April 17, 2023

Medical School App Season: Writing the Personal Statement

28 minutes

Episode 92. What should I be doing each month for my application and preparation for interviews? What topics should I write about in my personal statement? How can I stick out as an applicant?

Medical School Application Personal Statement Editing Service: ⁠https://www.fiverr.com/share/8YmpP4⁠

The Princeton Review has stated that at some schools the personal statement accounts for over 60% of your total admission score.

AMCAS: opens May 2nd for 2024 cycle. Submission begins May 30th. Transmission to medical schools June 30th.

AACOMAS: opens May 4th. Schools start to receive apps June 15th.

Application season calendar:

April- write your personal statement and think about what you want to include in your work and activities section

May- finalize your personal statement and get multiple rounds of editing and proofreading if you haven’t already, work on getting letters of recommendations in and getting a copy of your transcript, finalize the list of schools you’ll be applying to

June- finalize your application (if you haven't already), prepare for secondary essays

July- write secondary essays and submit them as quickly as possible, start preparing for interviews by doing a few mock sessions

August (to as late as April)- interviews

My personal statement tips:

You have 5300 characters. Use them wisely! If you are describing a patient, stick to 2 sentences max. If you are using a quote, it shouldn't take up more than one line of text.

The statement should truly answer the question of why you want to be a physician. Back this up with your qualities and experience while telling your unique story.

Be cautious about reading samples online.

Use stream of consciousness writing. If you’re an external processor, it may help to brainstorm with someone.

Don’t think you need to have a 3-pronged thesis or a 5 paragraph format. It should be in whatever format makes the most sense.

Reflect on your experiences instead of just stating things that you’ve done.

You need a separate statement if you are applying to MD and DO. You may be filtered out from DO schools if you don’t address your interest in osteopathic medicine specifically.

Don’t be content with an average personal statement. Your essay is among thousands that each school is reading through. The editing process is crucial.

Don’t make the mistake of proofreading yourself when you could’ve invested in a professional or asked a mentor to take a look and made your statement that much better to land more interviews.

Editing Service and One-on-One Consultation for Pre-Med and Medical Students (CV, personal statement, applications): ⁠https://www.fiverr.com/firstlinepod⁠

First Line is created and hosted by Aubrey Ann Jackson. Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.firstlinepodcast.com⁠

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Content on First Line is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please see your primary care physician (DO or MD) for any medical concerns you have. All ideas expressed are individual ideas of the host and do not represent any organizations the host is linked to.

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By Dr. Aubrey Ann Jackson

3.5

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