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Clinical Experiences: Personal Reflection Essay

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Clinical experience is precious to the practice of medical professionals because it provides an opportunity to immerse myself in my future profession fully. Thus, going through this stage was especially valuable for me, as I learned a lot and increased my efficiency and effectiveness as a professional. During my clinical internship, I had to perform various tasks and assist in treating and providing care to patients. Therefore, I was involved in performing practices such as conducting diagnostic tests. This is of particular value because it enables me to understand how to analyze the patient’s medical situation and determine the correct course of treatment.

In addition, it was my responsibility to help patients with minor injuries of all kinds. Critical in this process is proper communication to give peace of mind and comfort to the individuals. Moreover, as part of my clinical practice, I interacted with and worked with people with chronic health issues and mental concerns. In the latter case, it is essential to circumvent the possibility of stigma about mental issues, as “public knowledge about physical diseases is usually seen as beneficial, knowledge about it is often disregarded” (Mannarini & Rossi, 2019, p. 1). It is also worth noting that biased opinions and personal judgments must be avoided when providing medical care.

During my clinical experience, I encountered several problems and challenges. This allowed me to improve my problem-solving skills and to work collaboratively with other professionals. For example, I often consulted with other doctors and nurses when I had problems with diagnoses in order to understand my situation better and to prescribe the most effective treatment. In addition, I worked with different age groups, which gave me an understanding of the unique characteristics and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults. I realized that each group needs to be approached differently depending on their developmental characteristics, both mental and physical.

Mannarini, S., & Rossi, A. (2019). Assessing mental illness stigma: a complex issue . Frontiers in Psychology, 9 , 2722. Web.

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How to write about your most meaningful medical experience

The AMCAS allows medical school applicants to select three activities as your “most meaningful” activities, and provides applicants with 1325 characters to describe why. A meaningful activity can represent something different for every applicant, but should generally encompass activities that have significantly impacted your personal development and desire to pursue medicine. In general, it is advisable for at least one of these activities to be a clinical experience in order to provide evidence of your dedication to medicine. Here are some tips for writing a "most meaningful experience" essay about a clinical experience that will be sure to capture your reader’s attention.

Tip 1: Organize your narrative.

This essay is an opportunity to present a unique facet of your personality and skill set to the admissions committee. Before you begin writing, brainstorm what attributes you want to shine through in this essay. For example, you could demonstrate your dedication to service by describing a time you went above and beyond for a patient. Alternatively, you could showcase your problem solving skills by describing a challenge you identified and addressed in a clinical setting. Make sure the message you convey is distinct from that of your personal statement.

Tip 2: Avoid using shadowing as a most meaningful activity.

While shadowing can be an incredibly impactful experience on aspiring medical students, it is an inherently passive activity that doesn’t add much depth to your personal narrative. Reserve your "most meaningful experience" essay for experiences that highlight an active role in the clinical setting. Some examples of clinical experiences include volunteering, scribing, or providing patient care as part of a healthcare team.

Tip 3: Know your audience.

The person reading your application may be a current medical student or faculty member; in any case, they will be deeply familiar with the field of medicine. Avoid being too simplistic about common medical concepts. Additionally, refrain from being too critical about medicine; though our healthcare system has lots of room to grow, this may subconsciously alienate your reader. That being said, free to include statements about how you hope to leave your impact on medicine!

Tip 4: Briefly describe the experience.

At the beginning of this essay, briefly describe the experience in more detail than in the main activity description. Make sure to include any honors, awards, publications, or leadership positions you received as part of the activity. Try to keep this section short so you can focus on the impact that this experience had on you.

Tip 5: Tell a story.

The key to this essay is showing the reader how this experience impacted your personal growth. Refrain from merely stating the strengths and attributes you gained from the experience; instead opt for providing rich, descriptive anecdotes that actively convey this message. This is a great place to include a story about a particularly impactful patient or physician you worked with (making sure to de-identify all personal information). Make sure to include any lessons or takeaways from this experience. Convince the admissions committee that you are prepared for the rigors of pursuing a career in medicine, and showcase what sets you apart!

Simran is pursuing a combined MD/PhD in the Harvard-MIT MD program and Immunology PhD program. Previously, she was a research technician at Fred Hutch, where she helped design novel protein-based cancer therapeutics and a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Keeping a Positive Outlook: My Clinical Experience as a Student Nurse

Submitted by Ashley P. Cohen, Student Nurse, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences School of Nursing, Class of 2011, Boston, MA.

Tags: clinical clinical experience health care nursing students preceptorship student nurse

Keeping a Positive Outlook: My Clinical Experience as a Student Nurse

An attitude is an important thing. It can shape the way the individual sees an experience and how observers see the individual. An attitude can entirely make or break an experience. This is as true in clinical experiences as it is in life. My experience in my senior year clinical preceptorship was without a doubt unique but I feel its uniqueness was in what I made of it, something every nursing student can do for themselves. If there is one lesson to gain from reading about my experiences it should be that the success of a clinical, whether a preceptorship or group experience, is entirely what the student makes of it.

My first day I walked into the ICU and almost ran right back out, thinking “Get me out of here!” It was a 10 bed unit, the traditional glass ICU room doors, two crash carts at either end of the unit, patient charts seemingly everywhere, precaution carts, glucometers, IV poles and pumps, doctors running into the room at the end of the hall, telemetry monitors beeping and spitting out rhythm strips. Little did I know these sounds and sights would eventually become more calming than frightening. I kept thinking to myself how was I, a student, going to handle a clinical placement on this floor? My last medical surgical clinical had been the previous summer, it was now March, how could I possibly remember the necessary skills to be ok here? What if I forgot the important skills? I had been in the same group of large Boston teaching hospitals for every other clinical experience, now I found myself in a small 95 bed suburban hospital. “A Paper chart… this hospital uses paper charts?” was another of my first impressions. I met with my preceptor, a nurse with 30 years experience. I was intimidated. She let me know that I would work towards covering her patient load, with her supervision of course. I would also be expected to know my dosage calculations and all of my medication facts; she let me know that “robot nursing” was not how we would handle things. Nurses around the floor began to tell me that she had taught many of them and that she was tough but I would learn a lot. To a new student this was reassuring but hearing that she was nicknamed “sarg” only added to my mounting fears of this experience.

On my first day we met at the patient assignment board to receive report from the night shift charge nurse. She methodically went through each of the patients on the board, “Patient presents to emergency department unresponsive…” “Patient intubated and heavily sedated…” “Patient on Cardiezem drip” “Patient in septic shock, treating with Xigris drip.” Hearing this certainly didn’t help my nerves. My first patient was on a ventilator, in congestive heart failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We went into the room and my preceptor told me to “get started.” I froze. Then, suddenly it came to me, “we always assess first,” and I did my head to toe assessment. I remembered this from one of my first nursing classes, Health Assessment. “Ok” I thought, “I remember how to do this.” My preceptor let me know I forgot the check pedal pulses. “Darn” I thought, how could I forget something like that? My preceptor reassured me, it was my first time doing a full assessment in a while, and forgetting one thing was “not a big deal.” As the day went on she allowed me to complete more and more tasks. We went to get 8 am medications; she quizzed me on each of them. By 11 am I was deep suctioning my patient on the ventilator. I was learning ventilator settings, what was PEEP, PIP, Ftot, Fi02, VT, VE, and what the numbers that went along with each meant physiologically. I also began to learn what each of these numbers meant for my patient’s health. Little did I know that five days later I would be extubating this patient as his family moved him to comfort care only. Little did I know that later that same day I would be performing the post mortem care on this patient. I learned quickly that I would need to adjust to the pace of the ICU, as I had to adjust to every other floor I was on for clinical. Each floor has its own pace, its own rhythm, and as a student we must become a part of the flow, not obstruct it or try to work against it.

Another patient I had during my experience was a woman with COPD who was in end stage heart failure. She was another ventilated patient, slowly I was becoming really good with these ventilators. I wasn’t messing up on my head to toe assessments. I could fill out those seemingly silly paper charts. I was figuring out where to find things in the supply room. After a another few days my patient was able to be extubated. As she began to gain consciousness a lively 70 year old woman came from someone who had been a living version of my anatomy book on the bed. She would eventually tell the nurse and me that she wanted to be moved to comfort measures only and hospice home care. She let the nurse and I know that she wanted to go home to smoke and drink her vodka until she passed away in peace. I learned that we don’t always like our patient’s decisions, but we must respect them.

One of my last patients was a man in severe septic shock; a complication of a prostate biopsy. He had what seemed like ten medications going in IV lines at any given time, not including all of the fluids they were piggybacked off of. He had two peripheral IV sites as well as a right internal jugular central line for his infusions. A problem came up however; he wasn’t putting out any urine. At one point his input was somewhere around 1600ml to a 15ml output, his output became a huge cause for concern, someone being fluid resuscitated and not putting out urine, I began to wonder about his kidney function. Another part of my education I began to appreciate, all of my classes were coming together, I was thinking systematically. I watched as a team of nurses and doctors tried to save this man’s life. We ran blood cultures times what seemed like a million, a urinalysis, ultrasounds of the heart and kidneys, EKGs, CPK/Troponin levels, serum blood levels, and electrolyte levels among other things. Then I began to hear my preceptor say “start the bicarb in the distal port” “what is his output?” “let’s get him on the cooling blanket” “get a set of vitals,” I was being actively involved in this critical patient’s care. Although I was petrified I kept a positive and open attitude. I thought, “I can do this, I have been here for four weeks, I know how to do this.” I was practicing skills I had learned back in my old, at the time outdated, basement nursing lab. These skills I thought were long lost somewhere in my memory were coming back to me, just as the cliché says, like riding a bike. As unprepared as I had felt going into this clinical experience I slowly began to realize that I was prepared and I did know what I was doing.

Knowing what I was doing surprised me. How could a few labs and clinical placements on an orthopedic floor, a labor and delivery floor, a detox unit, and a general psych floor help me be prepared for the acuity of patients on an ICU? I couldn’t believe it. Every single clinical experience, every single lab, and every single clinical simulation helped. The smallest skills I learned in clinical and lab, those skills that seemed so easy that I wondered if the professors were questioning my mental capacity, became the skills I used on a regular basis, the ones that made the biggest difference in my practice. You think making a bed is so easy? Try doing it with a six foot, five inch man who weighs 250lbs and getting the sheets straight because he’s sedated and you don’t want to risk skin breakdown. You think oral care is a joke to be learning about in lab? Tell that to the patient with oral candidiasis who wants nothing more than a swab to keep his mouth comfortable. These little things make an enormous difference to even the most complex patients. Again, the attitude in learning these skills should be a positive one. You want to provide your patients with the best care possible, in order to this you must start by practicing the best possible skills in clinical, lab, and preceptorships. Every day in clinical presents a new challenge, you will come upon things you didn’t even know you were afraid to do, but with the help and guidance of a preceptor or clinical instructor, you will get through the experience and be better for it. You should seek out these challenges, and do what scares you. If it scares you now imagine what the feeling would be when you have that “RN” or “LPN” at the end of your name, those little letters making you responsible for your patient’s care. As students we need to advocate for ourselves, gaining as many experiences as possible before we graduate and are on our own. Expose yourself to as much as possible. If a nurse down the hall has a patient getting a procedure done, ask to watch. If another nurse’s patient needs a dressing change, ask to do it! Be determined, remember to wake up thinking “I get to practice for my career today,” don’t go in with the “ugh, I’m tired, why do I have to be here” attitude. Remember that your education is your choice. Nobody will force you to attend clinical, sure there are consequences for not going, but ultimately the decision to be in school and to attend clinical is the student’s.

We all get tired, we all have challenges outside of school, but with a positive attitude about learning and a little determination to succeed we can all get through any clinical experience, learn a great deal from it, and enjoy the learning. I can’t say it enough; any clinical experience will be what you make of it. Two students in the same clinical group can have incredibly different experiences if one goes in positively and the other negatively. Nurses will notice who the students are that want to learn, they will seek you out to teach you if they think you want to be taught. There will always be the one intimidating, scary, or “grumpy” nurse on the floor. From my experiences I have learned that they usually can be won over if you show them that you are a serious student, there to learn from them, not to judge the way they practice. If nurses notice that you are just stuck on autopilot, doing only what is absolutely required of you in clinical, they won’t have an interest in teaching you, and why should they?

