Personal Statements for Medical School
You have decided to apply to medical school. You have completed the pre-med classes, did some shadowing, took the MCAT, and now you are ready to apply. Well guess what? You need a personal statement!
So what’s a personal statement?
The personal statement is your chance to portray your personality while also explaining why you are interested in entering medicine. This allows the admissions committee to get to know you and what makes you tick. But, despite its important role, it is also important that you keep it concise and relevant. The last thing you want is to have someone barely read your statement because they just don’t have the time.
So how should you even get started? See below:
Brainstorm and outline - I tend to stick to the same personal statement template: A clinical story to draw in the reader, a paragraph highlighting my background and why I am interested in this career, my plans for the future should I be admitted, and a conclusion tying in my original story with everything else. It may also be prudent to create multiple versions of your personal statement tailored to the different schools and/or programs you are applying to. So a MD/PhD program may have more focus on research experience, an MPH program might discuss service work or global health interests, etc. Go through your CV and pick 3-4 aspects most relevant to the school and to your desire to pursue this training in order to plan the statement. BUT! Make sure your personal statement isn’t just listing your CV in paragraph format. You want to use this space to talk about something that isn’t already listed somewhere else.
Draft - Once you have a sense of the outline, start writing. It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around. I like to write in a stream of consciousness style, and revise later. You can also create a writing schedule, and dedicate thirty minutes to an hour a day to write. Stick to a consistent schedule and you should have a personal statement within a week or two.
Format - The personal statement format should be a page long, single-spaced. If you go over, do not go over by more than a ½ page. Why? Because the admissions committee will be reading hundreds of these statements. If it is too long, you can be sure to get an audible groan from whoever has been assigned to read it. Pick a professional font, like Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or something else that is simple and easy to read, in a 12pt font.
Revise - Once you have a working draft, revise, revise, revise! Sleep on it and revise it again. Share it with your friends, mentors, parents, that doctor you shadowed, and whoever has shown interest in your plan to become a doctor. Some people will give minor suggestions, while other people will suggest you rework the whole thing. Think about all the suggestions, but don’t feel obligated to do what everyone says. It is your personal statement and has to reflect your personal thoughts.
Submit - Once you have a well-written, properly formatted statement that has been revised by multiple people, then you have a major aspect of your application complete. Now follow the instructions for submission in the applicant portal for your medical school applications.
As you can see, it takes time to write a good personal statement. You might be able to get a draft done in one sitting, but you still need to dedicate time to revising and perfecting it. GIve yourself at least a month, if not longer, to complete the process of writing. I would suggest three months to leave room for multiple people to read it and send revisions back. And if you find this information helpful, then please share it with a friend!
If you need some assistance with planning or revising your personal statement or medical school application, then follow this link to check out how I can help!