The message that Medical School Loans
wants to communicate is clear: it is a blog about medical school student loans. One glance at the home page is enough to give you an idea that the blog is all about medical loans and other medical school financial issues. This site is clearly intended for med school students. The blog aims to provide useful information about loan options to help med students overcome school financing problems.
What are the good points?
The good thing about the blog is that its entries are not only limited to loans. It also includes news and updates on education. There is an entry, for instance, about the visit made by the US Secretary of Education to Alaska for NCLB updates. Another thing I like about it is the variety of the entries. It is not like those other blogs that seem to repeat the same information. In Medical School Loans, no two entries seem to be alike.
What needs to be improved?
One of the things I don’t really like about the blog is the design. I understand that a site about loans needs to be simple as to appear professional-looking, but I find this one very lacking when it comes to design. Another weak point is the very small font size. This factor could mean a great deal. There are readers who easily lose interest reading the rest of the entries when they see that the text is quite hard to read. Because of these factors, the blog gives an impression of monotony. An emphasis should also be given to the reasons why one should visit Medical School Loans. I think this part should be made more attention-grabbing, design-wise.
Overall, the entries are good. The focus of improvement should be directed toward the design of the blog.
Information blast — this was the very phrase that came into my mind the moment I opened the SF Medical School Life Examiner main page. It seemed like some sort of a web portal leading to many different kinds of information and web content such as videos, news articles and commentaries, personality tests and assessments, book reviews, medical students, information on infectious diseases, entries on the health care system, and many others. I would dare say it is intended for and highly helpful not only to medical students, but also to other medical practitioners, researchers, interested readers, and other members of the medical education community.
What’s to like about Examiner
What?s special about this blog is that it includes many different types of content and information with different angles under an umbrella topic: Medicine. The author includes her political views, as well as her opinion on current issues in relation to health and medicine. I particularly liked her entry on the raids to pharmacies regarding the issue of Michael Jackson?s death, where she said that the raids are “justified” but “worrisome.” Besides the articles on current issues, there are also information and content helpful to medical students and other interested audience such as personality assessment tests and results. At the top of each article, there are buttons for fast and easy printing, comments, sending through electronic mail, and subscription. Beside the array of entries is a side bar containing links to contents arranged according to categories. At the top are tabs for easy navigation.
Areas for improvement
With the layout of the main page, however, the blog has the tendency to look cluttered. I must admit getting a little disoriented for a couple of seconds before being able to find the articles that I wanted to review and look at. For a while, I didn?t know how and where to start. The lead in paragraphs for the array of entries are a little too short and the division of the page into three columns didn?t work quite well, with the “main content” on the left column.
In the Study: Life in Medical School is a comprehensive personal blog of a University of Tennessee College of Medicine student?and a U.S. Navy scholar at that. It seems that the blog is basically for his friends and for other people who might be interested in how a medical student?s life works: the day-to-day tasks, occasional dilemmas, bizarre and interesting experiences, and many others.
Etmeek’s good points
The main page of the blog shows an array of paragraphs and links to his latest blog entries. On the side are links to other pages and other navigation options. Overall, the blog is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
The content of the blog is basically personal, but not really private. The author?s use of first person perspective, simple and conversational language, and light writing style give the articles an interesting twist that would encourage one to read, and to keep on reading. It?s like reading one?s journal and sharing in a medical student?s thoughts. I particularly became interested in an entry about his Ob/Gyn
exercises, where he shared how he never actually thought he could do Ob/Gyn until that day he tried.
Among the links you’ll find on the blog?s main page, you can find links to other pages containing other information you might be interested in, such as some trivia about the author. You can also check out the archive for his past entries, which date back to 2005. He?s got entries on various topics besides school experiences such as adventure, life, science, humor, sermon notes (being a proud follower of Christ, as he stated on his About Me page), quotes, and useless facts, among others. He also provided links to his friends, the church he?s involved in, his school, and other things that matter to him. Some entries include photos to make them more interesting.
Etmeek’s weak points
Making use of more videos, photos, and media files would spice up the blog more. It would also do with more interesting trivia and stories that could inspire other medical students or aspiring medical students.
To end up with a competitive application, it takes a lot of revisions on your first draft. It takes more than 10 drafting and re-drafting to get the competitive edge in your personal statement. It is also advisable to have professional advisers or experts to read your work and ask them to pose questions about your personal statement. This will help you to think further and add more content to your work. This is a very helpful tip if you want to be confident that your work is proofread.
