Your personal statement can and should include more than what you’ve done to prepare for medical school. Some of the best personal statements focus on ordinary events that many other people may have experienced, but what makes the essay stand out are the writer’s unique insights and ability to reflect on these experiences.ĭana Lovold, MPH, Career Counselor at the University of Minnesota Just start writing. Writing is a means for thinking and reflecting. Let the theme grow out of the process of writing itself.Don’t waste too much time trying to think of a catchy opening or a theme designed just to set your essay apart. Applicants sometimes end up with an opening that comes across as phony and artificial because they are trying too hard to distinguish themselves from other applicants. ![]() When you consider what to write, think about the series of events in your life that have led up to the point where you are applying to medical school. How did you get here? What set you on the path toward medical school? What kept you coming back, even at times when it was challenging? On the day that you retire, what do you hope you’ll be able to say you’ve achieved through your work as a physician?.Take some time to reflect on your life and goals. By the end of reading your statement, the reader should understand why you want to be a physician.Expect to revise many versions of your draft over time. Start writing early, even months before you begin your application cycle.Here are a few key tips that I share with students: Instead, I encourage them to think of the process of writing the statement as embedded in the larger process of preparing themselves for the experience of medical school. I encourage students to think of the personal statement not just as a product. Rachel Tolen, Assistant Director and Premedical Advisor, Indiana University Check with your pre-health advisor to see if they have other examples that they recommend. The Aspiring Docs Diaries blog written by premeds is one great place to look, as are publications like the Bellevue Literary Review and Pulse, which will deliver a story to your inbox every week. While reading sample personal statements can sometimes make a student feel limited to emulating pieces that already exist, I do think that reading others’ reflective writing can be inspirational. If it’s more comfortable, take audio notes by talking into your phone. This could be recounting a meaningful conversation that you had with someone, venting after an especially challenging experience, or even writing about what keeps you going at times when you feel in danger of giving up. It’s easiest to recall these anecdotes as they happen so it can be helpful to keep a journal where you can jot down stories, conversations, and insights that come to you. Well ahead of when you’re writing your personal statement, consider taking classes that require you to create and support arguments through writing, or those that ask you to reflect on your personal experiences to help you sharpen these skills.Īs you draft your essay, you may want to include anecdotes from your experiences. You want to reveal something about yourself and your thoughts around your future in medicine while also making an argument that provides evidence supporting your readiness for your career. The personal statement is an unfamiliar genre for most students-you’ve practiced writing lab reports, analytical essays, maybe even creative fiction or poetry, but the personal statement is something between a reflective, analytical narrative, and an argumentative essay. Kate Fukawa-Connelly, Director of Health Professions Advising, Princeton University Training Opportunities for Residents and Fellows. ![]()
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