essay on medical science

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

Sponsored by A dmitRx : We are a group of Chicago-based medical students who realize how challenging medical school admissions can be, so we want to provide our future classmates with resources we wish we had. Our mission at AdmitRx is to provide pre-medical students with affordable, personalized, high-quality guidance towards becoming an admitted medical student.

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

Sponsored by Atlas Admissions : Atlas Admissions provides expert medical school admissions consulting and test preparation services. Their experienced, physician-driven team consistently delivers top results by designing comprehensive, personalized strategies to optimize applications. Atlas Admissions is based in Boston, MA and is trusted by clients worldwide.

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.

Essay on Medical Science

Students are often asked to write an essay on Medical Science in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Medical Science

What is medical science.

Medical science is the study of human health and diseases. Doctors and scientists work to understand how our bodies work, what goes wrong when we are sick, and how to treat illnesses. They use this knowledge to make medicines and treatments that help people get better.

Learning About the Body

In medical science, we learn about different parts of the body, like the heart, brain, and lungs. We also study tiny cells and how they keep us alive. Knowing about the body helps doctors find out what happens when someone is not feeling well.

Fighting Diseases

Scientists make vaccines and medicines to fight diseases. They test new drugs to make sure they are safe and work well. Thanks to medical science, many diseases that used to make people very sick or even die are now preventable or treatable.

Technology in Medicine

Technology is very important in medical science. It includes machines that help doctors see inside our bodies, like X-rays and MRI scanners. Technology also helps in creating new treatments and making surgeries safer and less painful.

The Future of Medicine

250 words essay on medical science.

Medical science is the study of the human body and how to treat illnesses. It’s like learning the secrets of how our body works and finding ways to fix it when things go wrong. Doctors, nurses, and scientists all work together in medical science to help keep us healthy.

The Human Body and Health

The human body is like a complex machine with many parts. Medical science teaches us about these parts, such as the heart, brain, and lungs. It also shows us how to stay healthy by eating good food, exercising, and getting enough sleep. When we get sick, medical science can help us get better by giving us medicine or treatments.

One big part of medical science is fighting diseases. Diseases are like enemies inside our body that can make us feel very bad. Scientists create medicines and vaccines to protect us from these enemies. Vaccines are like training for our body’s defense system, teaching it how to fight off the real enemies.

Technology is very important in medical science. It includes tools and machines that help doctors see inside our bodies, like X-rays and MRI scans. These tools help find problems that we can’t see from the outside.

In conclusion, medical science is all about understanding our bodies and keeping them healthy. It uses science to fight diseases and uses technology to help doctors do their jobs better. Thanks to medical science, we can live longer and healthier lives.

500 Words Essay on Medical Science

The human body.

Our body is made up of many parts that work together. We have a heart that pumps blood, lungs that help us breathe, and a stomach to digest food. Medical science looks at how all these parts function and how they connect to keep us alive and well. When something goes wrong, like when we catch a cold or break a bone, doctors use their knowledge to help us recover.

One of the main goals of medical science is to fight diseases. Diseases can be caused by tiny germs, like bacteria and viruses, or they can be due to our genes, which are like instructions passed down from our parents. Medical scientists create medicines and vaccines to protect us from these germs and to treat the illnesses they cause. They also study our genes to understand why some people get certain diseases and others do not.

Healthy Living

Medical science doesn’t just focus on treating sickness; it also teaches us how to prevent it. This part of medical science is about eating healthy foods, exercising, and not doing things that can harm our bodies, like smoking. Doctors and scientists give advice on how to live a healthy life to avoid getting sick in the first place.

The future of medical science is very exciting. Researchers are always finding new ways to understand and treat diseases. They are working on personalized medicine, which means they will be able to create treatments that are specific to each person. This could mean that in the future, the medicine you take will be designed just for you.

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Medical Science - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Medical science is the branch of science that deals with the study and application of knowledge related to healthcare and medicine. It involves understanding the structure and function of the human body, diagnosing diseases, and developing effective treatments and therapies. The field encompasses a wide range of areas such as biotechnology, pharmacology, genetics, and epidemiology. Medical science is essential in improving the health and wellbeing of individuals by discovering new treatments, preventions, and cures for diseases. It also plays a vital role in shaping public health policies and in promoting global health initiatives.

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• Published: 05 December 2019

Looking forward 25 years: the future of medicine

Nature Medicine volume  25 ,  pages 1804–1807 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

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A Publisher Correction to this article was published on 27 January 2020

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To celebrate the end of our 25th anniversary year, we asked thought leaders and experts in the field to answer one question: What will shape the next 25 years of medical research?

Core member and chair of the faculty, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; director, Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; professor of biology, MIT; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; founding co-chair, Human Cell Atlas.

For many years, biology and disease appeared ‘too big’ to tackle on a broad level: with millions of genome variants, tens of thousands of disease-associated genes, thousands of cell types and an almost unimaginable number of ways they can combine, we had to approximate a best starting point—choose one target, guess the cell, simplify the experiment.

But we are now on the cusp of an inflection point, where the ‘bigness’ of biomedicine turns into an advantage. We are beginning to see advances towards these goals already, in polygenic risk scores, in understanding the cell and modules of action of genes through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and in predicting the impact of combinations of interventions. Going forward, our success in harnessing bigness will rely on our ability to leverage structure, prediction and expanded data scale. Disease is highly structured at the molecular, genetic, gene program, cell and tissue levels; acknowledging and understanding this structure can help us reduce the overwhelming lists of genes and variants to a manageable number of meaningful gene modules . We cannot test every possible combination, so we need algorithms to make better computational predictions of experiments we have never performed in the lab or in clinical trials. But only when data are truly big, scaled massively and rich in content, will we have the most effective structuring and prediction power towards building a much-needed Roadmap of Disease for patients.

To achieve this, we need to invest in building the right initiatives—like the Human Cell Atlas and the International Common Disease Alliance—and in new experimental platforms: data platforms and algorithms. But we also need a broader ecosystem of partnerships in medicine that engages interaction between clinical experts and mathematicians, computer scientists and engineers who together will bring new approaches to drive experiments and algorithms to build this Roadmap.

PhD investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; core member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; James and Patricia Poitras Professor of Neuroscience, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT.

Although it is difficult to pinpoint an exact value, it is safe to estimate that more than 250 patients have been treated with gene therapies for monogenic diseases for which there previously were no treatment options. Add in the patients who have received CAR-T therapy, and that number rises into the thousands. This is an enormous success, and it represents the beginning of a fundamental shift in medicine away from treating symptoms of disease and toward treating disease at its genetic roots.

Gene therapy has been under development for more than 30 years, but several recent major advances have tipped the scales toward clinical feasibility, including improved delivery methods and the development of robust molecular technologies for gene editing in human cells. In parallel, affordable genome sequencing has accelerated our ability to identify the genetic causes of disease. With these advances, the stage is set for the widespread use of gene therapy. Already, nearly 1,000 clinical trials testing gene therapies are ongoing, and the pace of clinical development is likely to accelerate.

To fulfil the potential of gene therapy and ensure that all patients have access to this revolutionary treatment, we will need to continue developing delivery approaches that are practical and widely usable, to refine molecular technologies for gene editing, to push our understanding of gene function in health and disease forward, and to engage with all members of society to openly discuss the risks and benefits of gene therapy.

Elizabeth Jaffee

Dana and Albert “Cubby” Broccoli Professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; deputy director, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin said this in reference to fire safety, but it can easily be applied to health too. The twentieth century saw amazing advances aimed at preventing the onset of disease—including vaccines and risk-factor interventions—nearly doubling life expectancy worldwide. Only two decades into the twenty-first century, healthcare has already entered its next phase of rapid advancements. By using precision medicine technologies, genetic vulnerabilities to chronic and deadly diseases at the individual level can now be identified, potentially pre-empting disease decades later.

My hope for the next 25 years is that someday a single blood test could inform individuals of the diseases they are at risk of (diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc.) and that safe interventions will be available. I am particularly excited about the possibility of developing cancer vaccines. Vaccines targeting the causative agents of cervical and hepatocellular cancers have already proven to be effective. With these technologies and the wealth of data that will become available as precision medicine becomes more routine, new discoveries identifying the earliest genetic and inflammatory changes occurring within a cell as it transitions into a pre-cancer can be expected. With these discoveries, the opportunities to develop vaccine approaches preventing cancers development will grow.

But, as is the case today, prevention technologies can only be fully successful if they are widely available, to reduce unnecessary morbidity and mortality and healthcare costs and further raise life expectancy. Global accessibility is key to reduce global disparities. For these strategies to work, funding agencies should consider prioritizing prevention strategies.

Jeremy Farrar

Director, Wellcome Trust.

Politics, demographics, economics, climate—how the world changes and interacts fundamentally affects all of us. Research is part of that and can help provide solutions to the great challenges we face, but only if the three pillars of science, innovation and society come together in an environment where people and teams can thrive. We must therefore take the opportunity today to shape how the culture of research will develop over the next 25 years.

Building a career in research can be incredibly rewarding, yet it often comes at a cost. The drive for research excellence—to which Wellcome has certainly contributed—has created a culture that cares more about what is achieved than how it is achieved. We can do better, and building a creative, inclusive and open research culture will unleash greater discoveries with greater impact.

Changing culture requires us to acknowledge the issue and then make a long-term commitment. As an independent foundation, Wellcome is able to acknowledge the issue and make that commitment. This is a permanent shift in our thinking. Working openly with, and as part of, the wider research community, we aim to make research inclusive, more inspiring, more fun, more rewarding. As a result, it will contribute even more to making the world a healthier place to live.

John Nkengasong

Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Population wise, Africa is the continent of the future. By 2050, it is estimated that its population will be 2.5 billion people. This means that one in every four persons in the world might be an African, with rapidly growing economies and a rising middle class. These demographic changes have important implications for both communicable and noncommunicable disease patterns, including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases; resistance to antibiotics; and rising rates of cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and maternal and child deaths. To meet its health challenges by 2050, the continent will have to be innovative in order to leapfrog toward solutions in public health.

Precision medicine will need to take center stage in a new public health order—whereby a more precise and targeted approach to screening, diagnosis, treatment and, potentially, cure is based on each patient’s unique genetic and biologic make-up. For example, universal newborn screening and a more accurate analysis of causes of death in this age group could be established to curb under-five mortality; genetic screening programs could help avoid progression towards aggressive cancers; and medicine side effects could be reduced if tests could predict negative reactions and enable caregivers to proactively prescribe alternative treatments.

In Africa, precision medicine should not be seen from the lens of sequencing whole genomes, diagnosing DNA abnormalities and developing medications targeted to very small populations. Rather, African countries should begin pursuing policy approaches and partnerships to advance precision medicine to meet the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals. This includes the integration of precision medicine approaches into national strategies to improve healthcare—including genomic data policy—and increase diagnostic capacity, and the creation of biobanks, such as H3Africa, that encompass both physical and bioinformatics facilities.

Executive vice-president, Scripps Research Institute; founder and director, Scripps Research Translational Institute.

Twenty-five years ago, the World Wide Web was just getting off the ground. Therefore, when thinking of the medical research landscape in 25 years, it is reasonable to think big and without limits.

In 2045, I hope we will have developed a planetary health infrastructure based on deep, longitudinal, multimodal human data, ideally collected from and accessible to as many as possible of the 9+ billion people projected to then inhabit the Earth.

This infrastructure, by using hybrid artificial intelligence (AI) models—including various deep neural networks, federated AI, nearest-neighbor analysis and systems yet to be developed—could provide individualized guidance for the prevention and optimal management of medical conditions, acting as a virtual medical coach for patients and a platform for clinicians to review a patient’s real-time, real-world, extensive and cumulative dataset.

Some have projected that, by this juncture, artificial general intelligence (AGI) will have been developed, giving machines enhanced capabilities to perform functions that are not feasible now. Notwithstanding that uncertainty, it is likely that machines’ ability to ingest and process biomedical text at scale—such as the corpus of the up-to-date medical literature—will be used routinely by physicians and patients. Accordingly, the concept of a learning health system will be redefined.

Linda Partridge

Professor, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing.

Human life expectancy has increased over the past 170 years in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, the healthy lifespan has not, and the period of life when a person lives with disability and illness at the end of life is growing, especially in women.

But ageing is malleable, and mounting evidence suggests that late-life ill health can be combated. In laboratory animals, including mice and rhesus monkeys, genetic, lifestyle and pharmacological interventions can increase not only the lifespan, but also the healthspan. In humans, improvements in diet and the implementation of physical exercise regimes can effect major health improvements, but better lifestyle is not enough to prevent age-related diseases.

