28,000 character limit?! - not sure which forum to put this, sorry

[oreosandsake]

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i've been filling out my ERAS and the limit for the personal statement is 28,000 characters.

is it just me, or does that seem like a WHOLE lotta space. I mean, something like 8 or more pages.

am i missing something here? I can't imagine PD's wanting to read 28,000 characters.

btw, I wasn't sure where this type of question should go so I'm sorry that it's being posted in the PM&R forum (my favorite forum)

 

[MSKalltheway]

Haha I noticed that too. I know I'm not the best person to answer bro, but my PS is ~6,000 characters w/spaces (2 double spaced pages). I hope no one wants to read that much, 'cause I sure dont want to write that much!

 

[Ludicolo]

8 pages?!? Oh hell no.

Guarantee that most readers will be turned off by anything over a page.

 

[mdvol]

Yeah one page or slightly more if you think it is really well written.

 

[dc2md]

Try to make it fit on one page. I know our program prints out all the ERAS data and gives it to the attendings/residents interviewing applicants...and we definitely won't read anything longer than 1-1.5 pages.

 

[oreosandsake]

thanks for the advice.

i knew something was wrong when I had to come up with content to fill the 8 pages... 😱

now, to make it sound coherent

 

[ShrikeMD]

Try to make it fit on one page. I know our program prints out all the ERAS data and gives it to the attendings/residents interviewing applicants...and we definitely won't read anything longer than 1-1.5 pages.

Agree with above. If you wish to be accepted to the residency program where I now serve as attending physician, you would do well to submit a personal statement that fits on one page. Please don't try to shrink the font.

Remember, all of the personal statements that the programs receive are a variant of this basic theme: "This aspiring physiatrist seeks residency training here".

Use the rest of the single page to tell us about who is the aspiring physiatrist and why you aspire to be a physiatrist. Please edit for spelling and grammar. Trust me, even if your CV is more impressive than that of the program Chair (challenging in PM&R for a medical student but not impossible), you can still tell us about yourself and your motivations and aspirations in one page.

 

[Ludicolo]

Agree with above. If you wish to be accepted to the residency program where I now serve as attending physician, you would do well to submit a personal statement that fits on one page. Please don't try to shrink the font.

Actually, ERAS now standardizes the font for the PS (Courier new 10 pt. single space), so shrinkage is no longer an issue.

Back in academia, eh? Welcome back to the dark side.

 

[ShrikeMD]

Actually, ERAS now standardizes the font for the PS (Courier new 10 pt. single space), so shrinkage is no longer an issue.

Back in academia, eh? Welcome back to the dark side.

"If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will!"

Time to aim my lance at those windmills again, and try to make this world better than we found it--one patient, one resident, one fellow, one manuscript, or one grant at a time.

Couldn't stay away, and I think I am back for good. Wish me luck.

 

[PMR 4 MSK]

Actually, ERAS now standardizes the font for the PS (Courier new 10 pt. single space), so shrinkage is no longer an issue.

Shrinkage is an issue... if the water is cold...

http://funnyvideooftheday.blogspot.com/2006/04/seinfeld-shrinkage-episode.html