​This insightful post was written by Dr. Dhakshitha Peddisetty.

This is one factor that you have under your control and can totally impress the other person. One needs to know how to make the best out of this.

At the point of stage, where you are already done with your steps, you have your scores and maybe even your lors and CV… what more can you do during the application that will definitely put you in a positive light? It is the Personal Statement.

A personal statement is scored for getting the interview invites and some institutes use it as one of the factors while ranking.

So, what is a personal statement?

​It is what it sounds – Statement given by you telling others your ‘personal story’, your ‘personal traits’ and your ‘personal struggles’ that altogether make you the person you are today.

What does the personal statement aim to achieve?

CV is to highlight your achievements. PS is to highlight ‘you’ as a ‘person’.

How to write an engaging PS?

Compare a PS to a movie. What do to look for in a movie? A story worth seeing. When I read someone’s PS, I am trying to figure who they are. It’s like a motion film running in front of your eyes. If your PS can achieve that, then your PS is well-written.
Everyone has a different way of doing it. Some start it with a quote, some add some abstract comparison of daily life to medicine, and some jump straight away to the point.There are no specific rules.



But, there are a few important points that need to be touched, based on:
  1. Why that specialty?
  2. Why are you fit for that specialty?
  3. Any red flags/ anything major that needs to be addressed needs to be done
  4. Why US?
  5. Why that specific program?
  6. Why are you a fit for that specific program?
  7. 1 and 2 are major portions of any PS and I will go over those in detail 

WHY THAT SPECIALTY?
Think of everything that makes the specialty appealing to you. Make note of those points/ bullet points. This is what you think! But, you need to give them proof, show your life – so what in your life influenced you towards that specialty. Write about it.
Mostly seen reasons in PS –
  • Family member’s disease
  • Interesting case
  • Personal interest

NOTE:
Most people tend to write why they joined ‘MBBS/Medicine’. That’s not necessary unless it has a direct relation to why you are choosing the present specialty.
Explore all the events in your life, think of any possible incidents. Write about one that you are most convinced about. Sometimes, the main proof would also be your – ‘clinical experience’.So, another way to write on this is to ask yourself -What’s the reason behind my determination to do this specialty?

WHY ARE YOU A FIT FOR THAT SPECIALTY?
This is entirely about summing up your personality in such a way that portraits the best of your traits which are highly valuable in your chosen specialty.
Major fault that people do in this section
  • They mention various traits, but fail to back themselves up with relevant events/examples.
  • Just because I say I am a ‘reliable’ person, doesn’t mean I am one.
  • What is it that makes me reliable?
  • When I say I am reliable, what exactly am I referring to? Everyone has a different definition for personality traits, so you need to ‘show’ them what you really mean. You do that by giving them snippets of your life. For example: Taking the same context: I am a reliable person.
Good write-up: Reliability is one of the reasons why I am most looked upon for. My co-workers know they can depend on me to carry things out without fail even in hectic schedules.

Not that good write-up: My co-workers like me because I am a reliable person and I am a hard worker by nature.
So, if you can see both of the statements, they basically state the same thing – that you can work hard to get things done.But, by bringing in two adjectives into a single statement the second one loses its momentum.
Stay on track. Talk about one trait completely. Minimize the jumps between one trait to another.

NOTE
All the traits you mention should be medically relevant. Everyone might think that even others would write about hardworking, team leader quality etc…how will this have an impact? But it will – the traits you mention will show them what traits you choose to give IMPORTANCE to.
So, another way to write this Q.2 is to ask yourself: What qualities do you look for in a successful (specialty) resident/physician?

How many words can my PS be?

PS of length 650-750 words is considered acceptable. My personal recommendation though – Keep it less than 700 words, more than 600 words.The max that PD will spare your PS a glance is for a minute or two.


Some Do’s and Tips
  • Start planning your PS early. The right time would be NOW.
  • Start writing your first draft by June and get it done by end of June. Infact, write MULTIPLE drafts.
  • Have your PS read by both people you know and don’t know. Ask them what their final impression is after reading the PS. Take suggestions and make edits based on that.
  • If possible, give your PS to someone in your field – residents/ physicians who you rotated with. Ask for suggestions.
  • Start your 2nd draft of PS by July.
  • Get your PS professionally grammar checked and plagiarism checked [might take a month, August]
  • Have a final draft ready by August.
  • By September, make sure you have a list of programs you want to apply to.
  • Make a personalized PS for each program if you can.
  • I received an interview because of this. PD said she was impressed by it.

​Some Don’ts
  • Don’t plagiarize. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. It might not get you in trouble but again, you aren’t fully utilizing a factor which can be a big plus in your interview season.
  • Don’t use the same PS for different specialties. You need separate PS for each specialty that you apply for.
  • Don’t start your PS in August. It’s way too late. Start early.
  • Try not to over-mention stuff that’s already in your CV unless you are trying to make a point.
  • For example: You can mention that your research experience under xxxx got you interested in the research track and you eagerly want to further learn its ropes while in the US. The CV can be used this way.

You can always write each paragraph for each question separately and then combine them all together at a time and take it forward from there. Or, have a freeflow technique without definite segregation. Both work.

Good luck!
P.S – Have your own personal style.
Our team at USMLEsarthi provides comprehensive match preparation including personal statement and interview preparation. To know more, take a look at our courses.

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