The big hope is that 25 years from now, medical sciences will have progressed enough to enable people to have healthier and more active lives almost up until their eventual death. Going forward, the direct targeting of mechanisms of ageing, including with existing drugs, presents an opportunity to reduce disability and illness in late life. Sirolimus, an mTORC1 inhibitor, extends the lifespan of laboratory animals and in clinical trials has proved to boost the immune response of older people to vaccination against influenza. Other drugs, such as the combination of desatinib and the BCL-2 inhibitor quercetin, which kill senescent cells, are farther from the clinic but show promise. Plasma from younger mice has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the stem cell function of several tissues in older mice; work to identify the natural metabolites responsible for this effect could open up avenues for translation to the clinic. Geroprotective drugs, which target the underlying molecular mechanisms of ageing, are coming over the scientific and clinical horizons, and may help to prevent the most intractable age-related disease, dementia.

Trevor Mundel

President of Global Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The most essential innovations in medical research over the next 25 years won’t just come from the explorations of bench scientists or the emergence of new technologies. They will come from what we do—as partners across the public and private sectors—to forge a new applied research ecosystem dedicated to the rapid discovery, development and delivery of life-changing tools that have been designed with the end user in mind.

This will mean finding new ways to share clinical data that are as open as possible and as closed as necessary. It will mean moving beyond drug donations toward a new era of corporate social responsibility that encourages biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to offer their best minds and their most promising platforms. And it will mean working with governments and multilateral organizations much earlier in the product life cycle to finance the introduction of new interventions and to ensure the sustainable development of the health systems that will deliver them. If we focus on these goals, we can deliver on the promise of global health equity.

Josep Tabernero

Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO); president, European Society for Medical Oncology (2018–2019).

Let’s briefly skip back 25 years. In oncology, who could have predicted that the stunning advances in genome sequencing would come to shape clinical decision-making? Who could have foreseen the increasing availability of genetic patient screenings or the promise of liquid biopsy policing of disease? Very few, which is why it is a fool’s errand to make sweeping predictions. But let’s try.

Over the next 25 years, genomic-driven analysis will continue to broaden the impact of personalized medicine in healthcare globally. Precision medicine will continue to deliver its new paradigm in cancer care and reach more patients. Immunotherapy will deliver on its promise to dismantle cancer’s armory across tumor types.

I also anticipate that AI will help guide the development of individually matched therapies, the harnessing and exchange of big data, and advances in telemedicine to bring crucial medical expertise to more patients everywhere. But the prospect is not all rosy. I worry about the exacerbating burden of comorbidities in cancer patients. We must collectively seek to strengthen and unify medical fields, with particular emphasis on oncology and cardiology. This is an emerging area for collaboration. Implementation research in the prevention and control of cancer will also be critical, as will be the shaping and strengthening of cancer policy-making at the global, national and regional levels.

With continued belief that scientific endeavors should be prioritized to respond to society’s and citizens’ needs, the scientific community must grasp future opportunities to uphold the very ethos of medicine as we continue to push boundaries in discovering new ways to extend and improve patients’ lives.

Pardis Sabeti

Professor, Harvard University & Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

A cataclysmic global pandemic is one of the greatest risks to humanity. Over the last 25 years, we have seen SARS, Ebola, Zika and other viruses spread undetected for months, leading to international emergencies and often devastating consequences. Even in the best US hospitals, most infectious diseases are not properly diagnosed or tracked.

But advances in two fields, genomics and information science, can transform our fight against viral threats. Ultrasensitive genome sequencing technologies are enabling the detection and characterization of viruses circulating under the radar. The advent of novel CRISPR, synthetic biology and microfluidic tools have allowed the development of rapid, ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnostics that can be deployed anywhere in the world. The resulting diagnostic and surveillance data can be integrated across healthcare nodes, from rural clinics to city hospitals, thanks to powerful new information systems. Together with advances from AI and other fields, these information systems can aid the rapid detection of infectious threats, to track their spread, and guide public health decision-making.

Over the next 25 years, the development and integration of these tools into an early-warning system embedded into healthcare systems around the world could revolutionize infectious disease detection and response. But this will only happen with a commitment from the global community.

Els Torreele

Executive director, Médecins Sans Frontières Access Campaign.

Of the many biomedical advances made by the scientific community, only those that can generate large financial profits are taken up for development by for-profit companies. This leaves many gaps—but also opportunities—in regard to developing new treatments to meet public health needs.

My hope is that the scientific community will step up and target efforts to develop innovative therapeutics and other health tools for populations across the world. This includes people affected by tuberculosis, hepatitis, Ebola, advanced HIV, neglected tropical diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, snakebite—the list goes on. The creativity and brainpower of the global research community are required to find solutions addressing these grave human needs.

But to do this, we need a paradigm shift such that medicines are no longer lucrative market commodities but are global public health goods—available to all those who need them. This will require members of the scientific community to go beyond their role as researchers and actively engage in R&D policy reform mandating health research in the public interest and ensuring that the results of their work benefit many more people. The global research community can lead the way toward public-interest-driven health innovation, by undertaking collaborative open science and piloting not-for-profit R&D strategies that positively impact people’s lives globally.

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Looking forward 25 years: the future of medicine. Nat Med 25 , 1804–1807 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-019-0693-y

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GP Essay #18: “People are placing too much faith in medical science.” Do you agree?

         “A gramme is better than a damn.” The subtle yet incredibly potent phrase is continuously remembered by the members of a seemingly utopian society in Aldous Huxley’s novel ‘Brave New World’ whenever they feel unhappy. They spontaneously turn to a gramme of soma, a narcotic touted to be a medical marvel that subdues any undesirable, negative feelings and provides instant gratification. This could arguably be one of the most extreme cases of excessive faith placed upon medical science, if one were to rely on and expect drugs to control one’s feelings, the central aspect that defines a human. Over the past century, the medical industry has expanded greatly, as researchers have been making great strides in understanding the human anatomy and introducing medical inventions that serve to prolong and enhance life. Coupled with a plethora of public health measures such as control of infectious diseases, clean water and modern sanitation, the average life expectancy of humans has increased tremendously. It can therefore be concluded that medical science has delivered on its promise. The question that now rears its ugly head is whether the burgeoning field of medical science has prompted people to place an inordinate amount of trust on it, to an unrealistic and unsustainable extent. Given the endless possibilities of medical technology, it is highly likely that people would expect it to cure all ailments, or enhance certain features, which may lead to negative repercussions, posing a threat to patients, their families and the medical fraternity. That said however, there are also rare instances in which there is a lack of trust in medical science due to its unpredictable nature. 

            Advances in medical science have provided cures for a wide range of debilitating diseases to the point that maintaining good health is currently taken for granted by many individuals who mistakenly believe that consuming medication or undergoing treatments can substitute a healthy lifestyle. The increased frequency of lifestyle-related maladies such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insomnia globally suggest that people could be neglecting their health intentionally, when they actually can lower the risks of getting these diseases through lifestyle changes, on the assumption that such illnesses can be kept under control through medical treatments. About half of 117 million American adults are on medication for preventable chronic diseases such as diabetes. According to research conducted by health research firm Quintile IMS, the number of prescriptions filled for Americans increased by an astronomical 85% between 1997 and 2016, from 2.4 billion to 5.4 billion a year, even as the population increased by a mere 21% during this period.  Closer to home in Singapore, 10.5% of the adult population currently receive treatment for diabetes management. Unfortunately, there has been a spike in the number of people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The Health Promotion Board estimates that by 2050, 1 in 3 Singaporeans will develop Type 2 diabetes. This worrying trend compelled the Health Minister Gan Kim Yong to declare a ‘war’ on diabetes in 2016. It would be valid to presume in this case, that the lackadaisical attitude displayed towards the maintenance of one’s physical health could be attributed to the overconfidence that people have on the drug-saturated medical paradigm that has manifested recently. 

            Next, advancements in technology have enabled us to move beyond solely curing the human body to modifying it to suit one’s needs. This is the undesirable consequence of the publics’ disproportionate amount of trust in medical science and its ability to satisfy their gripes about their health and wellness. What started out as a simple procedure to correct a broken nose or a cleft lip has given rise to a multitude of unnecessary treatments and procedures ranging from skin tightening to face-lifts. The constant dissatisfaction with the current, less invasive procedures offered by medical technology and the insatiable desire for more innovative, unconventional methods to further enhance the body has fuelled the rapidly evolving cosmetic industry. The blind faith that people place in such risky procedures has also resulted in sky-rocketing costs associated with cosmetic procedures. Dr Doug Steinbrech, a New York specialist performs a new facelift at a cost of an eye-watching $35,000. Similarly, re-sculpting of the face using ultrasound and lasers costs an astonishing $11,000. Despite the hefty price tag attached to these treatments, many willingly opt for them, naively thinking that their imperfections can be corrected. Research conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons suggest that Americans underwent close to 17.1 million cosmetic procedures in 2017 alone. Across the Pacific Ocean, the plastic surgery industry is booming, with more than 22 million undergoing cosmetic surgery in 2017. The warm reception towards such treatments have spurred specialists to push the boundaries of medical science further, out of the naive belief that it could completely change one’s looks. This confidence would later result in the controversial first ever face transplant performed by a French doctor, Dr Dubernard in 2005. In a world that already places crushing, asphyxiating standards on beauty, the risky and unpredictable consequences associated with cosmetics surgeries that people regularly gamble on only serve to prove that medical science is unrealistically viewed as a panacea to all problems.

            Apart from the possible obsession with cosmetic surgeries, a surfeit of conviction in untested ‘cutting-edge’ research opens up the possibility for such research to be abused and exploited. Research done in stem-cell therapy, cloning, and organ transplants are experimental at best. The results have been inconsistent, and these procedures have not been widely accepted by the medical community. As a result, expecting such genetic engineering processes to improve one’s quality of life is quixotic. Nevertheless, as scientists continue to dabble with research of questionable nature, hoping to make a ground-breaking discovery, there is a possibility that ethics and morality will be sacrificed. With the technology to precisely and accurately edit human genetic sequences within reach, designing humans are no longer just a science fiction fantasy. The arrival of CRISPR technology, though still in its nascent stage, has the potential to excise undesirable genes and insert favourable ones into gametes and embryos in a process called germ line engineering, allowing couples to select traits they wish their child to have and potentially turning the concept of designer babies into a frightening reality. Given that the eugenics movement, which essentially proclaimed that all were created equal, but some were more equal than others, had entered the mainstream consciousness as recently as the 19 th and 20 th century, research along these lines might be exploited by the most radical amongst us. Furthermore, the concept is also offensive to many religious groups who believe that it is wrong to ‘play God’ by effectively creating and changing life, as well as opposing the law of nature. It can be evinced clearly that the sheer magnitude in terms of expectations placed on biotechnology, could easily raise ethical and moral concerns, especially if it threatens the very essence of human life. 

            Proponents of medical science would however argue otherwise, stating that faith placed upon medicine and health research is certainly not misplaced, given that it has brought about innumerable benefits to humanity. Its merits span from the early diagnosis and management of life threatening diseases, to the eradication of pandemics that once plagued the world. Admittedly, the positive impact of medical science has been long lasting, which may coax people into accepting it wholeheartedly. Medical science has successfully identified the causes of infectious diseases and destroyed the carriers of such bacteria and viruses. Dedicated research and experimentation have given rise to vaccines and antibiotics to combat such maladies. This was well-demonstrated in the cases of polio and smallpox, where in collaboration with the World Health Organization, medical resources were able to reduce the prevalence of such diseases. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative reduced the number of cases of polio by 99% and more than 2 billion children have been immunized. The negative effects of smallpox were also short-lived as it was officially eradicated in 1980. It has been estimated that at least 20 million people would have died of smallpox had it not been eradicated. People may also pin their hopes on pharmacogenomic research and the concept of personalized medicine, which is administered with the understanding that individuals may have different responses to drugs due to different genes. Medco Health Solutions, one of America’s largest pharmacy benefit managers until it was acquired by Express Solutions in 2011, was leading the way in making the provision of personal genomics services to the masses a reality. It had already achieved successes with personalized treatment of Warfarin, a widely used blood thinner to prevent clots, and Tamoxifen for breast cancer. Essentially, matching the right drugs to the patients not only has obvious clinical benefits, but also makes good economic sense. By reducing the occurrence of misdiagnosis, long hospitalization periods and the need for follow up treatment, personalized healthcare can generate significant cost savings. All of these will ultimately allow patients to direct their own care to some extent, empowering them with a greater sense of freedom and self-reliance, truly heralding a breakthrough in medical science. Advances in personalised medicine would also allow for the treatment of rare disorders and allow the industry to track the development of diseases. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the National Healthcare System is collaborating with academia and industry to analyse the genetic material of persons with rare disorders through the 100,000 Genomes Project. It is hoped that such information will shed light on and save lives from disorders which were previously unknown. Indubitably, the public validation of medical science especially in keeping infectious diseases at bay and enhancing their health by providing personalized medicine is indeed justifiable and in no way a gross exaggeration of our gargantuan trust on medical science. 

