Personal statement timeline

[bowlofmushypeas]

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Just curious, when do most people get their personal statement for residency finished by. Sometimes, my letter writers will ask for a copy, and I just let them know it's not done yet.

Also, anyone find any good resources for writing these? I'm sure I could do a forum search also..but looking more for updated advice.

 

[DoctorDermis]

Just curious, when do most people get their personal statement for residency finished by. Sometimes, my letter writers will ask for a copy, and I just let them know it's not done yet.

Also, anyone find any good resources for writing these? I'm sure I could do a forum search also..but looking more for updated advice.

The personal statement is painfully difficult to write well...and for most applicants it does not help or hurt them 😛
All this effort and for what right??? lol

In regards to timeline (2 months total):
- 3 weeks to write the 1st draft (included googling sample personal statements, first aid for the match, personal statements in all sorts of various specialties, etc)
- 1 week to meet with close friends and also email college-buddies with english degrees and have them proof read / provide feedback
- 1 week to revise based on their responses
- 1 week to have a couple of my resident-mentors as well as my faculty-mentor proofread
- less that 1 week to revise
- 1 week to utilize 2 different online services to further proofread and assist in the creative writing process
- 1 week to revise a final draft and have friends / mentors read for final changes 😎

As for Letters of Rec:
I put together a letter of rec packet that included a photo of myself, personal statement, thank you letter, CV, etc - this was very helpful for some of my letter writers in putting together a more robust and substantive recommendation

It was an agonizing process...however, my final draft was very different from my initial drafts - more purposeful in the writing, more succinct, and flowed much better

 

[bowlofmushypeas]

The personal statement is painfully difficult to write well...and for most applicants it does not help or hurt them 😛
All this effort and for what right??? lol

In regards to timeline (2 months total):
- 3 weeks to write the 1st draft (included googling sample personal statements, first aid for the match, personal statements in all sorts of various specialties, etc)
- 1 week to meet with close friends and also email college-buddies with english degrees and have them proof read / provide feedback
- 1 week to revise based on their responses
- 1 week to have a couple of my resident-mentors as well as my faculty-mentor proofread
- less that 1 week to revise
- 1 week to utilize 2 different online services to further proofread and assist in the creative writing process
- 1 week to revise a final draft and have friends / mentors read for final changes 😎

As for Letters of Rec:
I put together a letter of rec packet that included a photo of myself, personal statement, thank you letter, CV, etc - this was very helpful for some of my letter writers in putting together a more robust and substantive recommendation

It was an agonizing process...however, my final draft was very different from my initial drafts - more purposeful in the writing, more succinct, and flowed much better

Yowza! Good for you, I think did something like this for med school when I was young and ambitious. Haha, should probably get started now. Anyone else? When did you or are you planning to finish PSs by?

 

[mvenus929]

If you're applying for this application cycle, I would have your PS done by nowish.

If you're not applying this year, then I'd say have your PS done by early August. Mine was done in May, but that was because one of my letter writers wouldn't release my letter until I gave him my PS, and he was leaving the university in July.

 

[Happy Bird]

Hi Everyone,

For those applying to residency or fellowship, do NOT subscribe to DLA Proofers or Editors. You will end up wasting hundreds of dollars for no real good outcome. Read below to find out why. Feel free to message me with any personal questions. If you truly want input and feedback regarding your personal statement, go to a mentor WITHIN your field or specialty of choice. Below I have described my very bad experience with these editors:



So I sought ought these editors to review a personal statement for a fellowship program. My first editor made a lot of suggestions to make my personal statement "emotional and flowery." This editor thought that my initial personal statement, which discussed my research interests in detail, did not quite "cut it" for fellowship programs. I changed my personal statement around 180 degrees according to this editor's suggestions, which were honestly vague, and consisted mainly of saying, "show this, don't tell it." Yea, not helpful. I tried to incorporate this editor's changes and send it back for review, but this editor would NOT give me any other advice than the following, "you still have not incorporated a lot of my changes, but to get more specific feedback you will have to pay for a second edit." Stupidly, I paid for a second edit, and got a much better editor who was really able to work with me and give me helpful and very specific suggestions.

At the end, however, I was left with a very sappy personal statement, that almost read like an emotional novel. I had my research mentor look at it, who almost vomited because the statement was so flowery, like a trashy beach novel. I agree with my mentor 100% when looking back on things. I went back to my original research-focused personal statement, doing basically everything that these editors had told me not to do. What was the result? I got 25 interviews, and many at top tier programs that I could not even imagine would consider me.

Moral of the story? While these editors may be excellent at English, remember one thing. They cannot see from the perspective of people in your own field. Remember, if you are a doctor, lawyer, engineer or other professional applying for a job or fellowship, remember that these editors cannot see from the eyes of other people in that profession.

The first editor ripped me off by saying I didn't incorporate enough of the initial suggestions, because I had actually done that (and the second editor agreed with me on this point).

I would advise you all, that, instead of using this service, go to your mentor or someone else in your field who actually knows what admissions committees are looking for, and ask them to edit your statement. I wasted several hundred dollars on this.

 

[arkdoc]

I wrote my personal statement in one setting 1-2 hours. I then let one of my classmates edit it. Let an english major edit it and let a program director and mentor edit it. Spent a total of 3-4hrs on it. The personal statement is not all that important. It will most likely not help you unless you need to explain a weakness in your application. It can hurt you, but will not if you do the normal stuff like good grammar and not sound like a sociopath. I have actually been complimented on my PS on most of my interviews. Moral of this story is don't stress over it too much and the goal should be to make it not stand out.