Look for grammatical flaws
Before thinking of passing your primary application, the most important thing you should never take for granted is the grammatical errors you might have committed. It is very common to see grammatical errors in essays, which have not been revised thoroughly. This could give the admissions officers a bad impression about you. They might think you?re not really interested in becoming a doctor. It is a very small error that applicants take for granted. But this small error could cost them their admission.
Check if each sentence is clear
Read and re-read your sentences. Make sure that they convey your point and that they are simple enough to be understood by a lay person. Don?t make a sentence too long. It will be confusing to the reader. Ask one of your friends to read it for you and see if he or she understands your point in every sentence. Organize the sentences so they show an organized timeline of events. This will prevent your personal statement from becoming a big jigsaw puzzle.
Make sure that all ideas are cohesive
The final thing to check is if all the ideas are telling the admissions committee one thing. It will be a mess even if your essay is grammatically incorrect or if the sentences cannot be understood easily. It all comes down to the essay as a whole. Ask yourself this: Did my essay convey the same message all throughout? It will make a great difference if the admissions committee sees nothing wrong with the grammar–all sentences are clear and concise and they all say the same thing to them. If you find there are discrepancies or irrelevant ideas, don?t be afraid to revise your quotations, words, sentences, paragraphs, or even rewrite the whole essay. Take your time and be determined to give them a perfect essay.
Related links:
Medical School Application ? Using a personal approach for med school admission essays
Personal Statement Guide ? Tips on writing a personal statement
Journalism experience – Using your journalism experience as an edge in writing personal statements
Specialization in Medicine – why discussing specializations in admission essays are important
Foreign Med Students – Guide for foreign students in applying to US med schools
It is very important to make a draft when writing your medical school essay. You can?t just pass an essay the first time you wrote it. It takes more than that. To ensure a perfect and complete medical school essay you must be vigilant in drafting and redrafting your work. It only takes one error for your essay to be rejected. Most common errors to look out for when drafting are grammatical errors. That?s why a lot of revisions are necessary for you to make a perfect essay, one that will get you admitted into the school you?re applying to.
Make sure you answer the question
After all the drafting and re-drafting you?ve done, you must be confident and sure that you have a complete essay. Mistakes could still be committed so always put in mind the topic of the essay, the question the school has thrown at you. Read your personal statement thoroughly and ensure that you have made your point regarding the question at hand. Only answer the question asked from you and don?t make your essay longer or fancier by adding other details. This will just confuse your reader and could give your essay a chance for rejection.
Make sure you stay focused on the topic
The essay should always be in line with the topic. You don?t start your essay with your work experiences, and in the middle or in the end you write about how you wanted to be a doctor. Stay focused on the topic. Write an outline to be organized and make sure your outline also goes with the chosen topic.
Make sure that essay is unique and compelling
The most important thing to remember is to make a unique essay. Admissions officers will get bored and may reject your work if they find a similarity in your work with the other essays or from past applicants’. Make sure you get their interests right from the start with personal experiences. Get their minds set to your work by sharing your best career experiences. Give them one story they haven?t heard or will not hear from other applicants. Always stay true, and your essay?s uniqueness will follow.
Related links:
Journalism experience – Using your journalism experience as an edge in writing personal statements
Specialization in Medicine – why discussing specializations in admission essays are important
Anecdotes in essays ? Using anecdotes in personal statements
Medical School Application ? Using a personal approach for med school admission essays
Personal Statement Guide ? Tips on writing a personal statement
Secondary application
is also a requirement for admission into med school. Just like a personal statement, it must be formal and very informative about yourself. It should bring out your true color and help the admissions committee decipher you more. After your secondary application is completed, the admissions committee should see you now as a whole person, complete from head to toe, inside and out. After all, your primary requirements have been sent. It all depends on the school you?re applying to on how they process secondary applications.
Learn more about the school and its program
It is always a good practice to know the background of the schools you?re applying to. Almost all medical schools right now have a school website, which caters to what a student needs to know about their school. But all of it can?t be found there, you need to be more aggressive about information collection. You can go personally to that school and inquire or even ask the students themselves. Read from past news and articles about the school. You can use this information as an edge later on when interviews come or when you are asked why you chose their school.
Know what they’re looking for in their students
You should be aware of what the school looks for in their students. Make sure you?ve done enough research even before applying to any school. Look at past questions and interview recent students on what kind of students the school is looking for. Read the school?s mission and vision statements. This is where the school bases their programs and the kinds of students they admit.