They say life is what you make of it, well, it is my opinion that the same is true for clinical and preceptorship experiences. The more you as a student advocate for yourself, the more experiences you gain exposure to, the better nurse you will be. You will be more prepared for your eventual practice and feel more comfortable joining the professional world. Remember that you are more prepared for clinical than you think. You will make mistakes, we all do, nurses with years of experience still make mistakes. The important thing to do is look at your mistakes, learn from them, and move forward. Keep a positive attitude and realize that you are learning. Never be afraid to try a skill again just because you made a mistake, you should in fact force yourself into this experience again, so that you know you can do it. It would be hard to find a nurse who didn’t miss trying to insert a catheter, but with practice we all become comfortable with it. You didn’t stop trying to walk after your first fall, did you? Skills will come with time and practice. You will be scared; there will be days you want to quit. There will be days you will question if nursing is for you. Over time these days will become few and far between, and you will feel the rewards of nursing. A patient’s thanks and appreciation will make all the hard work worth it. In regards to mistakes, my preceptor had this to say for all students, “It’s the learning curve, none of us (nurses) are expecting you to be perfect, we’re just expecting that you try your hardest and show us you want this.” So remember, we’re students, not super heroes, we won’t be perfect, but with a positive attitude, we can make any experience a great and rewarding one.

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Clinical Experience Essay Sample for Med School Graduate

EssayEdge > Blog > Clinical Experience Essay Sample for Med School Graduate

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by EssayEdge are dramatically improved.

My experiences with patients and physicians while working in clinics has given me a glimpse ito the many rewards a career in medicine can offer. As a clinical research student at the Ontario Cancer Institute and the Toronto General Hospital, I had the opportunity to interact with a variety of patients. My primary responsibility was to recruit patients for the research study and to discuss their illness and treatment. This experience allowed me to gain a confidence in the clinic, to develop my interpersonal skills and more importantly, to experience the satisfaction of helping another person heal — mentally.

While I had many meaningful encounters, one in particular stands out. On a hot, sticky June morning, I noticed a patient named Scott roaming the corridors. The expression on his face touched me, and I followed him to a nearby television set. The World Cup blazed on the screen, and everyone in the clinic except Scott was fascinated by the Brazil game. Scott quietly sipped orange juice while tugging on his baseball cap, trying to conceal his balding head, the unmistakable sign of chemotherapy. Sensing that Scott desperately needed to be cheered up, I initiated a conversation with a soccer joke. Within minutes, the two of us were laughing. I felt intensely satisfied, although I had done nothing for the boy’s physical condition. I had, however, managed to lighten his sadness, if only for a moment. Seeing Scott’s smiling face, I realized that my future must revolve around instances like this one, and that true fulfillment comes from helping another person heal. My summer at the Ontario Cancer Institute taught me that patience, compassion, and sensitivity are just as crucial as scientific skills for medicine.

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The ongoing intellectual challenges a career in medicine offers would also be satisfying to me. As a student of biochemistry, I am fascinated by the advances and applications of the science. Medicine is a constantly evolving profession which would also meet my passion for learning and problem solving. As a medical student, I hope to further cultivate the critical thinking skills and self-directed learning I developed as an undergraduate. Utilizing these skills would allow me to help improve the health of others by acting as a caregiver for the sick and as a health advocate helping to prevent illness in the community. I believe this would be the ideal balance between intellectual and personal challenge. Serving as a leader in the community also offers tremendous rewards since it would allow me to help work in partnership to improve the health of the community. Having worked at a family practice for three years I have developed a strong interest in specializing in family medicine. I enjoy the idea of being able to service a community while helping improve the health of people of all ages. Such a specialty would also provide the opportunity to understand the various illnesses unique to a family and allowing me to better serve them. I believe this would greatly contribute to the life long personal and professional satisfaction I would derive from medicine.

Do you plan to continue studying medicine? Then you should prove your interest in it and show your achievements. Describing your clinical experience in an essay or personal statement would be a good idea, and this sample is an excellent proof of it. Pay attention to editing before submitting your application. Hire an expert from the best medical school essay editing service, and you’ll succeed.

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays: Tips To Stand Out

Cracking Med School Admissions

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has helped numerous students get accepted into Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. So we know what it takes to help you stand out from our own personal experience! In your Johns Hopkins secondary essays, you have to emphasize your desire to change and improve medicine. Submitting OUTSTANDING Johns Hopkins secondaries are vital to receiving an interview invite, which ultimately can lead to an acceptance. Johns Hopkins loves to recruit the best of the best , students from all backgrounds. Therefore, almost all med school applicants receive a Johns Hopkins secondary application. Contact us if you want our help with editing your Johns Hopkins secondary essays !

Johns Hopkins is not a time-sensitive medical school, so you do not need to rush to submit this secondary. Therefore, this is not a secondary we would immediately pre-write, but you can start working on some of the questions that don’t change year-over-year.

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Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024

(Optional) If you have already received your bachelor’s degree, please describe what you have been doing since graduation, and your plans for the upcoming year. (2,000 characters max) Reworded and longer character limit, but still asking for same information.
(Optional) If you interrupted your college education for a semester or longer, please describe what you did during that time. (2,000 characters max) Reworded and longer character limit, but still asking for same information.
List Academic Honors and Awards. (600 characters max)
Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (2,500 characters max)
Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment. (2,500 characters max)
Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician. (2,500 characters max)
Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? (2,500 characters max)
Wonder encapsulates a feeling of rapt attention … it draws the observer in. Tell us about a time in recent years that you experienced wonder in your everyday life. Although experiences related to your clinical or research work may be the first to come to mind, we encourage you to think of an experience that is unrelated to medicine or science. What did you learn from that experience? (2,500 characters max)
(Optional) The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first-generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it. (2,500 characters max)

10 Tips to Answer Your Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays

Johns Hopkins Secondary Pre-Writing Guidance: Most of Hopkins’ secondary questions stay the same each year. You can pre-write responses to questions that have stayed the same for the past 3 years. From our extensive experience, Hopkins is not a time-sensitive medical school, so you do not need to rush to submit this secondary. Therefore, t his is not a secondary we would immediately pre-write, but you can start working on some of the questions that don’t change year-over-year.

Download our Cracking Med Secondary Essay Workbook and Examples .

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #1: A far majority of students at Johns Hopkins medical school take gap years. Now, there is ample space to discuss what you did in your gap years! The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine admissions committee is looking for medical students who spent their gap year(s) involving themselves with activities that tie to their visions in improving healthcare. For example, applicants may have conducted global health work abroad. Others worked for the NIH creating life-saving medications. In addition to your vision to change medicine, make sure that you talk about your clinical experience. If it applies to you, make sure to use up all the space for the Johns Hopkins secondaries questions: “ If you have already received your bachelor’s degree, please describe what you have been doing since graduation, and your plans for the upcoming year ” and “ If you interrupted your college education for a semester or longer, please describe what you did during that time. ”

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #2: Johns Hopkins wants to recruit a student body compromising of students who are the best of the best. Therefore, students who matriculate often have many academic honors from their undergraduate education. Many premedical students don’t know that Phi Beta Kappa and departmental honors are worthy to mention. Please add!

JHUSOM also loves national-level and international-level awards / honors. If you receive an honor after you submit your secondary application, make sure to write an update letter .

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #3: It is okay if you don’t know a specific specialty when answering “ Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? ” Notice, though, that you have 2,500 characters to answer this question. If you have specific populations, such as pediatrics or cancer patients, who you want to work with, then you can use this space to talk about your experiences and why you want to work with those populations. You can even discuss broader goals; you can say that you want to be involved in primary care and community health.

In this essay, you should discuss how Johns Hopkins University and the academic program will help you become the physician you want to be. There is no straightforward “Why Johns Hopkins” essay, so as we say in the tip below, make sure to add it throughout the Johns Hopkins secondaries .. and this is a great essay to include Why Hopkins.

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #4: Highlight your leadership, passion to change healthcare, and impact on society throughout your Johns Hopkins secondaries.

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #5: Tell stories to convey your impact and leadership throughout your Johns Hopkins secondaries. For example, if you conducted research over a gap year, tell a story about a challenge you faced or a patient you met while conducting a clinical trial. Don’t forget to include patient care stories from your clinical experiences too!

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #6: For the Johns Hopkins Wonder essay, you can write about any topic, including non-science related experiences. A great Johns Hopkins secondary essay answer for this prompt will convey: 1) your intellectual curiosity and excitement for the topic you choose and 2) the reader should learn something about the topic you are writing about.

Example topics we’ve read from excellent “wonder” answers include:

– Space

– Specific empires in history

– A specific leader or historical feature

– Shakespeare plays

– A book that made somebody think differently about life

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essay Tip #7: For the question, “ Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? ” read sample essays in our Cracking Med School Admissions book ! Some strong applicants talk about instances when their ideas or opinions went against the status quo.

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #8: Don’t forget to incorporate a little bit about “Why Johns Hopkins” throughout your Johns Hopkins secondaries. Incorporate “ why this medical school; ” talk about projects and research you want to do at Hopkins. Many students take a gap year or more in medical school, pursuing research or an additional Dual Degree program. You can also convey your ambitions during your future medical school career. Read How to Get Into Johns Hopkins School of Medicine page to learn more about student culture and curriculum.

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #9: Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below. Need editing help on your secondary? We can help you through our secondary essay packages .

Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #10: Answer as many questions as possible. It is important that you answer the optional essay (the last Johns Hopkins secondary essay prompt). Our Cracking Med School Admissions team does not view this secondary questions as optional. Remember, you don’t have to discuss your ethnic diversity. You can talk about other experiences that really pushed you and reflect why you want to be a doctor . Read our HIGH-YIELD blog post: Medical School Diversity Essay Examples and Tips

We have found that the best diversity essays for top medical schools discuss – How You Will Lead The World To Change Medicine

[ Read more secondary essay tips: Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) , Yale School of Medicine , Columbia University Vagelos , Weill Cornell Medicine ]

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Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023

If you took a gap year, describe activities. (700 characters max)
If you took time off *during* undergraduate, describe why and what you did. (700 characters max)

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Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

(Optional) The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first-generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it. (2,500 characters max)

Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020 – 2021

Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (2,500 characters max)
Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment. (2,500 characters max)
Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician. (2,500 characters max)
Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? (2,500 characters max)
Wonder encapsulates a feeling of rapt attention … it draws the observer in. Tell us about a time in recent years that you experienced wonder in your everyday life. Although experiences related to your clinical or research work may be the first to come to mind, we encourage you to think of an experience that is unrelated to medicine or science. What did you learn from that experience? (2,500 characters max)
(Optional) The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first-generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it.

Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2019 – 2020

Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (900 characters max)
Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment. (1,100 characters max)
Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician. (900 characters max)
Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? (1,100 characters max)
(Optional) The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first-generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it. (1,100 characters max)

Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2018 – 2019

Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from this experience? (1,100 characters max)
(Optional) The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first-generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity), or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it. (1,100 characters max)

Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

If you have already received your bachelor’s degree, please describe what you have been doing since graduation and your plans for the upcoming year. (700 characters max)
If you interrupted your college education for a semester or longer, please describe what you did during that time. (700 characters max)
List any academic honors or awards you have received since entering college. (600 characters max)
(Optional) The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first-generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity), or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it. (1,100 characters max)
If applying to the dual MD/MBA program, please describe your reasons for wishing to obtain this degree. (1,100 characters max)

Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2016 – 2017

Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (900 characters max)
Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment. (1,100 characters max)
Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician. (900 characters max)
Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from this experience? (1,100 characters max)
If applying to the dual MD/MBA program, please describe your reasons for wishing to obtain this degree. (1,100 characters max)

Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2015 – 2016

(Optional) The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first-generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity), or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it. (1,100 characters max)

Johns Hopkins Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2014 – 2015

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Essay Service Examples Education College Experience

Essay about My Clinical Experience

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Starting week 2, I will make a schedule with a breakdown of every 15 minutes of my shift to organize the activities that I have planned for the day, such as medications and vital signs. By creating a schedule with my daily activities, I will be able to keep track of what I have to do and ensure I am accountable to my patients by allocating time for all of them. (Windsor, 1987)
By October 20th I will be taking on more patients and will be improving my time management skills to be able to prioritize patient care to be able to complete my duties in a timely manner and complete required documentation. “In a study surveying the perception of preceptors on the newly hired nurses’ competencies, it was revealed that most lack competencies in psychomotor and assessment skills, critical thinking, time management, communication, and teamwork” (AlThiga, 2017) By improving my time management skills early on I will get in the habit of keeping track of my to-do activities and not risk forgetting or leaving anything to the last minute and rushing to complete them.
By the end of the semester, I will maintain my competence, and I will refrain from completing any activities in which I am not competent and confident. I will keep my preceptor informed on the activities I am not competent in completing but will work on becoming competent by reviewing procedures and learning from my preceptor. “The action that you take in response to this situation is guided by your sense of accountability. The patient, the institution, and society rely on your judgment and trust you to take action in response to this situation”. (Potter and Perry, 2014) Thus it is my responsibility to act accountable and only act in skills that I am confident in.
By the end of the semester, I will “increase my knowledge about the diagnosis, side effects, nursing considerations, medications, and treatments, read patient’s charts to connect and understand the diagnoses, medications, and therapies.” (Lewis, 2017) During nursing school, students study in a specific way for their exams; however, during clinical, the objective is to be able to think and care for our patients critically. Thus, I need to make reviews and connections differently from school time. (Hosseini, 2011)
Throughout the semester, I will use the Medical Surgical textbook and my instructors as reliable resources for learning. With the amount of information we have available to us today, it is easy to get misleading information on the internet. Therefore, it is essential to use reliable sources to get information such as textbooks, instructors, checklists, agency protocols, and materials developed by the university as reliable sources of information (although, 2017).
Throughout the semester, I will review all drugs related to my patients and get familiar with side effects to watch for. Also for situations when you would hold certain medications depending on the patient's condition. By week 3 I will also review the Semester 3 theory topic Post surgery to get myself more familiar with the procedures and interventions for common post-surgery complications. “nursing interns thought they are not adequately prepared with knowledge base and skills while faculty indicated that they prepare their students with the knowledge base and skills. These results represent a gap between what occurred in the clinical setting and what is considered important by students and faculty” (AlThiga, 2017).
Starting week 2, every shift I will practice my head-to-toe assessment on the more stable patients, in my current unit, when I approach them to complete their vital signs. Knowledge is the basis of everything, patient care, and critical thinking, but the desired outcomes will never be reached; the knowledge is not applied to the situation. (Potter and Perry, 2014) Knowledge application is the integration of information from several sources to understand and explain what is happening in the present case.
Throughout the semester, I will observe the way the other nurses on the unit perform their head-to-toe assessments to help develop my own strategy that works best for me. “Teaching is an interactive process that promotes learning. Teaching and learning generally begin when a person identifies a need for knowing or acquiring an ability to do something. A nurse-teacher provides information that prompts the patient to engage in activities that lead to the desired change” (Potter and Perry, 2014). Working with more seasoned nurses helps develop a more seamless routine to be able to get a proper, thorough, and timely assessment.
Throughout the semester, I will use the Physical Examination & Health Assessment text by Jarvis (2nd Ed.) and the Health Assessment labs checklist to approach the assessment in a logical order to make sure I don’t fail to assess a critical system. According to Popovich (2011) “the importance of a standardized system during shift changes reduce errors and achieve accurate, consistent communication. Students also reported that using the tool and reviewing it with instructors helped them overcome initial feelings of anxiety and fostered confidence.” Having a reliable resource is vital in reducing errors and making sure nothing is forgotten or misinterpreted when conducting a patient’s assessment.
By the end of the semester, I will take the initiative to learn new skills and get new experiences from my colleagues and other health care members in the hospital, and volunteer to watch or participate in skills that I have not had a chance to practice in a hospital setting. There are several opportunities for learning, and we should take advantage of them when “assuming responsibility for her/his professional development and for sharing knowledge with others” ( Lewis, 2017). It is my responsibility to grow by taking opportunities to learn. This requires “investing time, effort and other resources to improve knowledge, skills and judgment” where I need to seek resources to learn and grow.
Once a week I will seek feedback from my preceptor and other nurses on the unit and reflect on my practice based on their feedback and constructive criticism. My unit works very closely together so I am able to assist and receive feedback from many nurses. According to Potter and Perry (2014), “Teaching is an interactive process that promotes learning. Teaching and learning generally begin when a person identifies a need for knowing or acquiring an ability to do something. A nurse-teacher provides information that prompts the patient to engage in activities that lead to the desired change”.
I will reflect on my practice after each shift and have weekly meetings with my instructor to get her feedback and constructive criticism on my practice and ways for improvement. According to Popovich (2011) “Clinical instructors can impact students’ confidence and independence. Also, respondents have mentioned the relationship between the nurse preceptor and the student, which can decrease or increase the feeling of fear and the communication between the parties.” Constant communication is vital for learning development, thus having clear communication with my preceptor in a timely manner is important. Therefore, I will be able to get timely feedback and set clear expectations for my clinical experience.
Throughout the semester will take time to involve each patient in their care and ensure they are comfortable with the duties I will be performing and always ask permission. According to Potter and Perry (2014), “Development of trusting relationships with clients, capacity building, and collaboration are central to effective case management.” By just talking with the patients and asking for their permission builds a more trusting relationship.
When able to, I will teach patients duties within their capability, even if it does slow their care down. I will also give the clients the choice of care and respect their wishes if they do not wish to have the care I am there to provide. According to Potter and Perry (2014) “The ethical responsibility of advocacy includes protecting the patient’s right to choice by providing information, obtaining informed consent for all nursing care, and respecting patients’ decisions.” Allowing the patient to choose, gives them participation in their care, and creates a therapeutic relationship between the nurse and the patient, which is based on trust, and there is no judgment.
Throughout the semester I will only discuss each patient’s condition progress with those included in their circle of care. “His right is usually violated unconsciously because medical personnel does not realize that the patient’s basic right to confidentiality is violated even during a ward round when individual patients and their conditions are discussed. Conversations between medical personnel in the social room, in hospital corridors, lifts or buses also constitute a violation of medical confidentiality. On the part of medical personnel, it is unprofessional behavior” (Belowska, 2014). Confidentiality is crucial in healthcare. It is always important to be mindful of your surroundings when discussing patients
Starting immediately, I will work on my professional relationships with my colleagues by trying to work collaboratively with others instead of alone. By working with others, I can develop my communication skills and improve on my teamwork skills. “the importance of developing a good relationship with mutual respect and trust between faculty and training hospitals including nurses’ staff and instructors to provide a positive learning experience for them.” (although, 2017)
Starting immediately, I will apply my therapeutic relationship skills with my patients and take the time to listen and get to know their needs. “However, the nurse’s role at the end of life is holistic and complex; the role involves offering not only physical care, but also the emotional, spiritual, and sociocultural support necessary to meet the needs of the patient…” (Heise, 2016) Building on the nurse/patient relationship will help me develop a better plan of care that is more tailored to the specific needs of each patient.
Throughout the semester I will take the time to develop relationships with the family members of each of the patients. Showing the family that you are engaging with them will help them feel better at ease that their loved ones are being cared for and listened to. “Nurses are responsible for giving holistic support not only to the dying patient but also to the patient’s family.” (Heise, 2016) Being in the hospital is a stressful time for both patient and the family. Listening to family wishes for their loved ones will better help you care for the patients as the family knows more about the patient than you do, especially if the patient isn't able to communicate directly themselves.
Each shift I will seek opportunities to work with other members of the health care team so I can become known as someone that wants to assist and be included as a regular member of the nursing staff. According to Potter and Perry (2014), “nurses must provide leadership to ensure that nursing care takes place in quality practice environments and that these work environments are essential for health, high-quality patient care, and patient safety.”
Throughout the semester I will watch for opportunities to teach other members of the health team anything that I have experience in doing. There are many other nursing students working in the unit so the opportunity to help other students should arise. According to Windsor (1987), “The quality of learning was reportedly affected by …the variety of clinical opportunities to which students have exposed” “the clinical experiences that hindered learning is an unnecessary amount of paperwork, practicing more basic procedures such as vital signs and bed making rather than advanced nursing skills such as wound care, cannulation and managing respiratory cases.” (although, 2017)
Effective immediately I will open myself to communicating with the entire unit staff to build an effective working relationship. This will demonstrate my willingness to learn and be involved and will help me gain my independence by the end of the semester. “students become more comfortable with performing nursing tasks and become interested in expanding their role and becoming more independent. As the students strived for independence, they identified more closely with staff nurses and withdrew from instructors.” (Windsor, 1987)
although, H., Mohidin, S., Park, Y. S., & Tekin, A. (2017). Preparing for practice: Nursing intern and faculty perceptions on clinical experiences. Medical teacher, 39(sup1), S55-S62.
Belowska, J., Panczyk, M., Sienkiewicz, Z., Kaczyńska, A., Zarzeka, A., & Gotlib, J. (2014). The Analysis of Opinions and Attitudes of Students of Nursing with Respect to the Observance of Patient's Rights in Poland. Polish Journal of Public Health, 124(4), 209-214.
College of Nurses of Ontario. (2002). Professional Standards, Revised 2002. Retrieved August 2018, from http://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41006_profstds.pdf
Godbey, K. L., & Courage, M. M. (1994). Stress-management program: intervention in nursing student performance anxiety. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 8(3), 190-199.
Heise, B. A., & Gilpin, L. C. (2016). Nursing students’ clinical experience with death: A pilot study. Nursing education perspectives, 37(2), 104-106.
Hosseini, S. A., Fatehi, N., Eslamian, J., & Zamani, M. (2011). Reviewing the nursing students’ views toward the OSCE test. Iranian Journal of Nursing & Midwifery Research, 16(4), 318–320. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.gbcprx01.georgebrown.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=100679129&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Lewis, S. M., Collier, I. C., & Heitkemper, M. M. (2017). Medical-surgical nursing: assessment and management of clinical problems. Elsevier, Incorporated.
Popovich, D. (2011). 30-Second Head-to-Toe Tool in Pediatric Nursing: Cultivating Safety in Handoff Communication. Pediatric Nursing, 37(2), 55–60. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.gbcprx01.georgebrown.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=63168935&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Windsor, A. (1987). Nursing students' perceptions of clinical experience. Journal of Nursing Education, 26(4), 150-154.

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10 Successful Medical School Essays

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-- Accepted to: Harvard Medical School GPA: 4.0 MCAT: 522

Sponsored by A ccepted.com : Great stats don’t assure acceptance to elite medical schools. The personal statement, most meaningful activities, activity descriptions, secondaries and interviews can determine acceptance or rejection. Since 1994, Accepted.com has guided medical applicants just like you to present compelling medical school applications. Get Accepted !

I started writing in 8th grade when a friend showed me her poetry about self-discovery and finding a voice. I was captivated by the way she used language to bring her experiences to life. We began writing together in our free time, trying to better understand ourselves by putting a pen to paper and attempting to paint a picture with words. I felt my style shift over time as I grappled with challenges that seemed to defy language. My poems became unstructured narratives, where I would use stories of events happening around me to convey my thoughts and emotions. In one of my earliest pieces, I wrote about a local boy’s suicide to try to better understand my visceral response. I discussed my frustration with the teenage social hierarchy, reflecting upon my social interactions while exploring the harms of peer pressure.

In college, as I continued to experiment with this narrative form, I discovered medical narratives. I have read everything from Manheimer’s Bellevue to Gawande’s Checklist and from Nuland’s observations about the way we die, to Kalanithi’s struggle with his own decline. I even experimented with this approach recently, writing a piece about my grandfather’s emphysema. Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love. I have augmented these narrative excursions with a clinical bioethics internship. In working with an interdisciplinary team of ethics consultants, I have learned by doing by participating in care team meetings, synthesizing discussions and paths forward in patient charts, and contributing to an ongoing legislative debate addressing the challenges of end of life care. I have also seen the ways ineffective intra-team communication and inter-personal conflicts of beliefs can compromise patient care.

Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love.

By assessing these difficult situations from all relevant perspectives and working to integrate the knowledge I’ve gained from exploring narratives, I have begun to reflect upon the impact the humanities can have on medical care. In a world that has become increasingly data driven, where patients can so easily devolve into lists of numbers and be forced into algorithmic boxes in search of an exact diagnosis, my synergistic narrative and bioethical backgrounds have taught me the importance of considering the many dimensions of the human condition. I am driven to become a physician who deeply considers a patient’s goal of care and goals of life. I want to learn to build and lead patient care teams that are oriented toward fulfilling these goals, creating an environment where family and clinician conflict can be addressed efficiently and respectfully. Above all, I look forward to using these approaches to keep the person beneath my patients in focus at each stage of my medical training, as I begin the task of translating complex basic science into excellent clinical care.

In her essay for medical school, Morgan pitches herself as a future physician with an interdisciplinary approach, given her appreciation of how the humanities can enable her to better understand her patients. Her narrative takes the form of an origin story, showing how a childhood interest in poetry grew into a larger mindset to keep a patient’s humanity at the center of her approach to clinical care.

This narrative distinguishes Morgan as a candidate for medical school effectively, as she provides specific examples of how her passions intersect with medicine. She first discusses how she used poetry to process her emotional response to a local boy’s suicide and ties in concern about teenage mental health. Then, she discusses more philosophical questions she encountered through reading medical narratives, which demonstrates her direct interest in applying writing and the humanities to medicine. By making the connection from this larger theme to her own reflections on her grandfather, Morgan provides a personal insight that will give an admissions officer a window into her character. This demonstrates her empathy for her future patients and commitment to their care.

Her narrative takes the form of an origin story, showing how a childhood interest in poetry grew into a larger mindset to keep a patient's humanity at the center of her approach to clinical care.

Furthermore, it is important to note that Morgan’s essay does not repeat anything in-depth that would otherwise be on her resume. She makes a reference to her work in care team meetings through a clinical bioethics internship, but does not focus on this because there are other places on her application where this internship can be discussed. Instead, she offers a more reflection-based perspective on the internship that goes more in-depth than a resume or CV could. This enables her to explain the reasons for interdisciplinary approach to medicine with tangible examples that range from personal to professional experiences — an approach that presents her as a well-rounded candidate for medical school.

Disclaimer: With exception of the removal of identifying details, essays are reproduced as originally submitted in applications; any errors in submissions are maintained to preserve the integrity of the piece. The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this article.

-- Accepted To: A medical school in New Jersey with a 3% acceptance rate. GPA: 3.80 MCAT: 502 and 504

Sponsored by E fiie Consulting Group : “ EFIIE ” boasts 100% match rate for all premedical and predental registered students. Not all students are accepted unto their pre-health student roster. Considered the most elite in the industry and assists from start to end – premed to residency. EFIIE is a one-stop-full-service education firm.

"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The tribulations I've overcome in my life have manifested in the compassion, curiosity, and courage that is embedded in my personality. Even a horrific mishap in my life has not changed my core beliefs and has only added fuel to my intense desire to become a doctor. My extensive service at an animal hospital, a harrowing personal experience, and volunteering as an EMT have increased my appreciation and admiration for the medical field.

At thirteen, I accompanied my father to the Park Home Animal Hospital with our eleven-year-old dog, Brendan. He was experiencing severe pain due to an osteosarcoma, which ultimately led to the difficult decision to put him to sleep. That experience brought to light many questions regarding the idea of what constitutes a "quality of life" for an animal and what importance "dignity" plays to an animal and how that differs from owner to owner and pet to pet. Noting my curiosity and my relative maturity in the matter, the owner of the animal hospital invited me to shadow the professional staff. Ten years later, I am still part of the team, having made the transition from volunteer to veterinarian technician. Saving a life, relieving pain, sharing in the euphoria of animal and owner reuniting after a procedure, to understanding the emotions of losing a loved one – my life was forever altered from the moment I stepped into that animal hospital.

As my appreciation for medical professionals continued to grow, a horrible accident created an indelible moment in my life. It was a warm summer day as I jumped onto a small boat captained by my grandfather. He was on his way to refill the boat's gas tank at the local marina, and as he pulled into the dock, I proceeded to make a dire mistake. As the line was thrown from the dock, I attempted to cleat the bowline prematurely, and some of the most intense pain I've ever felt in my life ensued.

Saving a life, relieving pain, sharing in the euphoria of animal and owner reuniting after a procedure, to understanding the emotions of losing a loved one – my life was forever altered from the moment I stepped into that animal hospital.

"Call 911!" I screamed, half-dazed as I witnessed blood gushing out of my open wounds, splashing onto the white fiberglass deck of the boat, forming a small puddle beneath my feet. I was instructed to raise my hand to reduce the bleeding, while someone wrapped an icy towel around the wound. The EMTs arrived shortly after and quickly drove me to an open field a short distance away, where a helicopter seemed to instantaneously appear.

The medevac landed on the roof of Stony Brook Hospital before I was expeditiously wheeled into the operating room for a seven-hour surgery to reattach my severed fingers. The distal phalanges of my 3rd and 4th fingers on my left hand had been torn off by the rope tightening on the cleat. I distinctly remember the chill from the cold metal table, the bright lights of the OR, and multiple doctors and nurses scurrying around. The skill and knowledge required to execute multiple skin graft surgeries were impressive and eye-opening. My shortened fingers often raise questions by others; however, they do not impair my self-confidence or physical abilities. The positive outcome of this trial was the realization of my intense desire to become a medical professional.

Despite being the patient, I was extremely impressed with the dedication, competence, and cohesiveness of the medical team. I felt proud to be a critical member of such a skilled group. To this day, I still cannot explain the dichotomy of experiencing being the patient, and concurrently one on the professional team, committed to saving the patient. Certainly, this experience was a defining part of my life and one of the key contributors to why I became an EMT and a volunteer member of the Sample Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The startling ring of the pager, whether it is to respond to an inebriated alcoholic who is emotionally distraught or to help bring breath to a pulseless person who has been pulled from the family swimming pool, I am committed to EMS. All of these events engender the same call to action and must be reacted to with the same seriousness, intensity, and magnanimity. It may be some routine matter or a dire emergency; this is a role filled with uncertainty and ambiguity, but that is how I choose to spend my days. My motives to become a physician are deeply seeded. They permeate my personality and emanate from my desire to respond to the needs of others. Through a traumatic personal event and my experiences as both a professional and volunteer, I have witnessed firsthand the power to heal the wounded and offer hope. Each person defines success in different ways. To know even one life has been improved by my actions affords me immense gratification and meaning. That is success to me and why I want to be a doctor.

This review is provided by EFIIE Consulting Group’s Pre-Health Senior Consultant Jude Chan

This student was a joy to work with — she was also the lowest MCAT profile I ever accepted onto my roster. At 504 on the second attempt (502 on her first) it would seem impossible and unlikely to most that she would be accepted into an allopathic medical school. Even for an osteopathic medical school this score could be too low. Additionally, the student’s GPA was considered competitive at 3.80, but it was from a lower ranked, less known college, so naturally most advisors would tell this student to go on and complete a master’s or postbaccalaureate program to show that she could manage upper level science classes. Further, she needed to retake the MCAT a third time.

However, I saw many other facets to this student’s history and life that spoke volumes about the type of student she was, and this was the positioning strategy I used for her file. Students who read her personal statement should know that acceptance is contingent on so much more than just an essay and MCAT score or GPA. Although many students have greater MCAT scores than 504 and higher GPAs than 3.80, I have helped students with lower scores and still maintained our 100% match rate. You are competing with thousands of candidates. Not every student out there requires our services and we are actually grateful that we can focus on a limited amount out of the tens of thousands that do. We are also here for the students who wish to focus on learning well the organic chemistry courses and physics courses and who want to focus on their research and shadowing opportunities rather than waste time deciphering the next step in this complex process. We tailor a pathway for each student dependent on their health care career goals, and our partnerships with non-profit organizations, hospitals, physicians and research labs allow our students to focus on what matters most — the building up of their basic science knowledge and their exposure to patients and patient care.

Students who read her personal statement should know that acceptance is contingent on so much more than just an essay and MCAT score or GPA.

Even students who believe that their struggle somehow disqualifies them from their dream career in health care can be redeemed if they are willing to work for it, just like this student with 502 and 504 MCAT scores. After our first consult, I saw a way to position her to still be accepted into an MD school in the US — I would not have recommended she register to our roster if I did not believe we could make a difference. Our rosters have a waitlist each semester, and it is in our best interest to be transparent with our students and protect our 100% record — something I consider a win-win. It is unethical to ever guarantee acceptance in admissions as we simply do not control these decisions. However, we respect it, play by the rules, and help our students stay one step ahead by creating an applicant profile that would be hard for the schools to ignore.

This may be the doctor I go to one day. Or the nurse or dentist my children or my grandchildren goes to one day. That is why it is much more than gaining acceptance — it is about properly matching the student to the best options for their education. Gaining an acceptance and being incapable of getting through the next 4 or 8 years (for my MD/PhD-MSTP students) is nonsensical.

-- Accepted To: Imperial College London UCAT Score: 2740 BMAT Score: 3.9, 5.4, 3.5A

My motivation to study Medicine stems from wishing to be a cog in the remarkable machine that is universal healthcare: a system which I saw first-hand when observing surgery in both the UK and Sri Lanka. Despite the differences in sanitation and technology, the universality of compassion became evident. When volunteering at OSCE training days, I spoke to many medical students, who emphasised the importance of a genuine interest in the sciences when studying Medicine. As such, I have kept myself informed of promising developments, such as the use of monoclonal antibodies in cancer therapy. After learning about the role of HeLa cells in the development of the polio vaccine in Biology, I read 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' to find out more. Furthermore, I read that surface protein CD4 can be added to HeLa cells, allowing them to be infected with HIV, opening the possibility of these cells being used in HIV research to produce more life-changing drugs, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP). Following my BioGrad laboratory experience in HIV testing, and time collating data for research into inflammatory markers in lung cancer, I am also interested in pursuing a career in medical research. However, during a consultation between an ENT surgeon and a thyroid cancer patient, I learnt that practising medicine needs more than a scientific aptitude. As the surgeon explained that the cancer had metastasised to her liver, I watched him empathetically tailor his language for the patient - he avoided medical jargon and instead gave her time to come to terms with this. I have been developing my communication skills by volunteering weekly at care homes for 3 years, which has improved my ability to read body language and structure conversations to engage with the residents, most of whom have dementia.

However, during a consultation between an ENT surgeon and a thyroid cancer patient, I learnt that practising medicine needs more than a scientific aptitude.

Jude’s essay provides a very matter-of-fact account of their experience as a pre-medical student. However, they deepen this narrative by merging two distinct cultures through some common ground: a universality of compassion. Using clear, concise language and a logical succession of events — much like a doctor must follow when speaking to patients — Jude shows their motivation to go into the medical field.

From their OSCE training days to their school’s Science society, Jude connects their analytical perspective — learning about HeLa cells — to something that is relatable and human, such as a poor farmer’s notable contribution to science. This approach provides a gateway into their moral compass without having to explicitly state it, highlighting their fervent desire to learn how to interact and communicate with others when in a position of authority.

Using clear, concise language and a logical succession of events — much like a doctor must follow when speaking to patients — Jude shows their motivation to go into the medical field.

Jude’s closing paragraph reminds the reader of the similarities between two countries like the UK and Sri Lanka, and the importance of having a universal healthcare system that centers around the just and “world-class” treatment of patients. Overall, this essay showcases Jude’s personal initiative to continue to learn more and do better for the people they serve.

While the essay could have benefited from better transitions to weave Jude’s experiences into a personal story, its strong grounding in Jude’s motivation makes for a compelling application essay.

