Introduction to writing your medical school personal statement

It is an accepted fact that lessons are not only gained within the four corners of your classroom but are rather drawn from outside real-life experience. Just as the theories are learned from in-class lessons, actual experience transforms these theories into reality. Being able to show your well-rounded personality and how your child to adulthood experiences has shaped them to pursue your desire to medical school will be perfect. Thus, it impresses upon the reader that your personal growth is built through your lifetime achievements. Aside from your MCAT, your personal statement will help the admission board decide if you truly deserve a slot at their school.

Integrate your extra-curricular activities into your personal statement

Some Medical School Admissions Committees would put equal if not more focus on extracurricular or non-school experiences in addition to high MCAT scores and excellent grades. These extra-curricular achievements, when articulated in your admission essay or personal statement, would emphasize your motivation as to why you wish admission to medical school. Furthermore, it enhances proof to the qualities and attitudes you claim to possess as a well-rounded personality. This would mean then that you need to expound on extracurricular activities that are as well related to hospital/clinical or volunteer work to make direct correlation to justify your desire for admission to medical school.

Some astonishing experiences written in personal statements and have convinced Admission Committees reflect perseverance of medical school aspirants on the grounds of discrimination, be it based on religion, race, disablement and the like. These factors have pushed persistence of applicants to excel in their dream to become medical practitioners. Medical schools would also like to see extracurricular activities drawn from hospital and clinical practice in your personal statement to actually determine if you can interact with patients and not afraid of them. Activities with clubs and sports would be excellent to share through a personal statement or AMCAS essay when it is based on medically related experience like medical student clubs and incidents that athletes have undergone during actual sports competition.

Creating a winning personal statement

What should you then bear in mind when writing a personal statement? Remember that relating your extracurricular activities will form part of your personal statement which in turn is your marketing tool towards becoming a member of the medical school circle. It will become integral to the questions you will be asked during your interview and you must be able to elaborate on your experience freely and lengthily. If you think you cannot do so, there is no need to include it in your personal statement. Equally, if you will not be called for an interview, you must make sure that the extracurricular activities you have included in your personal statement speaks profoundly of your accomplishments that will in the end convince the reader that you are indeed highly qualified to enter into medical school.

Floating your achievements outside the classroom makes your personal statement or admission essay complete. To completely stand out from the rest, highlight your extra-curricular activities when writing your personal statement or AMCAS essay.

Photo Credit : christy_b

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