Personal Statements for Rad Onc

[Pewl]

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Does anyone have any advice on major "DO's" and "DON'Ts" when it comes to writing a personal statement for rad onc? I know it's important to follow general guidelines for writing any other personal statement, but can anyone chime in on particular nuances for rad onc?

Thanks

 

[233101]

Make sure that you answer the following two questions in your essay:

(1) Why you are interested in pursuing a career in radiation oncology
(2) Where do you see yourself in the future (academic medicine/research/teaching etc)

DO NOT brag about your various accomplishments. Just like in your interviews it's ok to be confident, just not arrogant. Make sure that in your essay you come across as a humble, intelligent, thoughtful applicant.

Show your essay to a faculty member in the Rad Onc department at your medical school before submitting it via ERAS.

Good luck with your app; let me know if you have other specific questions 🙂

 

[yeasterbunny]

Make sure that you answer the following two questions in your essay:

(1) Why you are interested in pursuing a career in radiation oncology
(2) Where do you see yourself in the future (academic medicine/research/teaching etc)

DO NOT brag about your various accomplishments. Just like in your interviews it's ok to be confident, just not arrogant. Make sure that in your essay you come across as a humble, intelligent, thoughtful applicant.

Show your essay to a faculty member in the Rad Onc department at your medical school before submitting it via ERAS.

Good luck with your app; let me know if you have other specific questions 🙂

I don't know if I can give any more advice that is more specific to rad onc, but for personal statements in general I think it is reasonable to bring up some of your accomplishments as long as it is not in a way that makes you sound arrogant. E.g. bring up your research in the context of how it strengthened your decision to pursue this field or how it was otherwise a good experience for you.

I think I have also read somewhere that there should be something in there about what you expect from a program or what it is you are looking for. The purpose of this whole process, after all, is to get the best match of applicants in programs where they will best fit.

I think the best advice you can get about personal statements is that it is better to have a bland boring one than one that makes you look like an arrogant jackass. I would be very hesitant about the very stylized "grab your attention" anecdotes and wacky stories like the ones many of us put in our med school applications. Just my opinion, I'd be interested to see if anyone cares to differ.

 

[IndyXRT]

I'd also recommend aiming for something safe, even if it's boring. The problem with trying to really spice up your personal statement is that it could completely backfire. If you have any major weaknesses, I think it helps to address them in the personal statement, although some would disagree. I don't think there is really anything specific to radiation oncology that you need to include (i.e. you would talk about why you chose field X and where you see yourself in the future regardless of specialty). You needn't wax poetic about your love of physics or anything like that.

 

[Pewl]

Thanks for the feedback.

Some residents had mentioned before that it's ok to "tailor" your personal statement towards a program that you like in particular. Just wondering, is it possible to have a few different variations of your personal statement on ERAS or is it like AMCAS where you can only have one personal statement uploaded?

Also, how long are these personal statements typically? I haven't gotten access to ERAS to look at the guidelines yet.

Thanks

 

[medgator]

A personal statement probably can't help you, but it can hurt you if it comes across as weird/arrogant etc. Just keep it nice and if you have to err, err on the side of boring.

 

[IndyXRT]

Just wondering, is it possible to have a few different variations of your personal statement on ERAS?

Also, how long are these personal statements typically? I haven't gotten access to ERAS to look at the guidelines yet.

Thanks

Yes, it is possible to use multiple personal statements. I had one for prelim programs and one for rad onc programs, but you can (I believe) have as many as you like. Just make sure you keep them straight (lots of potential for embarrassment there).

The personal statements end up being something like one page typed single spaced. Shorter is better (remember, the people interviewing you have to read lots of these).

 

[Gfunk6]

For my top 5 programs or so, I put in an additional sentence or two as to why I would like to go there specifically. YMMV

 

[Pewl]

Thanks again for the feedback.

This may be getting off topic but I've always wondered what to put in a personal statement for prelim and transitional year programs. I mean, they know you're only gonna be there a year, so what do you sell them on? Do you talk about your career interests in your chosen specialty? Do you talk specifically about this prelim/transitional year program and your specific interest in it? All of the above?

Also, does anyone here have any rad onc personal statements that they are willing to share? I used to help review med school personal statements and I loved reading them. You can edit out your names and personal info of course! 🙂

 

[rymd]

I used my radiation personal statement for the prelim programs I applied to. No one mentioned it. You will probably get an interview at every prelim you apply to, so I wouldn't sweat it...

