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Tips for Writing a Great Post-Bacc Application Essay
Articles
June 28, 2019
Ready to apply to a post-bacc program? You may be anxious about the essay (or “personal statement”) aspect of the application, and that’s fine—it’s common for people to feel anxious when asked to write about themselves. It’s even more common to feel anxious when something as important as your chances at a future medical career could be riding on how well you perform.
Understanding
what that information is and how to present it can help you nail your
personal statement.
Explain Your Motivation for Pursuing a Medical
Career
Taking on a
post-bacc is an investment in your medical career, but don’t forget
that post-bacc programs are investing in you, too. Post-bacc programs
are resource-intensive and have limited spots. The admissions
committees aim to identify students who are most likely to succeed
both at the post-bacc program and beyond.
In your essay, take the time to explain when, how and why you became
motivated to become a doctor (or whatever your desired profession may
be). Was a relative or friend a medical professional? Were you or a
relative treated for a serious condition or injury by a doctor who
changed your life? Did you find yourself working in a
healthcare-related job and becoming absorbed in the details of the
doctors’ jobs? However it got started, describe for the committee
what your motivation is (pro tip: leave out your obsession with
Grey’s Anatomy and E.R.)
Explain Why You Think You’d Be a Great Doctor
Motivation is the
spark for a career in healthcare. Describe personal qualities of
yours that you think would help you be a great doctor. These may
include:
- Analytical
and problem-solving skills
- An ability
to stay calm and critically think under pressure
- Stamina—the
ability to keep going even after long, intensive hours
- An ability
to relate to many different types of people—especially those who
are in distress or confrontational
- An ability
to work within teams of professionals
- Good
listening and communication skills
- Curiosity
about other cultures and different patient needs
When listing your
personality traits, try to give a specific example of a time you put
them into action.
Explain What You’ve Done So Far on Your Quest
to Become a Doctor
Another way to
show post-bacc programs you are serious about becoming a doctor is to
explain what you’ve already achieved on your journey. Talk about
the pre-med courses you loved. Describe any medical shadowing or
volunteering you’ve done. Talk about any pre-med student groups you
participated in, conferences you attended, books you’ve read or
publications you follow—anything that shows drive and passion for
the profession.
Describe Specific Aspects of the Post-Bacc That
Support Your Goals
You’re applying
to a post-bacc because you need additional preparation before you
apply to medical school. Make sure you explain what it is about this
specific post-bacc that addresses your needs. If you weren’t
pre-med as an undergrad and the program is aimed at career changers,
mention that and explain why the program appeals to you. If you were
pre-med and have specific areas of weakness, discuss how the
post-bacc you’re applying to addresses those. Does it offer
research experience you don’t have? Does it focus on boosting an
applicant’s science GPA?
You may also be
interested in a specific medical school linkage program offered by
the post-bacc you’re applying to. If so, make sure you understand
the terms of this linkage and can explain why you think it would be a
good fit for you.
Show That You Take the Post-Bacc Seriously
Even if you are
pursuing a post-bacc to boost your GPA, it’s important to remember
that they aren’t remedial programs. They’re competitive,
intensive academic programs designed to better prepare you for
medical school. Post-bacc admissions committees will want to see that
you consider gaining admission to their program just as important as
gaining admission to medical school.
Nail the Basics
One way to show
that you take the post-bacc seriously is to take writing the essay
seriously. Make sure you address everything the post-bacc admissions
committee asks for in their essay prompt and stick to their suggested
word or page count.
Also take time to
follow a few guidelines for clear, compelling writing. These include:
- Getting rid
of passive voice (for example, writing “I enjoyed volunteering
with veterans most,” instead of “Volunteering with veterans was
most enjoyable.”)
- Using
correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Your word processor’s
spelling and grammar checkers won’t catch everything. Invest in
membership to one of the major style guides (AP Stylebook, Chicago
Manual of Style, APA Style Guide) and check your work against it.
- Cutting out
“fluff” words such as “very”, “really”, “quite” and
most adverbs ending in -ly.
Most importantly,
don’t leave writing your essay until the last minute! You’ll want
to spend at least a weekend writing your essay. Leaving a few hours
between the first draft and your next edit can help you return to the
writing fresh. Leaving enough time for at least three edits gives you
time to polish your essay and make it shine.
Polishing Your Essay Off
To finish off
editing your essay, there are two final steps you should consider:
Send it to a friend. Ask one of your friends who’s a strong writer to look over your essay. Research shows that it’s difficult for people to proofread their own writing. Having a second set of eyes on your essay means someone else will spot your typo before the admissions committee does.
