Personal Statement

[stiffany]

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Hi. After submitting a first draft of my personal statement to one of my favorite professors for review, I have to say I'm struggling to put together a cohesive narrative. While I'm not much of a nontrad student (at the age of 23 and only a year out of college), I've still had a lot of life experiences that need to go into my statement but don't necessarily lend themselves straight to a clear concise narrative on "why medicine". Has anyone struggled with this before? Any insight/advice on how to get over this panicky writer's block?

 

[ShyRem]

You have time. Sleep on it. Keep a pad and pen by your bedside. For me, my brain will often sort things out while I sleep - I get some really (truly) good ideas and phrases right before I go to sleep or in the middle of the night.

 

[medworm]

Also, when the PS cycle rolls around again in April-June, you can have other SDNers review it for you. If you'd like, you can PM me with your draft and I'll critique it as well. Good luck!

 

[docsurglace]

I'll have to agree with the other person who posted here. What helped me when writing my personal statement was to keep a journal. Every time I had a thought or an idea about what makes me so passionate about wanting to be a doctor, I wrote it down. It doesn't make a difference how silly it sounds, just write it down!!!! After a while I noticed a theme among all the things that I wrote and was able to use that as the motif for my personal statement. Try to find a common theme, a personal story that all of your experiences are conveying. You'll be surprised how much info you can extract from yourself about yourself over a short period of time. I journaled for ~ 2-3 months or so before I was able to identify a solid theme. Good luck! 🙂

 

[sailaway415]

I had the same struggle when writing mine. They read so many personal statements, I figure, so you want it to "stand out." You want to be able to say, "I want to help people." Isn't this why we all are drawn to medicine ultimately? I thought this sounded so cliche, so I was hesitant to just blantantly say that, but then I was talking to my friend who is now a current med student at Wake Forest Med School, and I asked her this same question...what do I say? She told me that saying you want to help people IS very cliche, but ultimately that is what they're looking for. They want to know that you are devoted and dedicated to helping people, because med school is a HUGE long term personal and financial sacrifice, and med schools want to know you're in it for the RIGHT reasons. So I'd say, talk to some people. Think about yourself and your own personal anecdotes and life experiences, and tie it back it in to how and why you want to help people. I was an artist for a long time before turning to medicine, so I talked a lot about my experience as an artist and then about doing a bunch of volunteer work I did for some children who were in cancer treatments, where we taught them art as a way of entertainment AND therapy, and a way of self expression. Then I tied it back into how healing itself is an art. You can connect so many of your life experiences into how and why you want to help and heal people. Think of something a little out of the ordinary, and talk to other people, and examine in yourself why it really is that you want to be a doctor, and just go for it and BE YOURSELF.

Especially as a non-traditional student, med schools like people who have PERSONALITY skills. Doctors need to be able to relate to people and be sociable. Otherwise, if you're just geared toward science, why not just go be in clinical research? Say something about how directly impacting individuals is very important to you (if it is...but I would assume it is, since you want to be a doctor.) Let your passion shine through.

Write it all. Write it way too long if you want. Include everything. Write several essays if you have to. Then after writing it, try to consoldiate it together. I had so many things to say too, but a lot of essays say "1000 words or less". Obviously from reading this you can see that I am verbose, so I had a lot of issues with it too. After writing it all, sit on it. Edit it. Send it to more friends and professors. See what they think are the highlights of it. Have friends look at it and edit it. As long as you and yourself as an individual, and your passions shine through, you are golden.

 

[thegenius]

I think to some extent every person goes through this. I did.

There isn't really a trick - what I did was write my PS without regard to length. It is so much easier to trim something like this down than to initially try to keep it within 2500 characters (or whatever the length is).

I think at one point my PS was about 4 pages. I didn't really worry about it too much - good editors can help you reduce and consolidate your PS.

Good luck!

 

[mustangsally65]

I'm working with PhilAnthropist from pre-allo in getting this year's personal statement thread up and running. Last year I read over 100 PSs and several secondary essays. With some SDNers we went through four or five drafts of the personal statement. Look for this thread to appear in the next week.

I have a background in English (majored in it with a concentration in professional writing) and I have worked at a newspaper for over a year (off and on throughout the past three years) and I've been working as an editor of scientific research papers for writers who speak English as a second language for about a year. You can PM me with your statement or email it to [email protected] and I'll take a look at it.

