 499 00:21:11,810 --> 00:21:14,479 physicians formed relationships with patients. 500 00:21:14,479 --> 00:21:16,159 Are they reassured in counseled 501 00:21:16,159 --> 00:21:18,949 them and how they handled the dizzying task 502 00:21:18,949 --> 00:21:22,145 They were entrusted with providing comfort. 503 00:21:22,145 --> 00:21:26,225 Okay. So there's a lot of things we like about this one. 504 00:21:26,225 --> 00:21:30,529 We like that it puts us in the moment. 505 00:21:30,529 --> 00:21:34,355 It doesn't tell us there in a doctor's room, it shows us. 506 00:21:34,355 --> 00:21:37,549 Right. So those opening few sentences are about placing 507 00:21:37,549 --> 00:21:38,779 us with that mother and 508 00:21:38,779 --> 00:21:41,090 her child and the doctor in the room. 509 00:21:41,090 --> 00:21:42,349 You know what's going on, 510 00:21:42,349 --> 00:21:44,479 you know how everybody's feeling. 511 00:21:44,479 --> 00:21:46,819 The other thing we like is that 512 00:21:46,819 --> 00:21:49,895 articulates and names a specific value. 513 00:21:49,895 --> 00:21:52,489 So sometimes people can be a little vague about this, 514 00:21:52,489 --> 00:21:56,704 but the value here is to be a patient is to be vulnerable 515 00:21:56,704 --> 00:21:58,939 and to be a doctor is to give 516 00:21:58,939 --> 00:22:01,579 that vulnerability back as comfort, right? 517 00:22:01,579 --> 00:22:03,095 So they're articulating 518 00:22:03,095 --> 00:22:07,595 a very precise value from this experience. 519 00:22:07,595 --> 00:22:10,385 And then they follow through with it and explain 520 00:22:10,385 --> 00:22:13,264 how this shaped their understanding of the, 521 00:22:13,264 --> 00:22:14,990 of the work of 522 00:22:14,990 --> 00:22:18,709 a doctor and their engagement in the internship, right. 523 00:22:18,709 --> 00:22:21,530 So they kind of do the follow through, you know, 524 00:22:21,530 --> 00:22:25,490 it could continue on to how they want to be as a doctor. 525 00:22:25,490 --> 00:22:27,259 So we might push this writer to keep 526 00:22:27,259 --> 00:22:29,960 following through just a little bit more. 527 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:31,880 But the other thing, the final thing 528 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:33,080 I'd say about this one that we 529 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,020 love is there's a great balance here. 530 00:22:36,020 --> 00:22:38,915 So you don't want a story to take over. 531 00:22:38,915 --> 00:22:42,725 You don't want the telling to takeover. 532 00:22:42,725 --> 00:22:45,319 You need a story to always be 533 00:22:45,319 --> 00:22:47,794 in the service of your purpose. 534 00:22:47,794 --> 00:22:50,675 Which is why do I want to go to med school? 535 00:22:50,675 --> 00:22:53,779 And really naming and articulating that or how 536 00:22:53,779 --> 00:22:55,550 an experience is shaped your thinking 537 00:22:55,550 --> 00:22:58,279 about med school and being a doctor, right? 538 00:22:58,279 --> 00:23:01,579 And so that's a balancing act in 539 00:23:01,579 --> 00:23:04,580 a statement of personal statement like this. 540 00:23:04,580 --> 00:23:06,679 And we'll see some they get it right and some that don't. 541 00:23:06,679 --> 00:23:09,589 So that's something to kind of pay attention to. 542 00:23:09,589 --> 00:23:12,680 Okay, so I'm going to read this second example 543 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,224 and then Zach, and we'll talk about it. 544 00:23:14,224 --> 00:23:17,130 This is another strong example. 545 00:23:17,710 --> 00:23:20,570 My dad was driving me home from 546 00:23:20,570 --> 00:23:22,610 swim practice one cold winter's 547 00:23:22,610 --> 00:23:24,500 night in 2011 when 548 00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:27,364 his cell phone rang with a call from my mother, 549 00:23:27,364 --> 00:23:29,120 I knew that something was wrong 550 00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:30,380 the moment that he sternly 551 00:23:30,380 --> 00:23:33,934 uttered stay there, don't go anywhere. 552 00:23:33,934 --> 00:23:37,174 My mom's brain overtaken with confusion, 553 00:23:37,174 --> 00:23:38,809 had walked our dog halfway 554 00:23:38,809 --> 00:23:41,360 across town to the local shopping center. 555 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:44,405 She had lost complete control of her surroundings. 556 00:23:44,405 --> 00:23:46,850 Although there were signs skipping 557 00:23:46,850 --> 00:23:49,265 lunch and taking hours to finish Meals, 558 00:23:49,265 --> 00:23:51,244 her rationality was the catalyst 559 00:23:51,244 --> 00:23:53,300 that finally caused her anorexia to hit 560 00:23:53,300 --> 00:23:56,029 rock bottom and finally cause my family to 561 00:23:56,029 --> 00:23:59,239 recognize what we had previously been naive too. 562 00:23:59,239 --> 00:24:02,359 I began to piece together her past behaviors, 563 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,369 recognizing that what seemed normal at 564 00:24:04,369 --> 00:24:07,085 the time was in fact not normal at all. 565 00:24:07,085 --> 00:24:09,439 What my seventh-grade self witness during 566 00:24:09,439 --> 00:24:12,050 those initial months of recognition and treatment has 567 00:24:12,050 --> 00:24:14,209 permanently instilled in me a sense of 568 00:24:14,209 --> 00:24:18,875 wariness and desire to understand individuals behavior. 569 00:24:18,875 --> 00:24:20,630 I believe that many people have 570 00:24:20,630 --> 00:24:22,129 a unique first experience with 571 00:24:22,129 --> 00:24:24,289 mental health or health in general. 572 00:24:24,289 --> 00:24:27,170 For me, my mother's anorexia left me with 573 00:24:27,170 --> 00:24:29,704 a jarring recognition that health is 574 00:24:29,704 --> 00:24:32,689 so much more than the physical health of the body. 575 00:24:32,689 --> 00:24:34,205 As a young adolescent, 576 00:24:34,205 --> 00:24:36,079 I was confused and scared to see 577 00:24:36,079 --> 00:24:39,275 a figure of protection and such a vulnerable state. 578 00:24:39,275 --> 00:24:41,360 Now as I enter adulthood, 579 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:42,740 my education has given me 580 00:24:42,740 --> 00:24:45,919 a better lens to understand my mother's experience. 581 00:24:45,919 --> 00:24:47,840 I am aware of the ways in which 582 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:49,399 her mental health was influenced 583 00:24:49,399 --> 00:24:50,840 by external stressors and 584 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,510 a desire for control and how an illness that 585 00:24:53,510 --> 00:24:54,830 began with thought patterns 586 00:24:54,830 --> 00:24:58,020 manifested itself in physical ways. 587 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:02,780 So, and to contrast with the previous example, 588 00:25:02,780 --> 00:25:06,260 we don't get quite the humanity of place or time. 589 00:25:06,260 --> 00:25:08,360 But what I do really like here is 590 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:10,415 that the writer's incorporating 591 00:25:10,415 --> 00:25:13,580 enough but not too much detail that I 592 00:25:13,580 --> 00:25:16,939 can quickly grasp the dynamics of the scene. 593 00:25:16,939 --> 00:25:20,629 And then I'm also oriented in time as this unfolds. 594 00:25:20,629 --> 00:25:21,919 So I know it begins in 595 00:25:21,919 --> 00:25:25,159 2011 that the speaker is in seventh grade, 596 00:25:25,159 --> 00:25:26,809 that the mothers treatment starts in 597 00:25:26,809 --> 00:25:28,865 the months that follow the opening. 598 00:25:28,865 --> 00:25:31,969 And then we then we end up in present day. 599 00:25:31,969 --> 00:25:33,979 So I have a clear timeline that really 600 00:25:33,979 --> 00:25:36,380 helps me understand this structure. 