Medical School Application
PERSONAL STATEMENT
The
personal statement should convey an applicant's views and show how they are
unique from other applicants. Demonstrate your passions and don't confine
yourself to just medical/clinical experiences.
There are
some basic questions that you need to address in your personal statement: 1)
what initially got you interested in the field that you have chosen; 2) what
are you looking for in a residency program; and 3) what are your professional goals
and expectations in the field you have chosen.
A few
helpful tips:
- How does your background
distinguish you from other applicants? Express this in detail!
- Choose a theme and use it to
structure your essay
- Keep it simple! Use clear and
direct language that helps to get your point across.
- When answering the question about
why you have chosen medicine, speak from your life experiences instead of
writing about what you think admissions officers want to hear.
- Get feedback from at least 2-3
people such as friends, families, professors, and co-workers.
- Allow yourself plenty of time
to complete the statement so are you are not rushing through the process
at the end.
- Write about what interests and
excites you! Your reader wants to hear a positive essay, not a negative
one about the profession.
- Keep in mind -- the AMCAS statement
has a 5,300 character limit, including spaces.