This coming application cycle will be my third year of applying, so I've done this a few times. Mine changed drastically from my first year to my second year, and it has already changed entirely from this year to next. I also just write several pages and then whittle it down to a manageable level.

 

[happydays]

Take your time and really think about it before you write it. It took me a good 3 weeks to get all my ideas into a cohesive package.

 

[SkyeDJR]

Wow, reading about how everyone went about drafting their personal statement is an eye-opener for me! I never dreamed that people would spend so much time and read so many examples to get their own PS "right". My own philosophy was this: my personal statement needs to reflect me and only me.

For that reason, I never even looked at an example of another's personal statement ... I just looked for the requirements as outlined in the application (which had tidbits of info about a PS), and wrote. I also didn't take a long time to write my PS. I'd already put lots of time, thought, and energy into my decision to apply to medical school (and, eventually, to vet school), so all I had to do was to write those thoughts down, and structure them in a cohesive essay. I agree that that is easier said than done, but I also believe that it doesn't require the monumental research, 2nd/3rd/100th drafts, etc. that I've seen described in forums like these.

Please understand that I'm only speaking from personal experience, and was lucky enough to get into med school on try #1 ... so it worked for me. That old saying "to thine own self, be true" is the best guideline I know of when writing a PS, and that's precisely what worked for me.

Skye

 

[riceman04]

You have time. Sleep on it. Keep a pad and pen by your bedside. For me, my brain will often sort things out while I sleep - I get some really (truly) good ideas and phrases right before I go to sleep or in the middle of the night.

oh gosh yes!!!! I second that idea for sure b/c there were times where I would be getting ready to go to sleep and I would think of something that was perfect for my essay.
Damn I wish I had written that stuff down!

 

[LadyWolverine]

Hey there:

Just my 2 cents. As a non-trad and re-applicant, I freaked out over my personal statement this past cycle...as a matter of fact, it took me over 2 months to perfect it. So I feel your pain.

I had AWEFUL writer's block when I began. What I found helpful was (just like so many others have said) keeping a (rather impromptu) journal. That way, if I engaged in some activity that I found particularly inspiring, I could pull out my pen and paper and write down all of my thoughts and feelings while they were still fresh in my mind. I ended up writing my statement about a shadowing experience that I had in an ID clinic...when I was finished shadowing, I went directly to the student lounge and sat there for about an hour, writing down every last detail of what had transpired that day. I even wrote down direct quotes/expressions/moods/etc. from patients and medical staff that I had spoken with that day. This gave me 3+ pages of material to work with for a 1-page AMCAS statement. It didn't really flow or make sense on the journal pages, but once I started re-writing it into a more cohesive format, it flowed like water.

Having been through this process before, I can definitely say that this statement was more powerful and coherent than my previous essay. Draw on a specific, inspiring moment (or moments), and then flesh it out with your other related experiences/goals/ambitions. You'll know it's the right moment when the time comes. Seriously, I realized AS I was shadowing, "THIS is what I'm going to write my personal statement about." You just need that one day or that one experience that puts it all in perspective...and you have to capture it while it's still fresh.

Like I said, just my 2 cents. But it got me into med school this time around. 🙂

Good luck to you!!!

 

[Krazykritter]

IMO, the best personal statements I have read before interviewing candidates have been ones that do one of two things;

1. Emphasize their strengths and passion for medicine

or

2. Discuss potential weaknesses and the ability to overcome them in this setting

To me, the PS is the MOST important part of the application, and probably the only part I read word for word before interviewing someone. Trying to discuss both of these subjects in the PS is a bad idea most of the time b/c you simply don't have enough space. Good luck in the process

 

[UMP]

2. Discuss potential weaknesses and the ability to overcome them in this setting

So making a short narrative about your life and things you had to overcome and how overcoming these challenges would make you a great doctor... right ?

 

[Krazykritter]

I don't know whether this is a sarcastic comment or not, but I will respond as if it were an honest question:

On the interviews I have been in on, many of the interviewers (including myself) find it comforting and the difference btwn. an acceptance and a rejection if you can make them feel at ease about your perceived weaknesses in your application. For example, if your grades are not as good as they should be, you of course should not make excuses. However, if you have a trend of better grades or there were circumstances beyond your control, point this out in your interview. The personal statement is probably not the best time to address poor grades, but your example of overcoming challenges could be a great idea.

IMO, it may be a good idea to stess your strengths to overshadow any weaknesses.