601 00:25:36,380 --> 00:25:38,299 And I also liked that 602 00:25:38,299 --> 00:25:41,464 this narrative really clearly registers 603 00:25:41,464 --> 00:25:44,735 the impact that the events had on the writer 604 00:25:44,735 --> 00:25:49,144 and presents a clear reflection on those events. 605 00:25:49,144 --> 00:25:51,589 So consequently, as reader, 606 00:25:51,589 --> 00:25:53,149 I can see how this person is 607 00:25:53,149 --> 00:25:55,219 starting to develop their motivations. 608 00:25:55,219 --> 00:25:58,009 I can see their intellectual curiosity is they put 609 00:25:58,009 --> 00:25:59,330 these pieces together as 610 00:25:59,330 --> 00:26:02,270 their observations start to consillate. 611 00:26:02,270 --> 00:26:05,885 And I see their impulse to learn more and investigate. 612 00:26:05,885 --> 00:26:07,310 I really see what stuck with 613 00:26:07,310 --> 00:26:09,530 them and how they're thinking and who they 614 00:26:09,530 --> 00:26:13,819 are started to change as a result of the experience. 615 00:26:13,819 --> 00:26:16,055 I think that often really smart to 616 00:26:16,055 --> 00:26:19,010 ground this reflection in the present. 617 00:26:19,010 --> 00:26:22,835 So this is a great example of how an experience from 618 00:26:22,835 --> 00:26:26,599 the not very recent past shaped their identity, 619 00:26:26,599 --> 00:26:29,509 thinking an interest, but didn't lose 620 00:26:29,509 --> 00:26:32,869 sight of the writer's current purpose and future goals. 621 00:26:32,869 --> 00:26:34,879 That can be one of the challenges with going 622 00:26:34,879 --> 00:26:37,399 back far in your life. 623 00:26:37,399 --> 00:26:41,689 You can get too caught up in the distant past at the 624 00:26:41,689 --> 00:26:44,524 expensive talking about your recent work 625 00:26:44,524 --> 00:26:46,565 and your current kind of position. 626 00:26:46,565 --> 00:26:48,110 So I think the writer does a really 627 00:26:48,110 --> 00:26:50,120 good job sticking with 628 00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:54,930 their focus and really using this narrative effectively. 629 00:26:57,220 --> 00:26:59,270 So now that we've seen 630 00:26:59,270 --> 00:27:03,289 two really Example if they have a lot of substance. 631 00:27:03,289 --> 00:27:04,790 One of the things that we 632 00:27:04,790 --> 00:27:06,619 see writers struggle with and that we're going 633 00:27:06,619 --> 00:27:10,130 to look at some examples of next about kind of how to 634 00:27:10,130 --> 00:27:12,484 deal with these issues is 635 00:27:12,484 --> 00:27:14,989 revealing your writing for substance, right? 636 00:27:14,989 --> 00:27:16,550 You want your writing to be 637 00:27:16,550 --> 00:27:19,325 dense and have a lot of substance to it. 638 00:27:19,325 --> 00:27:21,469 If you think about it as either a packing 639 00:27:21,469 --> 00:27:23,300 in as much meaning as possible 640 00:27:23,300 --> 00:27:27,350 into every last sentence or as not wasting words. 641 00:27:27,350 --> 00:27:28,429 There's a lot of different ways 642 00:27:28,429 --> 00:27:29,854 you can kind of frame this. 643 00:27:29,854 --> 00:27:31,489 I always talk about it in terms of 644 00:27:31,489 --> 00:27:33,874 writing with great specificity. 645 00:27:33,874 --> 00:27:37,220 You don't want to waste space of course, 646 00:27:37,220 --> 00:27:38,840 but you also don't want to 647 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,180 like take awhile to get into things. 648 00:27:41,180 --> 00:27:44,285 You have to jump right into the heart of your stories. 649 00:27:44,285 --> 00:27:46,339 And one of the things that I 650 00:27:46,339 --> 00:27:48,739 think happens often when we talk, 651 00:27:48,739 --> 00:27:50,240 conversationally and that kind 652 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:51,920 of makes its way into our writing. 653 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:54,530 What I talk about as fluffy phrases. 654 00:27:54,530 --> 00:27:55,939 So these are phrases that 655 00:27:55,939 --> 00:27:57,379 don't really carry enough meaning. 656 00:27:57,379 --> 00:28:00,799 They don't do any work and often they don't. 657 00:28:00,799 --> 00:28:03,410 They do more telling and not enough showing. 658 00:28:03,410 --> 00:28:06,754 So some examples of these kinds of phrases are, 659 00:28:06,754 --> 00:28:09,650 I'm very passionate about helping people. 660 00:28:09,650 --> 00:28:12,470 I have always wanted to make a difference. 661 00:28:12,470 --> 00:28:14,840 Not until entering Cornell, however, 662 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,269 did I have the opportunity to dedicate myself 663 00:28:17,269 --> 00:28:19,940 fully to refining what my heritage taught me. 664 00:28:19,940 --> 00:28:22,100 That's a particularly empty one it doesn't tell 665 00:28:22,100 --> 00:28:24,484 us anything at all, right? 666 00:28:24,484 --> 00:28:26,255 Just like many of us, 667 00:28:26,255 --> 00:28:29,910 I've been influenced by many teachers in my life. 668 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:39,394 So to transform fluffy sentences like that, to reiterate, 669 00:28:39,394 --> 00:28:41,345 it's really important to show, 670 00:28:41,345 --> 00:28:44,360 to demonstrate and to illustrate what you mean. 671 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:46,205 Rather than just declaring it 672 00:28:46,205 --> 00:28:48,350 or telling it someone you say something like, 673 00:28:48,350 --> 00:28:52,370 I'm very passionate about x. I have always loved X. 674 00:28:52,370 --> 00:28:54,470 The kinds of questions then that you should 675 00:28:54,470 --> 00:28:56,779 pose to yourself are, you know, 676 00:28:56,779 --> 00:28:58,489 what is a kind of moment that's going to 677 00:28:58,489 --> 00:29:01,654 exemplify that passion or what you've loved. 678 00:29:01,654 --> 00:29:04,160 Um, can you demonstrate that passion rather 679 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,055 than just stating that you're passionate about something. 680 00:29:07,055 --> 00:29:09,139 I'm really keeping, again, 681 00:29:09,139 --> 00:29:10,684 that prompt in mind 682 00:29:10,684 --> 00:29:12,815 and what you need to do to address it. 683 00:29:12,815 --> 00:29:16,340 So highlighting a personal value and answering the why. 684 00:29:16,340 --> 00:29:18,049 So what do you think readers need to 685 00:29:18,049 --> 00:29:20,569 understand about you as 686 00:29:20,569 --> 00:29:22,565 you make these kinds of statements 687 00:29:22,565 --> 00:29:25,650 is a really important thing to keep in mind. 688 00:29:26,230 --> 00:29:29,719 So now we have an example of 689 00:29:29,719 --> 00:29:33,529 an experience that demonstrates 690 00:29:33,529 --> 00:29:36,809 a commitment to social justice. 691 00:29:38,350 --> 00:29:40,550 So the example reads, 692 00:29:40,550 --> 00:29:44,300 serving on a social enterprise redesign team for 693 00:29:44,300 --> 00:29:48,110 a student founded student run grocery store on campus 694 00:29:48,110 --> 00:29:51,169 called Anabels grocery led me to question 695 00:29:51,169 --> 00:29:53,284 our cheap food system and how it 696 00:29:53,284 --> 00:29:56,629 interconnects with racial and health disparities. 697 00:29:56,629 --> 00:30:00,200 Anabel's aims to not only provide affordable food to 698 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,300 all students and a campus that 699 00:30:02,300 --> 00:30:04,790 qualifies as an urban food desert. 