The personal statement is tricky because you not only have to write about yourself, but there is also no set format to follow. Beyond writing a good introduction and conclusion, you'll need to include points about yourself that are not apparent to someone looking at your AADSAS pink slip. If you have any volunteer/research/extra-curricular experience list it and discuss how it (they) has impacted you. Try not to say "I did this...I got that from this." Tailor your essay to not only be informative but also professional and personable. Speak of your desire to become a dentist and place that within the context of your past experiences and where you envision yourself in the future - both personally and professionally. Don't rely on cliches (having tooth knocked out at five = intense desire to become dentist) to communicate your desires and intentions. If you have had a particular person, such as a dentist, who has played a significant part in your decision to become a dentist, or who has opened your eyes to new possibilities and has been a guiding influence, then mention that individual and state how you plan to emulate or integrate the lessons you learned into your dental education and eventual career. Beyond working in a practice somewhere, do you plan to contribute outside of the office; i.e. teaching, doing some international missions to really underserved areas of the globe, and so on. If so then be sure to include it as well. Don't just list facts and figures - back them up with qualifying statements that will let the reader know why that information is important to you and relevant to your argument (which is simply "pick ME!"). Is there anything that you feel is unique and special about you and your background that makes you a good applicant, and more importantly, will make you a good member of the community at their school? If you are having a hard time even starting, then work on sections such as the conclusion or crank out a couple of starter paragraphs. You don't have to start at the introduction and work through to the conclusion - work on it piecemeal, assemble the parts, edit, and so on.
While listing childhood influences is acceptable, and in many cases expected, I personally think that it is important not to dwell on them and instead craft an essay that communicates a progressive and forward thinking mindset. This can obviously be done with your choice of topics, outline, sentence structure, and choice of words (especially your modifiers - adverbs and adjectives). With that said, it is also important to 'sell' yourself without coming across as defensive or arrogant, and that can sometimes be a fine line to walk. That is why it is important to have someone else, with their 'fresh' eyes, read over your work. If you run into trouble and just can't fine-tune the essay yourself, then send it off to a place like essayedge.com (they are wonderful). Obviously I am playing the admissions game myself, but the above points appy to a whole host of situations, whether it be applying to medical school, graduate school, a job, or even preparing for a face to face interview. Best of luck!