Read it out
loud. Reading your essay out loud is a great way to check your
writing. When reading, it’s common to come across words which
repeat too often and jargon words. A strong essay read aloud should
sound like natural, if polished and prepared, speech. If you finish
your read-through thinking, “I’d accept this candidate,” you’re
on the right track. Good luck!
Ready to apply to a post-bacc program? You may be anxious about the essay (or “personal statement”) aspect of the application, and that’s fine—it’s common for people to feel anxious when asked to write about themselves. It’s even more common to feel anxious when something as important as your chances at a future medical career could be riding on how well you perform.
Understanding what that information is and how to present it can help you nail your personal statement.
Explain Your Motivation for Pursuing a Medical Career
Taking on a post-bacc is an investment in your medical career, but don’t forget that post-bacc programs are investing in you, too. Post-bacc programs are resource-intensive and have limited spots. The admissions committees aim to identify students who are most likely to succeed both at the post-bacc program and beyond.
In your essay, take the time to explain when, how and why you became motivated to become a doctor (or whatever your desired profession may be). Was a relative or friend a medical professional? Were you or a relative treated for a serious condition or injury by a doctor who changed your life? Did you find yourself working in a healthcare-related job and becoming absorbed in the details of the doctors’ jobs? However it got started, describe for the committee what your motivation is (pro tip: leave out your obsession with Grey’s Anatomy and E.R.)
Explain Why You Think You’d Be a Great Doctor
Motivation is the spark for a career in healthcare. Describe personal qualities of yours that you think would help you be a great doctor. These may include:
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- An ability to stay calm and critically think under pressure
- Stamina—the ability to keep going even after long, intensive hours
- An ability to relate to many different types of people—especially those who are in distress or confrontational
- An ability to work within teams of professionals
- Good listening and communication skills
- Curiosity about other cultures and different patient needs
When listing your personality traits, try to give a specific example of a time you put them into action.
Explain What You’ve Done So Far on Your Quest to Become a Doctor
Another way to show post-bacc programs you are serious about becoming a doctor is to explain what you’ve already achieved on your journey. Talk about the pre-med courses you loved. Describe any medical shadowing or volunteering you’ve done. Talk about any pre-med student groups you participated in, conferences you attended, books you’ve read or publications you follow—anything that shows drive and passion for the profession.
Describe Specific Aspects of the Post-Bacc That Support Your Goals
You’re applying to a post-bacc because you need additional preparation before you apply to medical school. Make sure you explain what it is about this specific post-bacc that addresses your needs. If you weren’t pre-med as an undergrad and the program is aimed at career changers, mention that and explain why the program appeals to you. If you were pre-med and have specific areas of weakness, discuss how the post-bacc you’re applying to addresses those. Does it offer research experience you don’t have? Does it focus on boosting an applicant’s science GPA?
You may also be interested in a specific medical school linkage program offered by the post-bacc you’re applying to. If so, make sure you understand the terms of this linkage and can explain why you think it would be a good fit for you.
Show That You Take the Post-Bacc Seriously
Even if you are pursuing a post-bacc to boost your GPA, it’s important to remember that they aren’t remedial programs. They’re competitive, intensive academic programs designed to better prepare you for medical school. Post-bacc admissions committees will want to see that you consider gaining admission to their program just as important as gaining admission to medical school.
Nail the Basics
One way to show that you take the post-bacc seriously is to take writing the essay seriously. Make sure you address everything the post-bacc admissions committee asks for in their essay prompt and stick to their suggested word or page count.
Also take time to follow a few guidelines for clear, compelling writing. These include:
- Getting rid of passive voice (for example, writing “I enjoyed volunteering with veterans most,” instead of “Volunteering with veterans was most enjoyable.”)
- Using correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Your word processor’s spelling and grammar checkers won’t catch everything. Invest in membership to one of the major style guides (AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style, APA Style Guide) and check your work against it.
- Cutting out “fluff” words such as “very”, “really”, “quite” and most adverbs ending in -ly.
Most importantly, don’t leave writing your essay until the last minute! You’ll want to spend at least a weekend writing your essay. Leaving a few hours between the first draft and your next edit can help you return to the writing fresh. Leaving enough time for at least three edits gives you time to polish your essay and make it shine.
Polishing Your Essay Off
To finish off editing your essay, there are two final steps you should consider:
Send it to a friend. Ask one of your friends who’s a strong writer to look over your essay. Research shows that it’s difficult for people to proofread their own writing. Having a second set of eyes on your essay means someone else will spot your typo before the admissions committee does.
Read it out loud. Reading your essay out loud is a great way to check your writing. When reading, it’s common to come across words which repeat too often and jargon words. A strong essay read aloud should sound like natural, if polished and prepared, speech. If you finish your read-through thinking, “I’d accept this candidate,” you’re on the right track. Good luck!