Photo op - Harvard - Medical school personal statement advice
Hometown: Gainesville, Florida, USA
Undergraduate School: Private, Harvard University
Major: Classics
GPA: 3.93
MCAT: 37. PS: 13, V: 11, BS: 13.
Medical school personal statement advice
The door steadily opened, and she walked in with a big smile on her face and a bigger Polaroid camera in her hands. It was the first time all day that a patient walked in with so much excitement, and hers was of a special kind. In a room where everything was kept spotless and sterile, her excitement was contagious. I smiled back and introduced myself.
The 87-year-old woman named Linda sat down, placed her bag under her chair, and, still gripping the camera, extended her arms in my direction. “Could you take a picture of us?” she said and gestured towards Dr. Harrison. “I want to get a picture with the doctor who cured me of cancer.”
Seconds felt like hours before, finally, Dr. Harrison calmly said, “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” She understood immediately. Her smile vanished.
In the moments before Linda’s appointment, Dr. Harrison had given me a brief overview of her recent history. She had been a smoker for about 20 years before meeting Dr. Harrison. Shortness of breath brought her to her primary care physician; a large tumor in her left lung brought her here. She quit smoking, endured the long months of chemotherapy, tests, and check-ups and was cancer-free for a couple years. Her battle seemed to be over; she felt she had won. Her latest PET scan, however, was about to complicate the ending of her story.
Dr. Harrison appeared to shuffle in his chair as he leaned in and told Linda that her cancer had returned, this time in her right lung, but he was going to work with her once more to get rid of it. He promised that she would get a picture with the doctor that cured her of cancer, just not yet. It was clear that she did not believe him; she looked defeated. The first words out of her mouth were “I’m sorry,” and she went on to tell Dr. Harrison that she had begun smoking again. She could not resist.
I was shocked. I could not believe that, after all the hardships, she returned to the one thing that had brought her to this office in the first place. I was frustrated by her decision and that it obscured my vision of her as an innocent victim.
It reminded me of how I feel when I am coaching and working with high school students to compete for a national championship in the classically themed quiz bowl–like game of Certamen. There is an underlying level of frustration that stems from trying to motivate kids to study and work hard when it is in their best interest and from losing patience when I seem to care more than they do about their own success. Earlier that week, I was quizzing and practicing with a few of the Certamen players, and it was clear to me that they did not study what I suggested. After all my time spent writing study guides and meeting with the students, it was tough to stay positive as I watched them miss questions we had just recently reviewed.
And yet I knew I would be back the next day, at the same time and place, ready to work with and for them again. The hope of seeing them heed my advice, gain confidence from my mentorship, take comfort in my experience, and use my resources to achieve personal success is always well worth the tireless effort.
So I sat and listened as Dr. Harrison navigated his way through Linda’s desperate concerns. I learned that she had originally started smoking after her husband, a chronic smoker, died suddenly in his 60s. Smoking reminded her of him. Her house and bedroom regained its familiar smell and memories of the happy life she had with her husband bounced across the smoke-filled halls. Smoking brought him back to life, and she was addicted to his presence.
I watched as Dr. Harrison said just the right things and employed just the right kind of sensitive, yet deliberate, demeanor to instill in Linda the hope that she could quit smoking, beat cancer, and get that picture with him. In a mere fifteen minutes, he managed not only to educate and advise her on the path to success, but also to equip her with the confidence to begin that long journey. He vowed to be back the next day, at the same time and place, ready to work with and for her again. She trusted him; she was confident in him. More importantly, she was confident in herself.
Linda’s seamless transitions from excited to dejected to hopeful, blanketed by a deep doctor-patient relationship, were shockingly familiar. They opened my eyes to the powerful roles of teaching, mentorship, and guidance in clinical medicine. These were the very same domains that brought me comfort, pride, and meaningful reward as a Certamen coach. That the Latin word “doctor” means “teacher” had never seemed more fitting.
From that point on, I saw Linda and heard her story whenever a student underperformed or understudied. She told me to be understanding, to withhold judgment, and to adapt and cater to the student’s individual needs. She taught me that if I truly want to teach someone, I must first open my mind and be willing to learn from them.
The 87-year-old woman grabbed her bag, stood up from her chair, and, about to walk out, turned to me with outstretched hands. Her camera sat firmly in her palms. “Could you take a picture of us?” she said and gestured towards Dr. Harrison. “I want to get a picture with the doctor who’s going to cure me of cancer.”
Analysis
Gabriel emphasizes the themes of empathy and guidance throughout his essay, framing the themes with a captivating narrative. He begins the essay by telling the story of a cancer patient who had recently begun smoking again. While at first Gabriel is disappointed to hear the news, he begins to see from her perspective and understand why she returned to something that had caused her so much harm. Gabriel effectively uses this anecdote to depict his change in perspective and his growing understanding and empathy, both of which are important qualities for a physician. By highlighting this pivotal moment in his life, he shows that he is capable of putting himself in a patient’s shoes and communicating efficiently.
Gabriel also relates this change to his experience as a coach for high school students competing in quiz-bowl championships. He depicts his growth as a leader and his ability to “adapt and cater to the student’s individual needs,” a skill that is directly relevant to a career in the medical field.
Overall, by choosing to focus on two specific events and showing how they altered his perspective, Gabriel highlights his personal growth as a leader that makes him an attractive applicant.
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