The Medical School Admissions Essay: Conclusion Paragraph
The conclusion paragraph is an optional section of the medical school admissions essay. When executed properly, it can neatly bring together all the points addressed earlier in the personal statement. There are some cases in which the medical school admissions essay reaches a natural ending at the conclusion of the final body paragraph. In such cases, creating an additional conclusion paragraph may seem redundant and forced. However, there are some essays that seem abrupt and unfinished without a dedicated conclusion paragraph. Therefore, before embarking on writing a conclusion paragraph, it is wise to review your essay carefully and see if it is necessary. In addition, it is helpful to have a neutral third party review your work and give you suggestions on how to proceed.
Once you have determined that your medical school admissions essay requires a conclusion paragraph, it is a good idea to review your theme and supporting evidence. Look for any aspect of your theme idea that seems unfinished. The conclusion paragraph is one last opportunity to persuade your reader that you are a highly qualified candidate. You should use this space to provide further clarification as to how your theme characteristics will make you a successful medical student and physician. Some prospective medical students are tempted to use the final paragraph to discuss new supporting evidence, or introduce new topics. This is generally not a good idea. If you find that you have new topics that you would like to include in your medical school admissions essay, it would be a better idea to revise your body paragraphs to include these topics.
The main goals of the conclusion paragraph are reaffirming the essay theme and bringing all the other elements together into a cohesive ending. Although this paragraph should not introduce any new ideas, effort should be made to avoid excessive summarizing previous paragraphs. Simply rehashing old points of discussion will result in a boring and ineffective ending. Avoid stale phrases like ‘in summary’ or ‘to conclude’. Instead, look for a fresh way to discuss how your theme characteristics and supporting evidence will ensure your success.
