Tell me about the Personal Statement

[Dr. Josh]

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Are we just supposed to write about our goals in reference to becoming a doctor? Should it describe our whole life? Can it be about a single incident? Can it be unrelated to medical school? I'm very confused what we are supposed to write here. How long should it be?

 

[on_the_fence]

Are we just supposed to write about our goals in reference to becoming a doctor? Should it describe our whole life? Can it be about a single incident? Can it be unrelated to medical school? I'm very confused what we are supposed to write here. How long should it be?

I'm not a PS expert, but I am pretty sure it can be about anything so long as you can tie it to why you want to be a physician. It is basically the adcoms' chance to learn about you as person beyond the numbers. I would stick to what is relevant and what will not be found anywhere else in your application -- i.e. if your application includes that you tutored at the chem help desk, don't just stick in "oh, I tutored at the chem help desk" in your PS, b/c they already learned that somewhere else.. Now if tutoring at the chem help desk was a huge part of your decision/motivation to go to medical school, go ahead and mention it. Just try to maximize their information about you as a person. Some people suggest writing multiple PSs in different styles to see which one they like most. Do a search on "personal statement" or something of the like on google too. It usually has some good examples to offer.

 

[PositivePostBac]

Personal Statement = Personal... somebody else can't tell you what to write... usually people explain their life leading upto this point and their desires to become a doctor and how those two intersect, but I've also heard of people doing other things if they particularly had something they wanted bring to the table... good luck 🙂

 

[ambrosia]

It can basically be anything - mine focused on a single incident and then i explained how that incident made me realize that i wanted to be a doctor. but you can make it about anything, as long as it doesn't look like a written out version of a resume

 

[VPDcurt]

I started mine off with a story about delivering twins in an emergency C-section in Ecuador. Starting off with a catchy story is a good way to do it. Make sure it is something people will want to read in its entirety. That is so important. I also met and discussed my PS with someone on the admissions committee at UConn Med School (she is a family friend). She said that, even though they don't explicity say it, they want you to tell them why you want to be a doctor. They need to hear that you want to help people. Of course you need to find a more eloquent way of stating this. Good luck.