To help you get started on this important component of your
ERAS application, here are some tips and a little advice on how
to draft it.
A Personal Statement Tells:
- How you are unique.
- Why you chose the specialty:
- Special patient/case
- Life experience related to field
- Experience with a mentoring physician
- How your strengths and background fit the specialty's needs
and concerns.
- About course work and experiences that shaped your
decision.
- About research that shaped your decision.
- About interests outside medicine.
- About program characteristics you seek.
- About professional goals:
- Where you want to practice
- What the emphasis of your practice might be
- About a weakness/failure only if absolutely necessary.
Otherwise, it may simply draw more attention to the
problem.
A Personal Statement Does Not:
- Try to be too clever or cute.
- Tell your life story.
- Begin by saying "I've always wanted to be a doctor."
- Include poems or quotes.
- Apologize for past problems.
- Brag or drop names to impress.
- Discuss anything in great depth (research, course
work).
- Attack other medical specialties.
- Volunteer private information (sexual orientation,
religion, personal health history).
