Strategies for Success
The Personal Statement
Your personal statement provides you with the opportunity to distinguish
yourself from all the other highly qualified people and is of major
importance. Most secondary applications offer an opportunity
for an additional statement. Secondary applications are sent
to you directly from the schools and most require a fee. Do
not confuse the two! Your personal statement is about who
you are and why you want to be a doctor. Secondary applications
are about what you did and how you prepared.
A good statement
of purpose is a very important part of the application since it
gives the School Admissions Committee the best opportunity to evaluate
the full range of the experience and knowledge you bring in your
pursuit of a professional degree, and the appropriateness of their
school to your objectives. Tell your story. Make it
interesting and unique. Draw the reader in, make him/her
want to read on. The statement of purpose should be a concise,
well-written essay covering three distinct areas relating to yourself:
Open with a summary
statement of your preparedness, then describe your background, education,
and community—and the reasons you became interested in the
health profession of your choice. Briefly discuss your academic
preparation (including lab or research), relevant work, and other
experiences, i.e., volunteer work. Be very careful with the
style of writing you choose. For example be careful with poetry
and stylistic choices that may detract from YOU. Make
it interesting to read. Be careful with over-used quotes.
Make sure to tell
the reader what you gained from these experiences – what qualities
you have developed. Again tell your story. Avoid saying
negative things about others, avoid your stats, keep the focus on
YOU.
Although I do not
have samples of personal statements from past students, in the library
I do have multiple copies of Write for Success by Evelyn W. Jackson.
These publications are available for check out and may help you
get started.
For a secondary
or specific application, discuss how the school will help you meet
your educational and career goal. State your skills, your
strengths, and your uniqueness. Be positive and not apologetic.
However, explain any significant lapses in your academic record.
After reviewing with
Career Center, family, friends, make sure the final copy is proofread
for errors.
DO’S & DON’TS ON THE PERSONAL
STATEMENT
Don’ts
Don’t
underestimate the importance of the essay
(A very
common mistake).
Don’t
underestimate the length of time it will take to write your statement.
Don’t
have someone else write it for you! There are ethical issues
involved here,
But you
are also the best spokesperson for yourself.
Don’t
list everything you have ever done. There is usually a place
on the application
to
list your activities. Avoid giving unnecessary details.
The statement should read smoothly.
Don’t
mention your interest for one particular school in a general application
that is being sent to many schools (i.e., AMCAS).
Do’s
Keep a journal of your work and volunteer experience.
Get an early start. This cannot be stressed
enough.
Be honest, consistent and straightforward.
Be specific, not general.
Be comfortable with the image of your self that
you’re presenting.
Pay attention to detail – absolutely no
spelling or grammatical errors.
Your statement must be neat and error free.
No excuses . . . you must make a good impression.
Do include, when appropriate: (if requested
by the directions on the application)
A summary of your accomplishments first
Background information – people and events
that influenced your decision.
Learning experience(s) that serve as a foundation
for your choice of career
Where you picked up first-hand information/experience
about the field
Your own appraisal of yourself (strengths, weaknesses,
uniqueness)
Leadership role activities
Career objectives and goals
Let your personality and individuality come through.
Give insight on your hopes, goals, motivations and dedication.
Be interesting and unique. Do not be afraid to let your passion
and commitment to a health career come through.
Take the opportunity to explain anything you
feel might raise questions (e.g., a weak academic quarter . . .
Explain what was going on in your life, if a personal or academic
issue affected you).
Be responsible for your own background.
Don’t discuss or compare your self to the application standards
or other students.
Have someone else read your statement but be
careful of advice. Get two or three different opinions and
then bring the draft to the Career Center. Remember,
it is your personal statement but other opinions and professional
advice can make the difference in gaining acceptance.
Write a draft, edit, re-write as many times as
needed.
Make the essay look good. This makes it
easier and more enjoyable to read. Follow the guidelines for
length, margins, and do not use too small a font. You can
squeeze more on a page that way, but readers see hundreds of statements
and don’t have time to deal with small font.
Keep a photocopy of each essay you write.
You need to keep a copy of every single piece of your application.
It is imperative you have copies of everything, both for your own
reference before you go to an interview and as documentation in
case someone else loses or misplaces your application. This
has happened to students, and you do not want to have to recreate
anything. Keep paper copies in addition to disc copies.
Read your essay before an interview
Make sure you know what you wrote.
Be prepared to discuss and defend essay points
during the interview.
Schools prefer unique essays so avoid copying
any others.
BEST
WISHES FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION
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