Hey Bounty,
It will probably surprise you that I only wrote this essay in 3 hours. That is short considering it asks you to write about your life. The reason is I have thought about this essay since the beginning of the process. I asked myself: What can I possibly convey to them about my character, background, and motivation that hasn't already been established in the personal statement?
You just have to dig deep inside and find it. Try to stay away from the academic side because you probably already have mentioned this in the personal statement and your primary application. For me, I concentrated heavily on my family background, especially the person who has made the most impact on my life, who is my mom. Don't be afraid to spill your heart and soul on this one because they give you a lot of room to do it. But don't tell them everything either, especially if the topic is too sensitive or politically incorrect. You can probably talk about such topic if you provide an adequate context for it. Talk about your childhood, your parents, your high school and college experience. Pick the happiest moment of your life and the saddest moment and tie them together. They want to see if there is any pain and sorrow in your life and how you overcame it. Of course, not everybody has pain and suffering in their life so you might want to choose how you overcame an obstacle. That obstacle can be an academic, familial, or a personal one. And finally, you can show how these past experiences in your life helped you to decide a career in medicine. Think about how they motivated you to become a physician. The most important thing to remember is don't repeat anything from the personal statement or your primary app unless you deem it necessary to emphasize again. Don't spend the majority of the essay talking about your crowning achievement in the field of research or community service. That, in reality, is only a small portion of your life. The average human being has unique and interesting experiences that span a lifetime.
