Hometown: Peterborough, New Hampshire, USA 

Undergraduate School: Public, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Major: Biology

GPA: 4.0 out of 4.0

MCAT: 510. CP: 126, CARS: 131, BB: 127, PS: 126.

Example AMCAS personal statement

When I first joined the Marines at 17, I wanted to “fight for freedom” and give back to my country. I joined the infantry because I wanted to be where the fight was, and that was the surest way to end up in Iraq or Afghanistan. Three years later, I finally found myself in Afghanistan, leading a 3-man fire team. When I first arrived in May 2011, I felt as if we were going to make the region, if not the whole world, a better place by removing some of the evil from it. My experience over the next 7 months, however, proved to be more nuanced than anticipated.

When I arrived in Marjah, almost a year after the initial invasion to oust the Taliban from the city, most of the large- scale fight-ing had ceased. Most of the “good” I thought I would be doing had already been done, and the Taliban that survived had either fled or hid among the populace using guerrilla tactics. The city was in the early stages of rebuilding and a sense of normalcy had returned. Over the course of my deployment, we helped facilitate the reconstruction of the city while fighting off the occasional Taliban attack.

What ended up remaining with me after my return from Afghanistan was not the good we did by removing the Taliban, but rather the good we were able to do by taking small actions to help the locals. This ranged from actions as simple as providing locals with water, to actions as complex as rendering medical care to those in need. While I never actively participated in providing treatment to locals, I was struck by how large an impact these treatments could have on an individual. In one particular instance, while on patrol, I was approached by a man who had been kicked by his cow and had a severe infection on his arm. Most of the flesh surrounding his wound was inflamed and red, and he was in excruciating pain. My corpsman came up to the man, instructing him to come by our patrol base later for treatment, and his infection was eventually cleared. Having spent the majority of my life in the United States, I had always taken modern medicine, particularly antibiotics, for granted. In Afghanistan, however, where there was little to no access to modern medicine, I was able to appreciate just how beneficial it truly is.

When I got out of the military the following summer and prepared to attend college, I wanted to continue to be in a career where I was able to benefit others. My experience in Afghanistan, witnessing the power of medicine, combined with the interest I gained in medicine following my trauma training, drove me towards health care. I entered Cape Fear Community College with the intention of joining their highly competitive nursing program. My first semester consisted of mostly electives in addition to Anatomy & Physiology, a class I had previously considered too hard. I was completely fascinated by the material and, following completion of the class, wanted to learn more. This captivation continued as I progressed through my science classes.

I became fascinated in infectious disease following a class in microbiology. After completion of the course, I continued to pursue the subject outside of class, reading several books on various infectious diseases. This interest prompted me to transfer to UNCW, instead of continuing into the nursing program, where I could continue to study the subject more in- depth. While at UNCW, the majority of my biology coursework, as well as my two research projects, focused on infectious diseases, cementing my interest in the subject. While I briefly considered pursuing a PhD in microbiology, my desire to work closely with, and treat, patients led me to apply to medical school. My time shadowing at Wilmington Health reinforced my decision to apply to medical school.

Following medical school, I intend on training in an infectious disease fellowship, where I will be able to combine my interest in microbiology with my desire to help others. I contemplated applying for MD/PhD programs to enable me to research, while still being able to interact with patients. I decided, however, to apply to MD only programs, wanting the majority of my focus to be on one on one patient care.

While I am certainly interested in practicing medicine within the United States, after completion of my training I am also highly interested in working with an organization like Doctors Without Borders, enabling me to once again be part of a team bringing healthcare to underserved individuals around the globe. After my experience in Afghanistan, and making the decision to work in medicine, this is an opportunity I’ve been highly interested in, particularly with my desire to work in infectious disease, as many of the regions this organization operates in are still burdened by endemic diseases, such as tuberculosis and malaria, as well as emerging diseases, such as Ebola.

For the aforementioned reasons, I would like to attend medical school and pursue a career in medicine. It is a career where I’m achieving more than simply collecting a paycheck. It will provide me an opportunity to give back to my local, as well as global, community, while working in a field I am highly interested in. Finally, I believe my prior leadership experience and ability to operate under stress will allow me to thrive.

Analysis

One strength of this essay lies in Zachary’s honesty and candor. He informs the reader of all of his internal motivations and expectations and openly admits when he is wrong or misguided. These anecdotes allow the reader to better empathize with and understand him.

The first half of the essay mainly focuses on his experiences as a Marine. This story establishes not only his willingness to participate in high- stakes situations in order to help the sick and wounded, but also his realization of the true impact modern medicine can have on the lives of others. He then pivots his focus in the latter half of the essay to his post-military life. There, he high-lights his drive by describing how he worked to translate his newly discovered passion into a potential career. Though he describes several experiences ranging from classes to research projects to fellowships, he fluidly connects them by always relating them to the interests and goals driving him. In doing so, he is able to further emphasize his initiative in pursuing this passion for medicine.

In his concluding paragraphs, Zachary connects his passion for treating infectious disease back to his experiences in Afghanistan. This choice not only gives the essay a sense of continuity but also indicates that he is committed to the original goals that dictated where he is today. In explicitly expressing his goals and hopes for the future, he leaves readers with an understanding of his strong sense of clarity and drive.