            In sum, medical science remains essential and indispensable due to the benefits it has on the well-being of Man. As this branch of science continues to expand, evolve and develop, it is inevitable that mankind would place much of their hopes and utmost faith in it to provide them with enhanced longevity. However, past and present experiences have revealed that this may not necessarily be a wise decision, as it poses risks that may be catastrophic if not cured in time. It is imperative that ethical restrictions be present to act as a moral compass and ensure that our desires and trust do not tip the scale, lest we might find ourselves being reduced to soulless beings, stripped of our mental faculties and perhaps, depending on soma, in the near future. 

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Writing a strong scientific paper in medicine and the biomedical sciences: a checklist and recommendations for early career researchers

• Open access
• Published: 28 July 2021
• Volume 72 , pages 395–407, ( 2021 )

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• Payam Behzadi 1 &
• Márió Gajdács   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1270-0365 2 , 3  

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Scientific writing is an important skill in both academia and clinical practice. The skills for writing a strong scientific paper are necessary for researchers (comprising academic staff and health-care professionals). The process of a scientific research will be completed by reporting the obtained results in the form of a strong scholarly publication. Therefore, an insufficiency in scientific writing skills may lead to consequential rejections. This feature results in undesirable impact for their academic careers, promotions and credits. Although there are different types of papers, the original article is normally the outcome of experimental/epidemiological research. On the one hand, scientific writing is part of the curricula for many medical programs. On the other hand, not every physician may have adequate knowledge on formulating research results for publication adequately. Hence, the present review aimed to introduce the details of creating a strong original article for publication (especially for novice or early career researchers).

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Introduction

The writing and editing of scientific papers should be done in parallel with the collection and analysis of epidemiological data or during the performance of laboratory experiments, as it is an integral step of practical research. Indeed, a scholar paper is the figurative product of scientific investigations (Behzadi and Behzadi 2011 ; Singh and Mayer 2014 ). Moreover, the publication of scholarly papers is important from the standpoint of providing relevant information—both locally and internationally—that may influence clinical practice, while in academia, national and international academic metrics (in which the number and quality of papers determine the score and rank of the scientists) are relevant to fulfill employment criteria and to apply for scientific grants (Grech and Cuschieri 2018 ; Singer and Hollander 2009 ). Thus, scientific writing and the publication of quality peer-reviewed papers in prestigious academic journals are an important challenge for medical professionals and biomedical scientists (Ahlstrom 2017 ). Writing a strong scholarly paper is a multi-procedure task, which may be achieved in a right manner by using a balanced and well-designed framework or blueprint (Gemayel 2016 ; Tóth et al. 2020 ). All in all, time needs to be spent of writing a well-designed and thoughtful scientific proposal to support the research, which will subsequently end in the publication of a paper in a prestigious, peer-reviewed, indexed and scholarly journal with an impact factor (IF). A well-designed scientific project encompasses well-supported and strong hypotheses and up-to-date methodology, which may lead to the collection of remarkable (and reproducible!) data. When a study is based on a strong hypothesis, suitable methodology and our studies result in usable data, the next step is the analysis and interpretation of the said data to present a valuable conclusion at the end of our studies. These criteria give you an influent confidence to prepare a robust and prestigious scholarly paper (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Kallet 2004 ; Stenson et al. 2019 ). The aim of this review is to highlight all the necessary details for publication of a strong scientific writing of original article, which may especially be useful for novice or early career researchers.

Approaches for writing and formatting manuscripts before submission

In the presence of effective and appropriate items for writing a strong scientific paper, the author must know the key points and the main core of the study. Thus, preparing a blueprint for the paper will be much easier. The blueprint enables you to draft your work in a logical order (Gemayel 2016 ). In this regard, employment of a mass of charge, free or pay-per-use online and offline software tools can be particularly useful (Gemayel 2016 ; Behzadi and Gajdács 2020 ; Behzadi et al. 2021 ; Ebrahim 2018 ; Issakhanian and Behzadi 2019 ; O'Connor and Holmquist 2009 ; Petkau et al. 2012 ; Singh and Mayer 2014 ; Tomasello et al. 2020 ). Today, there are a wide range of diverse software tools which can be used for design and organization of different parts of your manuscript in the correct form and order. Although traditionally, many scientist do not use these softwares to help formulate their paper and deliver their message in the manuscript, they can indeed facilitate some stages of the manuscript preparation process. Some of these online and offline software facilities are shown in Table 1 .

The first step of writing any scientific manuscript is the writing of the first draft. When writing the first draft, the authors do not need to push themselves to write it in it’s determined order (Behzadi and Gajdács 2020 ; Gemayel 2016 ); however, the finalized manuscript should be organized and structured, according to the publisher’s expectations (Berman et al. 2000 ; Behzadi et al. 2016 ). Based on the contents of the manuscripts, there are different types of papers including original articles, review articles, systematic reviews, short communications, case reports, comments and letters to the editor (Behzadi and Gajdács 2020 ; Gemayel 2016 ), but the present paper will only focus on the original articles structured in the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) structure. Materials and methods, results, discussion or introduction sections are all suitable target sections to begin writing the primary draft of the manuscript, although in most cases, the methods section is the one written first, as authors already have a clear sense and grasp on the methodologies utilized during their studies (Ebrahim 2018 ). The final sections of IMRAD papers which should be completed are the abstract (which is basically the mini-version of the paper) and conclusion (Liumbruno et al. 2013 ; Paróczai et al. 2021 ; Ranjbar et al. 2016 ). The authors should be aware that the final draft of the manuscript should clearly express: the reason of performing the study, the individuality (novelty and uniqueness) of the work, the methodology of the study, the specific outcomes examined in this work, the importance, meaning and worth of the study. The lack of any of the items in the manuscript will usually lead to the direct rejection of the manuscript from the journals. During the composition of the manuscript (which corresponds to any and all sections of the IMRAD), some basics of scientific writing should be taken into consideration: scientific language is characterized by short, crisp sentences, as the goal of the publication is to deliver the main message concisely and without confusion. It is a common misconception that scientific writing needs to be “colorful” and “artistic,” which may have the opposite effect on the clarity of the message. As the main goal of publishing is to deliver the message (i.e., the results) of our study, it is preferred that scientific or technical terms (once defined) are used uniformly, with avoiding synonyms. If young scientists have linguistic difficulties (i.e., English is not their first language), it is desirable to seek the help of professional proofreading services to ensure the correct grammar use and clarity. Traditionally, the passive voice was expected to be used in scientific communication, which was intended to strengthen the sense of generalization and universality of research; however, nowadays the active voice is preferred (symbolizing that authors take ownership and accountability of their work) and sentences in passive voice should take up < 10% of the paper (Berman et al. 2000 ; Behzadi et al. 2016 ).

Every scientist should be able to present and discuss their results in their own words, without copy–pasting sentences from other scientists or without referring to the work of others, if it was used in our paper. If an author copies or represents another authors’ intellectual property or words as their own (accidentally or more commonly on purpose) is called plagiarism. Scientific journals use plagiarism checker softwares to cross-check the level of similarity between the submitted works and scientific papers or other materials already published; over a certain threshold of similarity, journals take action to address this issue. Plagiarism is highly unethical and frowned upon in the scientific community, and it is strictly forbidden by all relevant scientific publishers, and if one is caught with plagiarism, the scientific paper is usually rejected immediately (if this occurs during the submission process) or is retracted. There are some freely available online software tools (e.g., iThenticate® ( http://www.ithenticate.com/ ) and SMALL SEO TOOLS ( https://smallseotoolz.net/plagiarism-checker ) for authors to screen their works for similarities with other sources; nevertheless, it is also unethical to use these tools to determine the “acceptable” level of similarity (i.e., cheating) before submitting a paper.

The structure of an IMRAD article includes the title, author’s(s’) name(s), author’s(s’) affiliation(s), author’s(s’) ORCID iD(s) ( https://orcid.org/ ), abstract, keywords, introduction, methods (or materials and methods), results, discussion, conclusion, acknowledgements, conflict of interest and references (Behzadi and Behzadi 2011 ; Singh and Mayer 2014 ). The acronym of ORCID (with a hard pronunciation of C ( https://orcid.org/blog/2013/01/07/how-should-orcid-be-pronounced )) (abbreviation of Open Researcher & Contributor ID) is considered as unique international identifier for researchers (Haak et al. 2012 ; Hoogenboom and Manske 2012 ). The ORCID iD is composed of 16 digits and introduced in the format of https URI ( https://support.orcid.org/hc/en-us/articles/360006897674 ). It is recommended for the authors to register their ORCID iD. The ORCID is important for manuscript submissions, manuscript citations, looking at the works of other researchers among other things (Haak et al. 2012 ; Hoogenboom and Manske 2012 ).

The contents of the IMRAD-structured manuscripts

Although the IMRAD format seems to be a cul-de-sac structure, it can be a suitable mold for both beginners and professional writers and authors. Each manuscript should contain a title page which includes the main and running (shortened) titles, authors’ names, authors’ affiliations (such as research place, e-mail, and academic degree), authors’ ORCID iDs, fund and financial supports (if any), conflicts of interest, corresponding author’s(s’) information, manuscript’s word count and number of figures, tables and graphs (Behzadi and Gajdács 2020 ).

As the title is the first section of your paper which is seen by the readers, it is important for the authors to take time on appropriately formulating it. The nature of title may attract or dismiss the readers (Tullu and Karande 2017 ). In this regard, a title should be the mirror of the paper’s content; hence, a proper title should be attractive, tempting, specific, relevant, simple, readable, clear, brief, concise and comprehensive. Avoid jargons, acronyms, opinions and the introduction of bias . Short and single-sentenced titles have a “magic power” on the readers. Additionally, the use of important and influent keywords could affect the readers and could be easy searchable by the search engines (Cuschieri et al. 2019 ). This can help to increase the citation of a paper. Due to this fact, it is recommended to consider a number of titles for your manuscript and finally select the most appropriate one, which reflects the contents of the paper the best. The number of titles’ and running titles’ characters is limited in a wide range of journals (Cuschieri et al. 2019 ).

The abstract is the vitrine of a manuscript, which should be sequential, arranged, structured and summarized with great effort and special care. This section is the second most important part of a manuscript after title (Behzadi and Gajdács 2020 ). The abstract should be written very carefully, deliberately and comprehensively in perfect English, because a well-written abstract invites the readers (the editors, reviewers, and readers who may cite the paper in the future) to read the paper entirely from A to Z and a rough one discourages readers (the editors and reviewers) from even handling the manuscript (Cuschieri et al. 2019 ). Whether we like it or not, the abstract is the only part of the manuscript that will be read for the most part; thus, the authors should make an effort to show the impressiveness and quality of the paper in this section.

The abstract as an independent structured section of a manuscript stands alone and is the appetizer of your work (Jirge 2017 ). So as mentioned, this part of paper should be written accurately, briefly, clearly, and to be facile and informative. For this section, the word count is often limited (150 to 250/300 words) and includes a format of introduction/background/, aim/goal/objective, methods, results and conclusions. The introduction or background refers to primary observations and the importance of the work, goal/aim/objective should represent the hypothesis of the study (i.e., why did you do what you did?), the methods should cover the experimental procedures (how did you do what you did?), the results should consider the significant and original findings, and finally, the clear message should be reported as the conclusion. It is recommended to use verbs in third person (unless specified by the Journal’s instructions). Moreover, the verbs depicting the facts which already have been recognized should be used in present tense while those verbs describing the outcomes gained by the current work should be used in past tense. For beginners in scientific publishing, it is a common mistake to start the writing of the manuscript with the abstract (which—in fact—should be the finalizing step, after the full text of the paper has already been finished and revised). In fact, abstract ideally is the copy-pasted version of the main messages of the manuscript, until the word limit (defined by the journal) has been reached. Another common mistake by inexperienced authors is forgetting to include/integrate changes in the abstract to reflect the amendments made in the bulk text of the paper. All in all, even a paper with very good contents and significant results may could be rejected because of a poor and weak abstract (Behzadi and Gajdács 2020 ).

