Two of the simplest, yet most meaningful words to anyone applying to medical school. Besides studying for the MCAT, your personal statement becomes what you eat, sleep, and breathe until the very second you click the submit button. I remember before I submitted my application into AMCAS, I was still reading through my personal statement as if I hadn't spent the last 4 months refining and critiquing it. You may think that I'm over-exaggerating, but crafting your personal statement truly becomes second nature in more ways than one.
I'm going to be honest with y'all...the first version of my personal statement was so bad it was embarrassing. So embarrassing to the point where I had to have a one-on-one with myself. How in the world was I accepted to my master's program with that?! (Thank the Lord for potential, okay?!). Until that moment, I thought I was a decent writer. I had always done well in my creative writing classes so when it came to putting together my personal statement, I thought I had it in the bag. Of course that was far from the truth, but little did I know that crafting my personal statement would take me on a journey. A journey that required hours of diving into who I am, what brought me to where I was currently, and why my story was important. As you begin or continue to embark on your application journey, here are some keys to build a strong and impactful personal statement!
1. Find a mentor that is actively engaged in the medical community
Finding a mentor is one of the most valuable relationships you can develop and that goes for any aspect of life. While developing your personal statement, finding a mentor who is actively engaged in the medical community is super important! Yes, you can have a trusted individual work with you on your personal statement and give you feedback, but if they are "in-the-know" they can help you craft a statement that is strong, exudes your personality, presents your story, and stands out from the hundreds of other applicant statements. When I say "in-the-know" I mean someone who is currently up to date on the admissions process and have experience with assisting in the application process. This could be a program coordinator (shoutout to the BMP!), academic advisors, medical school faculty/professors, or even a medical student that just went through the application process themselves. You can have others review your statement, but when it comes to crafting it specifically for medical school admissions there are key elements that are second nature to those who have experience with reviewing personal statements for medical school applications.
One of the key elements is the art of demonstrating. When it comes to the written portions of your application, admission committees love to see applicants take an active role when describing their involvement/activities. If your mentor isn't currently with the times, this key element could be left out from your writings. The difference between telling versus demonstrating is a component that separates good writing from great story-telling, and I wouldn't have known that it ever existed or that I was capable of the art-form if I hadn't sought out the wisdom of a mentor who knew what was up.
You may ask: "Can I ask a family friend that's a doctor or my primary care physician?" And the answer to that question is always yes! Getting insight from someone who has lived and breathed the application process is a great resource. However, it is important to realize that applying to medical school evolves and it evolves fast! The journey is the same, but the process shifts ever so slightly year to year. So making sure that you have a currently-driven opinion is important!
2. Reflect, reflect, reflect
Now here is where the personal journey begins. Before you even start writing or revising a previous draft, stop what you're doing and schedule out an hour of your time. You may be thinking, "I'm so busy. I don't have an hour to spare," but wait, you will thank yourself later! Take this time to sit down and reflect on why you want to be a physician, what planted the seed, and what you have experienced that solidifies your passion for medicine. If you haven't already, this would be a good time to start a reflection journal where you note meaningful experiences (research, volunteering, leadership positions) and interactions that you've had with physicians and patients that impact your view and relationship with the world of medicine. When I first did this exercise, I immediately thought that my experiences were subpar and that I didn't have a story to tell. It wasn't until I mapped out all of my experiences that I noticed underlying themes within my story that vividly expressed who I was without blatantly saying so. I was left speechless at how everything aligned! It was then that I realized what had guided me to the field of medicine, my purpose, and ultimately what would continue to carry me throughout this journey.
After you reflect on your experiences, take a break and schedule another time where you reflect some more. The deeper you dive and unpack your experiences the more content you will have to pull from! Remember, everyone has a story that is worth telling and a path to medicine that is unique, inspiring, and worth hearing!
3. Welcome constructive criticism
As you will see as you continue to rework your personal statement, you will invest a lot of time and energy into making it the best representation of yourself that it can be. For four months, I sent countless emails, sat at many coffee shops and Paneras, went through plenty of drafts, and had many long nights and early mornings fine-tuning my statement. Even though I sought out perspective from mentors and people I trusted, sometimes when I got their critiques I would get protective over my work because I had invested so much time and energy. Soon as I thought that I had the right phrasing, I was met with "Dive deeper and unpack these emotions. Why is this important enough to put in your statement? What does it say about your personality for medicine?" At those moments it would feel as though the emotional unpacking would never end, but in hindsight, I realize that it was all a part of the process! If you have these feelings, it's okay and your feelings are valid. Trust me, it's hard not to get offended when someone says that they are confused on what you think is so clear. Remember, critiques and perspective aren't meant to be taken personally, they are meant to push you to the next level! And most importantly, so that you present yourself in the clearest and easiest way possible***. Your support system wants to see you succeed so remember why you trusted them in the first place!
***Have you ever reviewed someone's paper and you had to keeping stopping because the wording didn't flow or you couldn't grasp the connections between the points they were making? It was hard to read, wasn't it? And you almost gave up trying to read it? Yes, we've all been there. And guess what? Admissions committees experience this too! This is another reason why perspective is so important in the writing process!! What may seem evident and obvious to you (because you wrote it) may not be written with the same clarity. So when a trusted reviewer comments on this, trust what they say! It's much better to have a trusted reviewer catch this than the admissions committee. You want your statement to be smooth, touch on your most meaningful experiences, and most importantly showcase your why.
4. Strive for excellence and hold off on perfection
Your personal statement will forever be a working document. Why do I say this? Throughout your professional career, you will continuously encounter experiences that will mold and shape you into the professional you will become. From volunteer opportunities, research labs, to an interactions with people in various fields, each interaction will have an impact on you. With that, as you progress throughout your career your personal statement will grow with you. As you grow and as you revise you statement, save each document and date it. Not only will this help you piece together bits for your story, but it will also give you a place to reflect on your growth throughout your journey and remind you of why medicine is your passion.
5. The time you invest will show
Last but not least, the more time you invest in your personal statement the more of your personality for medicine will shine. Yes, it will take time, but prioritizing your personal statement will be a decision that I promise you won't regret! When times get a little difficult and you feel like giving in, just remember: you are growing through the application process and with every minute you invest into your dream, the closer it is to becoming a reality. You got this!