700 00:30:04,790 --> 00:30:06,530 But to provide students with 701 00:30:06,530 --> 00:30:09,170 the education and food literacy needed to 702 00:30:09,170 --> 00:30:11,359 identify healthy foods and to 703 00:30:11,359 --> 00:30:14,450 understand how to incorporate them into their diet. 704 00:30:14,450 --> 00:30:17,539 Facilitating focus groups with students from 705 00:30:17,539 --> 00:30:19,399 different backgrounds to identify 706 00:30:19,399 --> 00:30:21,680 main concerns surrounding food. 707 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:24,710 Taught me to always ask why when creating 708 00:30:24,710 --> 00:30:27,950 a solution without an inclusive dialogue 709 00:30:27,950 --> 00:30:29,884 with food insecure people, 710 00:30:29,884 --> 00:30:32,960 a solution risks not accurately addressing 711 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:34,399 the underlying systems of 712 00:30:34,399 --> 00:30:36,934 inequality that create a problem. 713 00:30:36,934 --> 00:30:39,590 Working for animals grocery fostered 714 00:30:39,590 --> 00:30:42,935 an interest and how the relationship between race, 715 00:30:42,935 --> 00:30:45,470 class and location and health can 716 00:30:45,470 --> 00:30:48,455 be mediated by access to healthy foods. 717 00:30:48,455 --> 00:30:50,510 While our found fulfillment and being 718 00:30:50,510 --> 00:30:52,685 able to support the store's mission, 719 00:30:52,685 --> 00:30:55,519 I ultimately want to contribute to the health and 720 00:30:55,519 --> 00:30:57,845 well-being of diverse communities 721 00:30:57,845 --> 00:31:00,080 beyond the scope of access to food. 722 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,510 And to make a more significant impact. 723 00:31:02,510 --> 00:31:04,579 Directly connecting with patients 724 00:31:04,579 --> 00:31:07,174 and working to understand more holistically, 725 00:31:07,174 --> 00:31:09,904 circumstances impact their health 726 00:31:09,904 --> 00:31:12,364 and ability to access care. 727 00:31:12,364 --> 00:31:15,049 So this isn't a perfect example. 728 00:31:15,049 --> 00:31:16,250 I actually want to stop and say 729 00:31:16,250 --> 00:31:18,019 none of these are perfect examples. 730 00:31:18,019 --> 00:31:19,475 All of them could be better. 731 00:31:19,475 --> 00:31:22,100 But the reason we picked this one is that they 732 00:31:22,100 --> 00:31:24,830 are taking something that's sort 733 00:31:24,830 --> 00:31:27,560 of not explicitly related to 734 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:31,129 medicine and finding a way to use this experience 735 00:31:31,129 --> 00:31:34,865 to demonstrate a particular value they have 736 00:31:34,865 --> 00:31:35,944 that's going to lead them 737 00:31:35,944 --> 00:31:39,154 into their work as a doctor, right? 738 00:31:39,154 --> 00:31:41,959 So it's not perfect. But what we like about it is 739 00:31:41,959 --> 00:31:45,155 they explain enough for us to follow. 740 00:31:45,155 --> 00:31:46,909 But they also are demonstrating 741 00:31:46,909 --> 00:31:48,799 that investment and social justice. 742 00:31:48,799 --> 00:31:51,484 Wow, instead of saying, 743 00:31:51,484 --> 00:31:55,249 I am committed to social justice as a doctor, right? 744 00:31:55,249 --> 00:31:58,129 That would be the telling version of this story. 745 00:31:58,129 --> 00:32:01,429 But instead they're showing us how the work 746 00:32:01,429 --> 00:32:04,759 they've done contributes to social justice, right? 747 00:32:04,759 --> 00:32:07,249 How they're inactivated value through 748 00:32:07,249 --> 00:32:08,449 the different things they're getting 749 00:32:08,449 --> 00:32:10,160 involved with on campus. 750 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:13,729 And how they could do more work on the backend right? 751 00:32:13,729 --> 00:32:15,920 At the end of this, we'd like to see it. 752 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,714 Talk more about what kind of doctor they want to be, 753 00:32:19,714 --> 00:32:22,369 how this relates, and how 754 00:32:22,369 --> 00:32:25,129 social justice could play a role in their future work. 755 00:32:25,129 --> 00:32:26,659 So it could follow through a 756 00:32:26,659 --> 00:32:29,219 little bit better on the end there. 757 00:32:33,450 --> 00:32:35,979 So just to kind of 758 00:32:35,979 --> 00:32:38,274 solidify everything we've already said, 759 00:32:38,274 --> 00:32:40,570 every story you tell in a personal statement 760 00:32:40,570 --> 00:32:43,179 needs to explain that why you want to go to medicine. 761 00:32:43,179 --> 00:32:46,164 And that can't be vague, 762 00:32:46,164 --> 00:32:48,160 but the story also can't be vague. 763 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,349 So you kinda need both parts. 764 00:32:50,349 --> 00:32:51,864 And as you can see, 765 00:32:51,864 --> 00:32:53,694 all of our stories kind of struggled 766 00:32:53,694 --> 00:32:56,274 even the best ones with that. Why a little bit? 767 00:32:56,274 --> 00:33:00,159 But we have too much shorter examples we want to 768 00:33:00,159 --> 00:33:04,419 quickly talk through that are weaker, 769 00:33:04,419 --> 00:33:05,679 that are much more fluffy. 770 00:33:05,679 --> 00:33:07,389 And that'll give you an example of kind of 771 00:33:07,389 --> 00:33:10,670 how we might address that a little bit better. 772 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:15,209 Okay, so I'm going to read this one. 773 00:33:15,209 --> 00:33:17,359 This is a shorter example. 774 00:33:17,359 --> 00:33:19,639 So the writer says, I do not remember 775 00:33:19,639 --> 00:33:22,219 why I decided I wanted to be a doctor. 776 00:33:22,219 --> 00:33:24,019 And my mother says that I showed 777 00:33:24,019 --> 00:33:26,960 an interest in science as early as preschool. 778 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:28,789 Perhaps this goal was because of 779 00:33:28,789 --> 00:33:30,799 my grandmother who was born in Germany and 780 00:33:30,799 --> 00:33:32,179 raised in the United States and 781 00:33:32,179 --> 00:33:34,309 long to enter the medical field during 782 00:33:34,309 --> 00:33:36,320 a time when there was little encouragement 783 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,539 and support for women to do so. 784 00:33:38,539 --> 00:33:40,609 Maybe my dream was born out of 785 00:33:40,609 --> 00:33:42,620 her wish to have followed hers. 786 00:33:42,620 --> 00:33:45,620 I do not know. However, I do know 787 00:33:45,620 --> 00:33:48,559 that fourth grade was when I decided to become a doctor. 788 00:33:48,559 --> 00:33:51,365 One day I simply began to answer the question, 789 00:33:51,365 --> 00:33:54,125 what do you want to be when you grow up with a decisive, 790 00:33:54,125 --> 00:33:56,369 a cardiac surgeon 791 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,330 In this example. 792 00:33:59,330 --> 00:34:03,034 Strikes me as a bit too fast-paced. 793 00:34:03,034 --> 00:34:06,514 It moves from idea to idea really briskly, 794 00:34:06,514 --> 00:34:09,829 but without lingering to develop them 795 00:34:09,829 --> 00:34:12,470 and get a whole lot of substance 796 00:34:12,470 --> 00:34:15,394 from knowing why they remember. 797 00:34:15,394 --> 00:34:18,109 I'd much rather know what they do, 798 00:34:18,109 --> 00:34:20,059 think, what they do feel. 799 00:34:20,059 --> 00:34:21,680 And so, and a lot of ways 800 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:23,570 this feels that gets all kind of 801 00:34:23,570 --> 00:34:25,670 hook or the writer 802 00:34:25,670 --> 00:34:28,235 warming up to get to their main points. 