How long can (and should) your residency personal statement be?

[Dr. Doctor MD]

Any recommendations for a specific word count? Character count? Page limit on ERAS?

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[mrbreakfast]

If I recall correctly you can effectively submit a novella, but the informal rule is a single page. Remember that writing well is writing tight.

If it helps, mine was a little over 4,000 characters and <700 words.

 

[obgyny]

Max should be 1 page typed in a word document.

 

[LyMed]

No exact word count, but keep it under one page.

 

[NotaCop]

As above. Err shorter than that if going into surgery

 

[NickNaylor]

Mine was just over a page. It should be concise and to-the-point: less a dramatic novel as your medical school personal statement may have been and more of a concrete discussion of your interest in whatever specialty you're applying to and, in broad strokes, what you hope your career to be in the future.

 

[nimbus]

100,000% this. Have dreams of working 6 months out of the year and travelling/mountain bike racing/rock climbing the other half. Telepsych is the goal with some cash only OMM on the side.

This is good. Clear, succinct, honest.

 

[Snoopy2006]

One page. Considering I was always reading 30-40 of these at a time I found it extremely irritating when someone would go over. Keep it under a page for sure.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

3/4 of a page for surgery. No more unless you’re some nobel winner. We don’t have a great attention span! 😉

 

[DameJulie]

Sorry about being confused about this 1-page requirement, but is it 1 page single-spaced, or double-spaced?

 

[obgyny]

Sorry about being confused about this 1-page requirement, but is it 1 page single-spaced, or double-spaced?

Single-spaced. No more than 1 page.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Sorry about being confused about this 1-page requirement, but is it 1 page single-spaced, or double-spaced?

You will type/paste what you want into a box on ERAS which will then produce a single-spaced PDF of what you'll submit. You want that to be one page. Takes some fooling around with.

 

[ortnakas]

I missed the under a page memo and mine was about a page and a third. I matched (last year) so it just not have been a dealbreaker.

 

[C.elegans]

Is 800 words/4600 characters with space overkill?

 

[Terps1011]

Is 800 words/4600 characters with space overkill?

That will likely be over a page. Mine was 700ish and i pasted it and it went onto the second page. I got it down to one page and it was about 600 words! That being said i am sure people with 800 word PS have matched.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Is 800 words/4600 characters with space overkill?

Probably a bit too wordy, bit it's your story and thus your call. Consider the one-page limit more of a polite nod to PDs who have to read potentially thousands of these.

 

[C.elegans]

Probably a bit too wordy, bit it's your story and thus your call. Consider the one-page limit more of a polite nod to PDs who have to read potentially thousands of these.

Thank you. I honestly really do not want to cut anymore because I would be cutting into ideas instead of taking out fluff. But since I am applying to a surgical specialty, I guess it would be safe to follow the 1 page rule. I just have to see what I can afford to take out...

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Long enough that you tell me something interesting.
Short enough that I don't get bored.

 

[cs006]

No exact word count, but keep it under one page.

Hey LyMed!

Just dropping by to say thanks for those biostats videos on youtube! 🙂 they helped me a lot. hope you're doing well. quick question. I just finished editing my first draft for my internal medicine residency personal statement. would it be possible to ask you for help to look it over and give me feedback and help with some editing, if you have some free time? thanks, a lot man. thanks for doing us medical students a generous service.

- Andy

 

[LyMed]

Yeah man, of course.

 

[aafisahar]

for fellowship, mine was ~400 words and I got >10 interviews. the personal statement is just a huge waste of time for all parties, it should be done away with.

for residency, mine was ~600 words and I had no shortage of interviews as well. say what needs to be said, don't say too much, and play it safe. don't talk about doing telepsych for money or cash only therapy in manhatten, talk about whatever psych PDs want to hear. remember, they are all ivory tower clinicans who drank the kool-aid. they are content getting paid 200k when they are worth 400k.