importance of a personal statement

[sheldon09]

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[4X4MD]

so i've been browsing the threads on this forum for a while now and i'm always reading people talking about raising that GPA or retaking that MCAT.

It seems like there is a huge focus on numbers according to the people on this forum. While I realize how important numbers are, I’m wondering if a personal statement is just as important.

When I read through the profiles of med schools in MSAR, most of them say they place emphasis on the personal statement, LORs, personal integrity, etc, etc.

In your experience, do you think some of this “fuzzier” stuff made a difference? Perhaps get you an interview at a reach school? Or made the interviewers super curious about you?

although i havent applied yet myself, I understand that medical schools do look heavily at some ec's.

sure you have your general ec's to show leadership and fellowship (clubs, volunteering, etc), but many types of ec's make you stand out (research) especially at top schools

the personal statement is where you make yourself more than just a number. it kind of introduces you as an applicant to the adcom and makes you interesting. all things being equal, an interesting applicant may be prefered over a boring one. it also is an opportunity to understand why the applicant is interested in medicine FOR REAL (not just a list of activities that show it, but a PERSONAL STATEMENT from the applicant describing his/her own desires, etc)

interviews are very important as well. they show ur professionalism, maturity, personality, and help the adcom understand how you deal with people. also, interviews can be intense, and im sure adcoms judge how well u can adapt/respond to a tense environment.

 

[violincuty]

so i've been browsing the threads on this forum for a while now and i'm always reading people talking about raising that GPA or retaking that MCAT.

It seems like there is a huge focus on numbers according to the people on this forum. While I realize how important numbers are, I’m wondering if a personal statement is just as important.

When I read through the profiles of med schools in MSAR, most of them say they place emphasis on the personal statement, LORs, personal integrity, etc, etc.

In your experience, do you think some of this “fuzzier” stuff made a difference? Perhaps get you an interview at a reach school? Or made the interviewers super curious about you?

So I just posted this on another thread a few minutes ago, but I think it will be helpful to you as well...

"There is more to a successful application than great MCATs and a high GPA. I have a high GPA at a not well known state school and an underwhelming MCAT score, but I have gotten interviews at nearly all of my dream schools. It's possible, I promise! It's just important to always put effort into distinguishing yourself from other students in unique ways. Go on a research internship at another school over the summer, for example. Not many students realize how easy these are to get in to, and the majority of them are paid (paid travel, a stipend, and paid housing)! You should also try to get in some more shadowing and leadership opportunities. Do they have Alpha Epsilon Delta on your campus? You should be working on building your application from day 1... I am happy to send you (or anyone else in this situation) a .pdf of my AMCAS if you want to see what kinds of experiences you should be adding to your resume. When you get to it, the personal statement is HUGE, so start building a story now.

Admittedly, there is no magic formula that will get you in to med school, but there are a few things you can do to prove yourself to be genuine about your interest in this field. It's easy to sit in an interview and say "I am compassionate and I like to help people", but not many people actually demonstrate those qualities. When you do demonstrate them, there is no need to even say corny things in your interview because it's evident from your natural story. "

I wish you all the best!!! Feel free to message me if you have any additional questions along the way...

 

[Catalystik]

Numbers get you past a school's cut offs so the rest of your application will be appreciated. The second thing an adcomm will do is to read the Personal Statement. There is no question that a strong, unique, intriguing PS can make a huge difference. This is the reason why you'll see suggestions to start writing it now, three months before submission time. It's why SDN has a volunteer readers list stickied to the top of the PreMed Allo Forum. It's why people make a living off of writing books on the topic and or offering an editing service for a fee.

There's no question that an apparently mediocre applicant (for a given school) may get an interview based on a great PS.

 

[CalBear2009]

In hindsight, I think that my personal statement would have been so much stronger if I had drafted answers to some of my secondary essays before hand. I know this is a lot of work, but I feel like writing all of those essays helped me learn a lot about myself, which would have helped me better portray myself in my original personal statement. Take a look at the school specific threads and take some time to think about, and even draft answers to the questions that are posted on there. It would be good brainstorming for what makes you, you.

 

[violincuty]

Numbers get you past a school's cut offs so the rest of your application will be appreciated. The second thing an adcomm will do is to read the Personal Statement. There is no question that a strong, unique, intriguing PS can make a huge difference. This is the reason why you'll see suggestions to start writing it now, three months before submission time. It's why SDN has a volunteer readers list stickied to the top of the PreMed Allo Forum. It's why people make a living off of writing books on the topic and or offering an editing service for a fee.

There's no question that an apparently mediocre applicant (for a given school) may get an interview based on a great PS.

Agreed! I am a living example.....there is NO way I should have gotten UCLA and Hopkins interviews based on my stats. I am 100% certain it is because of my story, and I went through nearly 20 revisions of my PS. It took me 3 months to write!! It's not trivial, so I hope the OP takes our advice...

