Your personal statement is as important or even more important than your GPA and MCAT score. This is the first time you are introducing yourself to medical schools and it is the first time they are getting a feel for your personality. Hence, spending a significant amount of time brainstorming different ideas for your personal statement and running through various drafts is so important.
Content is key but a story is value
Many people choose to write their personal story in the form of a personal anecdote. For example, one might write a story of what motivated them to be interested in medicine/research. This approach can help create a statement that is both interesting and easier to read. However, you have to make sure that your academic interests are embedded in the story and you outline what you have done to pursue these interests. These are some of the important things you may want to include in your personal statements:
o Your story- where you are from and how this makes you unique.
o Why did you choose your undergrad major/minors and how has this major influenced/prepare you for medical school.
o Why do you want to be a doctor.
o What in your academic career has inspired you to become a doctor.
o What extracurriculars have inspired you to become a doctor.
o What are some things you do for fun, that make you stand out, and make you, you.
Have fun with it, be creative and true to yourself.
Stay true to your personality
Keep your personal writing style. Do not try to adopt a certain writing style because you are told it will help you. If you are funny, add in an appropriate joke. That is acceptable. However, if you have a more serious writing style do not force yourself to write a playful personal statement. Stick to your personality because you want to be consistent when it comes to interviewing. When we read personal statements written with the person’s own voice, their passions and talents come through naturally in the writing. So major point being: write in your own voice!
Proofread, proofread, proofread
Have your friends, colleagues, neighbors, and anyone you can find, read your personal statement. There can often be grammatical or spelling mistakes that you will not catch even if you have read it 1000000 times. Sharing it with others can help you formulate a pristine personal statement that reflects professionalism. Additionally, feedback from others can help distill a clear message in your statement. We suggest that you discuss their interpretation of your major themes just to verify that they align with your intentions (Justin Bieber shout out). This is a good time to revise and rewrite if there’s any mismatch. Make sure you do not let others put their own personal writing or beliefs into your essay. Use the outside perspective to clarify, enhance, and improve your own ideas. When you have a final version, we highly suggest you take it to your university’s writing center for a final check!
The timeline
If you are applying to medical school this year, we suggest you start writing your essay during winter break. This way you can have others start looking over it around February. This will give you enough time to have several people look over it and make several drafts. We suggest sending a draft to one person at a time and making changes prior to sending it out to another person. It is an iterative process and you do not want to overwhelm yourself with too much varying feedback.