Tell them how you fit into the school
Making a great impression is a must, but you must also ensure that the impression you make fits the profile they are looking for in a student. After all, you?ve researched about the school, so you should know by now how well you fit in their program. Show them how your traits and character fit their programs by citing examples of what you?ve done to care for others or prepare for a medical career. Be sure to be honest at all times, and don?t just fit your self in because you need to. Stand out from the other applicants, but fit in with their programs.
Related links:
Personal Statement Tips ? Tips on writing a med school personal statement
Foreign Med Students – Guide for foreign students in applying to US med schools
Specialization in Medicine – Discussions on why specializations in admission essays are important
Med School Preparation – Reflecting in preparation for med school
Secondary Applications ? Tips in writing secondary applications for med school
As the title suggests, College Online Guide is a site that aims to provide useful information for college students. The blog provides tips, opinions, and news about topics related to college. These include relevant and highly useful info on college life, sports, college loans, and updates on the education system.
The blog’s strong points
The choice for the title is good. The readers would have an idea what the site is all about with those three short words. One glance at the title and the readers would get an idea what to expect from the site. There is also a section for videos and news on the site. I really like this one, and I guess the audience find this part interesting as well. Another thing I like about it is its user-friendly interface. Although the options are not that many, I give the blog credit for the visibility and clarity of the options. One wouldn’t find it difficult to explore the site.
The areas that need to be improved
The site is professional-looking with its blue-grey and orange combination. But it isn’t very attractive. The design is a bit boring. Another area that needs improvement is the content. Some entries have problems with clarity. Some sentences are not constructed well that their meaning becomes a bit obscure. Typo errors also affect the clarity of the entries. In the article Tips for getting Through a Medical School Interview, for instance, the first sentence is not clear. I also find the sentences very long. I think writers for this blog have to invest on brevity. Remember that content is what every blog is all about. The blog’s credibility as a site dedicated to college issues rest upon the content. So people behind this blog really have to work on improving the structure of the articles. The writers also have to be careful in their choice of words.
There are a lot of med schools out there, but you can only choose one that best fits your interests. If you have chosen one, then it?s time to put all your efforts into getting admitted into that institution. The first thing to do is to complete your requirements. One of these requirements would include a personal statement. This can be the biggest chance you have in entering your chosen med school. This is your chance to show them how good of a physician you can be if you get admitted into their program. You should also consider scholarships and financial aids to support your education.
Say how you can be a good physician
You can have the highest MCAT out there, but you still need to prove to them how you can put that high MCAT to use by being a good physician. You can always count on your experiences to help you show the admissions committee how you can be a good doctor. You can?t tell them all your experiences though, you have to write down just relevant experiences. Choose from them the best that can describe you most and start putting down the details. The experience should show how dedicated you are to your profession. It can be your volunteer work or missions and how much you?ve sacrificed for the sake of helping others.
Explain why you want to be a doctor
This is the easiest part for you if being a doctor is what you want by heart. Just be straight to the point why you want to be one. Tell them a story that supports those reasons and all the “WHYs.” It could be humanitarian, a sick member of the family, the science involved in it, or it could be the love of your life. Don?t be too personal about your reason, just stick to the topic. You should be sincere about your reasons. Don?t just write some melodramatic story just to get their pity. You should be honest at all times and always make a point for saying such things. Discrepancies in your story can make the admissions committee doubt your credibility.
Share what you love to do and why
Be discrete and selective about the things you can share to your readers. There are lot of things you love to do that you?d love to share but it?s all about what you want them to know about you. Choose those that are related to your profession or specialty. Show them things that make you happy and whole. For instance, tell them doing volunteer work and how it makes you happy and fulfilled with your life.
Related links:
Specialization in Medicine – Discussion on why specializations in admission essays are important
Anecdotes in Essays – Using anecdotes in personal statements
Med School Essay – Tips on writing a med school personal statement
Medical School Application – Using a personal approach for med school admission essays
Admission Criteria ? How consultancy agencies can help in med school admission essays
Discussing Your Preferred Specialty in Your Personal Statement for Medical School
Discussing your preferred specialty in your personal statement for medical school is one way to get that application in the bag. A clear statement of what specialization you want to focus on is an important part of the personal statement for medical school that applicants are required to make.
