Blogging with The Doctor Job

Terry is one of the staff of writers for The Doctor Job. Do you need your personal statement edited, or do you need help in writing one from the beginning? Click here for more information.

“Why I want to be a doctor” by John Q. Medical Student

I love helping people…
I want to save lives…
I want to make a difference in the world…
My parents were doctors…
I was a good science student…
I have always been fascinated by the inner workings of the human body…

Bored yet? You can guarantee that residency directors are. I have probably only read a small number of statements compared to a seasoned residency director, and yet my eyes glaze over when I read sentences like the above in medical students’ personal statements.

When coming up with topics for your personal statement, whether for a residency or fellowship program, use a little imagination. Perhaps you could answer this question: Describe one truly unique thing about you, or something that others would find surprising about you. Another trigger question could be: What accomplishment outside of academics are you most proud of?

In addition to general personal statement clichés, medical students and FMGs can also fall into the specialty cliché trap. For example, when it comes to Internal Medicine, “diversity of cases” and “being able to form a relationship with your patients,” fall at the top of the “most mentioned” list. For Emergency Medicine, it’s almost always “love of a fast-paced environment.”

Does that mean you can’t mention these things? No. It’s virtually impossible to be completely original when talking about why you like a certain specialty. But you can be unique in the way you talk about it.

Instead of saying “I love working in fast-paced environments and I thrive under pressure,” give a concrete example of a time you excelled in such a situation. Describing how you jumped into a pool to rescue your neighbor’s baby while everyone else stood frozen on the sidelines is much more compelling.

You might have the same reasons for pursuing a medical career as every other medical student out there, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to write a cliche personal statement. No one else has lived your life, so you are bound to have some interesting stories to tell that will help you stand out from the pack.