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Writer's pictureDoctor Sebas

PERSONAL STATEMENT

I would recommend you to grab a coffeeโ˜•, relax๐Ÿ’†๐Ÿฝ and enjoy ๐Ÿง˜๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธthe reading.

Itโ€™s kind of a long post, but you follow it top to bottom, you will create an ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฃ๐—ฆ that will differentiate from the crowd!


This is your opportunity to stand out from everybody else!

At the bottom of the post you will find my own Personal Statement

๐ˆ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ฌ so much and feel that we have ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ง๐ž๐œ๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐š ๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ during this time that I started making my posts, so I donโ€™t mind sharing my personal stuff with you

I also mention:

โ€ขWhat you should and should not include?

โ€ขWhat wording to use?

โ€ขTips & phrases for each specialty.



I start my OB/GYN residency July 1 - You can ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„ my daily ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ as a resident in NYC on my Instragram @doctor.sebas

I wanted to get this post done before that, because then I'll be very busy.


Introduction:

The "๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜" is your personal essay where you describe why you like the specialty, enriching your personal experiences and virtues that distinguish you as a human, doctor and professional, it should reproduce a picture of you.


For me, this was something completely new because this was never part of the requirements during my medical carrier and jobs in Argentina ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท and I did not know exactly on what it consisted of or how to do it.


But here, in the US ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ, it is very common to get asked for your "๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜" as one of the requirements to apply for schools, universities, student housing and different kind of jobs. Itโ€™s used in many areas, not only in the medical field.


It is a way to highlight virtues of your personality and share personal experiences that are not included in the CV and thus distinguishing yourself and stand out from the crowd.


PDs donโ€™t want to see just numbers (your scores), or just the way someone else described you on a LORs. They also want to get to know you as a person, they want to know who you are, how do you describe yourself other than scores, school and your job.



You will join their team for at least 3 years and you live tons of new experience with them. You all will laugh, cry, spend Hollidays, birthdays and celebrate with them!

Become part of their family and they want to make sure that you are someone that will get along well.





My personal opinion is that despite so many requirements to select the best candidate and avoid unprofessional and/or underperforming individuals,

The same behavior patterns are always seen everywhere in the world regardless of the selection system:


โ€ขPeople that are mediocre, non-workers, greedy or trouble makers.

โ€ขReally hard working, outstanding, charismatic, selfless, extraordinary people.




I want you to ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ the that incredible, extraordinary, outstanding individual - That will make history & be a legend
 


Also, I have seen more than one individual who ๐ฐ๐š๐ฌ very charismatic during their interviews, with great credentials, amazing scores and an outstanding "personal statement", and then turned out to be a problematic resident with his peers as well as in his academic interactions and work performance.

Being a resident is very different from being a student. 

The resident has a heavy workload, greater responsibilities, needs to be efficient and study in the little time that remains. The programs hope to detect some of these capabilities and other virtues in your "personal statement".


Example:

A Program Director from a Hospital in New York City told me that they had to fire an OB/GYN resident because he was making up notes, saying that he saw some patients followed up with them, when he actually didnโ€™t even see them!! ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜โ€™๐˜€ ๐—–๐—ข๐— ๐—ฃ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—ง๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—ฌ ๐—จ๐—ก๐—˜๐—ง๐—›๐—œ๐—–๐—”๐—Ÿ & ๐—ช๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ก๐—š!! You studied and worked so much to get here and you will do something like this??? Well apparently... believe or not some people do it!


If you are applying this year and don't have research experience, then work on a great Personal Statement, and this it what 
๐—ช๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ธ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ! ๐Ÿ’ช


Ok letโ€™s get to the point now:

When writing your Personal Statement check your grammar 1000 times, have doctors and non-doctors read it! If you donโ€™t know anyone โ€“ Hire someone from the internet! But have your PS reviewed please.


NEVER SUBMIT YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT WITH GRAMMATICAL ERRORS!!

