Medical School Information

Medical School Application

Personal Statement

The personal statement should convey an applicant's views and show how they are unique from other applicants. Demonstrate your passions and don't confine yourself to just medical/clinical experiences.

There are some basic questions that you need to address in your personal statement: 1) what initially got you interested in the field that you have chosen; 2) what are you looking for in a residency program; and 3) what are your professional goals and expectations in the field you have chosen.

A few helpful tips:

• How does your background distinguish you from other applicants? Express this in detail!
• Choose a theme and use it to structure your essay
• Keep it simple! Use clear and direct language that helps to get your point across.
• When answering the question about why you have chosen medicine, speak from your life experiences instead of writing about what you think admissions officers want to hear.
• Get feedback from at least 2-3 people such as friends, families, professors, and co-workers.
• Allow yourself plenty of time to complete the statement so are you are not rushing through the process at the end.
• Write about what interests and excites you! Your reader wants to hear a positive essay, not a negative one about the profession.
• Keep in mind -- the AMCAS statement has a 5,300 character limit, including spaces.