Personal Statement Feedback

[DuskPhilosophy]

Hello!

I know most of you are super busy residents, attendings and PDs, but I was wondering if anyone would mind looking over my personal statement. I feel like something is missing from it but I cannot put my finger on what it is. Also it's already a bit long (over a page by 6 lines) so some insight on what you feel could be left out would be fantastic as well.

Thank you in advance!

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[heyjack70]

I don't have time to read it myself. But for length you might try reducing the font by 0.4 or something to see if it shrinks enough to be on one page. My blanket advice to any personal statement writer is to give a copy to everyone you know and ask them to give a copy to people they know and have lots of people edit the darn thing. If you could have 10 total people reading and editing, and I mean thoughtfully editing, your statement will probably be great.

 

[birchswing]

English professors and majors are great sources for this. If you don't have anyone else, I'd be happy to read it and offer feedback based on rhetoric, style, and grammar. I'm not in the medical profession, so I couldn't tell you what your audience is looking for, though. I've helped to edit a good number of personal statements and even helped with the editing of a dissertation.

 

[SmallBird]

Hello!

I know most of you are super busy residents, attendings and PDs, but I was wondering if anyone would mind looking over my personal statement. I feel like something is missing from it but I cannot put my finger on what it is. Also it's already a bit long (over a page by 6 lines) so some insight on what you feel could be left out would be fantastic as well.

Thank you in advance!

I'd be happy to read it.

 

[Psychotic]

Answer the question "how/why psychiatry" by avoiding rote / trite personal anecdote (my schizophrenic sister, my crazy uncle, my depression) and you will be fine. In other words, avoid the same rote / trite anecdotes 80 percent of med school applicants use (my sick grandmother, my surgery, my...).

 

[DuskPhilosophy]

Thank you all for your advice and guidance! I really appreciate the feedback, and also the sense of community in the forum!

 

[Amygdarya]

Answer the question "how/why psychiatry" by avoiding rote / trite personal anecdote (my schizophrenic sister, my crazy uncle, my depression) and you will be fine. In other words, avoid the same rote / trite anecdotes 80 percent of med school applicants use (my sick grandmother, my surgery, my...).

Wait a minute - since when is it ok to write about your own mental health issues in your personal statement?

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

And if it is in the psychotic disorders chapter, maybe even limit it to second degree relatives. (This is a joke, but a joke with just enough hint of truth to make it disturbing). There is the ADA, the mandate for being an equal opportunity employer, and there are still enough arguments to not go there and I wouldn’t. In an ideal world it should be OK, but being an idealist has its ups and downs.

 

[mxns]

it's very common. it's one of the 6 types of psychiatry personal statements. i wouldn't advise it

And what are the other five?

 

[DuskPhilosophy]

And what are the other five?

I'm guessing another one is the "on my 3rd year rotation I was the only person to get through to this psychotic patient and that's when I knew..."