Some residency applicants discount the importance of the
Personal Statement portion of their applications, or they dash
off a version with little regard to style or content. Some
struggle at length with decisions about what to include and how
to avoid sounding corny. Still others just write a brief
autobiography, believing that programs will really focus on is
their test scores, the Dean's letter and their letters of
recommendation. Each of these approaches falls short, probably
because most applicants don't understand the purpose of the
Personal Statement and how it can help them win an interview
invitation.
Who Reads It?
Program staff must sort through enormous numbers of application
packets to determine whom they will invite for interviews. In
many programs, the clerical staff makes initial decisions about
applicants, sorting them into groups based on test scores and
overall strength. Program Directors must then review these
groupings, trying to assess candidates with very similar records
and deciding on a smaller number to invite for interviews. After
weeks of evaluating Dean's letters, recommendation letters and
transcript information, an interesting Personal Statement can
catch the eye and heighten the Program Director's interest in
meeting an applicant face-to-face. A weak Personal Statement
makes it easy for the Program Director to eliminate that
candidate from contention.