itsartipatel

Your personal statement is the only part of your application that is solely about who you are, and this is your chance to express yourself in your own way. Writing the personal statement can be a daunting task due to the character limits and not knowing where to start. And having multiple topics to talk about only makes it more difficult. 

Here is my guide to writing a personal statement that is not only unique to you, but also brings out your passion for the specialty you choose!

1. Purpose of the personal statement

-For programs to see who you are as a person. Not only in medicine but overall. 

-To understand why you chose medicine and, specifically why you chose that specialty. 

-To express what your goals are for the future. 

2. Goals 

-The main goal of your personal statement is to talk about yourself, your interests, and your future goals. These are things that usually cannot be found on your CV, and this gives you the opportunity to talk about yourself in more detail. 

-Some things you can highlight in your personal statement are:

            1. Your background, any life-altering moments, what made you choose medicine, etc. 

            2. Specific interests

                        -For example, I chose family medicine as my specialty, but I am most interested in community & preventive/lifestyle medicine. And I made sure to show this interest by talking about some experiences I was involved in that displayed my passion for FM.

            3. Skills or insights that may set you apart from others

                        -It’s tough trying to stand out from the rest of the applicants but it’s more about how you use those skills to your advantage instead of trying to find a unique skill. 

                        -Example: I grew up in an immigrant household where medicine is not perceived in the same manner as it is in the US. And I’m sure there are many applicants who can say the same. Since I am interested in community medicine and care about providing care to underserved populations, I talked about how I can better understand individuals who may afraid of seeing doctors and how this is an advantage when it comes to treating my patients in the future. 

            4. Talk about your goals for the future

                        -Although there are many goals that you may have, highlight 1 or 2 that are the most important to you. And share how you plan to reach these goals and what you hope to achieve from them. 

                        -This is also a great way to end your personal statement and mention briefly what qualities you want in a residency program. 

3. Writing the personal statement itself 

-Brainstorm what you want to include in each paragraph. I would recommend having 4 paragraphs in total. 

            Intro: include your background, what made you choose medicine, etc. 

            2 body paragraphs: talk about clinical experiences or stories that show your strengths/unique characteristics. These experiences can also be used to show why are interested in the specialty of your choice. 

            Conclusion: use this paragraph to wrap up your personal statement and bring it full circle. Reiterate why you are a good fit for medicine and chosen specialty. And finish it off with what you want in a residency program and your future goals. 

My personal statement was a big contributor to the large amount of interviews I received during the match season and was a hot topic of discussion during my interviews as well. I was able to share who I am and my interests through my PS and it felt great being able to talk about this in further detail with program directors and faculty. I’m excited to share my personal statement with you so that you can use it as motivation, a guide, or for brainstorming ideas!