The Medical School Personal Statement

The medical school personal statement is not just a product submitted to the medical school. Medical schools require the writing of a personal statement as an exercise in self-reflection that all students must undertake before beginning medical school. Writing it is a crucial part of the process of preparing for medical school and for a career in medicine.

The Process:

• Via telephone, discuss the medical school personal statement. I conduct an in-depth interview searching for a story which shows admissions why you want to attend medical school rather than just telling them why you want to attend medical school. Together, we create a detailed outline for a first draft.
• When I receive the first draft, we discuss what works and what doesn’t. The applicant uses our notes and suggestions to write another draft.
• Next up is one more review of their draft. This is where we point out mistakes or errors the applicant has made.

Effective and impactful medical school personal statements make an admissions officer want to know more. Those 5300 characters (with spaces) should demonstrate not only why the applicant wishes to dedicate themselves to medicine, but how they have the character and fortitude to complete the training necessary to enter one of the most challenging fields there is.