803 00:34:28,235 --> 00:34:30,200 So the questions that arise for 804 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:32,449 me as far as ways to develop 805 00:34:32,449 --> 00:34:34,940 it would be to think about why 806 00:34:34,940 --> 00:34:37,700 are we starting at this particular point in your life? 807 00:34:37,700 --> 00:34:39,049 Are there other kinds of 808 00:34:39,049 --> 00:34:40,970 related experiences in that vein 809 00:34:40,970 --> 00:34:42,794 that might be more recent, 810 00:34:42,794 --> 00:34:46,109 more pertinent directly answering that. 811 00:34:46,630 --> 00:34:50,420 But ultimately, I think it comes down to the question of, 812 00:34:50,420 --> 00:34:52,835 is this particular example 813 00:34:52,835 --> 00:34:55,099 doing the work that you need it to? 814 00:34:55,099 --> 00:34:57,439 And if the answer is no, 815 00:34:57,439 --> 00:35:00,020 I think the best recommendation here would be to 816 00:35:00,020 --> 00:35:03,095 rethink the story and this opening. 817 00:35:03,095 --> 00:35:05,930 Rather than spend a lot of time trying to get this to 818 00:35:05,930 --> 00:35:07,744 work when it's really not 819 00:35:07,744 --> 00:35:10,909 performing the function that you need it to. 820 00:35:10,909 --> 00:35:13,955 I just want to quickly add to that. 821 00:35:13,955 --> 00:35:18,499 While it's written well in this kind of very vocal style, 822 00:35:18,499 --> 00:35:20,930 and it has this kind of charm to it. 823 00:35:20,930 --> 00:35:23,300 You do not want your answer to be 824 00:35:23,300 --> 00:35:25,714 I do not know why I want to be a doctor. 825 00:35:25,714 --> 00:35:27,319 That never okay. 826 00:35:27,319 --> 00:35:29,150 It's not even OK and a quirky 827 00:35:29,150 --> 00:35:31,459 kind of writerly way, right? 828 00:35:31,459 --> 00:35:34,040 You need a strong answer that 829 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,100 you know in your soul, right? 830 00:35:37,100 --> 00:35:39,484 And you might feel like you don't know right now. 831 00:35:39,484 --> 00:35:40,670 That's why you need to do 832 00:35:40,670 --> 00:35:44,069 the brainstorming work the kind of figuring it out. 833 00:35:49,030 --> 00:35:53,074 Alright, so here's another short example. 834 00:35:53,074 --> 00:35:55,819 Thus, when I began volunteering as 835 00:35:55,819 --> 00:35:57,319 a crisis counselor on 836 00:35:57,319 --> 00:35:59,795 a domestic and sexual violence hotline. 837 00:35:59,795 --> 00:36:01,460 I tried my best to run 838 00:36:01,460 --> 00:36:03,995 the lessons I had learned into my new role. 839 00:36:03,995 --> 00:36:07,640 The first time I received a call from a suicidal client, 840 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:11,059 I reminded myself to take the vulnerability that she was 841 00:36:11,059 --> 00:36:13,099 undoubtedly feeling and derive 842 00:36:13,099 --> 00:36:15,485 from it the words she needed to hear. 843 00:36:15,485 --> 00:36:17,509 I coupled the grounding techniques 844 00:36:17,509 --> 00:36:19,280 I had learned in training with 845 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:21,500 the genuine empathy and concern I felt for 846 00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:24,709 her and hope that I could provide her some relief. 847 00:36:24,709 --> 00:36:27,575 At the end of the call when she thanked me saying, 848 00:36:27,575 --> 00:36:29,315 You are so easy to talk to. 849 00:36:29,315 --> 00:36:31,744 I knew that I had succeeded. 850 00:36:31,744 --> 00:36:34,639 So this is a also very, 851 00:36:34,639 --> 00:36:39,110 very fluffy story but unlike the last one, 852 00:36:39,110 --> 00:36:41,659 the last one we would have said, start over. 853 00:36:41,659 --> 00:36:45,200 And this one we see potential in. 854 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:48,439 So the story itself has a lot of potential. 855 00:36:48,439 --> 00:36:50,479 The idea of being a crisis counselor 856 00:36:50,479 --> 00:36:54,379 on a domestic and sexual violence hotline that is 857 00:36:54,379 --> 00:36:56,360 potentially powerful story that 858 00:36:56,360 --> 00:36:58,039 could influence you into wanting 859 00:36:58,039 --> 00:37:01,910 to go into health care, right? 860 00:37:01,910 --> 00:37:04,939 But it's very, very vague all the way through. 861 00:37:04,939 --> 00:37:06,830 So we would have a lot of questions like, 862 00:37:06,830 --> 00:37:10,550 what specific lessons did you use on this call? 863 00:37:10,550 --> 00:37:13,790 What was said on the call or maybe not what was said, 864 00:37:13,790 --> 00:37:16,549 but can you place us in the moment with more detail? 865 00:37:16,549 --> 00:37:18,709 And I'm thinking back to that earlier example 866 00:37:18,709 --> 00:37:20,719 where we get the little boy and his mother in 867 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:23,090 the doctor's office describing 868 00:37:23,090 --> 00:37:26,104 without getting into kind of personal details, 869 00:37:26,104 --> 00:37:28,850 what was happening on the call, put us there. 870 00:37:28,850 --> 00:37:30,829 Right. And how nervous were you 871 00:37:30,829 --> 00:37:34,085 as somebody on the phone talking? 872 00:37:34,085 --> 00:37:35,734 Right. Put us in your shoes. 873 00:37:35,734 --> 00:37:37,610 What did you say to them? 874 00:37:37,610 --> 00:37:42,770 And then the big one too is what is the punchline here? 875 00:37:42,770 --> 00:37:44,090 What is the so what? 876 00:37:44,090 --> 00:37:46,370 In this one it is a compliment. 877 00:37:46,370 --> 00:37:50,000 You're so easy to talk to. What does that mean? 878 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:51,904 What does that exactly say about you? 879 00:37:51,904 --> 00:37:55,175 Can you name that as a characteristic or a value? 880 00:37:55,175 --> 00:37:58,460 So for me I hear them saying something like 881 00:37:58,460 --> 00:38:02,794 being a doctor is, is about connection. 882 00:38:02,794 --> 00:38:05,990 It's about supporting someone's needs 883 00:38:05,990 --> 00:38:07,774 and really listening, right? 884 00:38:07,774 --> 00:38:10,070 So that's me articulating a value 885 00:38:10,070 --> 00:38:12,755 here or the punchline is a complement. 886 00:38:12,755 --> 00:38:14,869 So that doesn't quite work as well. 887 00:38:14,869 --> 00:38:16,639 And so there needs to be a lot more follow 888 00:38:16,639 --> 00:38:18,560 through around how does this moment 889 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:20,029 relate to why you want to be 890 00:38:20,029 --> 00:38:23,029 a doctor and what it says about who you are. 891 00:38:23,029 --> 00:38:25,130 So you want to kind of be cautious of 892 00:38:25,130 --> 00:38:26,824 stories that just kinda say, 893 00:38:26,824 --> 00:38:28,715 you're so easy to talk to. 894 00:38:28,715 --> 00:38:31,564 Yes, I've succeeded. What is success here? 895 00:38:31,564 --> 00:38:33,424 Explain that, right? 896 00:38:33,424 --> 00:38:35,299 So these are some questions to kinda 897 00:38:35,299 --> 00:38:37,130 help you dig into this. 898 00:38:37,130 --> 00:38:41,209 And you may find maybe you don't have space for this. 899 00:38:41,209 --> 00:38:43,669 So one of the other things that the story is that er, 900 00:38:43,669 --> 00:38:47,014 this short in a personal statement make me wonder is, 901 00:38:47,014 --> 00:38:48,679 what are the two more 902 00:38:48,679 --> 00:38:50,869 significant stories you want to tell, 903 00:38:50,869 --> 00:38:52,100 maybe this is it, 904 00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:55,970 maybe it isn't it by You need the space to 905 00:38:55,970 --> 00:38:57,829 really develop each of 906 00:38:57,829 --> 00:39:01,109 the stories you're going to tell if that makes sense. 907 00:39:02,170 --> 00:39:06,200 So these Past two examples probably could have benefited 908 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:09,649 from a different approach to the writing process. 909 00:39:09,649 --> 00:39:13,115 So to recap on some of our main ideas, 910 00:39:13,115 --> 00:39:15,680 it can be tempting to start right from 911 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,989 the top to want to begin with that opening. 