First Line | Holistic Mental Health and Medical Education

Personal Statements for Residency: Top Tips for Writing

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Episode 91.

Top 10 tips from this episode:

  • Talk about your hobbies and extracurriculars during medical school and how they connect to your specialty
  • Make sure your personal statement can serve as a stand alone document
  • Consider mentioning a red flag so that you can reclaim it as a positive based on what you learned and how you adapted
  • Include a personalized paragraph for your top programs
  • Include your future goals and connect it to the type of residency experience you want to pursue
  • Fit your statement on one page (Calibri font size 11, 1.15 spacing in a word document, usually 530-560 words)
  • Start thinking of ideas for your statement with stream of consciousness writing
  • Be okay with scrapping your first draft if you need to
  • Pay attention to your tone
  • Have someone you trust look over your work

    • Use these 10 guiding questions to help you write your first draft (or start over with a new first draft):

    • What draws you to your specialty?
    • When was the aha moment when you realized you wanted to pursue your specialty?
    • What qualities or skills do you have that will allow you to excel in your specialty and in residency in general?
    • What about your specialty are you most excited about?
    • What characteristics do you have that connect with your interest in your specialty?
    • What previous experiences or interests do you have can connect with your interest in your specialty?
    • What kind of resident do you see yourself as?
    • What kind of residency program are you most interested in?
    • Where do you see yourself in 5 years/10 years/20 years?
    • Are there any red flags you have to address?

      • Check out this link to access my listing on fiverr for more information about my personal statement editing service:

      https://www.fiverr.com/share/Llqb2p⁠

      Use this link to see all services provided to Pre-Med and Medical Students (CV, personal statement, applications): https://www.fiverr.com/firstlinepod

      I even have a special brainstorming add-on service if you are starting from a blank word document. I believe that personal statement editing is so important, and unfortunately most services you find online charge hundreds to thousands of dollars. That’s why I chose to offer help; I have significant professional writing and editing experience, and I am offering the services at a much more affordable price. Many other sites have staff members who are years or even decades removed from the residency application process. I was just in your shoes, so I know what program directors want to see. I received so many compliments on my own personal statement during interviews, and I believe this was because I was intentional with crafting an excellent statement. I’m looking forward to helping you do the same!

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

      Please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and then rate and review the show! 

      For a discount off your TrueLearn subscription use link: https://truelearn.referralrock.com/l/firstline/ and code: firstline

      First Line is on Instagram @firstlinepodcast and on Facebook www.facebook.com/firstlinepodcast You can also reach First Line via email at [email protected]

      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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      First Line | Holistic Mental Health and Medical EducationBy Dr. Aubrey Ann Jackson
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