Keywords are the key point words and terms of the manuscript which come right after abstract section. The keywords are used for searching papers in the related fields by internet search engines. It is recommended to employ 3 to 10 keywords in this section. The keywords should be selected from the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) service, NCBI ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/ ). An appropriate title should involve the most number of keywords (Behzadi and Gajdács 2020 ; Jirge 2017 ).

Introduction section should be framed up to four paragraphs (up to 15% of the paper’s content). This section should be progressed gradually from general to specific information and gaps (in a funnel-formed fashion). In another words, the current condition of the problem and the previous studies should be briefly presented in the first paragraph. More explanation should be brought in discussion section, where the results of the paper should be discussed in light of the other findings in the literature (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ). In this regard, the original articles and some key references should be cited to have a clarified description. The second paragraph should clarify the lack of knowledge regarding the problem at present, the current status of the scientific issue and explain shortly the necessity and the importance of the present investigation. Subsequently, the relevance of this work should be described to fill the current gaps relating to the problem. The questions (hypothesis/purpose) of the study comprising “Why did you do?/What did you do?/So What?” should be clarified as the main goal in the last paragraph (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Burian et al. 2010 ; Lilleyman 1995 ; Tahaei et al. 2021 ). A concise and focused introduction lets the readers to have an influent understanding and evaluation for the performance of the study. The importance of the work presented should never be exaggerated, if the readers feel that they have been misled in some form that may damage the credibility of the authors’ reputation. It is recommended to use standard abbreviations in this section by writing the complete word, expression or phrase for the first time and mentioning the related abbreviation within parenthesis in this section. Obviously, the abbreviations will be used in the following sentences throughout the manuscript. The authors should also adhere to international conventions related to writing certain concepts, e.g., taxonomic names or chemical formulas. In brief, the introduction section contains four key points including: previous studies, importance of the subject, the presence of serious gap(s) in current knowledge regarding the subject, the hypothesis of the work (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Lilleyman 1995 ; Tahaei et al. 2021 ). Previously, it was recommended by majority of journals to use verbs in past tense and their passive forms; however, this shows a changing trend, as more and more journals recommend the use of the active voice.

Materials and methods

As the materials and methods section constitutes the skeleton of a paper (being indicative of the quality of the data), this section is known as the keystone of the research. A poor, flawed or incorrect methodology may result in the direct rejection of manuscripts, especially in high IF journals, because it cannot link the introduction section into the results section (Haralambides 2018 ; Meo 2018 ). In other words, the methods are used to test the study’s hypothesis and the readers judge the validity of a research by the released information in this section. This part of manuscript belongs to specialists and researchers; thus, the application of subheadings in a determined and relevant manner will support the readers to follow information in a right order at the earliest. The presentation of the methodologies in a correct and logical order in this section clarifies the direction of the methods used, which can be useful for those who want to replicate these procedures (Haralambides 2018 ; Juhász et al. 2021 ; Meo 2018 ). An effective, accurate, comprehensive and sufficient description guarantees the clarity and transparency of the work and satisfies the skeptical reviewers and readers regarding the basis of the research. The following questions should be answered in this section: “What was done?” and “How was it done?” and “Why was it done?”

The cornerstones of the methods section including defining the type of study, materials (e.g., concentration, dose, generic and manufacturer names of chemicals, antibiotics), participants (e.g., humans, animals, microorganisms), demographic data (e.g., age, gender, race, time, duration, place), the need for and the existence of an ethical approval or waiver (in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and its revisions) for humans and animals, experimental designs (e.g., sampling methods, time and duration of the study, place), protocols, procedures, rationale, criteria, devices/tools/techniques (together with their manufacturers and country of origin), calibration plots, measurement parameters, calculations, statistical methods, tests and analyses, statistical software tools and version among many other things should be described here in methods section (Haralambides 2016 ; Stájer et al. 2020 ). If the details of protocols make this section extremely long, mention them in brief and cite the related papers (if they are already published). If the applied protocol was modified by the researcher, the protocol should be mentioned as modified protocol with the related address. Moreover, it is recommended to use flow charts (preferably standard flow charts) and tables to shorten this section, because “a picture paints a thousand words” (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Lilleyman 1995 ; Tahaei et al. 2021 ).

The used online guidelines in accordance with the type of study should be mentioned in the methods section. In this regard, some of these online check lists, including the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement ( http://www.consort-statement.org/ ) (to improve the reporting randomized trials), the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement ( http://www.prisma-statement.org/ ) (to improve the reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses), the STARD (Standards for Reporting Diagnostic accuracy studies) statement ( http://www.equator-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/STARD-2015-checklist.pdf ) (to improve the reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies), the STORBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology) statement ( https://www.strobe-statement.org/index.php?id=strobe-home ) (to improve the reporting of observational studies in Epidemiology), should be mentioned and highlighted in medical articles. Normally, the methods section begins with mentioning of exclusion (depicting safe selection) and inclusion (depicting no bias has happened) criteria (regarding the populations studied) and continues by the description of procedures and data collection. This section usually ends by the description of statistical data analyses. As mentioned in a previous section, older recommendations in “Instructions for authors” suggested the use of verbs in past tense, in 3rd person and passive forms, whereas novel guidelines suggest more text written in the active voice (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Lilleyman 1995 ; Tahaei et al. 2021 ).

The results including negative and positive outcomes should be reported clearly in this section with no interpretation (Audisio et al. 2009 ; Behzadi et al. 2013 ). The most original information of an IMRAD paper originates from the results section. Indeed, the reported findings are the main core of the study which answers to the research question (hypothesis) “what was found?” The results section should answer all points brought up in the methods section. Categorization of findings by subheadings from the major to minor results, chronologically or by any logical order, facilitates readers to comprehend the results in an effective and influent manner (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Lilleyman 1995 ; Tahaei et al. 2021 ).

Representing the motive of experiments, the related experimental setups, and the gained outcomes supports the quality and clarity of your results, because these components create logical and influent communications between obtained data, observations and measurements. The results section should represent all types of data (major to minor), variables (dependent and independent), variables effects and even accidental findings. The statistical analyses should be represented at the end of results section. The statistical significance should be represented by an exact amount of p value ( p  < 0.05 is usually recognized and set as the threshold for statistical significance, while p  > 0.05 depicts no statistical significance). Moreover, the mentioning of the 95% confidence intervals and related statistical parameters is also needed, especially in epidemiological studies (Mišak et al. 2005 ).

It is recommended to use tables, figures, graphs and charts in this section to give an influent representation of results to the readers. Using well-structured tables deeply impresses the readers. Usually the limitation of the number of figures, graphs, tables and charts is represented in the section of instructions for authors of the journal. Remember that well-designed tables and figures act as clean mirrors which transfer a clear and sharp illustration of your work and your efforts in preparing the manuscript. Thus, a well-designed graph, table, charts or figure should be understood easily; in other words, they should be represented as self-explanatory compartments. Avoid repeating the represented data in figures, tables, charts and graphs within the text. Citing figures, graphs, charts and tables in right positions within the text increases the impact and quality of your manuscript (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Lilleyman 1995 ; Tahaei et al. 2021 ). Showing the highest and lowest amounts in tables by bolding or highlighting them is very effective. Normally, the legends are placed under graphs and figures and above the tables. It is recommended to begin the figure legends with conclusion and finish it by important technical key points.

Discussion and conclusion

This section represents the interpretations of results. In other words, discussion describes what these results do mean by the help of mechanistic interpretations of causes and effects. This argument should be achieved sharp and strong in a logical manner (Gajdács 2020 ; Rasko et al. 2016 ). The interpretations should be supported by relevant references and evidences. Usually, the first paragraph of discussion involves the key points of results. The represented data in results section should not be repeated within the discussion section. Magnification and exaggeration of data should never occur! “A good wine needs no bush.” Care about the quality of discussion section, because this part of the manuscript is determinative item for the acceptance of the paper (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ).

Avoid representing new data in discussion, which were not mentioned in the results section. The following paragraphs should represent the novelty, differences and/or similarities of the obtained findings. Unusual and findings not predicted should be highlighted (Gajdács 2020 ; Rasko et al. 2016 ). It is important to interpret the obtained results by the strong references and evidences. Remember that citation of strong and relevant references enforces your evaluations and increases the quality of your points of view (Mack 2018 ; Shakeel et al. 2021 ). The probable weaknesses or strengths of the project should be discussed. This critical view of the results supports the discussion of the manuscript. The discussion section is finished by the final paragraph of conclusion. A critical paragraph in which the potential significance of obtained findings should be represented in brief (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ). The bring/take-home message of the study in conclusion section should be highlighted. For writing a conclusion, it is recommended to use non-technical language in perfect English as it should be done in abstract section (Alexandrov 2004 ). It is suggested to use verbs in present tense and passive forms, if not otherwise mandated by the journal’s instructions. In accordance with policy of journals, the conclusion section could be the last part of discussion or presented within a separate section after discussion section (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ).

Acknowledgements

This section is placed right after discussion and/or conclusion section. The unsaid contributors with pale activities who cannot be recognized as the manuscripts’ authors should be mentioned in acknowledgement section. Financial sponsors, coordinators, colleagues, laboratory staff and technical supporters, scientific writing proof readers, institutions and organizations should be appreciated in this section. The names listed in acknowledgements section will be indexed by some databases like US National Library Medicine (NLM) ( https://www.nlm.nih.gov/ ) (Ahlstrom 2017 ).

Conflict of interest

If the authors have any concerns regarding moral or financial interests, they should declare it unambiguously, because the related interests may lead to biases and suspicions of misconducts (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Lilleyman 1995 ; Tahaei et al. 2021 ). This section usually comes right after acknowledgements and before references.

Application of relevant and pertinent references supports the manuscript’s scientific documentary. Moreover, utilization of related references with high citation helps the quality of the manuscript. For searching references, it is recommended to use search engines like Google Scholar ( https://scholar.google.com/ ), databases such as MEDLINE ( https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/medline.html ) and NCBI ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ ) and Web sites including SCOPUS ( https://www.scopus.com/ ), etc.; in this regard, the keywords are used for a successful and effective search. Each journal has its own bibliographic system; hence, it is recommended to use reference management software tools, e.g., EndNote®. The most common bibliographic styles are APA American Psychological Association, Harvard and Vancouver. Nevertheless, the authors should aware of retracted articles and making sure not to use them as references (Ahlstrom 2017 ; Behzadi 2021 ; Lilleyman 1995 ; Tahaei et al. 2021 ). Depending on the journal, there are different limitations for the number of references. It is recommended to read carefully the instructions for authors section of the journal.

Conclusions for future biology

From the societal standpoint, the publication of scientific results may lead to important advances in technology and innovation. In medicine, patient care—and the biomedical sciences in general—the publication of scientific research may also lead to substantial benefits to advancing the medical practice, as evidence-based medicine (EBM) is based on the available scientific data at the present time. Additionally, academic institutions and many academic centers require young medical professionals to be active in the scientific scene for promotions and many employment prospects. Although scientific writing is part of the curricula for many medical programs, not every physician may have adequate knowledge on formulating research results for publication adequately. The present review aimed to briefly and concisely summarize the details of creating a favorable original article to aid early career researchers in the submission to peer-reviewed journal and subsequent publication. Although not all concepts have been discussed in detail, the paper allows for current and future authors to grasp the basic ideas regarding scientific writing and the authors hope to encourage everyone to take the “leap of faith” into scientific research in medicine and to submit their first article to international journals.

Data accessibility

Not applicable.

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Payam Behzadi would like to thank the Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e-Qods Branch, Tehran, Iran, for approving the organization of the workshop on “How to write a scientific paper?” Márió Gajdács would also like to acknowledge the support of ESCMID’s “30 under 30” Award.

Open access funding provided by University of Szeged. Márió Gajdács was supported by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship (BO/00144/20/5) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the New National Excellence Programme (ÚNKP-20-5-SZTE-330) of the Ministry of Human Resources.

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Payam Behzadi

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Márió Gajdács

Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Eötvös utca 6., 6720, Hungary

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Correspondence to Márió Gajdács .

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Behzadi, P., Gajdács, M. Writing a strong scientific paper in medicine and the biomedical sciences: a checklist and recommendations for early career researchers. BIOLOGIA FUTURA 72 , 395–407 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42977-021-00095-z

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Sample Medical School Essays

Applying to medical school is an exciting decision, but the application process is very competitive. This means when it comes to your application you need to ensure you’ve put your best foot forward and done everything you can to stand out from other applicants. One great way to provide additional information on why you have decided to pursue a career in medicine and why you’re qualified, is your medical school essay. Read these samples to get a good idea on how you can write your own top-notch essay.