Despite all the existing information and editorial services offered on the Internet about and for the "๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€," there are people (nationals and foreigners) who send them with spelling and grammatical errors, or with negative descriptions about their personality, family environment or ๐ข๐ง๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ข๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ, among other things.


All the above aspects are โ€œwarning signsโ€ or "red flags" 

They can automatically discard you from an interview or generate questions about it during the interview.


"What you say about other people says way more about you than the people you talk about"

GENERAL TIPS:

โ€ขLimit your "personal statement" to one page (each program has its requirements 500, 600, 650 words, one page, etc.)

โ€ขWatch the spelling and grammar.

-โ€ขDo not repeat your CV information.

โ€ขWrite a ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜† that will ready grab the readers attention

โ€ขFollow the following format, without losing the coherence


Format of the "Personal Statement:


1. Name

2. ๐…๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ก: ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง

A sentence describing why you want to do this certain specialty.

Other people recommend talking about yourself and your family and why you chose to be a doctor (the latter is widely used so try to write it in an original manner with a catchy first paragraph, if it takes up a lot of space you can ignore the reasons of why you chose to study medicine and focus on why you felt in love in the specialty that you are applying for).


3. ๐’๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ก: ๐„๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž๐ฌ in your life, college, medical school or Hospital work, that helped you choose this specialty (related to the introduction) and what subjects you liked the most and why.

You can also add your extracurricular activities or volunteer work (they reflect the development of certain skills and characteristics of your personality).



In the USA, direct contact with low-income or rural individuals is not so accessible and infrequent and many students do volunteer work inside and outside the country to be able to live these experiences (in addition to look good in the CV).

In ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€, medical students are constantly working with low-income and rural populations under deplorable working conditions, thus strengthening their ability to solve problems constantly and effectively, in addition to exposing themselves to the care of certain types of diseases and unique experiences.


Examples:

Experiences in the amazon rainforest, if you helped during a landslide or earthquake, medical care for prisoners or in dangerous areas, you can even add if you volunteered for COVID-19, etc.


Take the most out of these experiences and capabilities in your "personal statement". 

Here in the US you would have to volunteer to have these experiences.


Doctors ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ to ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐˜€ of stories, so ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—บ for your ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜.


My former PI from Cedars Sinai (a great doctor and very well-known surgeon, that studied in Mayo Clinic) told me many times to mention my home town experiences working as a doctor - on my PS - since thatโ€™s some experience that lack a lot of applicants.



If you are an ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ˆ๐Œ๐†๐ฌ but have a lot of experience in your field, ๐ƒ๐„๐…๐ˆ๐๐ˆ๐“๐„๐‹๐˜ ๐Œ๐„๐๐“๐ˆ๐Ž๐ ๐ˆ๐“!!

4. ๐“๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ก: ๐’๐ฉ๐ž๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐œ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ž๐ง ๐š๐ง๐ ๐–๐ก๐ฒ?


Focus on issues such as:

Continuity of medical care, preventive medicine, promoting healthcare, dealing with patients, preference to treat patients of a certain age (Eg, if you are applying to peds), how good are you with your hands (Eg, if you are applying to a surgical specialty), the challenges that you like about this kind of residency, how you would like to contribute and improve the system, etc.



5. ๐…๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ก: ๐–๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ?



Academic quality, research, teaching opportunities and diversity in the patient population of the hospital and the program that you are going to apply to, etc.


Note:

Some doctors told me to BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS PART or NOT EVEN ADD IT! Since you may sound prepotent, and also they ones that will make the choice are them not you.


6. ๐‹๐š๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ก: (๐•๐ž๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐š๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ก)

โ€ขConclusion including why they should choose you

โ€ขWhat something different you will bring to the table compared to all the other candidates

โ€ขWhere do you see yourself in the future?




WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:


โ€ข Include only pertinent information and keep it simple.

โ€ข Include titles to help with the story telling and also makes it easier to read.

โ€ข Remember that original stories set you apart and distinguish you from many other excellent students that only mention their academic achievements. Also mention particular traits like being a musician, athlete, writer, etc.

