Personal Statements
A good personal statement should focus on your medical career objectives, your specialty choice and aspirations. It should not be a rehash of why you came to medical school or a summary of your curriculum vitae (CV), rather a succinct statement of your career goals that reflects your own unique personality and style.
It's perfectly normally to experience a certain degree of stress and anxiety when you begin writing your personal statement. Understand that this is your time to shine; don't be modest about your accomplishments. We can help you develop and perfect your personal statement prior to submitting it to the residency programs of your choice.
Tips for Successful Writing
- Explain your specialty choice and how you arrived at your decision; what factors influenced your decision...for example, life experiences or service to the community.
- Discuss any medical school experiences in your chosen specialty that affected your decision...for example rotations, clerkships or shadowing physicians.
- Describe what you are looking for in a residency program; aspects that are important to you such as research opportunities, community or academic programs.
- Discuss your career goals; what do you plan to do in your chosen specialty? Be clear when stating your objectives.
- Make sure you fully understand the requirements of each residency program to which you are applying.
- You should have different versions of your personal statement for different residency programs; customize accordingly.
- Keep your personal statement to one page. Use a readable 11 or 12 point font such as Times New Roman, Palatino Linotype or Georgia.
Personal Statement Samples