912 00:39:17,989 --> 00:39:21,095 Have words on the page that can be anxiety reducing. 913 00:39:21,095 --> 00:39:23,570 But it's really important to 914 00:39:23,570 --> 00:39:26,915 carefully plan those narrative moments in the statement. 915 00:39:26,915 --> 00:39:28,579 I'm being sure that you have 916 00:39:28,579 --> 00:39:31,655 clear personal values that you want to highlight, 917 00:39:31,655 --> 00:39:35,555 that you have a direct response to the prompt, the why. 918 00:39:35,555 --> 00:39:37,505 And once you've assembled 919 00:39:37,505 --> 00:39:39,934 the substance of this statement, 920 00:39:39,934 --> 00:39:41,915 you don't really need to worry about 921 00:39:41,915 --> 00:39:43,865 having a dramatic hook. 922 00:39:43,865 --> 00:39:47,390 Rather, as we've seen in some of these previous examples. 923 00:39:47,390 --> 00:39:50,990 Going right to placing the readers directly in the scene, 924 00:39:50,990 --> 00:39:53,270 getting directly to the point 925 00:39:53,270 --> 00:39:55,335 and being efficient and economical. 926 00:39:55,335 --> 00:39:57,439 It their language and being 927 00:39:57,439 --> 00:39:59,809 purposeful rather than theatrical, 928 00:39:59,809 --> 00:40:01,789 is going to do you a great service 929 00:40:01,789 --> 00:40:03,440 and is going to effectively 930 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,825 respond to the prompting and 931 00:40:05,825 --> 00:40:08,705 have the statement perform the work that you needed to. 932 00:40:08,705 --> 00:40:10,355 So with that said, 933 00:40:10,355 --> 00:40:12,260 put off grammar and the sort of 934 00:40:12,260 --> 00:40:15,485 finer nitpicky editing until the end. 935 00:40:15,485 --> 00:40:17,539 The most important part here is 936 00:40:17,539 --> 00:40:20,089 having stories that exemplify your 937 00:40:20,089 --> 00:40:22,700 experiences that really illustrate and 938 00:40:22,700 --> 00:40:26,284 demonstrate your motivations and your values. 939 00:40:26,284 --> 00:40:28,399 Those are far, far more important, 940 00:40:28,399 --> 00:40:30,590 and significant then using whom 941 00:40:30,590 --> 00:40:32,195 correctly every single time. 942 00:40:32,195 --> 00:40:35,000 That's something you'd get to write near the deadline. 943 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,700 That's a finer detail that might even resolve 944 00:40:37,700 --> 00:40:42,179 itself as you work with those big picture issues. 945 00:40:42,940 --> 00:40:45,560 So we had originally planned 946 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:47,029 a breakout group activity that 947 00:40:47,029 --> 00:40:48,769 we're not gonna have time to do. 948 00:40:48,769 --> 00:40:50,779 But I do want to mention this activity 949 00:40:50,779 --> 00:40:53,344 because you have this lives there in the chat. 950 00:40:53,344 --> 00:40:56,869 You can reach out to us for them if you don't have them. 951 00:40:56,869 --> 00:40:58,759 But this is an activity you 952 00:40:58,759 --> 00:41:00,500 should do with a friend, right? 953 00:41:00,500 --> 00:41:01,669 You could do it with one friend, 954 00:41:01,669 --> 00:41:02,750 you could do with two friends. 955 00:41:02,750 --> 00:41:05,435 Anybody else who's working on personal statements? 956 00:41:05,435 --> 00:41:08,239 Take turns. You can share writing, 957 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:10,834 but you can also just verbally talk out. 958 00:41:10,834 --> 00:41:15,424 Two example moments are stories with your friends, right? 959 00:41:15,424 --> 00:41:17,810 And that in the writing center in particular, 960 00:41:17,810 --> 00:41:20,254 we believe that the act of kind of talking it 961 00:41:20,254 --> 00:41:23,090 out really gets you further in your thinking. 962 00:41:23,090 --> 00:41:27,395 So writing and talking are both forms of thinking. 963 00:41:27,395 --> 00:41:29,030 So doing this work isn't 964 00:41:29,030 --> 00:41:31,190 just kind of get a little feedback. 965 00:41:31,190 --> 00:41:33,290 It'll help you conceptualize the 966 00:41:33,290 --> 00:41:36,050 why and so what values a little bit better? 967 00:41:36,050 --> 00:41:38,465 So when you share this with your friends, 968 00:41:38,465 --> 00:41:41,014 talk through the values why and so what? 969 00:41:41,014 --> 00:41:43,340 And then as a listener to your friends stories, 970 00:41:43,340 --> 00:41:45,604 consider what makes this meaningful. 971 00:41:45,604 --> 00:41:48,245 What should you kind of dig into as a writer? 972 00:41:48,245 --> 00:41:50,150 What do you want to hear more about? 973 00:41:50,150 --> 00:41:51,950 Usually when we hear a story 974 00:41:51,950 --> 00:41:53,494 is really easy to kind of say, 975 00:41:53,494 --> 00:41:56,150 oh, I need the details on this. 976 00:41:56,150 --> 00:41:58,220 Or, you know, when I first heard 977 00:41:58,220 --> 00:42:00,305 that enables grocery story, 978 00:42:00,305 --> 00:42:01,955 I didn't know about animals. 979 00:42:01,955 --> 00:42:04,249 So I really needed a lot more context from 980 00:42:04,249 --> 00:42:06,740 the writer the first time I heard a story. 981 00:42:06,740 --> 00:42:08,035 But as a listener, 982 00:42:08,035 --> 00:42:09,619 anybody can kind of say, oh, 983 00:42:09,619 --> 00:42:12,019 I don't know about this, right? 984 00:42:12,019 --> 00:42:15,500 This is a great activity to do with your friends. 985 00:42:15,500 --> 00:42:17,990 We are going to take questions, 986 00:42:17,990 --> 00:42:20,659 but I just want to quickly jump ahead and say in 987 00:42:20,659 --> 00:42:23,375 the Writing Center is we're not open right now. 988 00:42:23,375 --> 00:42:25,670 But when we do 989 00:42:25,670 --> 00:42:28,759 open at which it's February 15th this year, 990 00:42:28,759 --> 00:42:30,830 you can always make an appointment with 991 00:42:30,830 --> 00:42:33,275 a tutor to do this work too. 992 00:42:33,275 --> 00:42:36,590 And I also want to say that we do have two tutors 993 00:42:36,590 --> 00:42:39,770 who specialize specifically in applications. 994 00:42:39,770 --> 00:42:42,199 However, all of our tutors are 995 00:42:42,199 --> 00:42:44,090 highly trained and applications on 996 00:42:44,090 --> 00:42:46,595 our excellent readers and listeners. 997 00:42:46,595 --> 00:42:48,170 And know how to ask 998 00:42:48,170 --> 00:42:50,959 these really pointed questions of your stories. 999 00:42:50,959 --> 00:42:53,090 So this is also a great resource 1000 00:42:53,090 --> 00:42:54,695 for you as you're working. 1001 00:42:54,695 --> 00:42:57,560 And in general, whether it's friends, 1002 00:42:57,560 --> 00:43:00,500 family members, or as many tutors as you can. 1003 00:43:00,500 --> 00:43:02,390 You want as many eyes on 1004 00:43:02,390 --> 00:43:04,415 an application statement as possible. 1005 00:43:04,415 --> 00:43:06,890 Because it's the one thing that's really going to exhibit 1006 00:43:06,890 --> 00:43:09,860 a sense of who you are or it's one of the main documents, 1007 00:43:09,860 --> 00:43:11,479 it's going to do that work. 1008 00:43:11,479 --> 00:43:15,035 So the more I see it, the better. 1009 00:43:15,035 --> 00:43:17,209 We will pause right now and I 1010 00:43:17,209 --> 00:43:19,100 don't know if we have a few minutes for questions, 1011 00:43:19,100 --> 00:43:21,304 if you want to ask that in the chat. 1012 00:43:21,304 --> 00:43:23,149 But we would be happy to answer 1013 00:43:23,149 --> 00:43:32,720 any which I may not be able to answer all of them. 1014 00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:36,140 Okay. So Alexis says, 1015 00:43:36,140 --> 00:43:37,519 is the Cornell writing center only 1016 00:43:37,519 --> 00:43:39,439 open and available to current students? 