Finish line - Harvard - Example medical school admissions essay
Hometown: Seattle, Washington, USA
Undergraduate School: Public, University of Washington
Major: Bioengineering
GPA: 3.87
MCAT: 518. CP: 130, CARS: 129, BB: 130, PS: 129.
Example medical school admissions essay
Her hand barely spanned the length of my palm, held open to her as she trailed slightly behind me. “We are so close, Hazel, I know you can do this!” I encouraged her. Immediately, Hazel was reinvigorated, and her newfound energy propelled her within my reach. Our hands clasped, and we crossed the finish line together, Hazel, seven years old, beaming with pride, and me, honored to have been by her side. Hazel is one of the many people in my life who has shown me the value of mentorship and been a strong influence in my intense aspiration of practicing medicine.
I had been Hazel’s running buddy for ten weeks of training to prepare her for this 5k race through a non-profit program called Girls on the Run (GOTR). As her running buddy, I served as her mentor for questions and reassurance relating to both physical and mental health. GOTR uses creative lesson plans for young girls to instill the value of health with respect to physical fitness, mental development, and healthy relationships with peers. As a strong young woman, I felt accountable to set these young girls on a positive path that would build them to be strong women one day as well. My connection with Hazel, as her mentor and as a resource for guidance in making healthy decisions, is one of the countless motives for me to attend medical school. With my help she accomplished her goal and was on her way to a healthier lifestyle. I believe that medical school will provide me with the ability to educate patients in the pursuit of better health.
With the goal of serving as a resource for others, much of my life has been dedicated to the pursuit of education. While my parents have exhibited continual encouragement, they are unfamiliar with the educational system in the US as they emigrated from Iceland in the mid-1980s. To my parents, the SAT was just the past tense of “sit” with caps lock on. I took it upon myself to reach out to counselors and to those who could help to fulfill my ambitions and bridge the gaps in knowledge my parents weren’t able to provide. I deeply respected the relationships I formed and took each piece of advice that I could, becoming a self-motivated student with a strong commitment to community involvement.
My appreciation for those who answered my incessant questions about my future and education inspired me to fill this role for others. I joined the mentorship program in the bioengineering department as a junior at the University of Washington, served on the executive council for my sorority, and worked on several panels in the bioengineering department for prospective students interested in the major. I was thrilled to share my experiences and am confident that I would find further fulfillment if I were able to share wisdom in a significantly more impactful way by gaining knowledge in the field of medicine to offer patients information and opportunity that they might not otherwise be able to access.
Throughout my research, I had the privilege of working closely with a practicing cardiologist. As with medicine, research is rarely an exact science. The cardiologist taught me how doctors should think, always asking more questions so as to engage with the research, just as one should do when searching for a diagnosis with a patient. Confident in my decision to one day be a clinician, I learned from my research mentor the benefit of an engineering perspective, along with clinical experience, in not only answering questions about health, but also in discovering new approaches and solutions to health issues.
Aside from the technical aspects of medicine, a family medicine doctor showed me the importance of the ability to relate effectively to human beings. I recall a patient, a young Arabic woman who spoke little English and who appeared unsure of the white, middle-aged male physician’s trustworthiness. The physician was usually affable, extroverted, and confident, but I noticed his demeanor with her shifted; he became calmer and softer. The patient had initially been careful with her words, but after gentle inquiry through a translator, her words poured freely about her chronic stomach pain. When I later mentioned this shift, the physician disclosed that this was very intentional. He emphasized the diversity of patients and how to seek out individual needs based on their language, both spoken and unspoken. Connecting with his patient, despite their vast differences, with the intent of working together to improve her condition, strongly resonated with me.
With each shadowing experience, I have learned more how to recognize differences and adapt to get along with, and feel compassion for, people with any background. A similarity I know will never change between patients and myself, as a future physician, is the aim for optimal wellbeing. I hope to provide my patients with the attentiveness they deserve and in the manner they need to express themselves to offer the best care for each individual. For me, going into medicine is a way to pay forward compassion and dedication I have been shown. I look forward to being a physician so that I can reach my hand out to patients, just as I did with Hazel, and pass on as much knowledge and care as possible, to bring them closer to crossing the finish line of good health.
Analysis
The success of this essay lies in Eileen’s central focus on one key passion—her commitment to connecting with patients—and her ability to weave together multiple experiences and stories that work together to demonstrate this quality.
Eileen begins with a moving story from volunteering at Girls on the Run, poising it as a demonstration of the level of investment she has placed in a nurturing relationship. Her note on the struggle she faced in navigating the American education system as a first-generation immigrant shows even further a unique drive and discipline. These formative experiences stand as a strong supporting backdrop to her later research and shadowing experiences, communicating that her personal commitment in past activities will carry forward to the pursuit of medicine and quality care as a physician.
Eileen drives home this point in the final two paragraphs as she discusses the importance of compassion and connecting with patients; her own observation of her mentor’s techniques demonstrates her attentiveness and care in this regard and speaks to a strong potential to learn from and contribute to the medical community.
From 50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays edited by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson. Copyright (c) 2020 by the authors and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Publishing Group