 

[LizzyM]

The PS should not be about your desires but how you have tested your interest in medicine, what you have done that has indicated to you that this is the right path for you. If your initial interest came from a personal or family illness, then go on to describe how you have also been involved in caring for/about those who are not your kin. If your initial interest was based on a trip abroad, describe how you have come to know about the ways health care are delivered in the US (I was shocked to hear an applicant tell me this year that doctors do all their work in hospitals). If you can weave in something about yourself on a personal level whether it is biking or baking or barking orders to a troop of Boy Scouts, all the better.

 

[LetMeBeADoc]

I applied last year with no luck - Interviewed late at only two schools, rejected at both.

I added a few more EC's in the months before I applied again this year but I don't think that made much of a difference. I think the main difference for me was a way better personal statement - and along with that a better understanding of how to articulate my motivation.

I received interview invites to 8 of 10 schools where I finished my secondaries. Some were the same schools that outright rejected me last year.

 

[Geekchick921]

*Relieved at LizzyM's response*

I have this fear that my PS is going to suck because I didn't have some freakin' epiphany that I wanted to become a doctor. I wanted to talk about how I started being drawn into going into health care starting with a mid-level that interested me, and how, over the course of a few years, exploring different career paths, taking classes and gaining a lot of clinical experience, I recognized that medicine is the only career where I will be able to pursue all the aspects of a career in healthcare that I am passionate about.

 

[medat101]

Agreed! I am a living example.....there is NO way I should have gotten UCLA and Hopkins interviews based on my stats. I am 100% certain it is because of my story, and I went through nearly 20 revisions of my PS. It took me 3 months to write!! It's not trivial, so I hope the OP takes our advice...

I'm also a living example.. my numbers shouldn't have even gotten me past most med school pre-screenings, but I ended up with multiple acceptances because of my life story and passion for medicine and helping others, which I communicated via my personal statement and ECs.

Don't take the personal statement or ECs lightly - they are the real factors setting you apart from the thousands of other applicants.

 

[Ok2Panic]

I'm also a living example.. my numbers shouldn't have even gotten me past most med school pre-screenings, but I ended up with multiple acceptances because of my life story and passion for medicine and helping others, which I communicated via my personal statement and ECs.

Don't take the personal statement or ECs lightly - they are the real factors setting you apart from the thousands of other applicants.

Me too on this! At almost every one of my interviews, the first thing out of my interveiwers' mouth was "I loved your personal statement!" followed by "So tell me about your Fulbright!" I definitely interviewed at places that purely numbers-wise I shouldn't have had a chance in hell at.

 

[sheldon09]

thanks for sharing, everyone.


bumpp

 

[da8s0859q]

In your experience, do you think some of this “fuzzier” stuff made a difference? Perhaps get you an interview at a reach school? Or made the interviewers super curious about you?

Yes. Maybe not "super curious", but don't underestimate how important the non-grade/score part of your application is.

 

[Marcus Brody]

GPA and MCAT are just the things that filter more people out of the game. Not many people get to the point where their personal statement becomes the determining factor. But once they do, it is extremely important.

 

[sublm128]

numbers get you past a school's cut offs so the rest of your application will be appreciated. The second thing an adcomm will do is to read the personal statement. There is no question that a strong, unique, intriguing ps can make a huge difference. This is the reason why you'll see suggestions to start writing it now, three months before submission time. It's why sdn has a volunteer readers list stickied to the top of the premed allo forum. It's why people make a living off of writing books on the topic and or offering an editing service for a fee.

There's no question that an apparently mediocre applicant (for a given school) may get an interview based on a great ps.

+1

 

[CodeBlu]

the ps should not be about your desires but how you have tested your interest in medicine, what you have done that has indicated to you that this is the right path for you. If your initial interest came from a personal or family illness, then go on to describe how you have also been involved in caring for/about those who are not your kin. If your initial interest was based on a trip abroad, describe how you have come to know about the ways health care are delivered in the us (i was shocked to hear an applicant tell me this year that doctors do all their work in hospitals). If you can weave in something about yourself on a personal level whether it is biking or baking or barking orders to a troop of boy scouts, all the better.

+1

 

[luckyducky87]

I think it's hard to "make up" for an extremely bad GPA/MCAT just through the PS; but as many others have said, if you have numbers like many other competent applicants, a good PS really can push you up!

At least I hope so

 

[LizzyM]

The numbers tell us whether you are "good enough" to be successful in this medical school. The PS tells us whether you are interesting enough to be invited for interview.

 

[Buttermellow]

*Relieved at LizzyM's response*

I have this fear that my PS is going to suck because I didn't have some freakin' epiphany that I wanted to become a doctor. I wanted to talk about how I started being drawn into going into health care starting with a mid-level that interested me, and how, over the course of a few years, exploring different career paths, taking classes and gaining a lot of clinical experience, I recognized that medicine is the only career where I will be able to pursue all the aspects of a career in healthcare that I am passionate about.

This is really similar to what I'm writing about in my PS. I didn't have an epiphany, but I tried out a lot of other interests and always came back to medicine.

I really think SDN would not be half as helpful as it is now without people like LizzyM and Catalystik. Thanks ladies!