โ€ข Make sure there is consistency between the "personal statement" and the CV.

But your PS is not your CV, so donโ€™t mention anything in your PS anything that you have on your CV regarding grades, publications, etc.

I already made on my page www.doctorsebas.com a big post about 17+ ways to improve your CV, that you can find clicking here.

The only thing that you could talk about related to your CV is explaining why you failed an exam; your PS is the only place where you have the opportunity to clarify that.

โ€ข Check spelling and grammar.

โ€ข Present your information in a positive way.

People donโ€™t care about your unresolved failures; they want to know about your successful stories and how you overcame those failures.

โ€ข Double space it.

โ€ข Use an easy to read typeface (Arial, Helvetica).

โ€ข Always use the same typeface and size.

โ€ข Show your "personal statement" to several people that you consider good on correcting grammar, spelling and who can give you a valuable feedback.

โ€ข Read it yourself multiple times.

โ€ขHave others read it multiple times




WHAT NOT TO DO:



โ€ข Don't use colloquial language.

โ€ข Don't write a very short or long "Personal Statement".

โ€ข Do not use abbreviations.

โ€ข Do not mention sex or race (although this may be evident when mentioning your nationality).

โ€ข Do not mention your social security number (Americans)

โ€ข Don't mention negative traits of your personality, family or education.

โ€ข Donโ€™t look as an arrogant or conceited person

โ€ข Do not write everything with capital letters or different letter styles.

โ€ข Don't start all sentences with "I."

โ€ข Don't mention why you don't like other specialties or list negative characteristics about them.



WHY DO YOU LIKE THIS SPECIALTY?

Mention different aspects that you like about it.

Here is a ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜ of the reasons for some specialties - Remember that ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—น๐˜† ๐—ฎ ๐—ด๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ and that you should create your own "personal statement".



 ๐ƒ๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐œ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฒ any exact model because the ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ about these models online and you will be automatically discarded.


GENERAL TRAITS:

Incredibly challenging and fulfilling, intellectually challenging, my interest in____ was solidified the first day I started my ____ rotation, ... captivated my interest in _____ (specialty), the discipline also fosters teaching and mentorship, there are diagnostic challenges to this field, such a multi-disciplinary field and thus offers me the unique ability to learn from peers in many areas of medicine, ______ is a very challenging profession.


INTERNAL MEDICINE:

Considered intellectuals, thinkers, and problem-solvers: Interaction with patients in the clinical setting, master diagnostician, medical consultant to other specialties, wide variety of subspecialty possibilities, versatility, long term relationship with patients, challenges, liking to treat adult patients, variety of illnesses to treat.


PATHOLOGY:

Preference for the study of basic sciences: Pathologist are intellectually curious (this is valid to add for other specialties too), pathology is intellectually challenging, study diseases of all organ systems, diverse fellowship (or subspecialty or fields) possibilities such as microbiology, transfusion medicine, hemato-pathology, gastro-pathology, dermato-pathology, etc.

Study of diseases at the cellular level. Good photographic memory.

Don't mention the fact that you don't have to be on duty, have no contact with patients, or have fewer hours of work.

You may seem low-working and comfortable. In addition, there is a tendency that many people apply or switch to pathology because they believe that it will be easy and very comfortable. Pathology in other ways has large workloads and you must have good interactions and communication with other specialists and with patients (you have to go to the patient's room to obtain the bone marrow biopsies or to place peripheral access for transfusion medicine).


PEDIATRICS:

Preference to treat pediatric patients, I enjoy their unique developmental and health care challenges, I have always enjoyed teaching young patients and parents, it is exciting to me to educate a child and the whole family on the principles of exercise and a healthy diet, the degree of illnesses and the variety of patient age makes pediatrics extremely appealing to me, a pediatrician is a unique blend of both healthcare provider and educator.


PSYCHIATRY:

Intrigued by the life experiences of my patients; During medical school I enjoyed the courses involving neuroscience and human behavior.