 

[yeasterbunny]

I used my radiation personal statement for the prelim programs I applied to. No one mentioned it. You will probably get an interview at every prelim you apply to, so I wouldn't sweat it...

You won't get an interview at every TY you apply to - those can be pretty competetive especially in desireable areas (I went to med school in Milwaukee and thought it would be a great idea to apply to all the nearby Chicago TY's; none of them interviewed me).

I think most of the intern year programs are used to reading personal statements that are more geared to your specialty of choice. I added a few sentences about the importance of a strong background in medicine and how seriously I will be taking my internship yaddah yaddah yaddah.

 

[BozoSparky]

I also used the same personal statement for my prelim/transitional applications. As for the personal statement itself, have people read it. I always hated feedback on these things, but it's worth it. They'll let you know if your story doesn't make sense and if it's the right tone.

 

[cgk]

I don't know if I can give any more advice that is more specific to rad onc, but for personal statements in general I think it is reasonable to bring up some of your accomplishments as long as it is not in a way that makes you sound arrogant. E.g. bring up your research in the context of how it strengthened your decision to pursue this field or how it was otherwise a good experience for you.

I think I have also read somewhere that there should be something in there about what you expect from a program or what it is you are looking for. The purpose of this whole process, after all, is to get the best match of applicants in programs where they will best fit.

I think the best advice you can get about personal statements is that it is better to have a bland boring one than one that makes you look like an arrogant jackass. I would be very hesitant about the very stylized "grab your attention" anecdotes and wacky stories like the ones many of us put in our med school applications. Just my opinion, I'd be interested to see if anyone cares to differ.

I originally planned on starting my personal statement with a "grab your attention" opener, just for the reason that PD's read so many bland statements, that I thought this approach would be more memorable and separate me from the pack; interesting and unique without being "weird". However, after reading all the SDN comments, I am hesitant and intimidated to do so. Do you think just a "little" bit of creativity could be detramental to my application and jeopordize my chances for interview offers? Opinions much appreciated!!

 

[RadOncMegatron]

I had a catchy opening that several interviewers thought was very funny and commented on, but I'd be careful...

The best advice I heard from someone that reads med school and residency apps are that there are 3 types of personal statements:

1) One's that should have never been written and hurt you

2) One's that are awesome and help you

3) One's that don't help or hurt you

If you know that you cannot do #2, which is almost everybody, just focus on doing #3. In this field, personal statements don't seem to matter much so don't stress about it too much.

PS Do not put grammatical mistakes he says they actually do hurt.

 

[erectorspinae]

I was wondering if it would help/hurt/not matter to mention my interest in specific places was strengthened by them having a graduate program my fiance was applying to. Added hook or does it make your interest in that rad onc program seem more superficial?
I hate these.

 

[IndyXRT]

I was wondering if it would help/hurt/not matter to mention my interest in specific places was strengthened by them having a graduate program my fiance was applying to. Added hook or does it make your interest in that rad onc program seem more superficial?
I hate these.

I wouldn't put that in the personal statement, but it's something you could mention during the interview.

 

[Seldon1985]

When people say less than 1 page personal statement, they are referring to the length of the PS after it has been uploaded to ERAS, right?

 

[deleted4401]

Yeah, I've stopped actively putting grammatical mistakes in. I'm not sure why I thought they would help...

I evaluated a few applications last year and interviewed people. I found that it just gave me something to talk about and allowed a personal connection. Seeing that my vote didn't really count, I guess it doesn't matter what I think.

-S

 

[DoctwoB]

Make sure that you answer the following two questions in your essay:

(1) Why you are interested in pursuing a career in radiation oncology
(2) Where do you see yourself in the future (academic medicine/research/teaching etc)

DO NOT brag about your various accomplishments. Just like in your interviews it's ok to be confident, just not arrogant. Make sure that in your essay you come across as a humble, intelligent, thoughtful applicant.

Show your essay to a faculty member in the Rad Onc department at your medical school before submitting it via ERAS.

Good luck with your app; let me know if you have other specific questions 🙂

About number 2. Would saying that you intend to go into private practice be a terrible idea? Are top programs only interested in training future academicians and researchers?

 

[clintpark]

About number 2. Would saying that you intend to go into private practice be a terrible idea? Are top programs only interested in training future academicians and researchers?

Unfortunately, the answers to both of your questions are yes. Not all, but most would try to train future academicians. They do realize most of graduates will go into private practice, but I wouldn't put that on your personal statement.