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The Medical School

Personal Statement
J eff Glenn
Office of Career Services
March 2010
The Personal Statement
If we wish to know a man, we must ask, What is
his story, his real, inmost story? for each of us is a
biography, a story. Each of us is a singular
narrative, which is constructed continually and
unconsciously by, through, and in usthrough
our perceptions, our feelings, our thoughts, our p p , g , g ,
actions; and , not least, through our discourse, our
spoken narrations. Biologically, physiologically, we
are not so different from each other; historically, as
narratives, we are each of us unique.
-Oliver Sacks, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
Topics to Cover
1. Primary & secondary essays
2. Purpose of the personal statement
3. What to discuss and highlight
4. How to approach/craft your essay
5. Dos & donts
6. Feedback & resources
7. Q&A
Types of essays
Primary (AMCAS) application:
5300 characters 1.5 single-spaced pgs
MD/PhD have two additional essays
Reasons for wishing to pursue combined g p
MD/PhD degree (3000 characters)
Describe significant research experiences
including supervisor, nature of problem
studied, contribution to project (10,000
characters)
Types of essays
Secondary applications:
Some med schools ask for more essays in
secondary applications; some dont
Many will ask you why you are interested in
their school (among other questions)
May arrive at different times: upon AMCAS
submission, AMCAS verification, all materials
received, or not at all
Types of essays
Examples of secondary questions:
What do you think will be your greatest personal
challenge as a physician, and how will you address
this?
H ill t ib t t th di it f How will you contribute to the diversity of your
medical school class?
Are there any special circumstances that we
should be aware of?
Describe your interest in our med school.
Tell us about a difficult or challenging situation that
you have encountered and how you dealt with it.
more on the handout
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Purpose of the personal statement
1. To discover the person behind the
numbers and in the context of the rest
of your application
2. To hear what has motivated you to 2. To hear what has motivated you to
pursue a career in medicine, how you
know
3. To see a sample of your writing
Admissions Dean: We must rely on their own
words to determine if he/she is someone we
would like to meet.
What do you need to do?
Construct a narrative or story
Make sure your unique voice and
personality come across
Make sure it is clear why you are going Make sure it is clear why you are going
into medicine
Example: unique voice?
Ive been asked many times why I wish to become a
physician. Upon considerable reflection, the thought
of possessing the ability to help others provides me
with tremendous internal gratification and offers the
feeling that my lifes efforts have been focused in a feeling that my life s efforts have been focused in a
positive direction. Becoming a physician is the
culmination of a lifelong dream; and I am prepared to
dedicate myself, as I have in the past, to achieving
this goal.
Too many generalities and not a unique perspective;
could be written by many other applicants.
Why medicine exactly?
How do you knownot simply why do you
knowthat you want to be a doctor? How
you have demonstrated this interest
Howhas your interest in medicine changed How has your interest in medicine changed
and developed over time?
How did you overcome your doubts?
Why medicine and not other career fields,
e.g. teaching, science, public health,
nursing, etc.?
Example: reflections on transitions
But I also appreciated organic chemistry in a second way:
It is truly beautiful
My feelings for organic chemistry grew stronger when I
discovered how it relates to the human body
I soon learned, however, that medicine has a reality
beyond this intellectual epiphany.
Perhaps my view of medicine is idealistic. I have talked
with physicians who tell me that it is not a pretty
professionalthough I do not want to enter medicine with
my eyes closed, I also do not want to lose sight of what I
believe to be its greater purpose
Other questions you might consider
Have you faced any obstacles in your life (for
example, economic, familial, or physical)? How did
you handle these?
How have you been influenced by certain events
and people? and people?
Recall a time when you had a positive impact on
another person. How did you and the person
change as a result?
What were major turning points in your life?
What do you want the committee to know that is
not apparent elsewhere?
What will capture their imagination?
