Personal Statement Writer's block

It has been about a week since I started attempting to write my personal statement for medicine and it always ends the same way I write about a paragraph, realise I hate it and start over. Any tips to get over this thanks.

Reply 1

ValerieKR

Original post by Boredomstrikes

Work out a paragraph structure - things you've done that you want to put in there - assigning each paragraph to one/some of those points and then take it paragraph by paragraph.

Reply 2

studentsixth

Original post by Boredomstrikes

I would say that you just need to keep trying. Eventually as you keep writing you'll end up writing something that you really like.

Reply 3

JayAhm

On a separate paper, list the things you want to include in the PS.

Then under each one, list the things you got out of these things. How they helped you. Qualities you got from them to help you at/with uni/medschool/medicine.

Then try to incorporate all those things into a flowing coherent PS. You can merge the qualities and experiences. Don't just transfer the list into your PS.

Take breaks in between writing. Go for a run. Clear your head. Go for another run and talk through what you want to put in your PS in your head.

It'll all come together. Just don't be so tunnel vision and get stressed. You've got plenty of time to write it and tweak it. Keep working on it. Don't expect to have it written within a week and when you don't, stress over getting writers block. It takes time but it will come together!

Reply 4

username2176541

Original post by Boredomstrikes

Don't start over just try and improve the paragraph till you like; it if it's a really bad paragraph then start over

Reply 5

dairychocolate

Use the medicine PSs that other people have posted on this site (google 'medicine ps tsr') for inspiration. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited but it can be helpful to see what other people have included in their PS and how they've structured things. Don't be put off by how good some of the PSs are; not every med applicant has been to Africa to help starving children or represented the country in sports competitions.

Also, unless you're applying to a PS-heavy medical school, I wouldn't obsess over it too much.

Reply 6

Boredomstrikes

Posted from TSR Mobile

Tried that it didn't particularly help much

Reply 7

Boredomstrikes

Original post by studentsixth

I would say that you just need to keep trying. Eventually as you keep writing you'll end up writing something that you really like.

Posted from TSR Mobile

It's so frustrating because it starts off ok and then becomes a big incoherent mess

Reply 8

Boredomstrikes

Original post by JayAhm

My school is annoying and has a deadline for personal statements at least a draft to be written sometime in September

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Reply 9

Boredomstrikes

Original post by dairychocolate

Keele my preferred choice is PS heavy

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Reply 10

Marked Target

1.What books have you read (not generally i mean medicine/academic books).

2.What relevant work have you done?

3.Why do you want to do medicine?

If the answer to 1.&2. is none then my advice is go read a book. From what I've gathered a lot of unis like medicine applicants to have done some volunteering or something to illustrate vocation (which i find ironic because people with no vocation still do it).

If the answer to 3. is "money" or "my parents say I will be a doctor" then I'm not sure you actually should do medicine but I suppose its easy enough to lie for this part. Still, if you have interviews (which are common for medicine) then its better not to lie.

Reply 11

TheyCallMePolish

Set out a paragraph structure plan. Bulletpoints things you think are relevant to the statement. Write out an initial draft without paying attention to word count. Cut down from there.

Reply 12

Boredomstrikes

Original post by Marked Target

1) Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks (I'm very interested in Neurology and Psychiatry really anything to do with the brain medically)

Trust Me I'm a Junior Doctor by Max Pemberton

2) 1 week shadowing GP
Spent summer volunteering at a holiday play scheme for children with autism
By the time of interviews I would have been a family support worker for families of autistic children for a couple of months
Volunteering at school senior citizens program where we regularly visited them at nursing homes

3) I can't pinpoint just one reason

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(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 13

Marked Target

Original post by Boredomstrikes

1) Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks

Ok, i haven't heard of it but there was like a 99% chance i wouldn't have.

What is it about? What about it grabbed you? How does it relate to the degree and why does this feed into your interest for medicine. Explain what fascinates you about medicine and how this book brought something new to your eye.

This is what I did for my PS (part of it at least) and i got offers from everywhere. If you've gone out of your way to read a book then it shows interest in the subject. Be prepared to have to speak about it in an interview, however.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 14

Boredomstrikes

Original post by Marked Target

My stupid phone glitched and pressed enter before I could finish typing now my reply shows everything I've done in response to the questions
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Reply 15

Marked Target

Ok, you're interested in psychiatry and stuff which is good (you have something, you'd be amazed how many people have nothing).

You should (imo) put something about one of the books which really grabbed you and you found astonishing. Something you want to know more about (the brain and stuff is good for this). Having worked with autistic children you can talk about that and how seeing people with a mental condition who don't think like everyone else (don't mean to offend if i do but, you know, it is true) is something you want to understand. Which I think works well as a vocation

I think this would be a good talking point since you've said you are interested in it and have proof since you've followed that up. You could mention working in an old people's home if you think you have enough to talk about regarding it. Talking about people mentally deteriorating and wanting to help or something could work.

Idk what you did when you shadowed a GP (I've never visited my GP so I honestly have 0 idea what they do) but its worth throwing in there. It is something which will very be relevant even if there isn't much to say about it.

Now, I'd probably try and be more tactful and well written than I have here. However, I think you've got a lot to work with. My advice when it comes to writing it is to dive straight into the meat of your PS almost immediately. Start with a brief comment about medicine (say its unique or something idk) and then dive straight into the book. You can easily steer that into you volunteering.

Alternatively, you could open with your vocation but I think this often sounds forced. I think it'd be better left until later once you've gotten the reader onto your side.

Oh, you should take all of this with a grain of salt btw. I don't work in admissions and just because i got offers doesn't mean I'm good at this. (Heck, I'm a STEM student).