Personal Statement 101: Read This Before You Write

The time has finally come, you need to write a personal statement for residency. You may be thinking one of two things: “I have no idea where to start” or “What if I just use my medical school application essay(s) and fix a few things?”

Unfortunately, we are here to tell you the latter is not the best idea you could have. Think of it this way: Would you want that undergraduate senior to be the same one interviewed by program directors?

After coming to that conclusion, you are likely back at square one, which is where we come in. The following are our top tips for writing your personal statement for residency.

• Start sooner rather than later. You will regret waiting until applications are due to start writing.

• While you have 28,000 characters for your submission into ERAS, you should really only be using about 4,000 of them (equivalent to ~650 words or 1 page).

• Tell stories that convey and highlight qualities you are going to bring to your residency program and career as a future physician.

• When using a story in your personal statement, make sure it has only the most important features and will truly make a difference in the quality of your statement.

• Do not remove your personality from your personal statement and other application materials. Be authentic and intentional with your words and ideas.

• Depending on your background and experiences, expand on roles that demonstrate your competency.

• Poor word choice and lackluster sentence structure can often leave the reader disinterested and with an unwillingness to read your entire statement.

• People outside the medical field and academia should read your statement. Yes, this includes your mom and even Reddit; get as much feedback as possible.

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Even though this is not an exhaustive list, these are some pieces of wisdom to get your wheels spinning and fingers typing. When you’re ready to start working, book an appointment with us and we can create a personal statement you will love.