u/maggotmachine

I've seen plenty of posts where people claim that 518+, 3.85+ applicants can be left without an acceptance due to poor writing, but what makes writing "good" or "bad?"

While it is understandable that pre-meds are expected to be exceptional students, researchers, and volunteers, I do not understand why there is so much emphasis on writing quality. Yes, you should be able to effectively communicate why you want to become a physician, but you should not have to be a laureate-level author to be a doctor. Half of the physicians' notes I read as a medical assistant are bulleted lists or riddled with typos, and most doctors in my clinic use AI to summarize their office notes anyway.

I am partially salty because my academic/storytelling writing style is very similar to AI, and multiple AI detectors flag my application materials. I don't have anyone to look through my application materials other than my immediate family, and they aren't familiar with the typical structure/tone of secondaries. Should I alter my essays due to the fear of being perceived as AI, and therefore tossed? Or do I proceed knowing that this may be a red flag?

It adds another layer of complexity when students are told they need to be eloquent writers, and AI tools are right there to help. While I'm against the use of generative AI to fully write application materials, the line becomes so blurry when med schools and the AAMC allow AI to be used for "editing." How many rephrased words or sentence structure adjustments can be made before it's the AI's writing and not yours? And how is this any different from paying a service to edit your application materials for you?

Obviously, the typical advice is to address the prompt and to show not tell, but how am I supposed to show when the prompt is quite literally: Please tell us about the specific experience, the skills you acquired, and the insights you gained about the profession of medicine (Tufts secondary).

Sorry for the rant, but any tips for ensuring my writing is good are appreciated!

I’m sorry if this has been asked a million times but I couldn’t find a straightforward recent answer.

I have a couple of profs who agreed to write me letters of rec back in March/April who are not responding to any follow-up emails. This is so frustrating since I was clear about the deadline and provided plenty of time in advance to get it done.

When exactly do I need to have my letters finalized? Can I receive secondaries without having my letters finalized?

Thank you in advance!