-- Accepted to: Weill Cornell Medical College GPA: 3.98 MCAT: 521

Sponsored by E fie Consulting Group : “ EFIIE ” boasts 100% match rate for all premedical and predental registered students. Not all students are accepted unto their pre-health student roster. Considered the most elite in the industry and assists from start to end – premed to residency. EFIIE is a one-stop-full-service education firm.

Following the physician’s unexpected request, we waited outside, anxiously waiting to hear the latest update on my father’s condition. It was early on in my father’s cancer progression – a change that had shaken our entire way of life overnight. During those 18 months, while my mother spent countless nights at the hospital, I took on the responsibility of caring for my brother. My social life became of minimal concern, and the majority of my studying for upcoming 12th- grade exams was done at the hospital. We were allowed back into the room as the physician walked out, and my parents updated us on the situation. Though we were a tight-knit family and my father wanted us to be present throughout his treatment, what this physician did was give my father a choice. Without making assumptions about who my father wanted in the room, he empowered him to make that choice independently in private. It was this respect directed towards my father, the subsequent efforts at caring for him, and the personal relationship of understanding they formed, that made the largest impact on him. Though my decision to pursue medicine came more than a year later, I deeply valued what these physicians were doing for my father, and I aspired to make a similar impact on people in the future.

It was during this period that I became curious about the human body, as we began to learn physiology in more depth at school. In previous years, the problem-based approach I could take while learning math and chemistry were primarily what sparked my interest. However, I became intrigued by how molecular interactions translated into large-scale organ function, and how these organ systems integrated together to generate the extraordinary physiological functions we tend to under-appreciate. I began my undergraduate studies with the goal of pursuing these interests, whilst leaning towards a career in medicine. While I was surprised to find that there were upwards of 40 programs within the life sciences that I could pursue, it broadened my perspective and challenged me to explore my options within science and healthcare. I chose to study pathobiology and explore my interests through hospital volunteering and research at the end of my first year.

Though my decision to pursue medicine came more than a year later, I deeply valued what these physicians were doing for my father, and I aspired to make a similar impact on people in the future.

While conducting research at St. Michael’s Hospital, I began to understand methods of data collection and analysis, and the thought process of scientific inquiry. I became acquainted with the scientific literature, and the experience transformed how I thought about the concepts I was learning in lecture. However, what stood out to me that summer was the time spent shadowing my supervisor in the neurosurgery clinic. It was where I began to fully understand what life would be like as a physician, and where the career began to truly appeal to me. What appealed to me most was the patient-oriented collaboration and discussions between my supervisor and his fellow; the physician-patient relationship that went far beyond diagnoses and treatments; and the problem solving that I experienced first-hand while being questioned on disease cases.

The day spent shadowing in the clinic was also the first time I developed a relationship with a patient. We were instructed to administer the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) test to patients as they awaited the neurosurgeon. My task was to convey the instructions as clearly as possible and score each section. I did this as best I could, adapting my explanation to each patient, and paying close attention to their responses to ensure I was understood. The last patient was a challenging case, given a language barrier combined with his severe hydrocephalus. It was an emotional time for his family, seeing their father/husband struggle to complete simple tasks and subsequently give up. I encouraged him to continue trying. But I also knew my words would not remedy the condition underlying his struggles. All I could do was make attempts at lightening the atmosphere as I got to know him and his family better. Hours later, as I saw his remarkable improvement following a lumbar puncture, and the joy on his and his family’s faces at his renewed ability to walk independently, I got a glimpse of how rewarding it would be to have the ability and privilege to care for such patients. By this point, I knew I wanted to commit to a life in medicine. Two years of weekly hospital volunteering have allowed me to make a small difference in patients’ lives by keeping them company through difficult times, and listening to their concerns while striving to help in the limited way that I could. I want to have the ability to provide care and treatment on a daily basis as a physician. Moreover, my hope is that the breadth of medicine will provide me with the opportunity to make an impact on a larger scale. Whilst attending conferences on neuroscience and surgical technology, I became aware of the potential to make a difference through healthcare, and I look forward to developing the skills necessary to do so through a Master’s in Global Health. Whether through research, health innovation, or public health, I hope not only to care for patients with the same compassion with which physicians cared for my father, but to add to the daily impact I can have by tackling large-scale issues in health.

Taylor’s essay offers both a straightforward, in-depth narrative and a deep analysis of his experiences, which effectively reveals his passion and willingness to learn in the medical field. The anecdote of Taylor’s father gives the reader insight into an original instance of learning through experience and clearly articulates Taylor’s motivations for becoming a compassionate and respectful physician.

Taylor strikes an impeccable balance between discussing his accomplishments and his character. All of his life experiences — and the difficult challenges he overcame — introduce the reader to an important aspect of Taylor’s personality: his compassion, care for his family, and power of observation in reflecting on the decisions his father’s doctor makes. His description of his time volunteering at St. Michael’s Hospital is indicative of Taylor’s curiosity about medical research, but also of his recognition of the importance of the patient-physician relationship. Moreover, he shows how his volunteer work enabled him to see how medicine goes “beyond diagnoses and treatments” — an observation that also speaks to his compassion.

His description of his time volunteering at St. Michael's Hospital is indicative of Taylor's curiosity about medical research, but also of his recognition of the importance of the patient-physician relationship.

Finally, Taylor also tells the reader about his ambition and purpose, which is important when thinking about applying to medical school. He discusses his hope of tackling larger scale problems through any means possible in medicine. This notion of using self interest to better the world is imperative to a successful college essay, and it is nicely done here.

-- Accepted to: Washington University

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Running has always been one of my greatest passions whether it be with friends or alone with my thoughts. My dad has always been my biggest role model and was the first to introduce me to the world of running. We entered races around the country, and one day he invited me on a run that changed my life forever. The St. Jude Run is an annual event that raises millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. My dad has led or our local team for as long as I can remember, and I had the privilege to join when I was 16. From the first step I knew this was the environment for me – people from all walks of life united with one goal of ending childhood cancer. I had an interest in medicine before the run, and with these experiences I began to consider oncology as a career. When this came up in conversations, I would invariably be faced with the question “Do you really think you could get used to working with dying kids?” My 16-year-old self responded with something noble but naïve like “It’s important work, so I’ll have to handle it”. I was 16 years young with my plan to become an oncologist at St. Jude.

As I transitioned into college my plans for oncology were alive and well. I began working in a biochemistry lab researching new anti-cancer drugs. It was a small start, but I was overjoyed to be a part of the process. I applied to work at a number of places for the summer, but the Pediatric Oncology Education program (POE) at St. Jude was my goal. One afternoon, I had just returned from class and there it was: an email listed as ‘POE Offer’. I was ecstatic and accepted the offer immediately. Finally, I could get a glimpse at what my future holds. My future PI, Dr. Q, specialized in solid tumor translational research and I couldn’t wait to get started.

I was 16 years young with my plan to become an oncologist at St. Jude.

Summer finally came, I moved to Memphis, and I was welcomed by the X lab. I loved translational research because the results are just around the corner from helping patients. We began a pre-clinical trial of a new chemotherapy regimen and the results were looking terrific. I was also able to accompany Dr. Q whenever she saw patients in the solid tumor division. Things started simple with rounds each morning before focusing on the higher risk cases. I was fortunate enough to get to know some of the patients quite well, and I could sometimes help them pass the time with a game or two on a slow afternoon between treatments. These experiences shined a very human light on a field I had previously seen only through a microscope in a lab.

I arrived one morning as usual, but Dr. Q pulled me aside before rounds. She said one of the patients we had been seeing passed away in the night. I held my composure in the moment, but I felt as though an anvil was crushing down on me. It was tragic but I knew loss was part of the job, so I told myself to push forward. A few days later, I had mostly come to terms with what happened, but then the anvil came crashing back down with the passing of another patient. I could scarcely hold back the tears this time. That moment, it didn’t matter how many miraculous successes were happening a few doors down. Nothing overshadowed the loss, and there was no way I could ‘get used to it’ as my younger self had hoped.

I was still carrying the weight of what had happened and it was showing, so I asked Dr. Q for help. How do you keep smiling each day? How do you get used to it? The questions in my head went on. What I heard next changed my perspective forever. She said you keep smiling because no matter what happened, you’re still hope for the next patient. It’s not about getting used to it. You never get used to it and you shouldn’t. Beating cancer takes lifetimes, and you can’t look passed a life’s worth of hardships. I realized that moving passed the loss of patients would never suffice, but I need to move forward with them. Through the successes and shortcomings, we constantly make progress. I like to imagine that in all our future endeavors, it is the hands of those who have gone before us that guide the way. That is why I want to attend medical school and become a physician. We may never end the sting of loss, but physicians are the bridge between the past and the future. No where else is there the chance to learn from tragedy and use that to shape a better future. If I can learn something from one loss, keep moving forward, and use that knowledge to help even a single person – save one life, bring a moment of joy, avoid a moment of pain—then that is how I want to spend my life.

The change wasn’t overnight. The next loss still brought pain, but I took solace in moving forward so that we might learn something to give hope to a future patient. I returned to campus in a new lab doing cancer research, and my passion for medicine continues to flourish. I still think about all the people I encountered at St. Jude, especially those we lost. It might be a stretch, but during the long hours at the lab bench I still picture their hands moving through mine each step of the way. I could never have foreseen where the first steps of the St. Jude Run would bring me. I’m not sure where the road to becoming a physician may lead, but with helping hands guiding the way, I won’t be running it alone.

This essay, a description of the applicant’s intellectual challenges, displays the hardships of tending to cancer patients as a milestone of experience and realization of what it takes to be a physician. The writer explores deeper ideas beyond medicine, such as dealing with patient deaths in a way to progress and improve as a professional. In this way, the applicant gives the reader some insight into the applicant’s mindset, and their ability to think beyond the surface for ways to become better at what they do.

However, the essay fails to zero in on the applicant’s character, instead elaborating on life events that weakly illustrate the applicant’s growth as a physician. The writer’s mantra (“keep moving forward”) is feebly projected, and seems unoriginal due to the lack of a personalized connection between the experience at St. Jude and how that led to the applicant’s growth and mindset changes.

The writer explores deeper ideas beyond medicine, such as dealing with patient deaths in a way to progress and improve as a professional.

The writer, by only focusing on grief brought from patient deaths at St. Jude, misses out on the opportunity to further describe his or her experience at the hospital and portray an original, well-rounded image of his or her strengths, weaknesses, and work ethic.

The applicant ends the essay by attempting to highlight the things they learned at St. Jude, but fails to organize the ideas into a cohesive, comprehensible section. These ideas are also too abstract, and are vague indicators of the applicant’s character that are difficult to grasp.

-- Accepted to: New York University School of Medicine

Sponsored by MedEdits : MedEdits Medical Admissions has been helping applicants get into medical schools like Harvard for more than ten years. Structured like an academic medical department, MedEdits has experts in admissions, writing, editing, medicine, and interview prep working with you collaboratively so you can earn the best admissions results possible.

“Is this the movie you were talking about Alice?” I said as I showed her the movie poster on my iPhone. “Oh my God, I haven’t seen that poster in over 70 years,” she said with her arms trembling in front of her. Immediately, I sat up straight and started to question further. We were talking for about 40 minutes, and the most exciting thing she brought up in that time was the new flavor of pudding she had for lunch. All of sudden, she’s back in 1940 talking about what it was like to see this movie after school for only 5¢ a ticket! After an engaging discussion about life in the 40’s, I knew I had to indulge her. Armed with a plethora of movie streaming sights, I went to work scouring the web. No luck. The movie, “My Son My Son,” was apparently not in high demand amongst torrenting teens. I had to entreat my older brother for his Amazon Prime account to get a working stream. However, breaking up the monotony and isolation felt at the nursing home with a simple movie was worth the pandering.

While I was glad to help a resident have some fun, I was partly motivated by how much Alice reminded me of my own grandfather. In accordance with custom, my grandfather was to stay in our house once my grandmother passed away. More specifically, he stayed in my room and my bed. Just like grandma’s passing, my sudden roommate was a rough transition. In 8th grade at the time, I considered myself to be a generally good guy. Maybe even good enough to be a doctor one day. I volunteered at the hospital, shadowed regularly, and had a genuine interest for science. However, my interest in medicine was mostly restricted to academia. To be honest, I never had a sustained exposure to the palliative side of medicine until the arrival of my new roommate.

