Having trouble with personal statement

[chickenlittle84]

Hi! I am working on my personal statement and am having a really hard time getting through it! I just feel like I don't have anything to say, which obviously isn't true. But nothing seems interesting enough or big enough to write about (also, I know, not true). Anyone else having this problem? Anyone have strategies to get through writer's block???

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[OncDoc19]

You could try keeping a journal and writing down random ideas that pop into your head throughout the day. Don't start writing until something inspires you.

 

[soeagerun2or]

Anyone have strategies to get through writer's block???

I learned this little trick from Ernest Hemingway:

1) Get a bottle of your favorite hard alcohol (whiskey or tequila) and take a shot.

2) Try writing

Repeat step 1 until step 2 is complete. Note, you'll need to proof-read 2 days later.

 

[Stversko]

1) Get a bottle of your favorite hard alcohol (whiskey or tequila) and take a shot.

2) Try writing

Repeat step 1 until step 2 is complete. Note, you'll need to proof-read 2 days later.

 

[musiclink213]

I had the same problem when I first wrote my PS. What I did was just start writing something, even though it didn't relate at all to anything. The idea was just to start writing. After a couple pages, I hit on something that made me go "Aha! I can use this for my PS". I think before that, I was writing about the NHL playoffs, what sneakers I should buy, random stuff. Then after a while, I just hit on something.

 

[baylormed]

The PS is one of those things that you have to sit on for a long time. What usually works is to just START (since starting is the hardest part). Just write something, whatever comes to mind, even if at first it sounds cheesy and silly, you'll edit and reword as you go.

 

[premeddick]

I had a hard time getting anything on paper that seemed meaningful. I wrote one draft of a bunch of different experiences, threw it away and then used one of the experience that I wrote about, elaborated on it and now have a decent personal statement using that experience. Dont try and make your first draft shine. Thats what draft four five and six are for.

 

[Think Big]

I always start things like this by writing questions and answering them with as many one-line answers that I can think of. The questions I used for my personal statement were along the lines of:

Why do I want to go to med school?

What have I done to make me realize that this is the career for me?

Why does your school want to pick me over other applicants?

Take a few days to come up with some questions and write as many answers as you can think of. Then pick your best ones and go. That's how I did it, but this method would probably be enhanced by soeagerun2or's suggestion.

 

[nick_carraway]

Oh! A few more suggestions based on what worked for me.

Check out the PS book by Princeton Review since it gives you stats for the ppl in the book and since the essays in there are a less unique (read: more helpful) than the PS book by Barron's. I think it's called "Medical School Essays that Made a Difference." It'll give you an impression of what kind of essays you would like to read and what kinds are just painful to get through.

When you finally start writing, sit yourself down at the bookstore if you have a laptop and crank away and keep throwing stuff onto paper until your battery dies.

 

[badasshairday]

How long are your guys' personal statement?

 

[swooptheeagle]

it took me forever to write my PS. it also took me like billion drafts to come up with the right one. But one of the ways I started was by writing down all the things that I did (research, volunteer, etc.) and then what i wanted to say about why i wanted to be a doctor. Once you get that it's just a matter of connecting them eloquently and showing that you're qualified.