1017 00:43:39,439 --> 00:43:41,389 Is there a way for graduates to get 1018 00:43:41,389 --> 00:43:43,819 a tutor and get help? That's a good question. 1019 00:43:43,819 --> 00:43:45,230 If you email me and if you use 1020 00:43:45,230 --> 00:43:47,345 your core now email address, 1021 00:43:47,345 --> 00:43:49,655 you're more than welcome to use it as 1022 00:43:49,655 --> 00:43:54,140 a Cornell graduate student or graduate alumni. 1023 00:43:54,140 --> 00:43:56,479 I'm happy to, to let alumni use it for 1024 00:43:56,479 --> 00:44:00,949 that purpose. Good question. 1025 00:44:02,070 --> 00:44:05,229 I just got a direct question too which I 1026 00:44:05,229 --> 00:44:07,764 wanted to share that with everyone is a great one. 1027 00:44:07,764 --> 00:44:09,339 They asked, Will this workshop be 1028 00:44:09,339 --> 00:44:11,589 recorded and sent to us? 1029 00:44:11,589 --> 00:44:14,920 And yes, it is mean recorded currently. 1030 00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:17,080 And it will be shared with everyone. 1031 00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:19,299 It's going to be posted in two different places. 1032 00:44:19,299 --> 00:44:20,770 So not only will I let you know 1033 00:44:20,770 --> 00:44:22,570 via email as soon as it's ready. 1034 00:44:22,570 --> 00:44:24,264 We closed caption. 1035 00:44:24,264 --> 00:44:25,840 Every presentation that's done 1036 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:27,129 in Cornell Career Services. 1037 00:44:27,129 --> 00:44:29,319 So once it is ready, 1038 00:44:29,319 --> 00:44:30,789 share that via email, 1039 00:44:30,789 --> 00:44:32,230 it's always going to be house on 1040 00:44:32,230 --> 00:44:34,120 the Cornell Career Services website. 1041 00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:35,680 And it will also be housed them at 1042 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:37,539 Cornell writing center web sites and 1043 00:44:37,539 --> 00:44:40,490 you can find out any of those locations. 1044 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:46,609 Somebody asked, Is there any way to get feedback before 1045 00:44:46,609 --> 00:44:49,685 the HCI EC deadline of 215? 1046 00:44:49,685 --> 00:44:53,075 That's right. When our tutoring starts. 1047 00:44:53,075 --> 00:44:55,009 I don't have tutoring before that. 1048 00:44:55,009 --> 00:44:57,214 I really wish I could, but we just don't. 1049 00:44:57,214 --> 00:44:58,939 So that goes back to my advice about 1050 00:44:58,939 --> 00:45:00,784 finding a group of friends. 1051 00:45:00,784 --> 00:45:03,770 You will have no better resources 1052 00:45:03,770 --> 00:45:06,589 than to find one person who's doing 1053 00:45:06,589 --> 00:45:09,530 this work with you or somebody who's even applying to 1054 00:45:09,530 --> 00:45:11,210 graduate school may be working 1055 00:45:11,210 --> 00:45:13,354 on personal statements that are not medical. 1056 00:45:13,354 --> 00:45:14,870 They can still kinda help with this, 1057 00:45:14,870 --> 00:45:16,250 especially if you prompt them 1058 00:45:16,250 --> 00:45:19,170 about the why part being important. 1059 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:22,699 What are some ways to make 1060 00:45:22,699 --> 00:45:25,250 your essay stand out? That's a good question. 1061 00:45:25,250 --> 00:45:28,309 Emily and Chelsea and Zach, 1062 00:45:28,309 --> 00:45:29,689 and feel free to jump in on this, 1063 00:45:29,689 --> 00:45:33,394 but I want to say that that shouldn't be your concern. 1064 00:45:33,394 --> 00:45:35,809 I think that you get hung up on 1065 00:45:35,809 --> 00:45:37,729 that and they become disingenuous. 1066 00:45:37,729 --> 00:45:40,985 And as somebody who's read a lot of applications, 1067 00:45:40,985 --> 00:45:42,379 the one thing I can see is 1068 00:45:42,379 --> 00:45:44,494 when something's disingenuous, right? 1069 00:45:44,494 --> 00:45:46,670 So I often tell writers, 1070 00:45:46,670 --> 00:45:48,079 I don't want a happy ending. 1071 00:45:48,079 --> 00:45:50,674 I want the real ending of the story, right? 1072 00:45:50,674 --> 00:45:53,780 I can tell if you are trying to create a lesson out of 1073 00:45:53,780 --> 00:45:57,740 something that maybe you don't agree with or believe. 1074 00:45:57,740 --> 00:46:00,439 And so you needed to be 1075 00:46:00,439 --> 00:46:03,110 your stories and don't worry 1076 00:46:03,110 --> 00:46:06,440 about is it going to stand out? 1077 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:09,530 I think that's you have to be genuine. 1078 00:46:09,530 --> 00:46:10,775 And we didn't talk a whole lot 1079 00:46:10,775 --> 00:46:12,440 about this in this presentation, 1080 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:14,599 but that's the key to making the, 1081 00:46:14,599 --> 00:46:18,469 and now all you can be is who you are, right? 1082 00:46:18,469 --> 00:46:20,510 That's the end of the story. 1083 00:46:20,510 --> 00:46:23,435 And don't feel like you're, 1084 00:46:23,435 --> 00:46:26,329 I think people worry that their stories or boring or they 1085 00:46:26,329 --> 00:46:29,345 don't have a lot going on and that's just not true. 1086 00:46:29,345 --> 00:46:31,009 You just have to tell the stories 1087 00:46:31,009 --> 00:46:33,389 that you have access to. 1088 00:46:34,780 --> 00:46:37,370 Any of you have anything to add or 1089 00:46:37,370 --> 00:46:39,515 wanna grab one of the other questions. 1090 00:46:39,515 --> 00:46:42,830 I think you really nailed that, Kate 1091 00:46:42,830 --> 00:46:45,530 So I think part of it is just having confidence in 1092 00:46:45,530 --> 00:46:48,590 the fact that no one has had your life experiences. 1093 00:46:48,590 --> 00:46:51,289 No one has your perspective that what 1094 00:46:51,289 --> 00:46:54,184 you've experienced and what you've thought about it, 1095 00:46:54,184 --> 00:46:56,510 the impacts it's left on you are 1096 00:46:56,510 --> 00:46:59,509 unique inherently by the fact that no one else is you. 1097 00:46:59,509 --> 00:47:02,120 And when you do sound 1098 00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:04,835 the way that you think your reader wants to hear, 1099 00:47:04,835 --> 00:47:07,190 it is really obvious as Kate was saying, it's, 1100 00:47:07,190 --> 00:47:09,620 it's easy to tell when you're adopting 1101 00:47:09,620 --> 00:47:12,920 a voice that's not your own, that's not authentic. 1102 00:47:12,920 --> 00:47:14,929 And so it can be a little intimidating, 1103 00:47:14,929 --> 00:47:16,189 but I feel like having 1104 00:47:16,189 --> 00:47:19,459 confidence in your own experiences and ability to reflect 1105 00:47:19,459 --> 00:47:21,799 on them are a really important way 1106 00:47:21,799 --> 00:47:23,960 of ensuring that your statements 1107 00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:27,020 you need just inherently going to be if you do that. 1108 00:47:27,020 --> 00:47:30,290 I'm going to answer that brainstorming one next. 1109 00:47:30,290 --> 00:47:31,429 Can you elaborate on how to 1110 00:47:31,429 --> 00:47:33,109 brainstorm for our best story? 1111 00:47:33,109 --> 00:47:34,639 Is that exhibit those values? 1112 00:47:34,639 --> 00:47:36,604 Yes, I have a great idea for that. 1113 00:47:36,604 --> 00:47:39,379 Go to the slides and go to those ones. 1114 00:47:39,379 --> 00:47:42,320 Those common types of stories that are in a blue. 1115 00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:44,510 I early on that Zack covered. 1116 00:47:44,510 --> 00:47:46,280 Take those common types of 1117 00:47:46,280 --> 00:47:49,834 stories as a prompt and try to list, 1118 00:47:49,834 --> 00:47:53,299 do I have anything that falls under those? 1119 00:47:53,299 --> 00:47:55,085 So that's one prompt. 