The most common advice writers often give pre-PAs is to "show, don't tell" in your essays. (Though we like to encourage showing AND telling - just like kindergarten!)
One form of showing is telling a story in a narrative form, like a scene in a book. Or it could use specific and descriptive anecdotal examples to illustrate a point.
While that is valuable advice, I recently wondered if we've failed to talk about showing through using higher-order/critical thinking skills.
You may not be familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy. I only learned about it a few years ago when I began teaching science at a university.
Bloom's Taxonomy seeks to distinguish the different levels of learning. The lower the level, the less complex and difficult the task; the higher the level, the more complex and difficult the task.
photo © Jessica Shabatura
Most undergraduate students are expected to produce work that is within the lower three levels -- knowledge/describing, comprehension/understanding, and application. Master's level students are expected to produce work that exhibits proficiency in application and analysis. Doctoral students should be evaluating and creating new ideas.
How can you use this in your personal statement?
Start with noting the verbs you use when describing both your own HCE/PCE experiences and observations of PAs. Then compare the verbs to the following chart (or using any of a number of charts you can find online):
In which level of Bloom's Taxonomy do you find the verbs you used?
If they fall mostly within the first two levels, can you think of ways to discuss your experiences that use some of the verbs in the Apply and Analyze levels?
Here's an example:
"The PA consulted with patients just as a physician would. If she needed to discuss a case with a physician, they spoke as equals and decided on a plan. The combination of autonomy but with a support system is exactly what I want in a medical career."
It is a good description, but it makes me wonder why this collaboration is important. What's the benefit to patients? Why does it matter to the applicant?
I’d like to see it go a step further and consider a higher order of thinking: What are the benefits of these relationships to each member of the healthcare team, including patients? What did the applicant discover, or what did the relationships demonstrate? What is an example of how the applicant models this type of collaboration in other scenarios?
Have you tried elevating your writing using Bloom's showing verbs? If so, please give us an example in the comments!
For more guidance on writing a strong personal statement, check out these resources:
- How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application Essay
- Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
- 31 Physician Assistant Personal Statement Examples
- 5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School
- The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
Single Edit One-on-one Service Supplemental Essays
Download Your Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
Just follow our time-tested prompts as we walk you through every step of the process from concept to conclusion.
View all posts in this series
- How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application Essay
- The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
- Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
- 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, “A PA Changed My Life”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, “I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, “She Smiled, Said “Gracias!” and Gave me a Big Hug”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, “I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With Patients”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 5, “Then Reach, my Son, and Lift Your People up With You”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 6, “That First Day in Surgery was the First Day of the Rest of my Life”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 7, “I Want to Take People From Dying to Living, I Want to Get Them Down From the Cliff.”
- Physician Assistant Personal Statement Workshop: “To say I was an accident-prone child is an understatement”
- 9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel Statement
- 5 Tips to Get you Started on Your Personal Essay (and why you should do it now)
- How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement The Book!
- How to Write “Physician Assistant” The Definitive PA Grammar Guide
- 101 PA School Admissions Essays: The Book!
- 5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle
- 7 Tips for Addressing Shortcomings in Your PA School Personal Statement
- The #1 Mistake PRE-PAs Make on Their Personal Statement
- The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
- The Ultimate Guide to CASPA Character and Space Limits
- 10 Questions Every PA School Personal Statement Must Answer
- 5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School
- 7 Questions to Ask Yourself While Writing Your PA School Personal Statement
- 101 PA School Applicants Answer: What’s Your Greatest Strength?
- 12 Secrets to Writing an Irresistible PA School Personal Statement
- 7 Rules You Must Follow While Writing Your PA School Essay
- You Have 625 Words and 2.5 Minutes to Get Into PA School: Use Them Wisely
- What’s Your #1 Personal Statement Struggle?
- 31 (NEW) CASPA PA School Personal Statement Examples
- How to Prepare for Your PA School Interview Day Essay
- Should You Write Physician Associate or Physician Assistant on Your PA School Essay?
- Meet the World’s Sexiest PA School Applicants
- PA School Reapplicants: How to Rewrite Your PA School Essay for Guaranteed Success
- How to Write a Personal Statement Intro that Readers Want to Read
- PA School Reapplicant Personal Statement Checklist
- How to Deal with Bad News in Your Personal Statement
- Inside Out: How to use Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling to Improve your PA Personal Statement
- Ratatouille: A Pixar Recipe for PA School Personal Statement Success
- Personal Statement Panel Review (Replay)
- Mind Mapping: A Tool for Personal Statements, Supplemental Essays, and Interviews
- Start at the End: Advice for your PA School Personal Statement
- Elevate Your Personal Statement: Using Bloom’s Taxonomy for Impactful Writing
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