The two years I slept on that creaky wooden bed with him was the first time my metal was tested. Sharing that room, I was the one to take care of him. I was the one to rub ointment on his back, to feed him when I came back from school, and to empty out his spittoon when it got full. It was far from glamorous, and frustrating most of the time. With 75 years separating us, and senile dementia setting in, he would often forget who I was or where he was. Having to remind him that I was his grandson threatened to erode at my resolve. Assured by my Syrian Orthodox faith, I even prayed about it; asking God for comfort and firmness on my end. Over time, I grew slow to speak and eager to listen as he started to ramble more and more about bits and pieces of the past. If I was lucky, I would be able to stich together a narrative that may or may have not been true. In any case, my patience started to bud beyond my age group.

Having to remind him that I was his grandson threatened to erode at my resolve.

Although I grew more patient with his disease, my curiosity never really quelled. Conversely, it developed further alongside my rapidly growing interest in the clinical side of medicine. Naturally, I became drawn to a neurology lab in college where I got to study pathologies ranging from atrophy associated with schizophrenia, and necrotic lesions post stroke. However, unlike my intro biology courses, my work at the neurology lab was rooted beyond the academics. Instead, I found myself driven by real people who could potentially benefit from our research. In particular, my shadowing experience with Dr. Dominger in the Veteran’s home made the patient more relevant in our research as I got to encounter geriatric patients with age related diseases, such as Alzhimer’s and Parkinson’s. Furthermore, I had the privilege of of talking to the families of a few of these patients to get an idea of the impact that these diseases had on the family structure. For me, the scut work in the lab meant a lot more with these families in mind than the tritium tracer we were using in the lab.

Despite my achievements in the lab and the classroom, my time with my grandfather still holds a special place in my life story. The more I think about him, the more confident I am in my decision to pursue a career where caring for people is just as important, if not more important, than excelling at academics. Although it was a lot of work, the years spent with him was critical in expanding my horizons both in my personal life and in the context of medicine. While I grew to be more patient around others, I also grew to appreciate medicine beyond the science. This more holistic understanding of medicine had a synergistic effect in my work as I gained a purpose behind the extra hours in the lab, sleepless nights in the library, and longer hours volunteering. I had a reason for what I was doing that may one day help me have long conversations with my own grandchildren about the price of popcorn in the 2000’s.

The most important thing to highlight in Avery’s essay is how he is able to create a duality between his interest in not only the clinical, more academic-based side of medicine, but also the field’s personal side.

He draws personal connections between working with Alice — a patient in a hospital or nursing home — and caring intensely for his grandfather. These two experiences build up the “synergistic” relationship between caring for people and studying the science behind medicine. In this way, he is able to clearly state his passions for medicine and explain his exact motives for entering the field. Furthermore, in his discussion of her grandfather, he effectively employs imagery (“rub ointment on his back,” “feed him when I came back from school,” etc.) to describe the actual work that he does, calling it initially as “far from glamorous, and frustrating most of the time.” By first mentioning his initial impression, then transitioning into how he grew to appreciate the experience, Avery is able to demonstrate a strength of character, sense of enormous responsibility and capability, and open-minded attitude.

He draws personal connections between working with Alice — a patient in a hospital or nursing home — and caring intensely for his grandfather.

Later in the essay, Avery is also able to relate his time caring for his grandfather to his work with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients, showcasing the social impact of his work, as the reader is likely already familiar with the biological impact of the work. This takes Avery’s essay full circle, bringing it back to how a discussion with an elderly patient about the movies reminds him of why he chose to pursue medicine.

That said, the essay does feel rushed near the end, as the writer was likely trying to remain within the word count. There could be a more developed transition before Avery introduces the last sentence about “conversations with my own grandchildren,” especially as a strong essay ending is always recommended.

-- Accepted To: Saint Louis University Medical School Direct Admission Medical Program

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The tension in the office was tangible. The entire team sat silently sifting through papers as Dr. L introduced Adam, a 60-year-old morbidly obese man recently admitted for a large open wound along his chest. As Dr. L reviewed the details of the case, his prognosis became even bleaker: hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiomyopathy, hyperlipidemia; the list went on and on. As the humdrum of the side-conversations came to a halt, and the shuffle of papers softened, the reality of Adam’s situation became apparent. Adam had a few months to live at best, a few days at worst. To make matters worse, Adam’s insurance would not cover his treatment costs. With no job, family, or friends, he was dying poor and alone.

I followed Dr. L out of the conference room, unsure what would happen next. “Well,” she muttered hesitantly, “We need to make sure that Adam is on the same page as us.” It’s one thing to hear bad news, and another to hear it utterly alone. Dr. L frantically reviewed all of Adam’s paperwork desperately looking for someone to console him, someone to be at his side. As she began to make calls, I saw that being a physician calls for more than good grades and an aptitude for science: it requires maturity, sacrifice, and most of all, empathy. That empathy is exactly what I saw in Dr. L as she went out of her way to comfort a patient she met hardly 20 minutes prior.

Since high school, I’ve been fascinated by technology’s potential to improve healthcare. As a volunteer in [the] Student Ambassador program, I was fortunate enough to watch an open-heart surgery. Intrigued by the confluence of technology and medicine, I chose to study biomedical engineering. At [school], I wanted to help expand this interface, so I became involved with research through Dr. P’s lab by studying the applications of electrospun scaffolds for dermal wound healing. While still in the preliminary stages of research, I learned about the Disability Service Club (DSC) and decided to try something new by volunteering at a bowling outing.

As she began to make calls, I saw that being a physician calls for more than good grades and an aptitude for science: it requires maturity, sacrifice, and most of all, empathy.

The DSC promotes awareness of cognitive disabilities in the community and seeks to alleviate difficulties for the disabled. During one outing, I collaborated with Arc, a local organization with a similar mission. Walking in, I was told that my role was to support the participants by providing encouragement. I decided to help a relatively quiet group of individuals assisted by only one volunteer, Mary. Mary informed me that many individuals with whom I was working were diagnosed with ASD. Suddenly, she started cheering, as one of the members of the group bowled a strike. The group went wild. Everyone was dancing, singing, and rejoicing. Then I noticed one gentleman sitting at our table, solemn-faced. I tried to start a conversation with him, but he remained unresponsive. I sat with him for the rest of the game, trying my hardest to think of questions that would elicit more than a monosyllabic response, but to no avail. As the game ended, I stood up to say bye when he mumbled, “Thanks for talking.” Then he quickly turned his head away. I walked away beaming. Although I was unable to draw out a smile or even sustain a conversation, at the end of the day, the fact that this gentleman appreciated my mere effort completely overshadowed the awkwardness of our time together. Later that day, I realized that as much as I enjoyed the thrill of research and its applications, helping other people was what I was most passionate about.

When it finally came time to tell Adam about his deteriorating condition, I was not sure how he would react. Dr. L gently greeted him and slowly let reality take its toll. He stoically turned towards Dr. L and groaned, “I don’t really care. Just leave me alone.” Dr. L gave him a concerned nod and gradually left the room. We walked to the next room where we met with a pastor from Adam’s church.

“Adam’s always been like that,” remarked the pastor, “he’s never been one to express emotion.” We sat with his pastor for over an hour discussing how we could console Adam. It turned out that Adam was part of a motorcycle club, but recently quit because of his health. So, Dr. L arranged for motorcycle pictures and other small bike trinkets to be brought to his room as a reminder of better times.

Dr. L’s simple gesture reminded me of why I want to pursue medicine. There is something sacred, empowering, about providing support when people need it the most; whether it be simple as starting a conversation, or providing support during the most trying of times. My time spent conducting research kindled my interest in the science of medicine, and my service as a volunteer allowed me to realize how much I valued human interaction. Science and technology form the foundation of medicine, but to me, empathy is the essence. It is my combined interest in science and service that inspires me to pursue medicine. It is that combined interest that makes me aspire to be a physician.

Parker’s essay focuses on one central narrative with a governing theme of compassionate and attentive care for patients, which is the key motivator for her application to medical school. Parker’s story focuses on her volunteer experience shadowing of Dr. L who went the extra mile for Adam, which sets Dr. L up as a role model for Parker as she enters the medical field. This effectively demonstrates to the reader what kind of doctor Parker wants to be in the future.

Parker’s narrative has a clear beginning, middle, and end, making it easy for the reader to follow. She intersperses the main narrative about Adam with experiences she has with other patients and reflects upon her values as she contemplates pursuing medicine as a career. Her anecdote about bowling with the patients diagnosed with ASD is another instance where she uses a story to tell the reader why she values helping people through medicine and attentive patient care, especially as she focuses on the impact her work made on one man at the event.

Parker's story focuses on her volunteer experience shadowing of Dr. L who went the extra mile for Adam, which sets Dr. L up as a role model for Parker as she enters the medical field.

All throughout the essay, the writing is engaging and Parker incorporates excellent imagery, which goes well with her varied sentence structure. The essay is also strong because it comes back full circle at its conclusion, tying the overall narrative back to the story of Dr. L and Adam, which speaks to Parker’s motives for going to medical school.

-- Accepted To: Emory School of Medicine

Growing up, I enjoyed visiting my grandparents. My grandfather was an established doctor, helping the sick and elderly in rural Taiwan until two weeks before he died at 91 years old. His clinic was located on the first floor of the residency with an exam room, treatment room, X-ray room, and small pharmacy. Curious about his work, I would follow him to see his patients. Grandpa often asked me if I want to be a doctor just like him. I always smiled, but was more interested in how to beat the latest Pokémon game. I was in 8th grade when my grandfather passed away. I flew back to Taiwan to attend his funeral. It was a gloomy day and the only street in the small village became a mourning place for the villagers. Flowers filled the streets and people came to pay their respects. An old man told me a story: 60 years ago, a village woman was in a difficult labor. My grandfather rushed into the house and delivered a baby boy. That boy was the old man and he was forever grateful. Stories of grandpa saving lives and bringing happiness to families were told during the ceremony. At that moment, I realized why my grandfather worked so tirelessly up until his death as a physician. He did it for the reward of knowing that he kept a family together and saved a life. The ability for a doctor to heal and bring happiness is the reason why I want to study medicine. Medical school is the first step on a lifelong journey of learning, but I feel that my journey leading up to now has taught me some things of what it means to be an effective physician.

With a newfound purpose, I began volunteering and shadowing at my local hospital. One situation stood out when I was a volunteer in the cardiac stress lab. As I attached EKG leads onto a patient, suddenly the patient collapsed and started gasping for air. His face turned pale, then slightly blue. The charge nurse triggered “Code Blue” and started CPR. A team of doctors and nurses came, rushing in with a defibrillator to treat and stabilize the patient. What I noticed was that medicine was not only about one individual acting as a superhero to save a life, but that it takes a team of individuals with an effective leader, working together to deliver the best care. I want to be a leader as well as part of a team that can make a difference in a person’s life. I have refined these lessons about teamwork and leadership to my activities. In high school I was an 8 time varsity letter winner for swimming and tennis and captain of both of those teams. In college I have participated in many activities, but notably serving as assistant principle cellist in my school symphony as well as being a co-founding member of a quartet. From both my athletic experiences and my music experiences I learned what it was like to not only assert my position as a leader and to effectively communicate my views, but equally as important I learned how to compromise and listen to the opinions of others. Many physicians that I have observed show a unique blend of confidence and humility.

What I noticed was that medicine was not only about one individual acting as a superhero to save a life, but that it takes a team of individuals with an effective leader, working together to deliver the best care.

