Write an Effective Personal Statement
Create a Three-Dimensional Picture of You
The term "Personal Statement" brings a shiver to the spine of many a potential medical student. You should think of the personal statement, however, as an opportunity to show admissions officers what you're made of. They want to know why you want to enter the medical profession and this is your chance to tell them as clearly and compellingly as you can.
Two Basic Purposes
The Personal Statement shows whether or not you can write a clear, coherent essay that's logically and grammatically correct. These days, students' writing skills are often presumed deficient until proven otherwise.
Second, it provides you with the opportunity to present the admissions committee with more of a "three-dimensional" portrait of yourself as a deserving candidate than GPA and MCAT numbers possibly can. What you choose to write sends clear signals about what's important to you and what your values are. You can explain why you really want to pursue medical graduate work and the career path it will enable you to follow. Your essay also enables you to explain things like weaknesses or gaps in an otherwise commendable record.
How Do Med Schools Use Personal Statements?
Essays are the best way for admissions officers to determine who you are. So, don't hesitate to go beyond your current experience for essay topics. Feel free to discuss past events that, in part, define who you are. If you have overcome significant obstacles, say so. If you were honored with an award, describe the award and what you did to achieve recognition.
Give some thought to how your past and current experiences have contributed to your intellectual, personal and professional development. Rather than make pronouncements about goals and future activities, which are easily made-up and often exaggerated, select a few stories from your life experiences that showcase the qualities and characteristics that you already possess and that will help you be an empathic, committed doctor. Always remember the adage: Show; don't tell. Start early, write several drafts, and edit, edit, edit.
Top 7 Tips for Med School Personal Statements
Avoid the Rehashed Resume
The personal statement is not the time to recount all your activities and honors in list-like fashion.
Make It Personal
This is your opportunity to put a little panache into the application. Show the admissions committee why you decided to go into medicine. Was it an experience you had in school? Was there a particular extracurricular activity that changed your way of thinking? Did you find a summer lab job so exhilarating that it reconfirmed your love for science? Use vignettes and anecdotes to weave a story and make the essay a pleasure to read.
Avoid Controversial Topics
If you do include discussion of a "hot topic," definitely avoid being dogmatic or preachy. You don't want to take the risk of alienating a reader who may not share your politics.
Don't Get Too Creative
Now is not the time to write a haiku. Remember, the medical establishment is largely a scientific community (although individual physicians may be passionate artists, poets, writers, musicians, historians, etc.). On the other hand, don't be trite and don't be boring. Avoid writing "I want to be a doctor because..."
For instance, if you received a C in physics, you may feel compelled to justify it somehow. Unless you believe that the circumstances truly do merit some sort of mention, don't make excuses. You don't need to provide them with a road map to your weaknesses. If you had a bad year or semester because of illness, family problems, etc., ask your pre-med advisor to explain the details in his or her cover letter.
Write Multiple Drafts
Have your pre-med advisor and perhaps an English teaching assistant read and edit it. Proofread, proofread, and proofread some more. Also, try reading it out loud. This is always a good test of clarity and flow.
Think Ahead to Interviews
Interviewers often use your personal statement as fodder for questions. Of course, if you've included experiences and ideas that are dear to you, that you feel strongly about, you will have no problem speaking with passion and confidence. Nothing is more appealing to admissions folks than a vibrant, intelligent, and articulate candidate. If you write about research you conducted five years ago, you'd better brush up before your interviews. Don't engage in hyperbole: You risk running up against an interviewer who will see through your exaggerations.