Patient encounters became more fascinating to me when associated with the feelings, thoughts and emotions beyond the presenting symptoms.


OB/GYN: [๐— ๐—ฌ ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—–๐—œ๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—ง๐—ฌ ๐Ÿ˜]

Provides a unique combination of surgery and medicine, opportunity to work with women on the challenging issues they face throughout life from family planning, childbirth to menopause cancer and surgery and incontinency, interest in the psychological, biological and social aspects of pregnancy, opportunity to care for women of all ages.

Long term relationship with your patients: โ€œI will be able to care for women from adolescence to beyond retirement, thus making a change in them & educationโ€.



This is me on the photo while writing my ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ & drinking some ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ ๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท

GENERAL SURGERY:

Thrilled by the fact that I could directly and physically contribute to the health of my patient, the matter of having a sharp eye and a quick mind, general surgery integrates physical ability, commitment, and medicine in a patient care environment that is both intense and extremely rewarding, general surgery is problem-focused and the surgeon is generally asked to address just one of these problems.


ANESTHESIOLOGY:

I am drawn to the dynamics of short-term relationships and the trust which must be earned with limited contact, I was captivated (drawn) by the intensity of patient management in a critical care setting, and the practical application of pharmacology to modulate ever-changing physiologic states, The anesthesiologist is an equal member of the surgery team, anesthesiologists can intubate patients in life-threatening situations alleviate a patient's pain through regional anesthesia, and establish vascular lines in often very challenging situations.



RADIOLOGY:

I have a good understanding of 3D spatial relationships, physics, radiation levels, and what imaging studies to order for different illnesses, the unique technology involved, and the behind-the-scenes work of the radiologist were some of the qualities that appealed to me, I enjoyed the breadth of imaging options available, and admired the skill required to interpret them, radiologists must ascertain and maintain exceptional technical skills, the constant technological advancements within the field dictate that radiologists must be adaptable and dedicated to continuously educate themselves and keep informed of all new developments



It's funny but... the ๐ก๐š๐ซ๐๐ž๐ซ you work - the "๐ฅ๐ฎ๐œ๐ค๐ข๐ž๐ซ" you get ๐Ÿ’ซ

PHRASES FOR YOUR CONCLUSION:


โ€ขMy keen interest in learning and exploring new research opportunities will be an asset to your program. I look forward to discussing my application and your program further during an interview.

โ€ขI am drawn to the strong healthcare system and advanced technology of America, and I believe that expanding my knowledge base and gaining experience there will help me to become a more well-rounded and confident (specialty).

โ€ขMy adaptability to new situations has evolved from my involvement in a wide range of activities from sports teams, musical groups to varied job. This trait has enabled me to become an enthusiastic and contributing member of a team.

โ€ขI hope I am given the opportunity to study __________ at __________.

โ€ขAn academic environment is appealing because it permits ample teaching opportunities and fosters intellectual curiosity. After residency, I see myself working in a similar setting and pursuing my interests in academic teaching, clinical practice and public health.

โ€ขMy extracurricular experiences and educational have solidified my desire to enter this extraordinary profession.

โ€ขMy preference for ________ Program at __________ is based on several factors. Most important is the fact that ________ has an established and well-respected department of ___________. The program is nationally renowned for its quality of education and reputation for producing ______(specialty) of the highest caliber. It would be an honor to be a part of your program.

โ€ขExcited and eager to start my _______, I will bring my enthusiasm, strong work ethic, and ability to work well as a team player to your residency program.

โ€ขI am looking for a residency program that will give discipline and structure to my advancement in the field. A large number of cases and wide variety would be optimal in honing the skills I will acquire.

โ€ขI am eager to find a stimulating environment where residents support one another and attending physicians are willing to share their vast wealth of knowledge.



"๐€๐œ๐š๐๐ž๐ฆ๐ข๐œ" ๐จ๐ซ "๐‚๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ" ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ?

