Use SOAP to Edit Your Medical Residency Statement

Use SOAP to Edit Your Medical Residency Statement Getting into the medical residency program of choice is based upon a bit of luck, a match with the program, and your personal statement. Lets take a look at some mistakes and typical areas of weakness in the many personal statements Ive edited. While these examples and themes came from applicants to medical residency programs, the same challenges and advice apply to other graduate-level programs as well.Applicants at this level have already accomplished a great deal with their careers and in their lives. The challenge is usually not to find what to write about, but rather how to retain focus, organize and convey the personality of the applicant. Lets go thru some themes which highlight typical mistakes and patterns which need to be converted to expected forms of polite, academic and professional writing.Well do a little bit of wordplay on the SOAP note familiar to physicians.S: Simple detailsIve seen both extremes in the writing of my customers. On the one hand some applicants write with very colloquial and informal English which needs to be polished up. On the other hand, others write very extended and lengthy sentences which need simplification. Neither is particularly appropriate for these application statements. Reviewers are looking thru hundreds of statements and they like to read organized and clearly constructed sentences. Simple sentences are good, but they should also provide useful and compelling details.For example, one could write something like After completing my second-year residency at General One Hospital I did a fellowship in pediatrics where I realized I loved working with children. Split this sentence in two, and be more specific with the second half, for example, I completed my second year at General One Hospital. During my pediatric fellowship there my extensive exposure to terminally ill pediatric oncology patients heightened my awareness of treating both the patient and working with their extended families. This second sentence does thr ee things, it demonstrates your medical vocabulary, conveys your personality, and describes in detail your exposure to this specialty.O: OrganizeTheres a typical chronological theme in most statements. This may or may not be appropriate. Depending on your experiences, focus most of your text on describing recent and pertinent information related to the specialty that you are interested in. Ive seen statements that spend two or three paragraphs on describing pre-medical school awards and interest, family background, and specific details on the names of each fellowship or hospital one has worked in. Its not usually necessary to list each organization that youve studied or worked in, that information is provided elsewhere in your application packet. Its also not usually going to add much to provide early history information, youve already made it to medical school, and everyone assumes youre competent!Therefore, when you organize your personal statement, I recommend you write up an out line of supporting experiences which demonstrate your interest in a specialty. The best personal statements Ive read do this very well. For example, the applicant will use one paragraph to write about a medical encounter that was a salient moment in the target specialty. Theyll then spend another paragraph describing further research or observership experiences related to that field. Importantly they will also then write a few sentences on what the target program has to offer. For example, Im particularly interested in the strong research program in this residency. I plan to continue in academic research and further my research in renal disease.A: AddAlthough brevity is key to any good writing, I have found that most applicants write loose sentences. In some ways, this is just a transfer of conversational language down onto paper. This, however, lacks the hallmark of good writing. Schools are looking for applicants that can convey an idea clearly, with detail and brevity. Take for e xample the previous sentence I wrote, it has a very simple structure with three points separated by commas at the end. This structure helps the sentence to convey a great deal of information in an expected format that makes it easy to read. Use this format to add punch to your sentences. You dont want to do this in every sentence but use it at least once or twice in the statement. For example, I have a passion for emergency medicine, I have found it challenges my memory and knowledge, it is exhilarating, and the outcomes are immediate. Another example, I came to the U.S. expecting a great deal and I found my training here state-of-the-art, challenging, and satisfying. Simple, one-two-three.P: PersonalResidency programs are usually not extremely large groups, therefore programs are looking for diversity and personalities that will complement and work well with others in the program. Most applicants do not spend a lot of time describing themselves. This is okay, as its not a dating co ntest, but do take the time to describe your passions, motivations, and experiences in the target specialty as you describe your experiences. For example, Ive seen excellent sentences such as The approach to patient care was holistic and there was an emphasis on psychosocial history. I felt these factors made family practice exciting, versatile and challenging. Another example, I have been impressed by the vast array of clinical presentations and management options for cardiac diseases. I was fascinated by observing how a cardiologist can diagnose many valvular and other cardiac conditions using only a stethoscope.So there you have it, a quick personal statement SOAP note. Use the ideas presented here as your own checklist when reviewing your statement. Are my sentences simple and clear while also providing useful details about my experiences? Is my statement organized, does it lead the reader to conclude that I am an excellent candidate for this program based on my experiences and motivations? Did I add descriptive words, medical terminology, and experiences that demonstrate my mastery of the subject? And finally, is the statement personal? Does it show why I will invest so much time in this specialty?As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, most applicants at this level are already very accomplished in their professional and personal lives. Taking the time to edit, and finding a good editor to work together on this will provide you with the best possible opportunities and also let a little luck work her magic. Continued success to everyone!