This section contains five sample medical school essays

• Medical School Sample Essay One
• Medical School Sample Essay Two
• Medical School Sample Essay Three
• Medical School Sample Essay Four
• Medical School Sample Essay Five

Medical School Essay One

When I was twelve years old, a drunk driver hit the car my mother was driving while I was in the backseat. I have very few memories of the accident, but I do faintly recall a serious but calming face as I was gently lifted out of the car. The paramedic held my hand as we traveled to the hospital. I was in the hospital for several weeks and that same paramedic came to visit me almost every day. During my stay, I also got to know the various doctors and nurses in the hospital on a personal level. I remember feeling anxiety about my condition, but not sadness or even fear. It seemed to me that those around me, particularly my family, were more fearful of what might happen to me than I was. I don’t believe it was innocence or ignorance, but rather a trust in the abilities of my doctors. It was as if my doctors and I had a silent bond. Now that I’m older I fear death and sickness in a more intense way than I remember experiencing it as a child. My experience as a child sparked a keen interest in how we approach pediatric care, especially as it relates to our psychological and emotional support of children facing serious medical conditions. It was here that I experienced first-hand the power and compassion of medicine, not only in healing but also in bringing unlikely individuals together, such as adults and children, in uncommon yet profound ways. And it was here that I began to take seriously the possibility of becoming a pediatric surgeon.

My interest was sparked even more when, as an undergraduate, I was asked to assist in a study one of my professors was conducting on how children experience and process fear and the prospect of death. This professor was not in the medical field; rather, her background is in cultural anthropology. I was very honored to be part of this project at such an early stage of my career. During the study, we discovered that children face death in extremely different ways than adults do. We found that children facing fatal illnesses are very aware of their condition, even when it hasn’t been fully explained to them, and on the whole were willing to fight their illnesses, but were also more accepting of their potential fate than many adults facing similar diagnoses. We concluded our study by asking whether and to what extent this discovery should impact the type of care given to children in contrast to adults. I am eager to continue this sort of research as I pursue my medical career. The intersection of medicine, psychology, and socialization or culture (in this case, the social variables differentiating adults from children) is quite fascinating and is a field that is in need of better research.

Although much headway has been made in this area in the past twenty or so years, I feel there is a still a tendency in medicine to treat diseases the same way no matter who the patient is. We are slowly learning that procedures and drugs are not always universally effective. Not only must we alter our care of patients depending upon these cultural and social factors, we may also need to alter our entire emotional and psychological approach to them as well.

It is for this reason that I’m applying to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as it has one of the top programs for pediatric surgery in the country, as well as several renowned researchers delving into the social, generational, and cultural questions in which I’m interested. My approach to medicine will be multidisciplinary, which is evidenced by the fact that I’m already double-majoring in early childhood psychology and pre-med, with a minor in cultural anthropology. This is the type of extraordinary care that I received as a child—care that seemed to approach my injuries with a much larger and deeper picture than that which pure medicine cannot offer—and it is this sort of care I want to provide my future patients. I turned what might have been a debilitating event in my life—a devastating car accident—into the inspiration that has shaped my life since. I am driven and passionate. And while I know that the pediatric surgery program at Johns Hopkins will likely be the second biggest challenge I will face in my life, I know that I am up for it. I am ready to be challenged and prove to myself what I’ve been telling myself since that fateful car accident: I will be a doctor.

Tips for a Successful Medical School Essay

• If you’re applying through AMCAS, remember to keep your essay more general rather than tailored to a specific medical school, because your essay will be seen by multiple schools.
• AMCAS essays are limited to 5300 characters—not words! This includes spaces.
• Make sure the information you include in your essay doesn't conflict with the information in your other application materials.
• In general, provide additional information that isn’t found in your other application materials. Look at the essay as an opportunity to tell your story rather than a burden.
• Keep the interview in mind as you write. You will most likely be asked questions regarding your essay during the interview, so think about the experiences you want to talk about.
• When you are copying and pasting from a word processor to the AMCAS application online, formatting and font will be lost. Don’t waste your time making it look nice. Be sure to look through the essay once you’ve copied it into AMCAS and edit appropriately for any odd characters that result from pasting.
• Avoid overly controversial topics. While it is fine to take a position and back up your position with evidence, you don’t want to sound narrow-minded.
• Revise, revise, revise. Have multiple readers look at your essay and make suggestions. Go over your essay yourself many times and rewrite it several times until you feel that it communicates your message effectively and creatively.
• Make the opening sentence memorable. Admissions officers will read dozens of personal statements in a day. You must say something at the very beginning to catch their attention, encourage them to read the essay in detail, and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
• Character traits to portray in your essay include: maturity, intellect, critical thinking skills, leadership, tolerance, perseverance, and sincerity.

Medical School Essay Two

If you had told me ten years ago that I would be writing this essay and planning for yet another ten years into the future, part of me would have been surprised. I am a planner and a maker of to-do lists, and it has always been my plan to follow in the steps of my father and become a physician. This plan was derailed when I was called to active duty to serve in Iraq as part of the War on Terror.

I joined the National Guard before graduating high school and continued my service when I began college. My goal was to receive training that would be valuable for my future medical career, as I was working in the field of emergency health care. It was also a way to help me pay for college. When I was called to active duty in Iraq for my first deployment, I was forced to withdraw from school, and my deployment was subsequently extended. I spent a total of 24 months deployed overseas, where I provided in-the-field medical support to our combat troops. While the experience was invaluable not only in terms of my future medical career but also in terms of developing leadership and creative thinking skills, it put my undergraduate studies on hold for over two years. Consequently, my carefully-planned journey towards medical school and a medical career was thrown off course. Thus, while ten-year plans are valuable, I have learned from experience how easily such plans can dissolve in situations that are beyond one’s control, as well as the value of perseverance and flexibility.

Eventually, I returned to school. Despite my best efforts to graduate within two years, it took me another three years, as I suffered greatly from post-traumatic stress disorder following my time in Iraq. I considered abandoning my dream of becoming a physician altogether, since I was several years behind my peers with whom I had taken biology and chemistry classes before my deployment. Thanks to the unceasing encouragement of my academic advisor, who even stayed in contact with me when I was overseas, I gathered my strength and courage and began studying for the MCAT. To my surprise, my score was beyond satisfactory and while I am several years behind my original ten-year plan, I am now applying to Brown University’s School of Medicine.

I can describe my new ten-year plan, but I will do so with both optimism and also caution, knowing that I will inevitably face unforeseen complications and will need to adapt appropriately. One of the many insights I gained as a member of the National Guard and by serving in war-time was the incredible creativity medical specialists in the Armed Forces employ to deliver health care services to our wounded soldiers on the ground. I was part of a team that was saving lives under incredibly difficult circumstances—sometimes while under heavy fire and with only the most basic of resources. I am now interested in how I can use these skills to deliver health care in similar circumstances where basic medical infrastructure is lacking. While there is seemingly little in common between the deserts of Fallujah and rural Wyoming, where I’m currently working as a volunteer first responder in a small town located more than 60 miles from the nearest hospital, I see a lot of potential uses for the skills that I gained as a National Guardsman. As I learned from my father, who worked with Doctors Without Borders for a number of years, there is quite a bit in common between my field of knowledge from the military and working in post-conflict zones. I feel I have a unique experience from which to draw as I embark on my medical school journey, experiences that can be applied both here and abroad.

In ten years’ time, I hope to be trained in the field of emergency medicine, which, surprisingly, is a specialization that is actually lacking here in the United States as compared to similarly developed countries. I hope to conduct research in the field of health care infrastructure and work with government agencies and legislators to find creative solutions to improving access to emergency facilities in currently underserved areas of the United States, with an aim towards providing comprehensive policy reports and recommendations on how the US can once again be the world leader in health outcomes. While the problems inherent in our health care system are not one-dimensional and require a dynamic approach, one of the solutions as I see it is to think less in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and more in terms of access to primary care. Much of the care that I provide as a first responder and volunteer is extremely effective and also relatively cheap. More money is always helpful when facing a complex social and political problem, but we must think of solutions above and beyond more money and more taxes. In ten years I want to be a key player in the health care debate in this country and offering innovative solutions to delivering high quality and cost-effective health care to all our nation’s citizens, especially to those in rural and otherwise underserved areas.

Of course, my policy interests do not replace my passion for helping others and delivering emergency medicine. As a doctor, I hope to continue serving in areas of the country that, for one reason or another, are lagging behind in basic health care infrastructure. Eventually, I would also like to take my knowledge and talents abroad and serve in the Peace Corps or Doctors Without Borders.

In short, I see the role of physicians in society as multifunctional: they are not only doctors who heal, they are also leaders, innovators, social scientists, and patriots. Although my path to medical school has not always been the most direct, my varied and circuitous journey has given me a set of skills and experiences that many otherwise qualified applicants lack. I have no doubt that the next ten years will be similarly unpredictable, but I can assure you that no matter what obstacles I face, my goal will remain the same. I sincerely hope to begin the next phase of my journey at Brown University. Thank you for your kind attention.

Additional Tips for a Successful Medical School Essay

• Regardless of the prompt, you should always address the question of why you want to go to medical school in your essay.
• Try to always give concrete examples rather than make general statements. If you say that you have perseverance, describe an event in your life that demonstrates perseverance.
• There should be an overall message or theme in your essay. In the example above, the theme is overcoming unexpected obstacles.
• Make sure you check and recheck for spelling and grammar!
• Unless you’re very sure you can pull it off, it is usually not a good idea to use humor or to employ the skills you learned in creative writing class in your personal statement. While you want to paint a picture, you don’t want to be too poetic or literary.
• Turn potential weaknesses into positives. As in the example above, address any potential weaknesses in your application and make them strengths, if possible. If you have low MCAT scores or something else that can’t be easily explained or turned into a positive, simply don’t mention it.

Medical School Essay Three

The roots of my desire to become a physician are, thankfully, not around the bedside of a sick family member or in a hospital, but rather on a 10-acre plot of land outside of a small town in Northwest Arkansas. I loved raising and exhibiting cattle, so every morning before the bus arrived at 7 a.m. I was in the barn feeding, checking cattle for any health issues and washing the show heifers. These early mornings and my experiences on a farm not only taught me the value of hard work, but ignited my interest in the body, albeit bovine at the time. It was by a working chute that I learned the functions of reproductive hormones as we utilized them for assisted reproduction and artificial insemination; it was by giving vaccinations to prevent infection that I learned about bacteria and the germ theory of disease; it was beside a stillborn calf before the sun had risen that I was exposed to the frailty of life.

Facing the realities of disease and death daily from an early age, I developed a strong sense of pragmatism out of necessity. There is no place for abstractions or euphemisms about life and death when treating a calf’s pneumonia in the pouring rain during winter. Witnessing the sometimes harsh realities of life on a farm did not instill within me an attitude of jaded inevitability of death. Instead, it germinated a responsibility to protect life to the best of my abilities, cure what ailments I can and alleviate as much suffering as possible while recognizing that sometimes nothing can be done.

I first approached human health at the age of nine through beef nutrition and food safety. Learning the roles of nutrients such as zinc, iron, protein and B-vitamins in the human body as well as the dangers of food-borne illness through the Beef Ambassador program shifted my interest in the body to a new species. Talking with consumers about every facet of the origins of food, I realized that the topics that most interested me were those that pertained to human health. In college, while I connected with people over samples of beef and answered their questions, I also realized that it is not enough simply to have adequate knowledge. Ultimately knowledge is of little use if it is not digestible to those who receive it. So my goal as a future clinical physician is not only to illuminate the source of an affliction and provide treatment for patients, but take care to ensure the need for understanding by both patient and family is met.

I saw this combination of care and understanding while volunteering in an emergency room, where I was also exposed to other aspects and players in the medical field. While assisting a nurse perform a bladder scan and witnessing technicians carry out an echocardiogram or CT scan, I learned the important roles that other professionals who do not wear white coats have in today’s medical field. Medicine is a team sport, and coordinating the efforts of each of these players is crucial for the successful execution of patient care. It is my goal to serve as the leader of this healthcare unit and unify a team of professionals to provide the highest quality care for patients. Perhaps most importantly my time at the VA showed me the power a smile and an open ear can have with people. On the long walk to radiology, talking with patients about their military service and families always seemed to take their mind off the reason for their visit, if only for a few minutes. This served as a reminder that we are helping people with pasts and dreams, rather than simply remedying patients’ symptoms.

