Personal Statement Workshop May 12th

8/4/2019 Personal Statement Workshop May 12th

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Drafting Your Personal

Statement

Warren TamHealth Medical Programs Manager

Kaplan TorontoJuly 14th, 2011


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Agenda

The Personal Statement: General requirements &overview

The writing process

Examples


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Program directors will only read it IF your applicationmeets the programs minimum USMLE score

requirements.

Its seen as your self-portrait: who you are as aperson and what makes you unique

It can make the difference in whether youre invited to

interview.

How the Personal Statement is used


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One version per specialty, named and titled so you willknow which to direct to programs, if you apply to > 1specialty

The ERAS limit is 32,000 characters (~5 pages) butthe best length is a single page

You can cut/paste the text from your own wordprocessing software into the My Documents section

of the ERAS application workspace, or you can workon it in ERAS. It is locked only when you submit it.After that, it cant be changed.

ERAS requirements


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No boldface, italics, or special characters are allowed.

Name each version (e.g. Family Medicine Internal

Medicine) to identify for later edits and for knowing

which one you want sent to each program. Once this document is submitted, it is locked, so be

sure its grammatically and typographically perfect

before you submit it!

We recommend that you complete your personalstatements by early September of the year beforeMatch

ERAS requirements (continued)


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The Personal Statement tells

How you are unique. Why you chose the specialty:

Special patientLife experienceSpecial skills

How your strengths and skills fit the specialtys needs and concerns.

About course work and life experiences that shaped your decision. About course work and life experiences that helped youacquire necessary skills and abilities.

About research that shaped your decision, honed skills. About interests that helped develop your skills/abilities About program characteristics you seek (Optional).

About your professional goals:Where you want to practiceWhat the emphasis of your practice might be

Usually best not to explain any problems like gaps or fails.


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Try to be too clever or cute.

Tell your life story.

Begin Ive always wanted to be a doctor

Include poems or quotes.

Apologize for past problems.

Brag or drop names to impress.

Discuss anything in depth (research, course work).

Attack other medical specialties.

Volunteer private information (sexual orientation, religion).

The Personal Statement does NOT


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Analyze your audience

Knowledgeable

Jaded by having already read so many personal statements

In a hurry

Looking for red flags, time gaps

Looking for elaboration of CV entries Evaluating your English fluency

Looking for hints of your personality and style

Looking for evidence of your suitability for the field


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The writing process

Know the structure

Explore the subject

Focus your themes

Write and edit


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Structure of the Personal Statement

Part 1: Why I chose this specialty

Part 2: Why I am well suited to thisspecialty

Part 3: My expectations for training,ultimate summary


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Explore your subject

Brainstorm

Use questions to frame your thoughts

Try a free writing session Talk it out to someone


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Decide on a focus

Examine at the results of your subject exploration

Look for your strongest ideas.

Your goal is to find the most effective way to get

your story across, and to convey exactly themessages you want to send


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Create an informal outline

Attention grabber

Body

Topic sentences for each paragraph

Supporting sentences Transitional sentences as needed

Conclusion


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Complete your rough draft using

your outline, but dont edit yet! Ignore if your sentences have flaws,

Ignore if you cant think of the best words to use

Ignore if it seems too long Ignore if your thoughts are not perfectly expressed

Ignore if all the information might not ultimatelybelong

In other words, write to discover what you arethinking


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Once you have a basic draft:

Try telling your story to someone who will listen andcomment.

Try telling your story to a tape recorder, listen, edit,then type a draft.


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The editing process

Step away from your draft for a few days.

Look at it again, then revise.

Drafts always move from longer to shorter.

KISS principle In the US, a direct approach is appreciated, as it shows

that you value the readers time. (In other cultures, being

this direct may seem rude or abrupt.)


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Structure of the Personal Statement


Part 2: Why I am well suited to thisspecialty

Part 3: My expectations for training,ultimate summary


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This should not be difficult, unless youve never

considered this question.

If you get stuck, you might find it helpful to visit this

website, which offers information about manyspecialties: http://www.aamc.org/students/cim/specialties.htm

Lets review some examples
http://www.aamc.org/students/cim/specialties.htmhttp://www.aamc.org/students/cim/specialties.htm


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As the fourth of eight children and a sickly child, I spent much time in

the hospital at the Eastern Nigeria Medical Clinic. I was fascinated bythe people in white there who cared for me during my frequent

hospitalizations. They quickly became role models, and encouraged myinterest in science and, particularly, in medicine. Ill health limited my

physical activity, but stimulated my interest in science. Setbacks in myrecovery taught me patience as well as instilling a drive to understandthe intricate processes and mechanisms which allow the body to recoverand thrive. In secondary school and finally healthy, I excelled in science,graduating near the top of my class. Eventually, I learned that I hadsuffered from nephritic syndrome. My interest in a Pediatric career

stems from these early experiences.



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Part 2: Why Im well suited to this specialty

Evidence of skills, traits, abilities

Previous experiences, whether formal or informal

Mentor

Health issues of a friend or family member Other activities with skills that overlap

Opportunities you sought to learn more

Medical school performance in field or related fields

Research experience that overlaps


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Part 2: Why Im well suited to this specialty

When I first applied for a surgery position as a first year resident, thechairman at the Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia asked mewhether I felt I could handle the pressures of becoming a surgeon. Iassured him that he could count on me to do so. Later, when I began mytraining there, he was surprised that I requested an increase my on-callduties in order to get more patient exposure and therefore, be able to learnmore. I was a hard working resident and as chief resident, earned therespect of my colleagues. I would often work consecutive holidays, filling infor absent physicians. What satisfied me the most was caring for mypatients and never leaving a stone unturned in their management. Evenwith diseases as routine as appendicitis, every patient is unique in theirpresentation, anatomy and recovery. The skills I learned at the Armed

Forces Hospital procedural, managerial, and interpersonal will allowme to get the job done in your program as well.


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Part 3: My expectations for training &ultimate summary

Practice setting (rural, urban)

Intent to work with certain types of patients such asthe indigent, elderly, immunocompromised, chronic oracute diseases, women, sports injuries, etc.

Plans to seek fellowship to sub-specialize

Plans for a career in academic medicine


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Part 3: My expectations for training +ultimate summary

Getting to where I am today took many long nights of studying and 3,253gallons of coffee from both Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. I look forward tocontinuing to expand my experience and education in a residency programwhich serves a varied population of patients and different age groups. Withall that I have learned thus far, I believe I have a great deal to offer to anyhospital which employs me, as well as to my patients. I also believe that a

patient who experiences a hospital visit calmly, with faith in the doctorcaring for him or her, has a much faster recovery rate than the one who'shospital visit is unpleasant.

The commitment I have made to the quality care of my patients is myhighest priority, and this commitment is exactly what will set me apart fromothers. This commitment will make me an asset to your hospital,

supporting your standards for quality of care. I look forward to beinginvolved in a residency program which will assist me in accomplishing thisgoal.


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Its not too early to begin drafting

your own personal statement!

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