For those who got accepted, what did you write about in your personal statement?

[SexyMariGal]

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I started drafting up my personal statement, and I've found it is so easy to fill up one page. There's more I'd like to write about, but it just won't fit. So, I've got to figure out what's important to write about. For those of you who have gotten accepted to dental schools, what were the key topics that you wrote about?

The only thing I know for sure that should be included in a personal statement is why you want to be a dentist. What are other key things I should be focusing on in here as well to keep it concise? I figure one paragraph per topic should suit nicely. And also, what is the best way to end a personal statement?

 

[TwentyTwelve]

A personal statement is just that....personal. Everyone on here wrote about individual circumstances, inspirations, and activities that pertain to dental school admissions. There isn't a magic bullet for a PS, it just needs to be honest, concise, clear and well thought out.

If I have any advice to give...don't take advice on what to write from strangers (other than simple formatting/grammar). They do not know you, or have access to your life story or aspirations. If you do, I fear your statement will lose the integrity or sincerity that needs to come across. Likewise, during the interview, admissions members will ask you about your statement and you need to back it up.

The more you write and look at your PS, the more it will come together and make sense. It took many renditions to get mine right over a couple months. The end is just a conclusion of what is above...express your excitement without going overboard....

 

[omnipoDent]

A personal statement is just that....personal. Everyone on here wrote about individual circumstances, inspirations, and activities that pertain to dental school admissions. There isn't a magic bullet for a PS, it just needs to be honest, concise, clear and well thought out.

If I have any advice to give...don't take advice on what to write from strangers (other than simple formatting/grammar). They do not know you, or have access to your life story or aspirations. If you do, I fear your statement will lose the integrity or sincerity that needs to come across. Likewise, during the interview, admissions members will ask you about your statement and you need to back it up.

The more you write and look at your PS, the more it will come together and make sense. It took many renditions to get mine right over a couple months. The end is just a conclusion of what is above...express your excitement without going overboard....

👍

 

[MowgliR]

Why dentistry. What led me to dentistry. Brief future goals (not necessarily the exact field).

 

[invictusx]

The hardest part about the personal statement is fitting all that you have to say about the profession and why you want to do it under 4500 characters. Mine was 4499 🙂 I remember writing excessively and had a hard time filtering out what I wanted and what I didn't want because they all seemed to connect in some way. If you can find that balance, you're good. It is also nice to get a few pairs of eyes on your statement to give you feedback.

 

[Bereno]

My 23rd birthday. Seriously.

 

[iralex801]

Mine was pretty generic. Why I am interested in dentistry. Why I'm a good fit for dentistry. What are my goals with dentistry in the future.

 

[agabs0627]

I wrote about how my family influenced me in my decision to pursue dentistry. Considering that no one in my family does anything health care related, i thought it would be different.

 

[Kentuckylover]

I wrote about how I wanted to be a ranger in the Army and to go overseas in order to take care of terrorists who constantly threaten our country, but explained how my dream clashed as I found dentistry very interesting from studying science courses at my undergraduate and finally decided to become an Army dentist who will serve with a suction and drill, instead of an Army ranger with rifle and grenade.

OP: Like many people said, personal statement is a personal statement. You definitely want to share your PERSONAL story. However, there are certain things that admission committee would like to see. Some examples could be your interest in dentistry, commitment to serve others, special talents you have that will help you to become a competent dentist, unique experiences you went through which influenced you to decide to pursue dentistry, etc. You get the idea.

Good luck

 

[wired202808]

http://www.dmdstudent.com/2007/04/16/aadsas-personal-essay-for-dental-school/

I used the following site and made hybrids of these statements. Then I revised them to suit my needs. Worked well for me!

 

[kpreet]

Hi everyone, I just have a question, I am in the process of writing my personal statement and was going to write about how I just simply brushed and flossed people's teeth during a medical brigade I went to. Is this a bad idea? Considering the fact I know that the admission committee does not like to see you actually touching patients if your not certified as dental assistant or anything.

 

[Amoureux]

When you write your personal statement is it just one generic statement that ALL the schools you apply to will see? Or are you allowed to change a bit of it for your top choice schools to express interest on why exactly that school, etc?

 

[dantemac]

I paralled my journey to loving dentistry and caring for patients to the journey in The Hobbit, my favorite child hood book. Everyone said they loved my PS but no interviewers brought it up. Ever. Not even once.