Growing up in a small town, I never held aspirations of world travel when I was young. But my time abroad revealed to me the state of healthcare in developing countries and fostered a previously unknown interest in global health. During my first trip abroad to Ghana, my roommate became ill with a severe case of traveler’s diarrhea. In the rural north of the country near the Sahara, the options for healthcare were limited; he told me how our professor was forced to bribe employees to bypass long lines and even recounted how doctors took a bag of saline off the line of another patient to give to him. During a service trip to a rural community in Nicaragua, I encountered patients with preventable and easily treatable diseases that, due to poverty and lack of access, were left untreated for months or years at a time. I was discouraged by the state of healthcare in these countries and wondered what could be done to help. I plan to continue to help provide access to healthcare in rural parts of developing countries, and hopefully as a physician with an agricultural background I can approach public health and food security issues in a multifaceted and holistic manner.

My time on a cattle farm taught me how to work hard to pursue my interests, but also fueled my appetite for knowledge about the body and instilled within me a firm sense of practicality. Whether in a clinic, operating room or pursuing public and global health projects, I plan to bring this work ethic and pragmatism to all of my endeavors. My agricultural upbringing has produced a foundation of skills and values that I am confident will readily transplant into my chosen career. Farming is my early passion, but medicine is my future.

Medical School Essay Four

I am a white, cisgender, and heterosexual female who has been afforded many privileges: I was raised by parents with significant financial resources, I have traveled the world, and I received top-quality high school and college educations. I do not wish to be addressed or recognized in any special way; all I ask is to be treated with respect.

As for my geographic origin, I was born and raised in the rural state of Maine. Since graduating from college, I have been living in my home state, working and giving back to the community that has given me so much. I could not be happier here; I love the down-to-earth people, the unhurried pace of life, and the easy access to the outdoors. While I am certainly excited to move elsewhere in the country for medical school and continue to explore new places, I will always self-identify as a Mainer as being from Maine is something I take great pride in. I am proud of my family ties to the state (which date back to the 1890’s), I am proud of the state’s commitment to preserving its natural beauty, and I am particularly proud of my slight Maine accent (we don’t pronounce our r’s). From the rocky coastline and rugged ski mountains to the locally-grown food and great restaurants, it is no wonder Maine is nicknamed, "Vacationland.” Yet, Maine is so much more than just a tourist destination. The state is dotted with wonderful communities in which to live, communities like the one where I grew up.

Perhaps not surprisingly, I plan to return to Maine after residency. I want to raise a family and establish my medical practice here. We certainly could use more doctors! Even though Maine is a terrific place to live, the state is facing a significant doctor shortage. Today, we are meeting less than half of our need for primary care providers. To make matters worse, many of our physicians are close to retirement age. Yet, according to the AAMC, only 53 Maine residents matriculated into medical school last year! Undoubtedly, Maine is in need of young doctors who are committed to working long term in underserved areas. As my primary career goal is to return to my much adored home state and do my part to help fill this need, I have a vested interest in learning more about rural medicine during medical school.

I was raised in Cumberland, Maine, a coastal town of 7,000 just north of Portland. With its single stoplight and general store (where it would be unusual to visit without running into someone you know), Cumberland is the epitome of a small New England town. It truly was the perfect place to grow up. According to the most recent census, nearly a third of the town’s population is under 18 and more than 75% of households contain children, two statistics which speak to the family-centric nature of Cumberland’s community. Recently rated Maine's safest town, Cumberland is the type of place where you allow your kindergartener to bike alone to school, leave your house unlocked while at work, and bring home-cooked food to your sick neighbors and their children. Growing up in such a safe, close-knit, and supportive community instilled in me the core values of compassion, trustworthiness, and citizenship. These three values guide me every day and will continue to guide me through medical school and my career in medicine.

As a medical student and eventual physician, my compassion will guide me to become a provider who cares for more than just the physical well-being of my patients. I will also commit myself to my patients’ emotional, spiritual, and social well-being and make it a priority to take into account the unique values and beliefs of each patient. By also demonstrating my trustworthiness during every encounter, I will develop strong interpersonal relationships with those whom I serve. As a doctor once wisely said, “A patient does not care how much you know until he knows how much you care.”

My citizenship will guide me to serve my community and to encourage my classmates and colleagues to do the same. We will be taught in medical school to be healers, scientists, and educators. I believe that, in addition, as students and as physicians, we have the responsibility to use our medical knowledge, research skills, and teaching abilities to benefit more than just our patients. We must also commit ourselves to improving the health and wellness of those living in our communities by participating in public events (i.e by donating our medical services), lobbying for better access to healthcare for the underprivileged, and promoting wellness campaigns. As a medical student and eventual physician, my compassion, trustworthiness, and citizenship will drive me to improve the lives of as many individuals as I can.

Cumberland instilled in me important core values and afforded me a wonderful childhood. However, I recognize that my hometown is not perfect. For one, the population is shockingly homogenous, at least as far as demographics go. As of the 2010 census, 97.2% of the residents of Cumberland were white. Only 4.1% of residents speak a language other than English at home and even fewer were born in another country. Essentially everybody who identified with a religion identified as some denomination of Christian. My family was one of maybe five Jewish families in the town. Additionally, nearly all the town’s residents graduated from high school (98.1%), are free of disability (93.8%), and live above the poverty line (95.8%). Efforts to attract diverse families to Cumberland is one improvement that I believe would make the community a better place in which to live. Diversity in background (and in thought) is desirable in any community as living, learning, and working alongside diverse individuals helps us develop new perspectives, enhances our social development, provides us with a larger frame of reference, and improves our understanding of our place in society.

Medical School Essay Five

“How many of you received the flu vaccine this year?” I asked my Bricks 4 Kidz class, where I volunteer to teach elementary students introductory science and math principles using Lego blocks. “What’s a flu vaccine?” they asked in confusion. Surprised, I briefly explained the influenza vaccine and its purpose for protection. My connection to children and their health extends to medical offices, clinics and communities where I have gained experience and insight into medicine, confirming my goal of becoming a physician.

My motivation to pursue a career in medicine developed when my mother, who was diagnosed with Lupus, underwent a kidney transplant surgery and suffered multiple complications. I recall the fear and anxiety I felt as a child because I misunderstood her chronic disease. This prompted me to learn more about the science of medicine. In high school, I observed patients plagued with acute and chronic kidney disease while briefly exploring various fields of medicine through a Mentorship in Medicine summer program at my local hospital. In addition to shadowing nephrologists in a hospital and clinical setting, I scrubbed into the operating room, viewed the radiology department, celebrated the miracle of birth in the delivery room, and quietly observed a partial autopsy in pathology. I saw many patients confused about their diagnoses. I was impressed by the compassion of the physicians and the time they took to reassure and educate their patients.

Further experiences in medicine throughout and after college shaped a desire to practice in underserved areas. While coloring and reading with children in the patient area at a Family Health Center, I witnessed family medicine physicians diligently serve patients from low-income communities. On a medical/dental mission trip to the Philippines, I partnered with local doctors to serve and distribute medical supplies to rural schools and communities. At one impoverished village, I held a malnourished two-year old boy suffering from cerebral palsy and cardiorespiratory disease. His family could not afford to take him to the nearest pediatrician, a few hours away by car, for treatment. Overwhelmed, I cried as we left the village. Many people were suffering through pain and disease due to limited access to medicine. But this is not rare; there are many people suffering due to inadequate access/accessibility around the world, even in my hometown. One physician may not be able to change the status of underserved communities, however, one can alleviate some of the suffering.

Dr. X, my mentor and supervisor, taught me that the practice of medicine is both a science and an art. As a medical assistant in a pediatric office, I am learning about the patient-physician relationship and the meaningful connection with people that medicine provides. I interact with patients and their families daily. Newborn twins were one of the first patients I helped, and I look forward to seeing their development at successive visits. A young boy who endured a major cardiac surgery was another patient I connected with, seeing his smiling face in the office often as he transitioned from the hospital to his home. I also helped many excited, college-bound teenagers with requests for medical records in order to matriculate. This is the art of medicine – the ability to build relationships with patients and have an important and influential role in their lives, from birth to adulthood and beyond.

In addition, medicine encompasses patient-centered care, such as considering and addressing concerns. While taking patient vitals, I grew discouraged when parents refused the influenza vaccine and could not understand their choices. With my experience in scientific research, I conducted an informal yet insightful study. Over one hundred families were surveyed about their specific reasons for refusing the flu vaccine. I sought feedback on patients’ level of understanding about vaccinations and its interactions with the human immune system. Through this project, I learned the importance of understanding patient’s concerns in order to reassure them through medicine. I also learned the value of communicating with patients, such as explaining the purpose of a recommended vaccine. I hope to further this by attending medical school to become a physician focused on patient-centered care, learning from and teaching my community.

Children have been a common thread in my pursuit of medicine, from perceiving medicine through child-like eyes to interacting daily with children in a medical office. My diverse experiences in patient interaction and the practice of medicine inspire me to become a physician, a path that requires perseverance and passion. Physicians are life-long learners and teachers, educating others whether it is on vaccinations or various diseases. This vocation also requires preparation, and I eagerly look forward to continually learning and growing in medical school and beyond.

To learn more about what to expect from the study of medicine, check out our Study Medicine in the US section.

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• Research article
• Open access
• Published: 12 October 2020

“It is this very knowledge that makes us doctors”: an applied thematic analysis of how medical students perceive the relevance of biomedical science knowledge to clinical medicine

• Bonny L. Dickinson   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2418-0141 1 ,
• Kristine Gibson 2 ,
• Kristi VanDerKolk 2 ,
• Jeffrey Greene 2 ,
• Claudia A. Rosu 3 ,
• Deborah D. Navedo 4 ,
• Kirsten A. Porter-Stransky   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9895-8641 5 &
• Lisa E. Graves 1  

BMC Medical Education volume  20 , Article number:  356 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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A Correction to this article was published on 13 November 2020

This article has been updated

Intensive study of the biomedical sciences remains a core component of undergraduate medical education with medical students often completing up to 2 years of biomedical science training prior to entering clerkships. While it is generally accepted that biomedical science knowledge is essential for clinical practice because it forms the basis of clinical reasoning and decision-making, whether medical students perceive an expanded role for their biomedical science knowledge remains to be examined.

We conducted a qualitative research study to explore how medical students in the first clerkship year perceived the relevance of biomedical science knowledge to clinical medicine during this pivotal time as they begin their transition from students to physicians. To identify previously unidentified perspectives and insights, we asked students to write brief essays in response to the prompt: How is biomedical science knowledge relevant to clinical medicine? Ten codes and four themes were interpreted through an applied thematic analysis of students’ essays.

Analysis of students’ essays revealed novel perspectives previously unidentified by survey studies and focus groups. Specifically, students perceived their biomedical science knowledge as contributory to the development of adaptive expertise and professional identity formation, both viewed as essential developmental milestones for medical students.

Conclusions

The results of this study have important implications for ongoing curricular reform efforts to improve the structure, content, delivery, and assessment of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Identifying the explicit and tacit elements of the formal, informal, and hidden curriculum that enable biomedical science knowledge to contribute to the development of adaptive expertise and professional identity formation will enable the purposeful design of innovations to support the acquisition of these critical educational outcomes.

Peer Review reports

Medical students often complete up to 2 years of intensive study in the biomedical sciences in the undergraduate medical curriculum. This knowledge base serves as the foundation for clinical reasoning and decision-making, and is required to address novel, complex, and ambiguous clinical problems that necessitate a deeper fund of knowledge, one that goes beyond reliance on pattern recognition and algorithms alone [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. A detailed understanding of the biomedical sciences also enables physicians to understand and effectively utilize innovations and discoveries that emerge from basic and translational science research [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Thus, although there is general agreement that biomedical science knowledge is critical to the training of future clinicians [ 3 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], debate remains about the depth and extent of training required [ 1 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. This debate is particularly relevant given continued efforts to reduce the time of training to address physician shortages, reduce the rising cost of physician training, and enable creation of time variable flexible and individualized learning pathways [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].