1120 00:47:55,085 --> 00:47:58,865 So there's four common types of stories we covered. 1121 00:47:58,865 --> 00:48:00,529 Do I have anything in 1122 00:48:00,529 --> 00:48:03,484 my history with my family or my background 1123 00:48:03,484 --> 00:48:06,260 that has been meaningful and powerful to 1124 00:48:06,260 --> 00:48:09,410 me as I think about being a doctor, right? 1125 00:48:09,410 --> 00:48:13,099 And try to just jot down as many as you can under 1126 00:48:13,099 --> 00:48:14,869 each one of those common types of 1127 00:48:14,869 --> 00:48:17,644 stories and see what kind of emerges. 1128 00:48:17,644 --> 00:48:22,415 Another great brainstorming tip is free write. 1129 00:48:22,415 --> 00:48:24,890 So take a pointed question 1130 00:48:24,890 --> 00:48:27,380 like that question I just articulated. 1131 00:48:27,380 --> 00:48:29,990 Do I have any family experiences 1132 00:48:29,990 --> 00:48:31,879 around medicine that make 1133 00:48:31,879 --> 00:48:33,080 me want to be a doctor or do I have 1134 00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:37,039 any identity or background? 1135 00:48:37,039 --> 00:48:39,439 Things that kind of relate to 1136 00:48:39,439 --> 00:48:41,240 my wanting to pursue this. 1137 00:48:41,240 --> 00:48:44,015 So take a pointed question and then write, 1138 00:48:44,015 --> 00:48:47,854 without care, it is not like draft. It is a free write. 1139 00:48:47,854 --> 00:48:50,000 So you don't check your grammar. 1140 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:52,475 You don't think about how the writing looks. 1141 00:48:52,475 --> 00:48:54,950 It's just to get the idea out and it goes back to 1142 00:48:54,950 --> 00:48:57,560 the idea of writing as a form of thinking. 1143 00:48:57,560 --> 00:48:59,390 So if you are forced to write, 1144 00:48:59,390 --> 00:49:02,285 so in free writing I will often say things like, 1145 00:49:02,285 --> 00:49:04,805 I don't wanna do this, I hate this. 1146 00:49:04,805 --> 00:49:06,169 I guess I have 1147 00:49:06,169 --> 00:49:08,525 this experience from my childhood 1148 00:49:08,525 --> 00:49:09,830 that might be meaningful right now, 1149 00:49:09,830 --> 00:49:10,910 but I don't want to write about 1150 00:49:10,910 --> 00:49:12,245 that because that's about this. 1151 00:49:12,245 --> 00:49:15,109 And, you know, so I kinda go off and ramble and it's 1152 00:49:15,109 --> 00:49:19,639 kind of very conscious stream of thought right? 1153 00:49:19,639 --> 00:49:22,070 But all you have to do 1154 00:49:22,070 --> 00:49:23,899 is potentially get somewhere with it. 1155 00:49:23,899 --> 00:49:26,674 And then it becomes powerful for you. 1156 00:49:26,674 --> 00:49:29,315 And so doing that kind of, 1157 00:49:29,315 --> 00:49:32,960 I often think of it as reflective work can 1158 00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:37,774 really help you to kind of figure stuff out. 1159 00:49:37,774 --> 00:49:40,429 And it's surprising how effective that can be. 1160 00:49:40,429 --> 00:49:42,680 So those are my brainstorming tips. 1161 00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:45,679 Thank you for answering that specific question, Chelsea, 1162 00:49:45,679 --> 00:49:48,980 I didn't know the answer to that. Absolutely I'll just 1163 00:49:48,980 --> 00:49:50,989 elaborate really briefly because I want to make 1164 00:49:50,989 --> 00:49:52,369 sure not everyone is going to see the chat in. 1165 00:49:52,369 --> 00:49:53,374 the recording. 1166 00:49:53,374 --> 00:49:57,935 The question was, what is the space limit really mean? 1167 00:49:57,935 --> 00:49:59,825 That includes spaces for 1168 00:49:59,825 --> 00:50:02,690 the 5300 characters you can write for AMCAS 1169 00:50:02,690 --> 00:50:05,120 It does include spaces, 1170 00:50:05,120 --> 00:50:07,595 absolutely, so factor that in. 1171 00:50:07,595 --> 00:50:09,410 And someone also asked, 1172 00:50:09,410 --> 00:50:10,790 should I keep the statement to 1173 00:50:10,790 --> 00:50:12,680 one page a little shorter than that? 1174 00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:15,740 You certainly do not need to keep that shorter. 1175 00:50:15,740 --> 00:50:18,935 You can use every single character if you want to. 1176 00:50:18,935 --> 00:50:20,915 It's really about telling the story. 1177 00:50:20,915 --> 00:50:22,759 So you are limited by 1178 00:50:22,759 --> 00:50:26,300 5300 for AMCAS in terms of characters. 1179 00:50:26,300 --> 00:50:27,920 But you can use everyone you can 1180 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:29,719 use a little bit less than that. 1181 00:50:29,719 --> 00:50:32,569 That is not as important as the story that you're 1182 00:50:32,569 --> 00:50:33,830 going to tell on the quality of 1183 00:50:33,830 --> 00:50:36,269 your writing and the clarity. 1184 00:50:39,360 --> 00:50:46,070 Any final questions or thoughts from either of you? 1185 00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:56,860 Someone also asked, I'm getting a few direct messages. 1186 00:50:56,860 --> 00:51:00,715 If starting a paragraph requires extra characters, 1187 00:51:00,715 --> 00:51:03,474 I believe it's the same as a space. 1188 00:51:03,474 --> 00:51:06,850 But whatever you see in your like Microsoft Word or 1189 00:51:06,850 --> 00:51:08,439 whatever word processor as 1190 00:51:08,439 --> 00:51:10,900 your characters, including spaces. 1191 00:51:10,900 --> 00:51:13,509 That's going to be the same thing as what AMCAS 1192 00:51:13,509 --> 00:51:16,599 and other primary applications will read. 1193 00:51:16,599 --> 00:51:21,439 Please note that for most of these application services, 1194 00:51:21,439 --> 00:51:24,259 you cannot use italics or any formatting. 1195 00:51:24,259 --> 00:51:25,940 So don't even bother working it 1196 00:51:25,940 --> 00:51:27,919 into your writing because it will not show 1197 00:51:27,919 --> 00:51:29,059 up when you actually enter 1198 00:51:29,059 --> 00:51:31,670 the application so that feeling will be lost. 1199 00:51:31,670 --> 00:51:33,840 Use your words. 1200 00:51:37,270 --> 00:51:40,100 I will just chime into to 1201 00:51:40,100 --> 00:51:41,930 the previous, previous thought. 1202 00:51:41,930 --> 00:51:43,760 That Kate and Zach articulated 1203 00:51:43,760 --> 00:51:45,469 so beautifully about how to stand. 1204 00:51:45,469 --> 00:51:47,959 Wow, I've noticed a lot of people 1205 00:51:47,959 --> 00:51:50,660 struggle with writing about themselves, 1206 00:51:50,660 --> 00:51:52,820 number one, but also feeling like 1207 00:51:52,820 --> 00:51:55,309 they are being embodied in their writing, 1208 00:51:55,309 --> 00:51:57,110 that it really reflects them. 1209 00:51:57,110 --> 00:51:59,674 Sometimes I think it comes down to depth. 1210 00:51:59,674 --> 00:52:01,789 So sometimes telling fewer stories but 1211 00:52:01,789 --> 00:52:03,649 getting more depthful and them is 1212 00:52:03,649 --> 00:52:05,690 powerful because you will 1213 00:52:05,690 --> 00:52:07,969 not tell your whole life story that's impossible. 1214 00:52:07,969 --> 00:52:11,735 And 5300 characters with spaces. That's okay. 1215 00:52:11,735 --> 00:52:14,210 But again, to just kind of get some of those feelings of 1216 00:52:14,210 --> 00:52:16,459 those really key characteristics that you think 1217 00:52:16,459 --> 00:52:19,624 define your candidacy is a really great goal. 1218 00:52:19,624 --> 00:52:21,679 And try to use these stories to 1219 00:52:21,679 --> 00:52:24,035 tell what you want to show them. 1220 00:52:24,035 --> 00:52:26,179 And again, showing rather than telling, 1221 00:52:26,179 --> 00:52:27,260 but you are going to have to 1222 00:52:27,260 --> 00:52:30,289 articulate some of them through those stories. 1223 00:52:30,289 --> 00:52:32,869 I think that the cliche, 1224 00:52:32,869 --> 00:52:35,389 the term cliche, how do I avoid being cliche. 