How to write your medical school personal statement

The  one document that will receive the most scrutiny by any medical  admissions authority it is your medical school personal statement. Essays & medical school personal statements are an anxiety-inducing part of the application process for many ‘aspiring to be doctors’.

You should think of the medical school personal statement, however, as an opportunity to show admissions officers what you’re made of. They want to know why you want to enter the medical profession and this is your chance to tell them as clearly and compellingly as you can.So what exactly are med school authorities looking for? It is important that you know this so that you can craft your medical school personal statement accordingly.

Show  Passion in your  medical school personal statement

Medical schools care about a lot more than just your MCAT score. The first thing most med schools look for is students who are bright, empathetic and communicative. They want to know more about why you have chosen to pursue this profession and they want to see some proof of your passion. Your medical school personal statement is the first opportunity you will have to tell the medical school authorities about yourself and how or why the decision to pursue medicine came about.

There are no fixed rules about what you should say here. You can talk about an experienced that changed your perspective about medicine, an insight into the nature of medical practice, a challenging personal experienced that made you want to change things or perhaps a relationship with an individual or mentor who influenced you. Talk about the experienced that lit the medical spark inside of you. Be sincere.

Composing your medical school personal statement

Medical school personal statement : Keep the message focused on the reason behind your choice:

The purpose of the personal statement is to convey to the authorities the reason why you have chosen to become a doctor. Mentioning unrelated incidents, no matter how impressive, will not help your case.

Medical school personal statement :Keep the language simple:

Don’t try to impress the authorities with the biggest words in your vocabulary. Making clear points using clear, direct language and without extraneous words is so much more effective. Your essays should be easy to read and understand. If the interviewer struggles to comprehend what you are saying, you’ve already lost half the battle.

Medical school personal statement :Stay focused:

Decide what you want to say. Choose a theme and stick to it. Support your statements with specific examples and do not ramble on.

Medical school personal statement :Stick to the rules:

Don’t try to be funny and definitely do not overdo the creativity by way of elaborate fonts and funny margins. This is a formal document and should be treated as such.

Medical school personal statement :Find your unique angle but don’t overdo it:

You want to convey the message across that you are unique and will be an asset to their institute but at the same time try not to come across as too self-congratulatory or conceited.

After you’ve finished creating your personal statement proof read it yourself and when you feel it is ready to go, give it to a professor or a friend to assess it with fresh eyes. If you have any doubts at all, get it re-assessed by someone else whose judgment you trust. Your personal statement is ready to be submitted only when you are fully satisfied that it cannot be improved upon any more and the document is completely error-free.