General

[quote=fairyofchaos]@TrueAtheist

Yah im from Cape Town haha
I have had two guys try and rob me before. It was super scary :c
It is exactly like you say, you are safe but if you going into dangerous area's at night then you looking for trouble - it's like that anywhere in the world. It just in South Africa the chances of something happening is much higher haha

You know @aznseal these people are probably reading LOTS of statements that are all the same. Why are you thinking that any hardship would make it easier for you to get in. I think this whole "oh poor me I had a bad life" story is so overused. Try think of something more original. List why you would be a good person for the programme in terms of what your strengths are as a person and why having you part of their programme would be good. Also if all fails and you dont get in you could always go study overseas hahah maybe even South Africa it would be a way for you to travel, the fees would cost less and you would be able to study medicine.[/quote]

The sad stories are overused because they work

[quote=fairyofchaos]Gahhhh @TrueAtheist

I'm not arguing that, its true. It's just everyone makes it out to be worse than what it really is.

If you come here, you are not going to die -_-[/quote]

I'd be less worried about being murdered than I would be worried about being robbed. I've had several friends who have been robbed of their wallets and all their clothes in SA.

It depends where you are though, if you're in a big city like Capetown or Johannesburg then you're going to be pretty safe, but at night there are sketchy places especially if you're by yourself and you leave the popular/touristy cities.

It's not just SA though, it's like that in a lot of places especially in the Caribbean.

sorry you're not interesting enough to get into med school

[quote=aznseal]It would make writing a medical school personal statement a helluva lot easier [/quote]

Do not write a personal statement with the cheesy life-changing event at the start. It's so cliche and the admissions staff clearly know that in 90% of cases the story is exaggerated/didn't happen. I didn't use it, and I have offers for medicine from cambridge, kings and imperial (though that isn't the reason why I have those offers).

P.s I'm an English student if you didn't already realise so this advice may not apply to you if you're applying to American unis which may/may not like these stories...

[quote=zoneflare2]@fairyofchaos: but is that just southern africa that doesnt have much problems. Isnt Somalia a warzone/epic problems zone?[/quote]

South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world.

[quote=PcPls123]You want money or you want to help ppl. Pick one.[/quote]

Both.

You can also write it using the point of view of a person from Africa or something.

One thing is lie, and the other thing is fiction.

Lying on medical school apps is terrible.

[quote=fairyofchaos]@zoneflare2 I am not saying South Africa doesnt have problems. We have problems - but what country doesnt? I dont know why everyone looks at Africa when they talking about any problems... what about India, Thailand, Colombia etc even America has problems with the debt and the war against Iraq.

@aznseal why not just be greatful that you are not from a war-torn country or that you had to grow up poor because if you were you either would be dead or financially not able to write a medical school personal statement. How about writing how you would assist people in war-torn or poor countries.[/quote]

Because it's too generic. Honestly I have trouble thinking of a life changing event that made me want to go into medicine that so many other people have experienced.

Too bad you'll have everything given to you.

I'm poor. I don't see how life is easier.

Or you could die of AIDS before even learning to write a book

[quote=KnightPoopoo]Not all Africa war-torn @ss hat! I'm from Africa and we have never had a civil war.[/quote]

Why don't the white man help a black brotha?

Say that it is to make your Asian parents proud and rich.

Then, you're going to die early.