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Personal Statement: Purpose

Your opportunity to describe who youare and why you are uniquely qualifiedfor a career in the health professionsbeyond GPA and standardized testresults. Advocate for yourself.

To get you an interview!

Medical schools receive thousands ofapplications from applicants withstrong GPAs and MCAT scores, but theyhave a limited number of interviewinvitations to extend. The personalstatement plays a significant role indetermining who gets an interview.

Opportunity to explain academicdiscrepancies or other things (such aslow GPA, Ws on transcript, low testscores, etc.).

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Specifics of the AMCAS Essay

Normal Applicants MD/PhD Applicants

The Prompt: Use

the space provided

to explain why you

want to go to

medical school.

5,300 characters(including spaces).

MD/PhD

candidates:Must

submit two

additional essays

(MD/PhD Essay

and SignificantResearch

Experience Essay).

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MD/PhD Personal

StatementsWhat To Do:

When discussing your research interests: Be specific,but general/

Do not mention specific PIs with whom you areinterested in working.

Describe both the big picture of the labs work aswell as your independent role. Follow this generalformat:

1) What is known (i.e., background information)

2) The hole in the field (i.e., the specificquestion or

problem that the labs work aims to understandor solve)

3) The hypothesis

4) Your specific contributions to the project.

For each experience: specify your mentors nameand affiliation and the duration of your experience.

If your work resulted in a publication on which youwere an author, provide the full citation in theWork/Activities section of the application.

Do not overstate your contributions to alab. Washing glassware, preparing solutions, anddoing minipreps does not constitute research.

Be REALLY SURE that you understand what you arewriting about and that you are being accurate.

MD/PhD Essay Prompt:Describe why you want thedual degree in 3000characters. In brief: yourpatient interactions shouldinform your research, andyour research should enhanceyour patient interactions. Youneed to articulate passion andaptitude for BOTH basicscientific research and patientcare.

The Significant ResearchExperience Essay: Describeyour research experiences in

10000 characters.

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Suggested Topics

Why do you want to be a physician (ordentist, or veterinarian)? What experienceshave motivated and reinforced your desire topursue this profession? Something to thinkabout but not necessarily state is what canmedicine offer that other professions do not.For instance, you can help people by being ateacher or social worker. What draws youspecifically to medicine?

What experiences have allowed you todevelop the skills necessary to be successfulin medical school and to become an effectivephysician?

What have you learned about medicine andwhat do you want to learn more about?

What individuals have shaped your life and

influenced you to pursue medicine? What will you contribute to the medical

school community?

What do you want admissions committees toknow about you that is not addressedelsewhere in your application?

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Questions To Ask Yourself Why is it important for me to tell admissions committees about this

topic as it relates to me?

What does this topic choice tell admissions committees about me?; How

does my choice of this topic reflect on me?

How is this topic relevant to my pursuit of the health professions and to

my application to health professions school?

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What To Convey

Maturity

Compassion and empathy

ReflectivenessGenuineness and sincerity

Honesty and integrity

Leadership

PassionHumanity

Individuality

Positivity

Distinctiveness

Industriousness andpersistence

Commitment

Self-awareness

Ability to relate to diversepeople

Insight into the chosen healthprofession

Strong writtencommunication skills

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What Not To Do Clichs:How many times do you think admissions

committees have read the phrase, I want to become aphysician because I like science and I want to helppeople?

The epiphany into medicine: Your pursuit of thehealth professions should be the result of a series ofthoughtful, conscious, and reflective decisions, NOT aninstantaneous realization.

Manifest Destiny: You have not always known thatyou want to be a physician (or dentist, etc.). See

above. Similarly, who cares if everyone has alwayssaid that I would make a good physician. What dothey know?

The narrative resume:Do not rehash all of youractivities and achievements. Choose ONE or TWOsignificant and distinguishing experiences toelaborate upon.

I know what it is like to be a physician from[shadowing, clinical volunteer experience,etc.].No, you do not. That is why you are hoping to

go to medical school so you might be lucky enoughto find out one day.

Negativity: No one likes a complainer. In particular,do not be negative about Johns Hopkins, yourprofessors, or your research mentors.

I am special:Of course you are special. Butclaiming you probably do not see many applicantslike me is not only arrogant but is also likelyuntrue. Admissions committees have seen it all.

Anything potentially inflammatory orcontroversial: You do not know the values,beliefs, and background of the person who isreading your essay.

I am a victim: Victims are never attractivecandidates. If you have experienced difficulties,explain your experiences dispassionately and focuson how you overcame these difficulties, what youlearned from your experiences, and how you are astronger person because of your experiences.

Excuses: In general, there are better uses for yourpersonal statement than explaining away andjustifying poor grades, incidents of misconduct,etc. However, if you choose to address thesesubjects, be sure to focus on what you have learnedfrom those incidents and how your experienceshave made you a stronger person. Never, everblame anyone else for your mistakes.

Leading with a quotation written by someoneelse: Admissions committees are interested inwhat you have to say.

Any unusual formats: Do not submit artwork,photographs, collages, videos, etc. in lieu of awritten essay. Likewise, do not write your personalstatement in verse, limerick, haiku, etc.

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Helpful Tips!

Keep in mind the purpose ofthe personal statement.

Do not wait until the lastminute. Go through several

drafts.Have ONE central theme to

your personal statement.

In general, stick to recentexperiences andaccomplishments (i.e., thingsyou have done since beginningcollege).

Do not repeat information thatis found elsewhere in yourapplication.

Be concise. Every single sentence must becrucial to the essay. Do not waste words (e.g.,for instance, in conclusion).

Use active voice, use strong verbs, and varyyour sentence structure. Avoid beginningevery sentence with I.

Humor is really tricky to pull off, andapplication to health professions schoolshould be taken seriously.

Be sure you have an actual conclusion to youressay so that it does not look like youcontinued writing until you ran out ofcharacters.

Verify that there are no inconsistenciesbetween your personal statement and therest of your application package (including

your secondary applications). PROOFREAD.

Be prepared for the fact that your personalstatement and essays will be conversationmaterial for your interviews!