1225 00:52:35,389 --> 00:52:39,424 The key is authenticity and depth as far as I can tell. 1226 00:52:39,424 --> 00:52:41,570 So I am really just echo everything that 1227 00:52:41,570 --> 00:52:44,074 was said there and just add that to this on. 1228 00:52:44,074 --> 00:52:48,635 An example of that is the quote from the mental health one. 1229 00:52:48,635 --> 00:52:50,299 She quotes her dad. 1230 00:52:50,299 --> 00:52:52,999 Her dad didn't say anything in particular, right? 1231 00:52:52,999 --> 00:52:54,604 It's not a memorable quote, 1232 00:52:54,604 --> 00:52:56,885 but it's specific to her experiences. 1233 00:52:56,885 --> 00:53:00,815 And it puts you there in the room with her dad. 1234 00:53:00,815 --> 00:53:03,410 And that's a great example of how it 1235 00:53:03,410 --> 00:53:05,705 doesn't have to be something significant. 1236 00:53:05,705 --> 00:53:07,759 But the details are what create 1237 00:53:07,759 --> 00:53:09,949 the story and what give it depth, 1238 00:53:09,949 --> 00:53:12,200 the specificity of that, right? 1239 00:53:12,200 --> 00:53:15,785 She could've just said my dad looked freaked out, right? 1240 00:53:15,785 --> 00:53:17,840 But she gave us this quote from him. 1241 00:53:17,840 --> 00:53:19,219 And it's not even a great quote, 1242 00:53:19,219 --> 00:53:21,559 but it puts us there in the moment. 1243 00:53:21,559 --> 00:53:23,585 And that's one of those things 1244 00:53:23,585 --> 00:53:28,129 that is powerful and it makes it genuine. 1245 00:53:28,129 --> 00:53:30,289 The other thing I'll say in kind 1246 00:53:30,289 --> 00:53:32,239 of my last thought and I think Zach might have 1247 00:53:32,239 --> 00:53:33,920 more to say about this is 1248 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:36,290 that I'm going back to the brainstorming thing. 1249 00:53:36,290 --> 00:53:40,070 Is that two things that are challenging, 1250 00:53:40,070 --> 00:53:42,290 but it could be starting off for brainstorming is 1251 00:53:42,290 --> 00:53:45,169 just writing about why do I want to be a doctor, right? 1252 00:53:45,169 --> 00:53:47,630 And I know Zach has talked to me about how 1253 00:53:47,630 --> 00:53:50,749 hard it is to answer that question. 1254 00:53:50,749 --> 00:53:53,330 Then the second one is, 1255 00:53:53,330 --> 00:53:55,700 what are the characteristics that I have that I 1256 00:53:55,700 --> 00:53:58,520 think make me want to be a doctor, right? 1257 00:53:58,520 --> 00:54:01,339 So sometimes it's easier to list kind of qualities or 1258 00:54:01,339 --> 00:54:04,774 characteristics or values you might have. 1259 00:54:04,774 --> 00:54:07,639 Like, it's hard for me to do this as a doctor, 1260 00:54:07,639 --> 00:54:10,414 but as a teacher, I might say I'm student-centered. 1261 00:54:10,414 --> 00:54:13,264 I might say, I 1262 00:54:13,264 --> 00:54:15,890 try not to be an authoritarian 1263 00:54:15,890 --> 00:54:17,224 and the class room, right? 1264 00:54:17,224 --> 00:54:18,919 I would have all these kinds of adjectives. 1265 00:54:18,919 --> 00:54:20,270 They are qualities that I 1266 00:54:20,270 --> 00:54:22,579 value as a person, as a teacher. 1267 00:54:22,579 --> 00:54:25,279 So what are those qualities and characteristics that you 1268 00:54:25,279 --> 00:54:29,209 value that are related to the profession? 1269 00:54:29,209 --> 00:54:32,850 So kind of brainstorming around that can help. 1270 00:54:35,610 --> 00:54:38,110 I think absolutely. 1271 00:54:38,110 --> 00:54:39,970 And to echo Chelsea, 1272 00:54:39,970 --> 00:54:42,025 depth is really important. 1273 00:54:42,025 --> 00:54:44,169 I found a good kind of litmus test 1274 00:54:44,169 --> 00:54:47,904 for whether or not you're balancing. 1275 00:54:47,904 --> 00:54:50,199 Talking about broad experiences 1276 00:54:50,199 --> 00:54:52,929 versus having enough depth that they're really memorable. 1277 00:54:52,929 --> 00:54:54,820 Insignificant is to have 1278 00:54:54,820 --> 00:54:57,234 someone who hasn't read your statement before, 1279 00:54:57,234 --> 00:54:59,664 read it, and see if they can then 1280 00:54:59,664 --> 00:55:02,544 list the experiences that you've discussed. 1281 00:55:02,544 --> 00:55:04,029 And if they're struggling to 1282 00:55:04,029 --> 00:55:07,464 remember every single narrative moment, 1283 00:55:07,464 --> 00:55:09,580 there wasn't really enough substance 1284 00:55:09,580 --> 00:55:10,945 there for it to stick, 1285 00:55:10,945 --> 00:55:13,375 for it to be really memorable. 1286 00:55:13,375 --> 00:55:15,369 It wasn't connecting enough to 1287 00:55:15,369 --> 00:55:18,244 the why to the personal value 1288 00:55:18,244 --> 00:55:21,780 for it to be doing the work that it really needed. 1289 00:55:24,340 --> 00:55:26,840 And I know that's all I have, but Chelsea, 1290 00:55:26,840 --> 00:55:28,024 I didn't know if you wanted to 1291 00:55:28,024 --> 00:55:31,760 promo here. Yeah, absolutely. 1292 00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:33,890 Way since everyone have the slides knows that 1293 00:55:33,890 --> 00:55:35,179 that whole careers advisor is 1294 00:55:35,179 --> 00:55:37,460 hyperlinked and they also threw that into the chat. 1295 00:55:37,460 --> 00:55:40,280 So if, if folks have questions less 1296 00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:43,504 about the specific writing and more just content, 1297 00:55:43,504 --> 00:55:45,499 and I've received a couple of direct messages. 1298 00:55:45,499 --> 00:55:47,299 Can I talk about x or y 1299 00:55:47,299 --> 00:55:49,280 and a personal statement, that sort of thing. 1300 00:55:49,280 --> 00:55:52,099 You really want to get the health professional side 1301 00:55:52,099 --> 00:55:53,540 of things. Please do. 1302 00:55:53,540 --> 00:55:55,550 Feel free to reach out to me or 1303 00:55:55,550 --> 00:55:58,790 another health careers advisor in your college are major. 1304 00:55:58,790 --> 00:56:00,379 And we're happy to help 1305 00:56:00,379 --> 00:56:02,465 with that or application-specific. 1306 00:56:02,465 --> 00:56:04,969 There's details like whether spaces are included. 1307 00:56:04,969 --> 00:56:06,829 We can use a little help with that. 1308 00:56:06,829 --> 00:56:08,539 So depending on your questions, 1309 00:56:08,539 --> 00:56:09,949 your set up an appointment with 1310 00:56:09,949 --> 00:56:12,964 a writing tutor or talk with the health careers advisor. 1311 00:56:12,964 --> 00:56:15,290 And please note that I do 1312 00:56:15,290 --> 00:56:16,849 maintain a listserv two 1313 00:56:16,849 --> 00:56:18,604 different listservs if you're a student, 1314 00:56:18,604 --> 00:56:21,019 handshake, health careers notifications, 1315 00:56:21,019 --> 00:56:24,200 and if you're an alum, the alumni pre health listserv. 1316 00:56:24,200 --> 00:56:27,350 And we'll email lots of different resources around 1317 00:56:27,350 --> 00:56:29,539 applying to health professional programs 1318 00:56:29,539 --> 00:56:31,400 this year in coming years. 1319 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:33,110 If you're not already on those, 1320 00:56:33,110 --> 00:56:36,119 please make sure that you subscribe. 1321 00:56:39,070 --> 00:56:41,360 That's all I have. 1322 00:56:41,360 --> 00:56:45,230 I just want to really thank both Zach and Kate for 1323 00:56:45,230 --> 00:56:47,779 this wonderful presentation and all of you for 1324 00:56:47,779 --> 00:56:51,409 attending and your wonderful questions in the chat. 1325 00:56:51,409 --> 00:56:54,124 I hope this has been helpful and 1326 00:56:54,124 --> 00:56:57,020 please do feel free to ask us questions. 1327 00:56:57,020 --> 00:57:00,139 Yeah thank you everybody for attending 1328 00:57:00,139 --> 00:57:02,430 this was fun.