You have to be ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—น when mentioning one or the other in the personal statement if you are going to use a general personal statement for ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ programs and you are applying for ๐›๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ž๐ฌ of programs. IMG's usually apply to many different programs because of the level of difficulty to enter in the US system.

I mention the difference between them on this post: Everything you need to know about USMLE


๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ข๐ง "๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก" ๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ?


You also have to ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜€ about mentioning this in the personal statement, in our countries saying that you are interested in research is a good thing but here in the US if you say this in a program where there is no scientific research they will consider that you are not going to be satisfied with the program.

Now, if you say that you are not interested in "research" in an academic center where scientific research is done, they will not consider you as the most suitable candidate for them. Find out well about this topic in the programs that you are applying. If you are not sure, do not mention it in the personal statement.



๐€๐‘๐„ ๐˜๐Ž๐” ๐€๐๐๐‹๐˜๐ˆ๐๐† ๐“๐Ž ๐ƒ๐ˆ๐…๐…๐„๐‘๐„๐๐“ ๐’๐๐„๐‚๐ˆ๐€๐‹๐“๐ˆ๐„๐’?

If you are applying to 2 different specialties then you have to make 2 different PS, and get LORs that mention you interest in that specific specialty.

Clarification:

For each specialty that you apply, you need to make a personal statement, mentioning ๐˜„๐—ต๐˜† you ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ฒ it and ๐˜„๐—ต๐˜† you will be ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ at it.


I give more example about this on my previous post, that you can read clicking here.

[Go to point #6: Personal Statement]


๐‡๐Ž๐– ๐Œ๐€๐๐˜ ๐๐„๐‘๐’๐Ž๐๐€๐‹ ๐’๐“๐€๐“๐„๐Œ๐„๐๐“๐’ ๐‚๐€๐ ๐ˆ ๐”๐๐‹๐Ž๐€๐ƒ ๐ˆ๐ ๐„๐‘๐€๐’?

As many as you want, you can make them specific for a program if you want


Example:

If you did a rotation in Yale and you are applying to their program, then you can add what things you enjoyed while working there. But if you are writing something that specific, make sure to send it to THAT PROGRAM ONLY!

Also, as I just mentioned, if you apply to different specilities: Submit a PS for each one! (Donโ€™t send a Peds PS to an Internal Medicine program pleasee!!) haha



My best advice would be to use the Personal Statement as the opportunity to tell the program directors about ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ณ and your ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐˜€ in medicine and specifically their program as well as an experience you had during clinical which guided you into choosing the specialty you did. This is your chance to ๐ญ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐˜๐Ž๐”๐‘ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ and tell them a bit about yourself rather than just the numbers they have beside your step score reports.



Persistence and perseverance is the key here and all of you who have completed medical school definitely have those two attributes.





๐–๐ก๐ž๐ง ๐๐จ ๐ˆ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐จ๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ?


-START WORKING IN YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM NOW


๐—›๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—œ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜?

Make a draft notebook and star writing some words down, and every time you get inspired go back the continue writing.

For me sometimes I get inspired while running, listening to music, reading, during a bath, or in random scenarios, so itโ€™s important to go to your phone and write down those words that came your mind!


I donโ€™t want to make the post TOO LONG, but Iโ€™ll add a post that I wrote some weeks ago.

I was running in the middle of the forest in New Jersey, at like 11 pm at night, it was a rainy night and I had to stop all of the sudden to write because I felt a lot of emotions inside me at that moment:


โ€ขI know how hard it is to keep going without that support.

โ€ขI know you receive negative comments on daily basis from people saying that what you are doing is not right, that you will never make it, that you canโ€™t take all that pressure and you are trying to reach an unreachable sky.

โ€ขI know sometimes those comments come from close friends & even family and that hurts even more.

โ€ขI know that you try to be strong and keep going but in the deepest part of your soul those comments are actually hurting you and trying to pull you back.


๐‹๐ž๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ž ๐ญ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ...