 

[relentless11]

IMO, it may be a good idea to stess your strengths to overshadow any weaknesses.

I talked to the dean of admissions at Tulane a year or two ago. He pretty much said the same thing. One always wants to put things in a positive light. Never make excuses, and emphasize the good points. My situation was, I had some personal challenges that took time away from my undergrad courses. Rather than saying "well thats why my undergrad grades sucked". It was better to say "out of that experience, I learned to [insert positive thing here]....and here is why I improved [show example of your redemption]."

Additionally one doesn't want to make a PS sound like a resume, or a history channel documentary about how you wanted to become a physician...which is why a PS can be quite a pain in the behind to write. Anyone can say they want to help people, but the question is what makes you a positive, and unique applicant.

Last but not least, be clear and concise. I don't think they are looking for any Hemingways out there. I recall what a physician once told me. She said "if its more than a page, you better have something good to say, like you cured cancer." Of course that was before the electronic AMCAS😉, so they restrict you a bit more now online.

 

[QuikClot]

Wow, reading about how everyone went about drafting their personal statement is an eye-opener for me! I never dreamed that people would spend so much time and read so many examples to get their own PS "right". My own philosophy was this: my personal statement needs to reflect me and only me.

For that reason, I never even looked at an example of another's personal statement ... I just looked for the requirements as outlined in the application (which had tidbits of info about a PS), and wrote. I also didn't take a long time to write my PS. I'd already put lots of time, thought, and energy into my decision to apply to medical school (and, eventually, to vet school), so all I had to do was to write those thoughts down, and structure them in a cohesive essay. I agree that that is easier said than done, but I also believe that it doesn't require the monumental research, 2nd/3rd/100th drafts, etc. that I've seen described in forums like these.

Please understand that I'm only speaking from personal experience, and was lucky enough to get into med school on try #1 ... so it worked for me. That old saying "to thine own self, be true" is the best guideline I know of when writing a PS, and that's precisely what worked for me.

Skye

Gaaa . . . 😱

This poster very appropriately presented his/her own experience of writing a personal statement. While I second the sentiment that your PS should reflect you, that doesn't necessarily mean you can ignore the expectations of the genre or the need to carefully construct and revise your PS. I'm glad it worked for this poster, but I suspect he/she was an excellent writer to begin with, with a good grasp of what a PS should look like.

I would recomend pretty much the opposite:

* Read other personal statements to develop an idea of what the typical one looks like. You don't have to write a typical personal statement, but you should know what it is and be conscious of how you are diverging from it.

* Write your raw experience, feelings, opinions down. At some point, craft them into a clear and interesting narrative with a logical progression, that's fun to read. Go over it with a fine-tooth comb for spelling and grammatical mistakes.

* Show the finished product to your pre-med advisor or equ. and ask him/her to check it for red flags.

None of this compromises the forthrightness and personal nature of your essay. It should strengthen it. Great writing may not always require a lot of revision . . . but sometimes it does. Do just enough for your PS to be great.

 

[mustangsally65]

Here's the thread I was referring to. It's in pre-allo, and it's part of PhilAnthropist's sticky of the 2006/2007 application cycle thread. Hope it helps some of you.

 

[SkyeDJR]

Gaaa . . . 😱

This poster very appropriately presented his/her own experience of writing a personal statement. While I second the sentiment that your PS should reflect you, that doesn't necessarily mean you can ignore the expectations of the genre or the need to carefully construct and revise your PS. I'm glad it worked for this poster, but I suspect he/she was an excellent writer to begin with, with a good grasp of what a PS should look like.

Wow again - nothing about what I said was meant to imply that anything about expectations ought to be ignored, or that the PS ought not be carefully constructed. My PS was written carefully, consciously, proofed several times, lots of thought was put into it. and it was written with full recognition given to the expectations of a PS. What I did NOT do, though, and what I was gathering that others do these days, is to have many people proof/edit one's own PS, and/or look at many examples of other PS's, and/or research it for months and months and months. Please don't make the mistake of interpreting my style of writing a PS as equivalent to ignoring the importance of it, or ignoring the expectations behind it. In fact, my style embraced that ... in some ways (I believe) more than the philosophy that a PS has to be worked over and over and over until it becomes a polished piece of generic stone rather than a shining reflection of the person who wrote it. Of course, there's a happy medium in between, and that's where most successful PS's lie.

Skye