How to Select an Original Argumentative Essay Topic

How to Select an Original Argumentative Essay Topic Original Argumentative Essay Topics The argumentative essay is the exact type of academic assignment, which is very popular in modern universities and colleges. The students who learn history, economics or political science often face a need to perform an argumentative essay. The main purpose of this essay paper is to reveal students’ abilities to reason and support arguments. This article will help you to perform a perfect argumentative essay and will bring numerous original ideas for selecting the most appropriate topics of the essay paper. How to Choose a Proper Argumentative Paper Topic When you need to perform an argumentative paper, you will be assigned a topic or will face a need to select your own. Sometimes, it is easier to perform your own topic if you are able to choose the most appropriate and original argumentative research paper topic. It is important for your topic to be interesting and useful for the audience. Thus, first check who is your audience and only then start performing your paper. Make sure you know the topic you are going to write about in your essay paper. How to Prepare Essay Paper In order to prepare an excellent argumentative essay paper, you need to follow the next writing plan: Ideas’ research; Brainstorming; Writing an outline; Proper structure; Writing process; Proofread; Final Research. Every mentioned stage of the essay paper performing needs to be followed no matter what topic you have chosen for your essay paper. Make sure you know a lot about the topic, its main subjects, objects, and top characteristics of the described issue. Ideas’ Research Once conducting research, make sure to deal only with reliable sources, thus choose proper sources and check various materials with different viewpoints and other researchers’ thoughts. Since an argumentative essay requires proper references, write down every source used with its detailed title, author’s name, date of publishing, and the pages’ numbers. This is very useful to perform a reference list in advance since it will help you to save a lot of time when finishing your research project. Brainstorming This is the exact stage where you need to look through every idea and argumentation to figure out what you are going to write and how you need to perform a paper. You will be assigned a certain formatting style thus it may help you to shape your paper properly. Check every of your idea, even the most provocative and intriguing ones. It is great to list your ideas since this form of pre-writing allows choosing the best ideas without forgetting any of its slightest details. Proper Structure Once dealing with a selection of a proper structure, follow the standard essay paper’s structure with the following top elements: Introduction; Main body; Conclusion. The introduction needs to be quite impressive and attention-grabbing to make the reader continue reading your paper. The introduction also must contain the main thesis statement. The main body consists of the min paragraphs, which reveal the statements and their support arguments. Moreover, it is important to place every statement and argumentation logically to let the reader get the main point of the paper. The main body needs to reveal the evidence and the opponents’ arguments to make the entire picture full. Use statistics and other important data to support your arguments. With proper argumentation and evidence, start performing a conclusion. This is now supposed to be a simple summary of the paper. You also need to show the practical use of your research’s results for other researches. You can add a call-to-action to your conclusion if needed. Outline In order to organize the entire writing process, it is useful to perform an outline. The outline will be used further as a working plan to make the writing more convenient. The outline allows summarizing the main ideas, which need to be revealed in the main paragraphs of an argumentative essay paper. Writing Process It is important to focus your attention on a proper paper’s structure since only proper formatting and structure allows preparing a flawless original paper. Therefore, follow the structure and use the outline to organize the entire writing process more conveniently. Sure, you can implement any of your writing ideas; thus, if you think you need to use unique writing techniques feel free to use them in order to provide a perfect argumentative essay paper. It is important to check your vocabulary all the time in order to avoid using jargon and other inappropriate languages. Remember, there is no use to do your entire writing on the same day. Plan your working hours and spend enough time to prepare an original and flawless paper. Proofreading Once you have an argumentative essay written, make sure to check it for any grammatical and spelling mistakes. Moreover, try to avoid the next logical misconceptions: Hasty generalizations. It means using a conclusion having non-valid evidence. Ad hominem attack. This is when a writer tries to deal with the opponent’s point of you by turning to name-calling. Genetic fallacy. This is the situation when an argument is bad because of its origins. Circular argument. It is when a writer tries to prove an argument by simply restating it in dissimilar words. Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics Numerous writers prefer using controversial argumentative essay topics to grab the readers’ attention and prepare a unique writing piece. College and university students and other writers who want to perform an exclusive argumentative essay can easily use these controversial argumentative essay topics. Note: These topics are not for middle school students. Family Matters The right to adopt children for homosexual partners: pros and cons. Physical discipline for children: do the parents have a right to do so? Should the parents who were named incompetent by the state representatives to be allowed to keep their children? What do you think about same-sex couples as parents? Children punishment: long-term negative effects. Society Legalization of abortion: pros and cons. Assisted suicide: legal responsibility and consequences. How to stop the illegal immigration in the world? What is the most appropriate role of the Church in society? Should the death penalty be justified? Law What rulings should the judges make: based on the wording of the law or the one beneficial for society? It the power of the U.S. Supreme Court excessively overrating the power of the local branches of government? Does the collection of metadata remain a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment? Do you believe the stated need to be given more power? What positive changes can bring the right of the Great Britain House of Lords to obtain veto power over the House of Commons? Ethics Do you think it is right for psychologists and priests to share the content of their conversations with patients and parishioners when required by the law? Does the doctor have an ethical right to deny treatment to a patient who cannot pay? Does the right to use a gun in order to defend own life and properly is ethically allowed? Should the government make prostitution a legal work? What do you think about the legalization of the drugs? History Did the United States have a right to banish the Native Americans from their territories? The reasons for the Prussia success in gathering Germany lands into a single nation? Can be justified the post Second World War occupation of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union? The invention of the cotton gin and its effect on American agriculture. What are the main and primary reasons for the Indo-Pak Wars? Health Care The private and public healthcare systems: pros and cons. The main ways of dealing with an increasingly aging population in the United States? Do the scientists have an ethical right to perform experiments on animals? Should drug and alcohol addiction be listed as a disease? The effects of the 21st Century social environments on humans’ health. Education Choose and verify the most effective education system: teacher-centered or student-centered. Is it beneficial for children with special needs to be taught together with ordinary children? Do the schools need athletics as a special discipline? List and compare the main learning methodologies of 20th and 21st centuries. Is it beneficial for students to be friends with their teachers? Foreign Policy Does Great Britain make the right decision to leave the European Union? Should the NATO and EU expand in Eastern Europe? The main foreign policy objectives of the current president of the United States. How to achieve a lasting peace in Syria? The improvements of the foreign policy of Ukraine due to Russian and American interference in her domestic affairs? Economics The reasons for the communism failure in the Soviet Union? The benefits of socialism for developed nations. The pros and cons of socialism and capitalism for modern society. The most beneficial economic system for Third World countries. The protectionist and free trade policies: pros and cons. Military Science The importance of ground forces for achieving victory in modern wars. Use of biological and chemical munitions: the ethical and moral rights. The use of aircraft carriers in current wars: pros and cons. The replacement of soldiers by artificial intelligence and machines in the future. Can the occupation of the country in total war and all the methods used for it be justified in the end? The argumentative essay is a complex, but a very exciting academic assignment, which is very popular in modern universities and colleges. The students who learn history, foreign policy, political science, economics, etc. often face a need to perform an argumentative essay. The main purpose of this type of essay paper is to demonstrate the students’ abilities to reason and support arguments. This article will help you to perform a perfect argumentative essay and allow finding numerous original ideas for the best original topic for your essay paper.