โˆ™ You are doing a great job! ๐Ÿ™Œ

โˆ™ Continue what you are doing ๐Ÿง—๐Ÿพโ€โ™€โ€

โˆ™ You are not the only one that believes in yourself ๐Ÿ™

โˆ™ You continue with the hard work, pursuing your goals ๐Ÿ”ฅ

โˆ™ Reply to those hate comments with love ๐Ÿ’•

โˆ™ Always show the right example โœ”๏ธ

โˆ™ Convert that negative feedback into the power that keeps you going ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚โ€ ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€โ€


At the end it will be YOU the one that will fly VERY high โœˆ๏ธ

You have people that believe in you!

๐—œ ๐—ด๐—ผ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ, ๐—ช๐—ฒ ๐—ด๐—ผ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ ๐Ÿ’ชโค๏ธ

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ONLY FOR WEBSITE SUBSCRIBERS:


โ€ข๐—•๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜‚๐˜€ #๐Ÿญ I'll also make a free video course about how to make your PS, subscribers of my page will get an e-mail ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ธ once it's ready :)


โ€ข๐—•๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜‚๐˜€ #๐Ÿฎ

This is how I wrote MY PERSONAL STATEMENT when I applied for residency:



Note:

I did't know almost any of all that I just described, so it might not be great, but I did have it reviewed multiple times!

I created this post and all my posts to help you a a bit during this difficult journey, making it a better easy going, ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜†๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—œ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ต ๐—œ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜„ when I was studying for the exams & applying for residency, and no one tells us!


Also the picture is my last draft paper:


I don't have access to my ERAS anymore, so maybe I change a bit the grammar when I submitted if I found any errors.


โ€ข๐—•๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜‚๐˜€ #๐Ÿ‘

This is an example of a statement to enter medical school but it is very well written and it is another example of what topics to include and how to write a "๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜"




*All my content is ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ž๐ž for everyone to benefit from it*


๐’๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ my ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค & ๐ฌ๐ก๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ in ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐˜€ & with ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐๐ฌ

No matter what level of preparation they are. It will benefit a lot if they can start working on their ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ASAP


There are two big mistakes when ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด your ๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐˜€: 
1. Not Starting 2. Not going all the way!

Love you guys!! Keep it rocking!! ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿ’–๐Ÿคฉ๐Ÿ’ž

Sebastian Arruarana, MD



20,550 views13 comments

13 Comments


thaledi1
3 days ago

Oh wow, thank you so much for sharing such a comprehensive guide on writing personal statements! This is incredibly generous of you.


I love how you've set the mood for tackling this important task - grabbing a coffee and relaxing is definitely the way to go when you're about to pour your heart out on paper.


The fact that you're sharing your own personal statement is amazing. That's such a personal piece of writing, and it's so cool that you're willing to use it to help others. I'm really touched by how much you've connected with your readers.


I'm super curious about your tips for different specialties. Do you find there are big differences in what programs are looking for?โ€ฆ


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vinoothna
Jun 28, 2020

This is one of the most detailed and elaborate writings that is extremely useful for aspiring residency applicants. Thank you Doctor Sebas for putting this together for all of us to benefit from. I especially liked the way you put some special notes where applicable, about your own experiences with certain parts of the statement. Looking forward to see and learn more from your real time personal statement. Thanks so much... really appreciate your extraordinary service and inspiration๐Ÿค—

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Hannah P
Jun 28, 2020

Thank you for this super informative and comprehensive post! Will definitely keep this bookmarked as I'm brainstorming my ps now. I'm going to share your website with other IMGs too. Thank you Doctor Sebas!!

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Duriye Damla Sevgi
Duriye Damla Sevgi
Jun 28, 2020

Thank you very much for the great post! I am applying this year and this is very helpful!

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Akash Khetpal
Akash Khetpal
Jun 28, 2020

Thank you so much for this detailed guide Dr Sebas. It is beautifully written and is surely going to be helpful for everyone out there. Keep Hustling :)

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