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Several common approaches
Use a concrete anecdote/experience to
draw the reader in; perhaps circle back to it
at the end to create bookends
Approach the essay as a chance to share Approach the essay as a chance to share
the arc of your journey to this point
Think of the one or two things you really
want to say; highlight without cataloguing
Dont need to utilize time progression but
often good way to avoid generalization and
abstract language
Example: grabbing opening
I do not want to help this man. I do not
want to be near his gurney. I do not want to
touch his bloody legs. Why should I? He is a
felon. (Opening)
Broader discussion of journey towards medicine
I realized, both on the giving and receiving
ends, that in the medical world especially,
you cannot let assumptions and biases
cloud your focus on the patient. Once the
curtain is pulled back, everyone deserves
respect. (Circle back at closing)
Drawing from your experiences
Dramatic circumstances are fine; not so
dramatic circumstances are fine too!
Share lessons & reflections rather than
detailed descriptions of experiences. Its detailed descriptions of experiences. Its
about you, i.e. what/how you think about
the experience
Reflections can be unique even if
opportunities/experiences are not
Stuck?
Pretend you are writing to a friend, not an
admissions committee; free write
Ask a friend/family member which qualities
they think distinguish you fromothers they think distinguish you from others
Start off with a formative moment or
realization and go from there
Think of a theme to build your essay around
Two or three personality characteristics that
you feel are your strengths
Dont need to have a conclusion/point in
mind
Dos
Tell a story
Keep it interesting by using specific
examples and anecdotes
Provide information, insight, or a
perspective that cannot be found perspective that cannot be found
elsewhere in your application
Describe experiences in terms of what
they mean to you, what you learned
Make sure the reader learns about you,
not just what you did
Use strong action verbs and vivid images;
paint a picture
Dos (contd)
Be concise. Make sure every sentence needs
to be there
Describe what you learned in your research,
not the details of the specific research project
(unless writing the MD/PhDessay) (unless writing the MD/PhD essay)
Allow plenty of time to write, revise, reflect,
revise. etc. Step away often so you can revisit
your essay with fresh eyes
Proofread. Spell checking will will () not
catch everything! Then, proofread again and
get someone else to do the same
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Donts
J ust list or summarize your activities. This is
not a resume and can be found elsewhere
Try to impress the reader with the use of
formal or fancy language
Directly tell the reader that you are Directly tell the reader that you are
compassionate, motivated, intelligent,
curious, dedicated, unique, different than
most candidates, etc
Focus only on childhood experiences
Use slang or forced analogies
Lecture the reader, e.g. whats wrong with
medicine, what doctors should be like, etc
Donts (contd)
Make excuses for poor grades
Begin every sentence or paragraph with I
Overwork the essay to the point where you
lose your own voice lose your own voice
Make it your premier creative writing piece
Use generalizations and clichs
Follow the advice of too many people
Try to share everything there is to know
about you
Special circumstances
Questions on the AMCAS:
Institutional Action: If you answer yes to
this question, you must include an
explanation. (Limited to 1325 characters
i t l 1/4 ) or approximately 1/4 page)
Felony: If you answer yes to this
question, you must include an
explanation. (Limited to 1325 characters
or approximately 1/4 page)
Special Situations
Ad Board
J udgment call (eliminate big question
marks or gaps in readers minds):
Fluctuations in performance Fluctuations in performance
Major changes in direction
Hardship affecting academic record
Personal medical situation
Be prepared to talk about your stories in
your interview; if you cant/dont want to
talk about it, dont write about it.
Getting feedback
People who know you (family, friends) can
give feedback, not only people in medicine
Ask them:
Do you want to meet this person? Do you want to meet this person?
Does this sound like me?
Could someone else write this essay?
Resources
Pre-med tutor
Writing center
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/undergrad.html
OCS Advisors (depends on demand) OCS Advisors (depends on demand)
www.aamc.org
www.studentdoctor.net *
*read at your own risk or
perhaps not at all
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Summary
The personal statement is about
telling a story, not arguing that they
should accept you.
St t l i it ft d t Start early, revisit often, and get
feedback.
Use concrete examples from your
personal experiences and avoid
abstract language (prone to clich).