Personal Statement

[Clfriendly]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

A few months ago, I began writing my personal statement. I am starting on it early that way it is a polished piece of work when the time comes to submit it. Each time I sit down to write, I feel like everything I am saying sounds stupid and like I am trying too hard. Does anyone have any pro tips for writing?

 

[gyngyn]

Speak in your own voice.
A thesaurus doesn't make it better.

 

[Imperius]

This is some pretty basic info that anyone can tell you...I don't know what you're writing about, but I hope it helps:
1. Hopefully you have something that makes you interesting. At the very least, make your first few lines unique. "My path to medicine is a long one...blah blah blah" is like an auto-snooze.
2. Tell your story about how you reached medicine. Was there a situation in your life that sparked your interest? How did you develop your desire to pursue this career? This could be an individual situation, or a build-up of experiences over time.
3. Don't say the same thing twice in a different way.
4. Don't repeat yourself. You'll sound dumb. (see what I just did?) It's easy to do if you're trying to fill your character count.
5. Tie your thoughts together with your final paragraph.
6. Please proof-read. Typos are bad in a PS.

 

[El-Rami]

I am pretty sure some of the major pre-med companies (Princeton Review, Kaplan, etc.) have some books that dispense advise for writing personal statements. They may even have examples for you to draw inspiration from.

With that said, just write what you feel. Do not focus on making it sound refined at first. Do not even worry too much about grammar or spelling. (That's for the editing stage.) Just articulate why you want to do medicine. Do some pre-writing where you break down what you want to write in each paragraph, then just start writing some sentences that are straight to the point.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

I second the

This is some pretty basic info that anyone can tell you...I don't know what you're writing about, but I hope it helps:
1. Hopefully you have something that makes you interesting. At the very least, make your first few lines unique. "My path to medicine is a long one...blah blah blah" is like an auto-snooze.
2. Tell your story about how you reached medicine. Was there a situation in your life that sparked your interest? How did you develop your desire to pursue this career? This could be an individual situation, or a build-up of experiences over time.
3. Don't say the same thing twice in a different way.
4. Don't repeat yourself. You'll sound dumb. (see what I just did?) It's easy to do if you're trying to fill your character count.
5. Tie your thoughts together with your final paragraph.
6. Please proof-read. Typos are bad in a PS.

I second this. Remember, strong intro to get the hook, killer ending to nail it home!

 

[CardioMark2018]

Do not get discouraged! I had to rewrite my personal statement nearly 20 times before it was what I wanted it to be. Do not be afraid to seek out help and take this one step at a time. Do you know anyone that is qualified to help you write this? Like a medical student, resident, faculty member, etc?