Innovative approaches to reform undergraduate medical education over the past 10 years include changes to curricular structure/organization, content, and delivery [ 23 , 24 ]. Such innovations have the potential to significantly impact how the biomedical sciences are taught and learned. For example, many schools have embraced a reduction in the length of the preclinical curriculum and the inclusion of early clinical experiences in the preclinical curriculum where the majority of the biomedical sciences is taught [ 20 , 21 , 24 ]. These innovations may compress an already crowded curriculum in which contemporary topics are also being added such as health systems science, addiction, pain management, population health, social determinants of health, wellness, and medical informatics to name a few [ 24 ]. While evidence suggests that some of these changes may not impact academic performance per se [ 25 ], whether these and other critical outcomes of medical education such as professionalism, professional identity formation, adaptive expertise, and humanistic approaches to patient care are impacted remains to be examined [ 26 ]. For these reasons, further study is needed to anticipate how curricular reforms that impact training in the biomedical sciences might influence physician training.

To date, few studies have sought to understand medical student perceptions of their training in the biomedical sciences. Filling this gap in our understanding could lend significant insight to the question of the depth, context, and extent of training required in the biomedical sciences to ensure the effectiveness of initiatives to improve medical education. In one study, for example, the longitudinal development of students’ attitudes concerning the basic sciences revealed that students further in their training were more likely than beginning students to support learning biomedical knowledge prior to its application in a clinical context [ 27 ]. These results suggest that the experiences of more advanced students improved their recognition that knowledge of the biomedical sciences is important for medical practice. A more recent mixed methods study found that while most medical students agreed the biomedical sciences curriculum was a crucial part of their training, their perception of the importance and relevance of the biomedical curriculum decreased with their progress in medical school, which contradicts the results of the aforementioned study [ 28 ].

We conducted a qualitative research study to determine whether medical students perceive an expanded role for the biomedical science knowledge they acquire during training beyond those roles previously identified by surveys, open-ended questions, and focus groups. The objective this study was to explore how medical students in their first clerkship year perceive the relevance of biomedical science knowledge to clinical medicine with the goal of providing insights relevant to curricular reform efforts that impact how the biomedical sciences are taught.

Qualitative approach

We conducted an applied thematic analysis of participants’ essays. Applied thematic analysis is a rigorous, inductive set of procedures designed to identify and examine themes from textual data [ 29 ].

Participants

This study included all fifty-five third-year medical students enrolled in the graduating class of 2019 (the second class enrolled since inception of the school). Twenty-six women and 29 men comprised the class of 2019.

This study took place over a 12-month period at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, a private not-for-profit graduate entry medical school. The preclinical curriculum has been previously described [ 30 ]. Briefly, at the beginning of the first year, students complete a medical first responder course and are licensed in the State of Michigan as Medical First Responders. Then, students learn fundamental concepts in the basic sciences in five Foundations of Health and Disease courses that range from three to 5 weeks in duration: Molecular, Cellular, Genetic, Metabolic, and Immunology and Infectious Disease. These foundational concepts are then revisited with increasing complexity throughout the remaining preclinical curriculum organized as nine organ-based courses ranging from five to 6 weeks in duration and which follow a multidisciplinary integration model: Hematology and Oncology, Musculoskeletal System and Dermatology, Cardiovascular System, Pulmonary System, Renal and Genitourinary System, Gastrointestinal System, Endocrinology and Reproduction System, Nervous System I, and Nervous System II. Foundational and organ-based courses were designed and delivered by both basic science and clinician educators to emphasize integration of the biomedical and clinical sciences. Integration was supported by weekly Team-Based Learning® experiences that were designed and delivered by teams of basic science and clinical faculty [ 31 ]. Integration also occurred in other curricular events such as case-based learning, simulation-based learning, tutorials, and anatomy, histology, and pathology laboratories.

Concurrent clinical courses in the first 2 years provide students with clinical skills and interactions with real patients, standardized patients, and simulated patients. These courses include Introductory Clinical Experiences, Advances and Perspectives in Medicine, early electives, and Professions of Medicine. In the third year, four blocks of 12–13 students rotate through four clerkship experiences in different sequences: Medicine and Neurology, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine and Family and Community Medicine, Surgery, and Women’s Health and Psychiatry. In the fourth year, students complete electives and advanced courses in Critical Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Hospital-Centered Medicine, and Advanced Ambulatory Medicine.

Sampling strategy, data collection and analysis

A pre-clerkship assignment was provided at the beginning the family and community medicine and pediatric and adolescent medicine clerkship block (Additional file 1 ). Students were asked to write a brief essay in response to the prompt: How is biomedical science knowledge relevant to clinical medicine? After completing the pre-clerkship assignment, a mid-clerkship assignment was provided to students at the beginning of the second half of the rotation (Additional file 1 ). This reflective writing assignment was designed using the principles of the Kolb experiential learning model [ 32 ]. Using this framework, students were asked to: 1) select a patient encounter (concrete experience), 2) identify and fill gaps in biomedical science knowledge (reflective observation), 3) reflect on how the new learning impacted the care of their patient (abstract conceptualization), and 4) consider how this process may impact their future clinical practice, and reevaluate their perception of the relevance of biomedical science knowledge to clinical medicine (active experimentation). An essay format for the assignments was selected to facilitate the collection of textual data from all 55 students to provide a deep understanding of students’ perceptions. The assignments were completed by all 55 students as part of the required instructional elements in the clerkship rotation. The assignments were designed to be contributory to the final grade for the clerkship but were not a deciding factor in passing the clerkship.

Prior to beginning the data analysis, participant essays were collected and de-identified. Four members of the research team (B.L.D., J.G., K.A.P.-S. and L.G.), who were not involved in assessing student performance in this clerkship, read through all 55 participants’ essays. Two essays were eliminated from the study because they were not responsive to the pre-clerkship prompt, leaving a total of 53 essays for analysis. An applied thematic analysis of participant essays was conducted following the procedures described by Braun and Clark to identify codes and themes from qualitative data [ 33 ]. Following manual open coding, a codebook was created through consensus discussion during research team meetings. Once the codebook was created, codes were synthesized into themes and all essays were analyzed using ATLAS.ti for data organization and retrieval (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH). Student quotes selected to illustrate themes in the Results section are followed by a tag in parentheses to indicate the rotation block [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] and student (A-Y).

To increase the validity of our findings, the research team used the verification procedures of maintaining an audit trail, discussing our own biases to promote reflexivity, describing in detail how data were collected and analyzed, relating the findings to the existing literature, analyzing the data in a systematic manner, and involving more than one person in the analysis, which included faculty from a range of backgrounds: two biomedical science faculty members (B.L.D. and K.A.P.-S.), a member of the department of medical education (J.G.), three clinician educators (K.G., L.G., and K.V.), and two faculty with expertise in qualitative research (D.D.N. and C.A.R.). Finally, intensity sampling was selected as a purposeful sampling strategy to identify four study participants for a focus group that was held at the conclusion of the clerkship rotations as a method of member checking [ 34 ]. This sampling strategy was selected to gather information-rich perspectives of the phenomenon under study.

To determine whether medical students entering the first year of clerkships perceive an expanded role for their biomedical science knowledge beyond its role in clinical reasoning and decision making, we asked students at the beginning of their family and community medicine and pediatric and adolescent medicine clerkship to reflect on how biomedical science knowledge was relevant to clinical medicine. Open coding identified 10 codes that were synthesized into four themes that described medical students’ perceptions: knowledge to practice medicine, lifelong learning, physician-patient relationship, and learner perception of self (Table  1 ). We next examined students’ responses to prompts in the mid-clerkship reflective writing assignment to identify support for the codes and themes. Specifically, students were asked to: 1) select and briefly describe a patient encounter, 2) think about the patient’s illness or disease process through a basic science lens by accessing, exploring, and extending their biomedical science knowledge, 3) reflect on how the new learning impacted the care of their patient, and 4) consider how this process may impact their future clinical practice, and reevaluate their perception of the relevance of biomedical science knowledge to clinical medicine. Below, we describe the codes and themes and provide representative student quotes.

Theme 1: knowledge to practice medicine

This theme developed from the clustering of four codes: diagnosis, patient management, tolerance of ambiguity, and patient safety (Table 1 ), and addresses the use of biomedical science knowledge to support clinical reasoning and to justify clinical decisions.

Code 1a: diagnosis

This code included many of the physician tasks required to formulate a diagnosis (Table  2 ) and had an overall frequency of 30% (Table  3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “Biomedical science knowledge is relevant to clinical medicine because it allows for a deeper understanding of the disease processes occurring in patients and helps us make more informed decisions for their care. If we have a firm grasp of physiology and pathology, we can conceptualize what is “normal” in our patients and how that normal has been interrupted by disease.” (4 T).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “By thinking about basic science and what mechanisms could be causing the patient’s symptoms, I was better able to come up with possible differential diagnoses.” (1Y).

Code 1b: patient management

This code relates to various physician tasks required for patient management (Table 2 ) and had the highest overall frequency (72%) (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “… understanding the science behind our actions allows us to anticipate the outcomes of our treatment … Without the basic science knowledge to guide our practice, we would just blindly follow clinical guidelines … [it is] important to understand the science behind those guidelines so that we can adjust accordingly, and better treat patients that might not fit in to a defined set of rules.” (3P).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “On initial glance, a rash, abdominal pain, and hypertension seem seemingly unrelated. However, the basic science understanding of Henoch-shönlein purpura helped pull all of these components together. The process of reading about Henoch-shönlein purpura was fundamental to providing the best care possible for our patient.” (1B).

Code 1c: tolerance of ambiguity

Tolerance of ambiguity captured the concept that patients and disease processes are complex, and management requires the application and integration of basic science and clinical science knowledge to provide optimal care (Table 2 ). This code had an overall frequency of 23% (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “… clinical medicine is full of patterns and puzzles. Three patients who all come in with a cough can have extremely diverse disease processes and therefore require unique treatments … a thorough history and physical must be combined with basic science knowledge to accurately diagnose a patient.” (1B).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “Incorporating basic science objectives when treating patients allows you to modify your care for situations when treating patients that are not “traditional” patients. You can better adjust your care when patients have multiple active disease processes and medications with potential interactions.” (2 W).

Code 1d: patient safety

This final code within theme 1 focused on the use of biomedical science knowledge to prevent medical errors (Table 2 ) and had a frequency of 17% (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “Without biomedical science knowledge, it is possible to misdiagnose patients or continue to make recommendations or prescribe treatments that, at best, don’t work and, at worst, do more harm than good.” (2S).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “… this deeper understanding was critical to ensuring that we were drawing the appropriate labs/imaging and monitoring the necessary vitals to prevent or address any complication.” (1B).

Finally, three students presented minority arguments that disagreed with the theme “knowledge to practice medicine”, and expressed views that biomedical science knowledge has no role in some physician skills, including communication and interpersonal skills:

“… there is very little correlation between biomedical science knowledge and how great someone might be in the clinic... Yes, the baseline knowledge might be important, but clinical knowledge has more to do with your ability to talk to a patient like a human being and help them feel better.” (1R).

Theme 2: lifelong learning

This second theme addressed the need for physicians to continue to expand their biomedical science knowledge throughout their careers. This theme developed from a single code: continue learning throughout practice to understand and apply advances in science and medicine (i.e., evidence-based medicine) (Table 1 ).

Code 2a: continue learning throughout practice

This code reflected the need for physicians to continue to acquire new knowledge by engaging with the research literature to understand and apply advances in science and medicine (Table 2 ). This code had an overall frequency of 55% (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “As new research emerges within the medical field, clinicians must rely on the knowledge they gained in medical school to process and understand the literature... Without [a] solid foundation of biomedical education, physicians would not be capable of synthesizing and comprehending the new data.” (4B).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “As I continue in my medical education, I believe that tying basic science concepts into my clinical practice will not only help me to better understand disease processes that I encounter, but it will also allow me to better adapt to new management and treatment approaches, because I will understand the underlying processes being targeted.” (4C).

Theme 3: physician-patient relationship

The third theme of physician-patient relationship described the use of biomedical science knowledge to educate and empower patients. This theme developed from the clustering of three codes: educate patients, empower patients, and develop patient trust (Table 1 ).

Code 3a: educate patients

The ability to educate patients requires the use of biomedical science knowledge to answer patient questions, respond to patient concerns, dispel incorrect medical information, destigmatize misconceptions of disease, and explain disease and treatments in terms that are understandable to patients (Table 2 ). This code had an overall frequency of 28% (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “… understanding the basic science behind disease allows the physician to better explain to patients what is happening to them. This leads to a better physician-patient relationship.” (1Y).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “Ultimately, the process of viewing a patient through a basic science lens helps to educate oneself which, in turn, translates into an opportunity to educate the families and [the] rest of the medical team on rounds or presentations.” (1P).

