Medical Failure to Match Your Experiences With the Specialty: Residency Personal Statement Fatal Flaw #2

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That quilting habit may now come in handy!​


This is such a common error!

Applicants often ask, “What does the program director want?” They want to know that not only do you understand what the specialty entails and dream of practicing in that field, that you have the skills it takes to be successful.

You might not have had a lot of specific experiences in the field, and that’s okay. You’re not expected to have performed solo surgeries or transplanted embryos as a medical student. But your ability to identify the skills required for these procedures will help you connect the experiences you do possess. Don’t be afraid to reach beyond medical school for these. Communication skills might come from coaching the intramural basketball team; manual dexterity might have emerged from years of piano practice or a longstanding quilting addiction. The examples alone might not seem significant, but when you identify the transferable skills you’ve gained, they can provide the boost you need.

Avoid Fatal Flaw #2: Keep the application alive. Connect your experience to specialty.

“Failure to Match Your Experiences With the Specialty” is the second post in our series, 5 Fatal Flaws: Eliminate the 5 Most Common Flaws in Your Residency Personal Statement. You can download the complete guide right here.




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This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.

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