Most medical university admissions commissions include the essay item in the list of mandatory components of the admission package. Of course, entrance exam grades and scores carry weight. But the medical application essay always has the final say in admission commissions’ decisions. After all, a good medical essay, like nothing else, can reveal the candidate as a student and as a person.
The requirements of most institutions of higher education include at least one essay. But in some cases, it can be two, three, or more. According to getnursingessay.com, the average medical school requires 3+ essay questions, so for 25 applications, you will need to write nearly 90 essays. Essays, which range in length from a few hundred words to 2-5 pages, are a great way to make a good impression. You can use it to tell exactly why you deserve a place at this university.
The written work should convince the medical admissions committee that its author is an outstanding person. Admission essays are usually written on a set topic, usually a longer response to questions. They often focus on the applicant’s life values, career, or academic plans:
- “What is the most valuable thing in life for you?”
- “Why do you want to attend this particular university?”
- “What achievement in your life do you consider the most significant?”
- “What is your biggest failure in life and how has it affected you?”
- ”What lesson have you learned from that situation?”
- “How do you anticipate developing professionally after graduation?”
NACAC (National Association of University Admission Commissions) experts have compiled a list of what you should and shouldn’t do when writing admissions essays. We present to you an extended list of essay tips.
1. Stick to the plan
First, make a detailed and informative plan of your medical essay, formulate a thesis statement, outline the main points. Already at this stage, you will have a clear idea of what your medical application essay should look like when you finish working on it, how informative and interesting the work will turn out to be. A perfect essay should be frank, capacious, able to inform, tell something new about you, and surprise you.Writing an essay on medicine or biology topics is much harder than explaining your thoughts about going to the university of your dream.
2. Confidence in your own abilities
When writing the medical essay, talk about yourself modestly, reservedly, but confidently. To convince others, you must be confident in yourself. You must carry confidence in what you want, why you want it, and why this particular program can help you.
3. Naturalness of thought
Be yourself. The recipe for good college essay writing is to add a twist to your writing. It will intrigue the members of the admissions committee. The essay should be personal, general words will not give the admissions committee an idea of you, will not make you unique.
4. Stay on topic
Make sure you cover the topic and answer the question posed. One of the most common mistakes applicants make is to talk about themselves and forget about the question. Don’t stray from the topic. Answer each question posed in the medical essay in detail. Yet, do not go beyond the word limit.
5. Honor and dignity
Present yourself with dignity. Write in a way that creates an impression of yourself as mature, positive, intelligent, confident, persuasive, original, hardworking, thoughtful, and responsive.
6. Show interest in the institution
Demonstrate knowledge of the institution to which you are applying, its history, its facilities, the courses and directions it offers, its students, and graduates. Try to show that this is the institution where you will achieve your full potential.
7. Be a well-rounded individual
The perfect essay topic reveals you as a multifaceted, evolved individual. For example, you’re fond of surgery and hold out hope in the future to become a brilliant surgerist. Great! Write about it: the more versatile you present yourself, the better!
8. Proofreading and corrections
Revise, correct, and improve! If possible, set the admission essay aside for a couple of days, and then come back to it with a fresh head. It will also help if someone (friends, family, teachers) reviews your writing – constructive criticism will help you look at it from a different perspective.
9. Rich vocabulary
Express your thoughts clearly and don’t use the same words. Use a variety of vocabulary when describing something or someone. For example: Charlie, my best friend, my reliable comrade, my soul mate, my support and backbone… Try not to repeat yourself, show that you have a decent command of the language!
10. More examples
Illustrate the main points with interesting examples from your own life. Such an article will be read in the same breath and demonstrate your personality.
Summing up
Many applicants underestimate the power of the medical admissions essay. NACAC experts at a recent conference confirmed the theory that a good essay gives a candidate a chance to stand out among applicants and draw the admissions committee’s attention. Even if an applicant does not have a high score on one of the main entrance exams, a good essay can tip the scales in his favor. An unsuccessful one, on the contrary, can be a serious barrier to admission.