While it's certainly not necessary to write an essay worthy of a Pullitzer, you have to think about the fact that the adcoms are FLOODED with applications, and that numbers-wise, many of these are stellar because since freshman year of undergrad the mantra "GETTING IN TOUGH...MUST GET GOOD GRADES!" is pumped into our heads by competitive premeds and AAMC zombies alike. The only components, pre-interview, that the adcoms have to really get a feel for you beyond the ID numbers and the transcripts are your extracurrics, your letters of rec, and your personal statement.
That said. . . the essay really doesn't have to be an obstacle, however, even in spite of its importance. By it's very nature, the statement is your one chance to really let yourself shine, to tell the adcoms the things that *you* most want them to know! Of all of the parts that comprise your application, you perhaps have the most control over your essay, and over what you reveal to the adcoms through it. I'm not sure how you usually write, but the best advice that I can think to give you (although I'm only a single lonely little (and I do mean little) speck in the vast sea of med school application history), is to write from your heart. . . write so that the reader comes away from the essay with a feeling for who you are. As others have mentioned, avoid regurgitating what has already been addressed in your application, i.e., classes, ECs, etc. Remarks about such things, or a verbatim restatement of your resume, won't enhance your app or tell the adcoms anything about you that they don't already know. Instead, if you write about an activity you've done, make sure you focus on what it has MEANT to you, what you've learned from it. . . and how this has influenced your life (and, if applicable, how it influences your decision to become a doctor or your ideas about your own medical practice).
I didn't spend months on the statement, although I know others who did. To be honest, although getting it "just write" was a bit stressful, and although I did spend considerably more time on it than I typically do on the average ~2-page essay. . . I actually enjoyed completing the statement, because it allowed me to write about some of the pursuits and people about which I'm most passionate. I know it sounds crazy. . . but it was actually kind of nice.
Best of luck to you, and as always, if you have any questions when you sit down to write. . . we're here to help!