College opened me up to new perspectives on what makes a complete physician. A concept that was preached in the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions in Medicine (GPPA) was that medicine is both an art and a science. The art of medicine deals with a variety of aspects including patient relationships as well as ethics. Besides my strong affinity for the sciences and mathematics, I always have had interest in history. I took courses in both German literature and history, which influenced me to take a class focusing on Nazi neuroscientists. It was the ideology of seeing the disabled and different races as test subjects rather than people that led to devastating lapses in medical ethics. The most surprising fact for me was that doctors who were respected and leaders in their field disregarded the humanity of patient and rather focused on getting results from their research. Speaking with Dr. Zeidman, the professor for this course, influenced me to start my research which deals with the ethical qualms of using data derived from unethical Nazi experimentation such as the brains derived from the adult and child euthanasia programs. Today, science is so result driven, it is important to keep in mind the ethics behind research and clinical practice. Also the development of personalized genomic medicine brings into question about potential privacy violations and on the extreme end discrimination. The study of ethics no matter the time period is paramount in the medical field. The end goal should always be to put the patient first.

Teaching experiences in college inspired me to become a physician educator if I become a doctor. Post-MCAT, I was offered a job by Next Step Test Prep as a tutor to help students one on one for the MCAT. I had a student who stated he was doing well during practice, but couldn’t get the correct answer during practice tests. Working with the student, I pointed out his lack of understanding concepts and this realization helped him and improves his MCAT score. Having the ability to educate the next generation of doctors is not only necessary, but also a rewarding experience.

My experiences volunteering and shadowing doctors in the hospital as well as my understanding of what it means to be a complete physician will make me a good candidate as a medical school student. It is my goal to provide the best care to patients and to put a smile on a family’s face just as my grandfather once had. Achieving this goal does not take a special miracle, but rather hard work, dedication, and an understanding of what it means to be an effective physician.

Through reflecting on various stages of life, Quinn expresses how they found purpose in pursuing medicine. Starting as a child more interested in Pokemon than their grandfather’s patients, Quinn exhibits personal growth through recognizing the importance of their grandfather’s work saving lives and eventually gaining the maturity to work towards this goal as part of a team.

This essay opens with abundant imagery — of the grandfather’s clinic, flowers filling the streets, and the village woman’s difficult labor — which grounds Quinn’s story in their family roots. Yet, the transition from shadowing in hospitals to pursuing leadership positions in high schools is jarring, and the list of athletic and musical accomplishments reads like a laundry list of accomplishments until Quinn neatly wraps them up as evidence of leadership and teamwork skills. Similarly, the section about tutoring, while intended to demonstrate Quinn’s desire to educate future physicians, lacks the emotional resonance necessary to elevate it from another line lifted from their resume.

This essay opens with abundant imagery — of the grandfather's clinic, flowers filling the streets, and the village woman's difficult labor — which grounds Quinn's story in their family roots.

The strongest point of Quinn’s essay is the focus on their unique arts and humanities background. This equips them with a unique perspective necessary to consider issues in medicine in a new light. Through detailing how history and literature coursework informed their unique research, Quinn sets their application apart from the multitude of STEM-focused narratives. Closing the essay with the desire to help others just as their grandfather had, Quinn ties the narrative back to their personal roots.

-- Accepted To: Edinburgh University UCAT Score: 2810 BMAT Score: 4.6, 4.2, 3.5A

Exposure to the medical career from an early age by my father, who would explain diseases of the human body, sparked my interest for Medicine and drove me to seek out work experience. I witnessed the contrast between use of bone saws and drills to gain access to the brain, with subsequent use of delicate instruments and microscopes in neurosurgery. The surgeon's care to remove the tumour, ensuring minimal damage to surrounding healthy brain and his commitment to achieve the best outcome for the patient was inspiring. The chance to have such a positive impact on a patient has motivated me to seek out a career in Medicine.

Whilst shadowing a surgical team in Texas, carrying out laparoscopic bariatric procedures, I appreciated the surgeon's dedication to continual professional development and research. I was inspired to carry out an Extended Project Qualification on whether bariatric surgery should be funded by the NHS. By researching current literature beyond my school curriculum, I learnt to assess papers for bias and use reliable sources to make a conclusion on a difficult ethical situation. I know that doctors are required to carry out research and make ethical decisions and so, I want to continue developing these skills during my time at medical school.

The chance to have such a positive impact on a patient has motivated me to seek out a career in Medicine.

Attending an Oncology multi-disciplinary team meeting showed me the importance of teamwork in medicine. I saw each team member, with specific areas of expertise, contributing to the discussion and actively listening, and together they formed a holistic plan of action for patients. During my Young Enterprise Award, I facilitated a brainstorm where everyone pitched a product idea. Each member offered a different perspective on the idea and then voted on a product to carry forward in the competition. As a result, we came runners up in the Regional Finals. Furthermore, I started developing my leadership skills, which I improved by doing Duke of Edinburgh Silver and attending a St. John Ambulance Leadership course. In one workshop, similar to the bariatric surgeon I shadowed, I communicated instructions and delegated roles to my team to successfully solve a puzzle. These experiences highlighted the crucial need for teamwork and leadership as a doctor.

Observing a GP, I identified the importance of compassion and empathy. During a consultation with a severely depressed patient, the GP came to the patient's eye level and used a calm, non-judgmental tone of voice, easing her anxieties and allowing her to disclose more information. While volunteering at a care home weekly for two years, I adapted my communication for a resident suffering with dementia who was disconnected from others. I would take her to a quiet environment, speak slowly and in a non-threatening manner, as such, she became talkative, engaged and happier. I recognised that communication and compassion allows doctors to build rapport, gain patients' trust and improve compliance. For two weeks, I shadowed a surgeon performing multiple craniotomies a day. I appreciated the challenges facing doctors including time and stress management needed to deliver high quality care. Organisation, by prioritising patients based on urgency and creating a timetable on the ward round, was key to running the theatre effectively. Similarly, I create to-do-lists and prioritise my academics and extra-curricular activities to maintain a good work-life balance: I am currently preparing for my Grade 8 in Singing, alongside my A-level exams. I also play tennis for the 1st team to relax and enable me to refocus. I wish to continue my hobbies at university, as ways to manage stress.

Through my work experiences and voluntary work, I have gained a realistic understanding of Medicine and its challenges. I have begun to display the necessary skills that I witnessed, such as empathy, leadership and teamwork. The combination of these skills with my fascination for the human body drives me to pursue a place at medical school and a career as a doctor.

This essay traces Alex's personal exploration of medicine through different stages of life, taking a fairly traditional path to the medical school application essay. From witnessing medical procedures to eventually pursuing leadership positions, this tale of personal progress argues that Alex's life has prepared him to become a doctor.

Alex details how experiences conducting research and working with medical teams have confirmed his interest in medicine. Although the breadth of experiences speaks to the applicant’s interest in medicine, the essay verges on being a regurgitation of the Alex's resume, which does not provide the admissions officer with any new insights or information and ultimately takes away from the essay as a whole. As such, the writing’s lack of voice or unique perspective puts the applicant at risk of sounding middle-of-the-road.

From witnessing medical procedures to eventually pursuing leadership positions, this tale of personal progress argues that Alex's life has prepared him to become a doctor.

The essay’s organization, however, is one of its strengths — each paragraph provides an example of personal growth through a new experience in medicine. Further, Alex demonstrates his compassion and diligence through detailed stories, which give a reader a glimpse into his values. Through recognizing important skills necessary to be a doctor, Alex demonstrates that he has the mature perspective necessary to embark upon this journey.

What this essay lacks in a unique voice, it makes up for in professionalism and organization. Alex's earnest desire to attend medical school is what makes this essay shine.

-- Accepted To: University of Toronto MCAT Scores: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems - 128, Critical Analysis and Reading Skills - 127, Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems - 127, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior - 130, Total - 512

Moment of brilliance.

Revelation.

These are all words one would use to describe their motivation by a higher calling to achieve something great. Such an experience is often cited as the reason for students to become physicians; I was not one of these students. Instead of waiting for an event like this, I chose to get involved in the activities that I found most invigorating. Slowly but surely, my interests, hobbies, and experiences inspired me to pursue medicine.

As a medical student, one must possess a solid academic foundation to facilitate an understanding of physical health and illness. Since high school, I found science courses the most appealing and tended to devote most of my time to their exploration. I also enjoyed learning about the music, food, literature, and language of other cultures through Latin and French class. I chose the Medical Sciences program because it allowed for flexibility in course selection. I have studied several scientific disciplines in depth like physiology and pathology while taking classes in sociology, psychology, and classical studies. Such a diverse academic portfolio has strengthened my ability to consider multiple viewpoints and attack problems from several angles. I hope to relate to patients from all walks of life as a physician and offer them personalized treatment.

I was motivated to travel as much as possible by learning about other cultures in school. Exposing myself to different environments offered me perspective on universal traits that render us human. I want to pursue medicine because I believe that this principle of commonality relates to medical practice in providing objective and compassionate care for all. Combined with my love for travel, this realization took me to Nepal with Volunteer Abroad (VA) to build a school for a local orphanage (4). The project’s demands required a group of us to work closely as a team to accomplish the task. Rooted in different backgrounds, we often had conflicting perspectives; even a simple task such as bricklaying could stir up an argument because each person had their own approach. However, we discussed why we came to Nepal and reached the conclusion that all we wanted was to build a place of education for the children. Our unifying goal allowed us to reach compromises and truly appreciate the value of teamwork. These skills are vital in a clinical setting, where physicians and other health care professionals need to collaborate as a multidisciplinary team to tackle patients’ physical, emotional, social, and psychological problems.

I hope to relate to patients from all walks of life as a physician and offer them personalized treatment.

The insight I gained from my Nepal excursion encouraged me to undertake and develop the role of VA campus representative (4). Unfortunately, many students are not equipped with the resources to volunteer abroad; I raised awareness about local initiatives so everyone had a chance to do their part. I tried to avoid pushing solely for international volunteerism for this reason and also because it can undermine the work of local skilled workers and foster dependency. Nevertheless, I took on this position with VA because I felt that the potential benefits were more significant than the disadvantages. Likewise, doctors must constantly weigh out the pros and cons of a situation to help a patient make the best choice. I tried to dispel fears of traveling abroad by sharing first-hand experiences so that students could make an informed decision. When people approached me regarding unfamiliar placements, I researched their questions and provided them with both answers and a sense of security. I found great fulfillment in addressing the concerns of individuals, and I believe that similar processes could prove invaluable in the practice of medicine.

As part of the Sickkids Summer Research Program, I began to appreciate the value of experimental investigation and evidence-based medicine (23). Responsible for initiating an infant nutrition study at a downtown clinic, I was required to explain the project’s implications and daily protocol to physicians, nurses and phlebotomists. I took anthropometric measurements and blood pressure of children aged 1-10 and asked parents about their and their child’s diet, television habits, physical exercise regimen, and sunlight exposure. On a few occasions, I analyzed and presented a small set of data to my superiors through oral presentations and written documents.

With continuous medical developments, physicians must participate in lifelong learning. More importantly, they can engage in research to further improve the lives of their patients. I encountered a young mother one day at the clinic struggling to complete the study’s questionnaires. After I asked her some questions, she began to open up to me as her anxiety subsided; she then told me that her child suffered from low iron. By talking with the physician and reading a few articles, I recommended a few supplements and iron-rich foods to help her child. This experience in particular helped me realize that I enjoy clinical research and strive to address the concerns of people with whom I interact.

Research is often impeded by a lack of government and private funding. My clinical placement motivated me to become more adept in budgeting, culminating in my role as founding Co-President of the UWO Commerce Club (ICCC) (9). Together, fellow club executives and I worked diligently to get the club ratified, a process that made me aware of the bureaucratic challenges facing new organizations. Although we had a small budget, we found ways of minimizing expenditure on advertising so that we were able to host more speakers who lectured about entrepreneurship and overcoming challenges. Considering the limited space available in hospitals and the rising cost of health care, physicians, too, are often forced to prioritize and manage the needs of their patients.

No one needs a grand revelation to pursue medicine. Although passion is vital, it is irrelevant whether this comes suddenly from a life-altering event or builds up progressively through experience. I enjoyed working in Nepal, managing resources, and being a part of clinical and research teams; medicine will allow me to combine all of these aspects into one wholesome career.

I know with certainty that this is the profession for me.

