The drafting of your personal statement is probably something that
you’re dreading, especially if writing is not your strong suit. Even if
you are a skilled writer, it can be hard to choose a topic and to write
about yourself in a way that resonates with others.
Writing
a personal statement does not have to be a painful process. Look at the
bright side—the personal statement is the one opportunity you have to
sell yourself in your application that is unfettered by cold hard facts
and figures. Your personal statement gives you an opportunity to make
yourself more real to the people making hiring decisions.
Plus,
by hiring the experts at The Doctor Job to help you, you can rest
assured that what you are presenting is a polished finished product
that has already been given a stamp of approval by an experienced
writer who has edited hundreds of personal statements.
Here are three things to keep in mind when drafting a personal statement.
1)
The ideal personal statement will give the directors of residency and
clerkship programs a sense of who you are and highlight some unique and
impressive facts about you that will make you stand out in his/her
mind. It will also convince the reader of your commitment to your
chosen specialty area, as well as your ability to perform well in that
specialty area.
2) While it is not necessary
to be a stellar writer in the medical profession, good writing in
general conveys your intelligence and your ability to articulate your
thoughts in a clear, concise, and professional manner. To that end, it
is important to ensure that your personal statement flows well and
doesn’t break any major grammatical rules.
3)
Some might argue that in writing a personal statement it is more
important to not turn someone off than it is to win someone over. In
following with this thought, when developing ideas for your personal
statement, you want to err on the conservative side, especially if
you’re using the same statement or a version of the same statement when
applying to a number of residencies. Even if you think it’s a little
bit bland, it’s better to have a statement that appeals to the masses
than one that might strike a chord with one person and strike out with
everyone else.
Choosing a topic
“I entered the medical profession because I want to help people.”
When
you wrote your admissions essays for medical school, you were probably
advised against this standard answer to the inevitable “Why do you want
to become a doctor” question. The same applies now. It’s not that
there’s anything wrong with wanting to help people, it’s just that it’s
become such a cliché answer that it’s almost lost its meaning.
Certainly
at its core, being a doctor is about helping people. But when
brainstorming a topic for your personal statement, you need to think
beyond that. For instance, if you have chosen a certain specialty, what
are the reasons for your choice? Perhaps you entered the medical
profession from a prior career. Why did you make that decision? What
happened in your life to lead you to that decision?
Show, don’t tell.
Anecdotes
are very effective tools in a personal statement. When you tell a brief
story about something that happened to you, your experience is made
more real to the reader. Use this technique when drafting your personal
statement. Telling someone that you like something or that you’re good
at something is less effective than describing to him/her the events in
your life that illustrate those points. Take these two examples:
1)
When I think of something that weighs two pounds, I think of a book, a
full mug of coffee, a bunch of grapes. I don’t think of a person. Yet
that’s how much my sister weighed when she was born prematurely. I can
still remember the way the doctor’s hands looked enormous next to her
tiny body, and the way my parents and I felt knowing that those hands
bore the responsibility for her life. Watching the physician work
around the clock to ensure my sister’s health, I realized that I wanted
to be part of something so important.
2)
I have a younger sister who was born premature. As a result, I am
interested in helping children like her by becoming a neonatologist.
Anecdotes
are particularly effective when used as a hook at the beginning of your
statement. Given the limited amount of time that will be allotted to
reading each personal statement, the sooner you can pique their
interest, the better.
Setting yourself apart
If
two people eat at the same restaurant on the same night, each will have
completely different experiences based on the food they ordered, the
people they ate with, and the conversations they had. Likewise, even if
you attended the same school and earned the same grades as one of your
peers, each of you will have unique areas in which you excelled and
unique circumstances that helped to shape who you are.
In
addition to using anecdotes in your personal statement, you can stand
out from the masses by including a lot of details in your writing. One
of the biggest criticisms of personal statements is that they are too
vague. When describing your experiences, be specific. If you held a
leadership role, how many people did you lead? What was improved as a
result of your leadership? If you volunteered for a particular
organization, did you work two hours a month or fifteen hours a week?
The
more specific you are with regard to your goals, experiences,
interests, and strengths, the more you will differentiate yourself from
others.
It’s not easy.
Crafting
an effective personal statement is a difficult task, because it means
creating a delicate balance between a compelling story and a selling
document. This is not something you should take lightly - many
directors find that this small amount of insight into your mind and
motivation will effectively determine your ability to practice medicine
and contribute to the residency, fellowship or clerkship. The Doctor
Job has certified professional writers on staff whose sole job is to
craft winning personal statements based on your goals and your insight.
We give a solid structure and cohesion to your perspective and
personality. |