Code 3b: empower patients

Students recognized the use of biomedical science knowledge to empower patients to become actively involved in their own healthcare (Table 2 ) and had a frequency of 19% (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “A physician must have the knowledge, and the ability to accurately inform patients of their options, allowing the patient to make an informed decision about the course they choose to take, as well as the potential ramifications of that choice such as drug side effects, and the consequences of not taking a particular medication.” (4D).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “This not only equips me to better manage those conditions, but also to build better relationships with my patients. Furthermore, in educating patients about their conditions, they become more invested in their health and are better able to manage their medical problems as well.” (3P).

Code 3c: develop patient trust

This code captured the concept that patients (and society) expect physicians to have a wealth of biomedical science knowledge, and that this knowledge base contributes to establishing the trust of patients and providing compassionate care (Table 2 ). This code had an overall frequency of 13% (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “Patients often want to know what is happening when they suffer from a disease and having the knowledge to explain this to them increases rapport and confirms the trust that they put in the physician. Patients want to feel like they are being cared for by an expert, and there is no better way to show expertise than to describe in detail what is happening, why it is happening, and what we can do to treat it effectively.” (4 T).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “Getting a new diagnosis can be confusing and overwhelming, and it can be reassuring when the doctor explains things. Even if he or she does not know exactly what is wrong, the effort to explain things on a level that the patient can understand can build rapport and be very important.” (2C).

Theme 4: learner perception of self

The final theme, learner perception of self, captured how biomedical science knowledge contributes to the development of a professional identity. This theme developed from the clustering of two codes: develop confidence and competence as a physician and transition from layperson to physician (Table 1 ).

Code 4a: develop confidence and competence as a physician

This code was interpreted from student perceptions that biomedical science knowledge contributes to the development of confidence and competence as a physician and provides a common language in which to engage with colleagues and other members of the healthcare team (Table 2 ). This code had the lowest frequency (8%) (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “When we understand why a certain treatment works, not just that it works, we develop true, long-lasting clinical knowledge that allows us to treat our patients with confidence. What’s more, the biomedical sciences are a language that we use to communicate with each other and with our research science colleagues.” (4S).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “The basic science preparation and reading really helped elevate the level of discussion when presenting to the attending.” (1B).

Code 4b: transition from layperson to physician

This code captured the idea that biomedical science knowledge is expected of oneself, one’s colleagues, and by one’s patients. Students perceived that the application of biomedical science knowledge in a clinical context forms the basis of their emerging identity as a physician (Table 2 ). This code had an overall frequency of 13% (Table 3 ).

Pre-clerkship assignment: “… if our knowledge were limited to asking a list of questions, identifying abnormalities, and prescribing the correct medications off a list of protocols then we would simply be technicians. Those skills can be programmed into a computer algorithm that can diagnose disease and treat patients. The value in doctors is that we are both clinicians and scientists.” (2F).

Mid-clerkship assignment: “And I think that must be a part of medical practice and education, to push those around us to continually fill the gaps in our knowledge, and remember the importance of the basics in leading to what we do.” (1A).

Students’ learning trajectory

In analyzing the students’ essays in response to the pre-clerkship assignment prompt, we observed that the majority of responses reflected simplistic application of their biomedical science knowledge.

“Knowing that a drug only works when functioning beta cells are present allows me to recognize that these medications would not work for a type I diabetic because type 1 diabetics no longer have functioning beta cells.” (1 T).

Students’ responses reflecting a more sophisticated application of biomedical science knowledge were far fewer:

“Rather than memorizing what causes edema, I was able to use my basic science knowledge to not only know what might be causing it but why. This also helped me understand the treatment. For example, in the case of congestive heart failure, I knew that the cause of edema was increased hydrostatic pressure and the way to relieve that is to get rid of fluid. Therefore, I knew that using a diuretic in this case would help this person’s worsening edema.” (2A).

This study examined whether students perceived a role for their biomedical science knowledge beyond its previously articulated role in supporting clinical reasoning and decision making. To address this, we performed an applied thematic analysis of student essays in response to the prompt: How is biomedical science knowledge relevant to clinical medicine? The research team interpreted four themes through qualitative data analysis. Two themes, knowledge to practice medicine and lifelong learning relate to developing the skills and attributes of an expert physician. The remaining themes, physician-patient relationship and learner perception of self relate to the process of assuming an identity aligned with that of a physician. These findings suggest that students perceive a role for their biomedical science knowledge as contributory to the constructs of adaptive expertise and professional identity formation.

Ericsson defines expertise as ‘the characteristics, skills, and knowledge that differentiate experts from novices’ [ 35 ]. In medicine, adaptive expertise requires both efficiency, which is defined as the use of biomedical knowledge to solve routine problems, and innovation, in which knowledge is used to create new solutions to solve novel problems [ 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Professional identity formation refers to a student’s transformation from lay person to physician, and is recognized as a key transition in medical student training, requiring the student to integrate the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors of a competent, humanistic physician with his or her own unique identity and core values [ 39 , 40 , 41 ].

The theoretical framework of adaptive expertise emphasizes flexibility and innovation in practice and requires a physician to make efficient use of their previously acquired knowledge to solve routine problems and also to create new knowledge when confronted with novel, non-routine problems [ 42 ]. The first theme, knowledge to practice medicine, suggests that students recognized that biomedical science knowledge is required for them to begin to develop the adaptive expertise that characterizes expert physicians. Student essays robustly addressed the efficiency dimension of adaptive expertise in which biomedical science knowledge was required to perform various aspects of patient care reflected in the first four codes: diagnosis, patient management, tolerance of ambiguity, and patient safety. That students perceived a role for their biomedical science knowledge in these physician tasks associated with the efficiency domain of adaptive expertise, but not the innovation phase, was anticipated; while expert clinicians are able to embrace complexity while acting with simplicity, novice learners struggle to embrace simplicity [ 13 , 43 ]. This observation was also consistent with the finding that medical students in their third and fourth year of training are immersed in the efficiency dimension of adaptive expertise, but do not perceive that they have a role in innovation in practice, a key aspect of the innovation dimension of adaptive expertise [ 37 ].

Student responses also aligned with the first two of four key phases of the master adaptive learner conceptual model, which is a metacognitive approach based on self-regulation that fosters the development of adaptive expertise: the planning phase in which the learner identifies a gap in knowledge, skills or attitudes, and the learning phase in which the learner selects an opportunity for learning and searches for resources [ 38 , 44 ]. Student essays reflected the early phases of the master adaptive learner in which gaps in biomedical science knowledge are identified and filled during patient encounters. The remaining phases of this model characterize more advanced learners: the assessing phase in which the learner tries out the new knowledge and assesses its effectiveness, and the adjusting phase in which new leaning becomes incorporated into everyday practice. Given that our students were in their third year of training, it was not surprising that evidence of these more advanced phases was lacking.

The second theme, lifelong learning, developed from students’ understanding that they must have a solid foundation of biomedical science knowledge to continue to learn throughout practice (the fifth code). Learning new biomedical science knowledge that is advanced through research is required to maintain and improve the physician’s ability to solve routine clinical problems and to begin to solve novel, complex, and unfamiliar problems, thus linking this knowledge as requisite to the development of adaptive expertise.

A key developmental milestone in medical student training is the transformation from lay person to physician through a process termed professional identity formation. Jarvis-Selinger et al. define professional identity formation as ‘An adaptive developmental process that happens simultaneously at two levels: 1) at the level of the individual, which involves the psychological development of the person and 2) at the collective level, which involves the socialization of the person into appropriate roles and forms of participation in the community’s work’ [ 45 ]. Professional identity formation is now viewed as an educational objective of medical education [ 22 , 46 ]. The third and fourth themes identified in this study, physician-patient relationship and learner perception of self, capture key elements of this developmental process. The theme physician-patient relationship developed from three codes that suggest that a physician uses biomedical science knowledge to educate patients about a diagnosis or treatment plan, empowers patients to become active participants in their healthcare, and establishes trusting relationships with patients. These are the skills and behaviors of a competent physician and core elements of a physician’s professional identity. The fourth theme, learner perception of self, directly speaks to the role of biomedical science knowledge in the act of becoming a physician. This theme derived from two codes in which students recognized that their biomedical science knowledge base enables a sense of confidence and competence, and thus contributes to their transition from layperson to physician. The link between these two codes and professional identify formation are succinctly summarized by one of the students: “It is this very knowledge that makes us doctors.”

Professional identity formation is thought to be triggered by experiences of cognitive disequilibrium in relationship to students’ perceptions of self-in-profession, such as the transition from undergraduate student to medical student, early clinical experiences in the preclinical years, exposure to the business of medicine, and exposure to physicians in clinical practice, all of which represent vulnerable periods of training [ 47 ]. Students also expressed that biomedical science knowledge is required to competently communicate with colleagues and other members of the healthcare team, and that this knowledge provides the foundation for building confidence, credibility, and competence as a physician. That a solid foundational knowledge of biomedical science is a professional expectation was recognized by the students is congruent with other studies that identify this as a societal expectation [ 48 , 49 ]. Whether our students’ experience of an integrated curriculum and early clinical experiences contributed to their perceptions to enable us to identify a previously unreported role for biomedical science knowledge in the development of adaptive expertise and professional identity needs further study.

Study limitations

This study had a few limitations. First, the data were collected from an assessed assignment. We attempted to mitigate any potential bias by making the assignment low-stakes and assessed on a pass or fail scale such that it had no significant impact on the students’ overall clerkship grades. To further address this concern, a focus group was convened, and students were asked if they would have responded differently had the assignment been formative in nature. Students indicated that the essays might have less detail, but that the content would have remained the same. Whether or not the students’ responses to the assignment prompts represented their true perceptions or were influenced by the assignment, the students were still able to articulate links between their biomedical science knowledge and the practice and art of medicine without any explicit training in the concepts of adaptive expertise and professional identity formation. A second limitation is that this was a single site study conducted at a private not-for-profit medical school and with a single class of students, which may limit transferability of the study results. However, the composition of the student population aligns demographically with other medical schools in the U.S. and as such may provide transferable information within similar contexts.

The results of this study have significance for medical educators engaged in curricular reform efforts that impact how the biomedical sciences are taught. Specifically, the study reveals new insight into how medical students, who have completed two-years of study of the biomedical sciences within an integrated curriculum, perceived the relevance of biomedical science knowledge to the practice of medicine during the first clerkship year of the undergraduate medical curriculum. The findings suggest that students recognized that their biomedical science knowledge contributed to the development of adaptive expertise and professional identity formation. As the goal of medical education is to equip physicians with the requisite biomedical science knowledge to make clinical decisions and practice evidence-based medicine, and the skills and knowledge to effectively communicate with patients and engage them in shared decision-making, the findings herein suggest caution when revising curricula. Our study supports the notion of others that the loss of clinical expertise deeply grounded in biomedical science and an understanding of the pathologic basis of disease may negatively impact the development of adaptive expertise and professional identity formation [ 50 , 51 ]. Finally, we recommend that future studies identify the contextual factors of the learning environment, including both explicit and tacit elements of the formal, informal, and hidden curriculum, that enable biomedical science knowledge to contribute to these developmental processes so that they can be leveraged rather than lost during curricular reform [ 52 ].

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Change history

13 november 2020.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

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Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA, USA

Bonny L. Dickinson & Lisa E. Graves

Department of Family and Community Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, USA

Kristine Gibson, Kristi VanDerKolk & Jeffrey Greene

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Claudia A. Rosu

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Contributions

BLD conceived of the work, made substantial contributions to the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data, drafted the work, and revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content. KG, KV, JG, CAR, DDN, KP-S, and LEG made substantial contributions the design of the work and to the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data, and revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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B.L. Dickinson is Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Director of Medical Education Research, and Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine. Macon, Georgia. ORCID: 000-0003-2418-0141

K. Gibson is Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean for Clinical Applications. Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

K. VanDerKolk is Assistant Professor and Family Medicine Clerkship Director. Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

J. Greene is Assistant Professor of Medical Education, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

C.A. Rosu is Adjunct Faculty in the Master of Science in Health Professions Education in the Center for Interprofessional Studies and Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts.

D.D. Navedo is Education Resource Specialist, Massachusetts General Hospital Learning Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

K.A. Porter-Stransky is Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan. ORCID: 0000-0002-9895-8641

L.E. Graves is Professor, Family and Community Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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Correspondence to Bonny L. Dickinson .

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Dickinson, B.L., Gibson, K., VanDerKolk, K. et al. “It is this very knowledge that makes us doctors”: an applied thematic analysis of how medical students perceive the relevance of biomedical science knowledge to clinical medicine. BMC Med Educ 20 , 356 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02251-w

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Received : 23 October 2019

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Published : 12 October 2020

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02251-w

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