How to Write Personal Statement for Residency

A personal statement is always a declaration or a write-up of who you are. Personal statements are common when applying jobs and admission in leading colleges and universities. Using a personal statement, you sell yourself to residency directors as the best candidate to be considered for the available slot. It is therefore important to master the art of how to write personal statement for residency in order to stand out from the crowd.

Importantly, a personal statement gives information, which residency officers cannot find in your grades or CV. Some of these details include following:

• Your character
• Your motivations
• Life experiences

These are usually interesting details, which may compel them to meet you depending on how you present them. As you write your personal statement, remember the reader will look for details that are relevant to the specialty, which you are choosing.

Personal statement does not guarantee you a residency slot because it is an element of the application package. However, it may injure a good application, when it lacks the charm to win the officials in charge. This article has all the answers you need.

Guidelines on how to write personal statement for residency

As a medical student, you still recall how you applied to the admission board and convinced the panel that you wanted to be a physician. At this point, when you are a medical doctor, you need to persuade the residency directors that you have what it takes to be a valuable member of a medical team. This is definitely not a walkover.

Here, you personal statement should give the residency committee a taste of who you are and trigger the desire to want more of what you posses. The steps below will help you master how to write personal statement for residency in a competitive world.

Step 1: Your Personal Statement Should Focus on the Specialty

Through previous rotations, you have sampled different medical specialties. By now, the assumption is that you have an idea what you want to pursue. Be sure to tell the residency committee how you settled on a given area of specialization in the medical field.

The officials want to understand what compelled you to develop interest in neurology or pediatrics. What is so special about the delivery of babies that thrills you more that how they grow after they are born?

Use anecdotes and personal experiences to tell your story, in a convincing way. Still, you must tell the panel where you see yourself in the specialty.

Sample Personal Statement #1

The following example shows the areas that one should perfect in order to have a grip of how to write personal statement for residency.

I remember the birth of my younger brother with nostalgia. The pain that and the excruciating process delivery process that my mother went through was my first experience with obstetrics. Though my parents considered me to be mature enough to witness the horror of my brother’s b birthing, it was a unique experience.

We later got two more sisters and the presence of women in our family exposed me to real health issues that affect their lives. Having a sister suffering from Down syndrome, I was able to educate others while they were still young. These experiences allowed me to develop skills which I need to succeed as a physician.

I understand that obstetrics and gynecology are demanding but I appreciate that challenges are a part of the medical field. I enjoy working with patients. My skills and passion will help me give back to this population of patient wholeheartedly.

From this excerpt, the author explains how he developed interest in obstetrics after witnessing the birth of his brother. He also notes that several experiences in life and closeness to female members of his family, cemented his passion for this specialty.

You can read the rest of the personal statement here.

How to write a compelling personal statement for residency that wins the reader

• Focus on your strong areas. As you figure out how to write personal statement for residency, list down your areas of strength regarding your field of study. It is true that you have professional skills, which you acquired in class during your studies. However, remember that all your classmates have same knowledge and professional skills. To this end, bring out your strengths, which make you different from the crowd to qualify for a residency program.
• Bring out relevant experiences. Importantly, the experiences you had in the medical school and outside, tell a lot about you than your well-typed and formatted CV. To crack this nut, think of what the specialty requires. Will your listening and debating skills be relevant as a family practitioner?
• Focus on the Program. Be sure of what you want. It would be meaningless to describe your love pediatrics when you are applying for a surgical residency program. Make up your mind on the program you are interested in. Tailoring your personal statement to suit a particular residency program affirms that you did your homework and genuinely need the chance.

Sample Personal Statement #2

Take a look at this example on how to write personal statement for residency

Pediatrics has been my dream career since childhood. Through extensive study and experience, I want to become a result-based pediatrician, who gets correct history, who conducts meticulous physical and sifts findings before recommending for treatment. I will focus on accurate diagnosis of patients at all time, which is my primary professional goal.

As I develop experience in this field, I also want to be part of the efforts to better the processes we use daily. Being analytical in nature, I will be able to always indentify areas of weaknesses and initiate relevant changes to improve them.

I am also drawn to pediatrics because of patients and practitioners in the field are simply a happy lot. After working with different people from various departments, I feel that I have the right temperament to fit in the field. I have a calm and amiable approach. My hidden trait is humor, my strength is sincerity and my fun is in family. I am convinced that pediatrics is a good specialty

From the above section of a sample personal statement for residency, the writer is clear about what he wants. He gives a detailed background of himself, describes his character, where he wants to be in the field of medicine and his unknown self. Click here to read the rest of the essay.

How to write a unique and catchy personal statement for residency

The challenge of writing personal statement is becoming original. Many students duplicate personal statements or plagiarize from the internet. Do not panic! The bottom line is that there is no particular recipe when working out on how to write personal statement for residency.

Here are ways to write your personal statements.

Use anecdotes. Some people choose telling a narration of their story, coupled with personal or life experiences to affirm their interest in for a particular area in medicine. This is a style to consider if you are comfortable.

Start with your beliefs. Others dwell on their beliefs and careers aspirations. Here, you give your journey in the field and the dreams, which give you the passion to win a residency slot.

Go for abstract concepts. This is a good approach as long as you are the centre of the writing process. Own your personal statement and feel proud of every word you jot down.

With the above points, here are more points on knitting a winning personal statement:

• Get sample statements. To find inspiration, look for sample personal statements, written by professional writers.
• Organize your essay thematically not chronologically. This is because your personal statement should offer answers in the mind of the residency director not just document events that led you to choose the field.
• Set aside one paragraph for every theme. Dedicate at most two paragraphs to every theme you discuss in your essay. Like in other professional and academic writing, every paragraph should start with a thematic sentence. However, this rule may not apply to the first paragraph since it may start with an anecdote.
• Capture your specialty. The director of residency is interested in your area of interest, which should appear in the introductory remarks of your statement.
• Write then revise. Ensure that your problem statement is error-free. Follow the principles above as you revise.

Sample personal statement #3

Here is another example on how to write personal statement for residency:

I have always loved being around kids. My first experience with kids was a volunteer. Even though the kids shouted, screamed, and cried for various reasons, I still loved the experience. As a new physician, I will draw a lot of wisdom from my experience. I believe that patients need intelligent people to handle their needs.

This expert explains the writer’s early experience in handling children, why she wants to pursue pediatrics and her beliefs. You can view the full personal statement here.

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Online Sources:

https://webcampus.drexelmed.edu/cdc/medpsSample.asp

http://www.uwmedicine.org/education/md-program/current-students/student-affairs/career-advising/year-4-get-residency/personal-statement

http://www.accepted.com/medical/residencyessays.aspx

http://www.med.unc.edu/ome/studentaffairs/residency-and-the-match/residency-application-process/cv-personal-statements