The only part of the medical school process that an applicant has complete control of is the personal statement. A personal statement is a type of literary piece that describes and explains the individuality of the applicant. An effective personal statement may help an applicant secure his or her slot in medical school. The effectiveness of a personal statement for medical school is not only based on the technical correctness of the essay. It is also based on the flow of ideas and the value of its content. Here are some tips on how to write an effective personal statement for medical school:
Write catchy introductions.
One of the main ingredients of a successful personal statement for medical school is a catchy introduction. It is important to write an attention-getting introduction to gain the interest of the medical school evaluators. Avoid starting your personal statement with very generic __ such as “When I was young…”, “It has always been my dream…”, or “I want to be a doctor because…”. Be a bit creative and write an appropriate introduction that is both interesting and informative.
* Follow specific instructions.
In some medical schools, the applicants are given a set of guidelines or instructions that they need to follow when writing a personal statement. Your personal statement is like your mid-term exam, you will never pass if you didn’t follow the specific instructions. Writing a Pulitzer-worthy personal statement will not secure you of a slot in medical school if you exceeded the maximum word count allowed by the evaluators. You have to remember that your personal statement mirrors your capabilities as a person and not following the instructions may give impressions of disobedience or stubbornness.
* Give concrete examples.
One common mistake in writing a personal statement is that applicants tend to write generic facts. Don’t just say that you did this and you did that. Instead of writing “I joined numerous organizations when I was in high school”, try writing “I was a member of our high school math society, basketball team, and drama club”. Try giving concrete examples to give the medical school evaluators a clear understanding of what you want to say.
* Be completely straightforward.
Another good tip on writing an effective personal statement for medical school is to be straightforward. Avoid beating around the bush by immediately stating your purpose and intention. The medical school evaluators don’t expect you to be Shelley or Browning so there’s no need for hard-to-imagine descriptions and hard-to-decipher symbolisms. Try to keep your personal statement as short and as concise as possible. Don’t expect the medical school evaluators to spend too much time reading a Tolkien novel-long personal statement.
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