Your personal statement as a non-trad doesn't need to be terribly different from what you would write if you were a traditional student; it should answer "why medicine" and "why you," with the addition of "why now." Everyone has a different approach, but mine essentially took the following form: paragraph 1) introduce a framing device that draws on my non-traditional (and non-science) background, which addressed both the fact that I am *not* a typical applicant and why that's a good thing; paragraph 2) address the people and service aspects of medicine, with nods to specific experiences that helped me get to this path; paragraph 3) address the science and intellectual discovery aspects of medicine, including mentions of how I came to the decision to finally pursue medical school and demonstrating that I know what I'm getting myself into, have explored my options; paragraph 4) wrap up with details about the qualities that make me suited to this field aka why they should want me, and bringing the entire essay back to the initial framework that I started with.
I kept a brainstorming document for a while before I actually sat down and attempted to pull the whole thing together. I highly recommend taking advantage of both people that are familiar with you and your story and those that aren't at all in editing your statement, both perspectives were invaluable for me.
