how long is too long for a p.s.?

[amyl]

hey guys -- still freaking out over my personal statement and it is holding up my application. i have no idea if its any good or not...or even includes the information it is supposed to. if any one has any advice i would love to hear....? also how long is it supposed to be...i guess how long is too long? how long were all of yours?

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[VentdependenT]

hey guys -- still freaking out over my personal statement and it is holding up my application. i have no idea if its any good or not...or even includes the information it is supposed to. if any one has any advice i would love to hear....? also how long is it supposed to be...i guess how long is too long? how long were all of yours?

There is a limit. I think ERAS tells you.

Anyways. Nobody wants to read anything longer than 3-4 paragraphs.

 

[lushmd]

Anyways. Nobody wants to read anything longer than 3-4 paragraphs.

I think that Venty's advice is spot on. Conventional wisdom seems to be to keep it under one page. Not that it makes writing the PS any easier (it certainly didn't make me worry about it any less), but most seem to think that the PS doesn't really matter so long as it makes sense, is legible, etc...

 

[chicamedica]

When i went through the match I was worried about my ps being too long--it was about 1.5 pages long. This was after much revision. I ended up getting a lot of compliments about it during interviews. I think what matters most is that the essay be interesting and easy to read, which means minimal to no redundancy, short sentences, organized, flows well, relevant info etc. Then length will not be as noticeable. A mediocre essay will not make or break you, but a poorly written essay can hurt, and a well-written one can help.

good luck!

 

[amyl]

what is relevant? my essay includes why medical school (kind of want to keep that as it explains stuff in my app), why anes, what makes me different from other candidates, and an example of how i handled a problem and made it into a positive. it is 1.75 pages with the font set at 12
;-(
i just don't know what to cut out

 

[lushmd]

Well, first off, see how long it is using the default ERAS font (IIRC: 10 pt, Courier New). As to what to remove after that, its difficult to say. Personally, I included only minimal info as to my reasons for applying to med school (only as it applied to anes).

 

[Harry Dunne]

definitely don't go over 1 page.

here is how i structured my ps:
Paragraphs 1 and 2: why i like anesthesia and some specific examples from my rotation
Paragraph 3: why i think i would be a good applicant
Paragraph 4: what i am looking for in a program

It was pretty straight forward, nothing fancy. Most attendings and residents told me not to stress about it. Unless your ps is really awesome or really crappy, it wont matter too much anyway.

 

[amyl]

i cut it way down to a page but i hate it and it doesn't tell my story. i cut out how i ended up in medical school as it has nothing to do with anesthesiology.
my problem is that my first anesthesiology rotation starts tomorrow and i don't have a specific example to put in my p.s. maybe something great will happen tomorrow that i can use.
i have a lot of business experience. before medical school i ran a couple successful businesses and scored in the stock market. i put that in and what it taught me...but it is a stretch what that has to anesthesiology as well. if someone doesn't believe that a background in business can help make you a successful anesthesiologist than they will think my whole ps is B.S.

 

[silverumbrella]

The PD at my school told us to DEFINITELY keep it under one page, and this was reinforced by all of my letter writers. Our PD also said not to stress about the PS too much... it is the rare PS that will make a difference in your overall evaluation.

 

[amyl]

thanks, i guess i should stop stressing and send it out already. if the ps's don't really matter how do all these programs decide who gets an interview....does it really come down to grades and board scores and that's it?

 

[excalibur]

PS's:

10% are amazing and eye grabbing

90% are the basic PS

10% are "this guy is weird"

If you're not in the last category, you'll be fine.

By weird, I mean writing your PS in iambic pentameter

 

[Surfer]

I'm curious... what does scoring big in the stock market have to do with anesthesiology residency?

 

[amyl]

nothing...this is why my ps feels wrong to me. i used the money i made in the stock market to start my own business. the gist of my ps is that like all anesthesiology candidates i loved physio and pharm, like the combination of technical skill and intellectual stimulation, procedures,etc. what sets me apart from other candidates is my experience in business and the qualities that i have developed from managing wealthy demanding customers, hiring/firing etc. like diplomacy, tact, hard decision making and dealing with difficult personalities and my approach to negotiation. etc.

 

[Surfer]

sounds like you already have a great ps then! like most have said, i wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make sure it has correct grammar, a good flow, and is easy to read. you'll be fine!

 

[chocomorsel]

nothing...this is why my ps feels wrong to me. i used the money i made in the stock market to start my own business. the gist of my ps is that like all anesthesiology candidates i loved physio and pharm, like the combination of technical skill and intellectual stimulation, procedures,etc. what sets me apart from other candidates is my experience in business and the qualities that i have developed from managing wealthy demanding customers, hiring/firing etc. like diplomacy, tact, hard decision making and dealing with difficult personalities and my approach to negotiation. etc.

Isn't there one of the administrative people i.e one of the deans at your school that can help you with this? I mean they go thru this every year with their students and at our school they help us quite a bit with editing and organizing the PS. I mean, sucks that you might be out there flapping when there is someone perfectly capable of helping you out at your school. Or heck even some of the letter writters, if any of them are PD's.

 

[Trisomy13]

nothing...this is why my ps feels wrong to me. i used the money i made in the stock market to start my own business. the gist of my ps is that like all anesthesiology candidates i loved physio and pharm, like the combination of technical skill and intellectual stimulation, procedures,etc. what sets me apart from other candidates is my experience in business and the qualities that i have developed from managing wealthy demanding customers, hiring/firing etc. like diplomacy, tact, hard decision making and dealing with difficult personalities and my approach to negotiation. etc.

i'd leave the stuff that makes you different in. everyone's letter had the "love the physio and pharm" paragraph. that's a given. your different life experiences will set you apart and set your PS apart and might be the piece of the puzzle that gets you an interview.

 

[paingal]

I've had more than one faculty member say they rarely even read the personal statement when reviewing applicants - so don't stress too much about it; just make sure it isn't full of errors, and definitely keep it less than one page