Jimmy opens this essay hinting that his essay will follow a well-worn path, describing the “big moment” that made him realize why he needed to become a physician. But Jimmy quickly turns the reader’s expectation on its head by stating that he did not have one of those moments. By doing this, Jimmy commands attention and has the reader waiting for an explanation. He soon provides the explanation that doubles as the “thesis” of his essay: Jimmy thinks passion can be built progressively, and Jimmy’s life progression has led him to the medical field.

Jimmy did not make the decision to pursue a career in medicine lightly. Instead he displays through anecdotes that his separate passions — helping others, exploring different walks of life, personal responsibility, and learning constantly, among others — helped Jimmy realize that being a physician was the career for him. By talking readers through his thought process, it is made clear that Jimmy is a critical thinker who can balance multiple different perspectives simultaneously. The ability to evaluate multiple options and make an informed, well-reasoned decision is one that bodes well for Jimmy’s medical career.

While in some cases this essay does a lot of “telling,” the comprehensive and decisive walkthrough indicates what Jimmy’s idea of a doctor is. To him, a doctor is someone who is genuinely interested in his work, someone who can empathize and related to his patients, someone who can make important decisions with a clear head, and someone who is always trying to learn more. Just like his decision to work at the VA, Jimmy has broken down the “problem” (what his career should be) and reached a sound conclusion.

By talking readers through his thought process, it is made clear that Jimmy is a critical thinker who can balance multiple different perspectives simultaneously.

Additionally, this essay communicates Jimmy’s care for others. While it is not always advisable to list one’s volunteer efforts, each activity Jimmy lists has a direct application to his essay. Further, the sheer amount of philanthropic work that Jimmy does speaks for itself: Jimmy would not have worked at VA, spent a summer with Sickkids, or founded the UWO finance club if he were not passionate about helping others through medicine. Like the VA story, the details of Jimmy’s participation in Sickkids and the UWO continue to show how he has thought about and embodied the principles that a physician needs to be successful.

Jimmy’s essay both breaks common tropes and lives up to them. By framing his “list” of activities with his passion-happens-slowly mindset, Jimmy injects purpose and interest into what could have been a boring and braggadocious essay if it were written differently. Overall, this essay lets the reader know that Jimmy is seriously dedicated to becoming a physician, and both his thoughts and his actions inspire confidence that he will give medical school his all.

The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this content.

Nursing Student Clinical Experience: Navigating the Path

This essay will explore the clinical experiences of nursing students, discussing the challenges and learning opportunities they encounter. It will cover aspects such as hands-on patient care, working in healthcare teams, and applying theoretical knowledge in practical settings. The piece will also discuss the importance of these experiences in preparing students for a nursing career. Moreover, at PapersOwl, there are additional free essay samples connected to Health Care.

How it works

1 Starting the Day: First Clinical Experience
2 Handling Emotions and Ensuring Patient Safety
3.1 Works Cited

Starting the Day: First Clinical Experience

My first clinical experience was on November 12, 2018, at the hospital (Regional Medical Center). I was overly avid and nervous at the time. I was there at 6:00 AM, wearing my white uniform, and was ready to start.

First of all, I washed my hand and completed my paperwork. I was assigned to a male patient who was in room 14. So, I went to my night nurse (Angel) to get the handoff report. In addition, I went to my patient’s room, introduced myself, and identified him by using his name and date of birth to make sure that I had the right patient.

I told my patient that I’d be giving him a bed bath, and he refused and said, “My wife will give me a bed bath. Thanks.” I was so anxious during that time because I couldn’t force them to do so and couldn’t go without completing my assignment. Thus, I let my instructor know about the issue. I was present almost all the time in my patient’s room, so he could know me better. I felt a very personal connection between my patient and me, and I think that my experience in class helped me to give both him and his wife the care and empathy that they deserved.

Handling Emotions and Ensuring Patient Safety

Obviously, working in the healthcare setting entailed a huge amount of self-control and repression for the nurses to provide nursing care to the patient without including his/her own emotions. I helped my patient to eat his breakfast, and 30 min later, I took his vital signs (RR, T, P, BP, SpO2, and pain). Safety and competency were a priority during clinical hours. I unintentionally left my side rails down with a patient at high risk of falls. Then started giving him his bed bath with his wife’s assistance. My patient was sweet and awesome and was effectively communicating with me. Thus, this increased my confidence and my knowledge. After completing my bed bath, I documented the I/O and VS and reported them to my instructor.

Conclusion: Reflections and Lessons Learned

Finally, attending the first clinical day allowed me to improve my practice in the healthcare setting. The patient and his family made a great impression on me and my profession as a student nurse because it authorized me to utilize my skills and gain new job experiences. In reflection on this patient’s care, I now realize my personal participation in the case is a benefit rather than an impediment.

Works Cited

Benner, P. (2001). From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice. Prentice Hall.
Finkelman, A. (2016). Leadership and Management for Nurses: Core Competencies for Quality Care (3rd ed.). Pearson.

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My First Week of Clinical Experience, Essay Example

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My first week of clinical experience at the Oncology/Med-surge floor was quite different from what I expected. On the first day, we immediately had six patients, with two being post-ups and the other four being surgeries. We were told that the activity was typical for a busy floor, so we braced ourselves for the remainder of the week. However, what surprised me most was that my preceptor seemed to have a hard time having a student around. He would sometimes disappear and perform tasks without me, which made me feel like he thought that I was slowing him down. At times, he would ask me to stay at the nursing station while he made rounds, telling me to wait for a doctor to call back, or he would ask me to wait for the tubing system to deliver patient’s labels. At one time, I reasoned that the tubing system was really loud and that when it delivered something we would clearly be able to hear it inside a patient’s room. I offered to go with him so that I can set up the IV pump for an ordered antibiotic for the patient.

In another incident, he did not want me to start an IV even though the patient was not hard to stick and I could easily spot a good vein. For some reason I could not understand, he asked me to stay out of the room. I stayed out of his way after I realized that he could be really nervous about a student being around while he was going about his work. When he was done and away from his patients, I felt that it was important for me to understand what just happened, and so I asked him politely about it. To my relief, he started being honest with me and admitted that he really was just nervous because he felt that it was not a good idea for a student to watch him in case he was not successful. He followed up his explanation with a joke and that smoothened out the awkwardness. I reassured him that it was alright, and that we all have our moments. I told him that nobody was perfect, not even the swat nurses and that I needed to see everything he does whenever possible because that was how I would learn. Although it was my first night and could just play observant, I preferred to grab every learning opportunity that I could get. All the time, I made sure to protect the safety of the patients and was very careful not to step out of my scope of practice. I just thought that it is better if I stepped up and acted as an extra resource for my preceptor and our patients. He kept apologizing for not meeting his duties as a preceptor and explained that it was an extremely busy night. I tried to reassure him that we have plenty of time to catch up and that I was not just some greenhorn student. I explained that I was almost graduating and that he could trust me and give me more tasks. That way, I could help him take care of our patients and not just follow his actions on every single task. The second night was also busy but he still just assigned me to simple tasks. I was really confused; I remember thinking that he seemed like a very knowledgeable nurse, and wondering why he did not feel comfortable sharing what he knows to a student who is in her last rotation! I really wanted to go over things with him. Instead he would tell me to look at the charts. He would not mind me sitting on the computer for hours reading charts if I agreed to it! I could literally say it took 2 days and half for this guy to start warming up to me. Finally on my third day, he gave me more autonomy. I took care of two patients completely, performing head to toe assessment, administering medications, and setting up IV pumps with primary and secondary lines. I helped him with other patients by answering call lights, following up with orders and reminding him what meds were due throughout the night for our patients. He double checked everything I did which is good because I just needed the opportunity but I knew that I must have him there to make sure that I was doing things right especially in administering meds. So the next morning, I left the floor with my head up and felt like I was already a nurse who could really take care of my patients independently, as long as I was given the opportunity and trust to do so by my preceptor. I even felt great because I honestly thought that he purposely put me through this test to see if I would suck it up and deal with his challenges! However, I wonder how another student with less hospital experience than me would fare if he or she was put in my position for the first 2 and a half days that I narrated. I guess this is an example of the common saying that “old nurses eat their young”.

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Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays: Tips To Stand Out
Don't forget to include patient care stories from your clinical experiences too! Johns Hopkins Secondary Essays Tip #6: For the Johns Hopkins Wonder essay, you can write about any topic, including non-science related experiences. A great Johns Hopkins secondary essay answer for this prompt will convey: 1) your intellectual curiosity and ...
Essay about My Clinical Experience
6. This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. Cite this essay. Download. Learning plans are a key component of student learning in professional practice settings. The learning plan is a dynamic document that informs the learner, preceptor, and ...
10 Successful Medical School Essays
REVIEW. In her essay for medical school, Morgan pitches herself as a future physician with an interdisciplinary approach, given her appreciation of how the humanities can enable her to better ...
Nursing Student Clinical Experience: Navigating the Path
Essay Example: Starting the Day: First Clinical Experience My first clinical experience was on November 12, 2018, at the hospital (Regional Medical Center). I was overly avid and nervous at the time. I was there at 6:00 AM, wearing my white uniform, and was ready to start. First of all, I washed
Essay Samples on Clinical Experience
Clinical Experience In Implementing The Institutional-Based Concepts. Institutional-based concepts are essential components during the clinical experience; they assist the healthcare providers in relating the theoretical part of healthcare professionals to what is happening on the ground. Many principles are applicable in medical practice, all ...
My First Week of Clinical Experience, Essay Example
You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work. My first week of clinical experience at the Oncology/Med-surge floor was quite different from what I expected. On the first day, we immediately had six patients, with two being post-ups and the other four being surgeries. We were told that the activity was typical for a ...
My Clinical Experience as a Nursing Studen
Professional Growth and Development. My clinical experience has not only enhanced my clinical skills but also contributed significantly to my personal and professional growth. Through challenging situations and encounters with critically ill patients, I have learned to remain calm under pressure and think critically in fast-paced, high-stakes ...
Nursing Student's Reflection on Clinical Experience
Stepping into the world of clinical practice as a nursing student was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. The. opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real patients brought a newfound sense of purpose and responsibility. In this essay, I will reflect on my clinical experience as a nursing student, delving into the challenges,
Clinical Placement Reflective Essay-final
Introduction. This essay aims to critically reflect on an experience where a patient was encountered during clinical placement. The real name of the patient in this reflective essay has been changed for confidentiality reasons as it is the patient's right (Kentucky Board of Nursing, 2018).
Clinical Experience Essay Examples
Clinical Experience Essays. Clinical Preparation Reflection. Reflection is an essential element in developing professional competencies, and it is considered a way of evaluating an experience to identify alternative strategies to do things. Writing is a physical act that includes perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and relations connected to a ...
First Clinical Experience Of Nursing Student In Clinical Setting
This essay provides a reflective account of a clinical experience, showcasing the writer's keen observation and thoughtful analysis. The writer effectively narrates the situation, highlighting their role as an observer and their subsequent reflections on patient care, advocacy, and personal growth.
Clinical Experience: a Journey of Learning and Compassion
In conclusion, clinical experience is a multifaceted journey that transcends the acquisition of technical skills. It is an immersive process that encompasses the integration of theoretical knowledge, the cultivation of empathy and effective communication, the navigation of ethical dilemmas, and the practice of reflection.
Clinical Experiences Essay Examples
Clinical Experiences Essays A Personal Reflection on the Clinical Experiences My clinical rotation in the outpatient department- the emergency room and the operating theatre was very exciting because I got to observe and learn a lot from the different experiences I had with the patients we served.
Clinical Experience Essay Examples
Clinical Experience Essay Examples. As a student of nursing program I am doing 220 clinical placements at True Davidson long term care. On the first day of my clinical, I was so excited and quite nervous too. On that day, I picked one patient and it was my first experience to handle the client individually.
Clinical Learning Experience of Nursing Students
Clinical learning experiences hold a paramount role in nursing education, serving as a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical application.This essay explores the essential role of clinical placements in developing practical skills, critical thinking, and professionalism among nursing students.By providing hands-on training, fostering critical thinking, enhancing patient interaction ...