Why state a desired specialization in your personal essay
Because personal essays often do not specify a certain topic, you can use a portion of the essay to talk about the specialty in medicine that you wish to pursue. In most cases, students are rarely expected to follow through with the specialties that they state in the personal statement for medical school. With the length of time it takes to study medicine, most students often experience liking one specialization after another before finally settling down on one specialization for good. This being said, it is still a good move to state one or two specializations in medicine that you are interested in. This is one way to tell the readers that you have done your homework, that you are exposed enough to the medical field to know what kinds of specializations interest you and what doesn’t, and that you have a clear picture of where your career in medicine is headed.
How to choose a specialization
There is really no wrong way to go about choosing a specialization that you can put in your personal statement for medical school. For one, you may already have a specialization in mind as a result of the influences of the people around you, or as a consequence of having a favorite hobby or particular interest of study. For example, an applicant may want to specialize in surgery to follow in a parent’s footsteps, while another applicant may want to pursue a career in dermatology or cosmetic surgery after suffering a traumatic incident that affected her appearance. Others may simply want to pursue a field of specialization that they have the most interest in. If you have no idea what specialization interests you, do your homework. Do some research on the many kinds of medical specializations and choose the one that intrigues you best or the one that you think you can be good at.
Why choose a specialization
Choosing a specialization is one of the most important aspects of studying medicine. While it is true that general practice is also a rewarding field of medicine, a specialization may be the more favored option for those who want to add more challenge to their medical careers. Specializations also carry with them the promise of prestige and more money, something that one may not necessarily get with general practice.
How to discuss a preferred specialization in your essay
In order to effectively tell the admissions officers that a particular specialization is what really interests you, it is important to make use of several tools. Perhaps the best tool is using personal experiences to color your explanations on why you are focused on a particular field of medicine and not on another. As an example, you might have had a mother who suddenly died of an unknown cause and this led to an interest in investigative medicine. Or, you may have an ideal experience dealing with older people and this naturally led you to want to study geriatrics. No matter what the reason is, tell it using a personal story or anecdote to add your own touch.
In the end, mentioning a specialization or two in your personal statement for medical school need not be a daunting task. As long as you know the areas of medicine that interest you and you know how to take advantage of personal stories in order to express this fact more effectively, you can expect your essay to be one that admission officers will enjoy reading.
Photo Credit : alexandralee
Why Being Part of the School Paper Pays Off When Writing Your Personal Statement for Medical School
There are several reasons why being part of the school paper pays off when writing your personal statement for medical school. One of the ways to attract the attention of admissions officials is to have an impressive curriculum vitae. Students who have exemplary records, both in their academic performance and extracurricular activities during their college years will have a better chance of being noticed than those who have sparse entries in their CVs. One of these extracurricular activities that can help you is being part of the school paper.
Benefits of school paper experience for medical school application
One extracurricular activity that will get you some attention is previous experience working for the school paper. Aside from the fact that it will paint a picture of you as someone who did not limit himself or herself to the four corners of the classroom while in college, experience with the school paper will also expose you to different kinds of people, give you an experience handling various kinds of responsibilities, and help you improve your ability to express yourself through writing, all of which you can use to your advantage, whether its applying for medical school or practicing as a full-fledged doctor.
Many experts agree that a personal statement for medical school should reflect the student and should show good written communication skills. There is no better way to hone these skills than to be part of a school paper way before you apply for medical school, and especially in a setting where good communication skills is the primary requirement. Working for the school newspaper will also allow you to use your critical thinking skills and creativity in order to solve problems, the same kind of skills that will prove useful in the hospital and any other medical setting.
Another way through which experience with the school paper can help you with your application to medical school is that the job will give you plenty of opportunities to accept correction for your mistakes. When writing a personal statement for medical school, you are expected to revise, revise, and revise some more before handing your essay to the panel. Previous experience with the school newspaper, where due diligence, expertise in checking out the facts, a willingness to accept correction for your work, and the willingness to revise your pieces as often as needed will make the revision of your personal statement come naturally for you.
Indeed, previous experience with the school newspaper, whether you worked for the high school organ or the college publication, will provide nothing but benefits for you, especially if you are applying for medical school. Aside from helping paint a picture of you as someone who has diverse interests and is willing to pursue them, the fact that you worked for a newspaper will help you persuade the admissions panel that you have the qualities and characteristics, such as the ability to think creatively and critically and the willingness to learn, that make a good candidate for medical school.
Photo Credit : hapinachu
