How to get started on a personal statement?

[Wolverine93]

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Anyone have tips for writing a good personal statement? I was thinking of writing about my research experience. I worked with cardiovascular surgical procedures on rabbits for three years of undergrad.

Is that too cliché?

Anyone know where I can get good examples of personal statements?

I would appreciate any tips!

 

[James1992]

If your research experience influenced your decision to pursue medicine, then write about it. Don't worry about it being too cliché. A great personal statement is just what it sounds like: personal.

 

[zacharyw]

Like @James1992 said, if you just talk about what you did and list the accomplishments without addressing why medicine, or if you write the essay with the idea that you already decided on medicine (and therefore everything in PS is a confirmation) without explaining how did that happen, then it will be a crappy personal statement. Almost half of the essays I read (I am a reader in the PS reader thread) falls under those categories. It is so frustrating.

 

[Being]

A friend of mine from high school started off every single essay in every class for 4 years with the word "Bang!"

He got into Harvard. Maybe he was on to something...

 

[nemo123]

Here are some examples. If you look around MDApps, you can probably find more.

http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=19291
http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=16486
http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=23645

As an aside, the PS is a place to describe your reasons for pursuing medicine and elaborating on the experiences (whether in childhood, high school, or college) that helped to solidify your desire. If you think your research did that for you, then by all means write about it. That being said, I've found some people focus too much on various ECs in their PS and their motivations for pursuing medicine often get muddled.

 

[LilEngineThatCould]

Here are some examples. If you look around MDApps, you can probably find more.

http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=23893
http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=16486
http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=23645

As an aside, the PS is a place to describe your reasons for pursuing medicine and elaborating on the experiences (whether in childhood, high school, or college) that helped to solidify your desire. If you think your research did that for you, then by all means write about it. That being said, I've found some people focus too much on various ECs in their PS and their motivations for pursuing medicine often get muddled.

Wow those were some great PS! I hope mine comes out like that 😛

 

[CINDIEE]

Here are some examples. If you look around MDApps, you can probably find more.

http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=19291
http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=16486
http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=23645

As an aside, the PS is a place to describe your reasons for pursuing medicine and elaborating on the experiences (whether in childhood, high school, or college) that helped to solidify your desire. If you think your research did that for you, then by all means write about it. That being said, I've found some people focus too much on various ECs in their PS and their motivations for pursuing medicine often get muddled.

Thanks!

 

[teefero]

Anyone have tips for writing a good personal statement? I was thinking of writing about my research experience. I worked with cardiovascular surgical procedures on rabbits for three years of undergrad.

Is that too cliché?

Anyone know where I can get good examples of personal statements?

I would appreciate any tips!

Your research experiences sounds pretty cool and interesting. Try to write a story that invokes emotions and visuals. Maybe hone into one specific experience you had in that lab. I also think an extended metaphor works well too.