personal statement blues
i sit here staring at my countless drafts of my personal statement.... waiting for inspiration to hit me... or maybe run me over. my writing ability has left me years ago... around the time i entered medical school, actually. it's gone downhill since then.. any creative writing undertaken after that time has been strained... like it is now.
it helps to have friends to go through your personal statement. also helps to have a brother who's gone through it before (but i'd rather that he not read my personal statement).
so... i'm still sitting here staring. mainly because i really don't know what else i can write about or how to even add any more things to it. and i've sworn i won't go down to shameless plugging of how i am such a fabulous doctor. haha.
but i guess for the sake of others, i'll share some of the wisdom that had been passed to me:
1. don't restate your CV - i know it's tempting to just re-emphasize all that, but i've been told that the personal statement is not the place for this... that's why the CV is separate. it should stay there.
2. keep it brief - now it may sound harder to write something long, but when you really think about it, writing a brief statement is actually harder. but they say that the briefer, the better. mainly because it's harder to do (choosing from amongst the countless things you can say to boost yourself). PLUS, they say that you really don't want to bore the reader and lose the point and the attention. also, don't be too redundant.
3. don't go over melodramatic or too verbose - it's not an essay-writing contest, they say. go for content instead of style. but of course, don't be too boring.
4. be able to explain why you chose that specialty - don't be too vague. they want to know why that specialty inspite of a multitude of specialty choices.
5. future plans - some say that you should state where you see yourself after residency (i.e. plans of fellowship, etc). i haven't gotten to that in my PS but i'llt hink about it.
6. catch their attention - i did say not to be melodramatic but it helps to hook their attention. they say it is best to do so with a use of a quote, a story, or a theme.
7. remember to tie everything together. everything makes more sense when it's all somewhat related and not jumbled together. make it fluid. it's easier to read. and also easier to understand.
8. it really helps to get a second-opinion. have someone read it through and critique it.
Now, all these are really easier said than done. I'm still sitting here staring..... waiting for inspiration to hit me or run me over. Some time soon, i hope.
it helps to have friends to go through your personal statement. also helps to have a brother who's gone through it before (but i'd rather that he not read my personal statement).
so... i'm still sitting here staring. mainly because i really don't know what else i can write about or how to even add any more things to it. and i've sworn i won't go down to shameless plugging of how i am such a fabulous doctor. haha.
but i guess for the sake of others, i'll share some of the wisdom that had been passed to me:
1. don't restate your CV - i know it's tempting to just re-emphasize all that, but i've been told that the personal statement is not the place for this... that's why the CV is separate. it should stay there.
2. keep it brief - now it may sound harder to write something long, but when you really think about it, writing a brief statement is actually harder. but they say that the briefer, the better. mainly because it's harder to do (choosing from amongst the countless things you can say to boost yourself). PLUS, they say that you really don't want to bore the reader and lose the point and the attention. also, don't be too redundant.
3. don't go over melodramatic or too verbose - it's not an essay-writing contest, they say. go for content instead of style. but of course, don't be too boring.
4. be able to explain why you chose that specialty - don't be too vague. they want to know why that specialty inspite of a multitude of specialty choices.
5. future plans - some say that you should state where you see yourself after residency (i.e. plans of fellowship, etc). i haven't gotten to that in my PS but i'llt hink about it.
6. catch their attention - i did say not to be melodramatic but it helps to hook their attention. they say it is best to do so with a use of a quote, a story, or a theme.
7. remember to tie everything together. everything makes more sense when it's all somewhat related and not jumbled together. make it fluid. it's easier to read. and also easier to understand.
8. it really helps to get a second-opinion. have someone read it through and critique it.
Now, all these are really easier said than done. I'm still sitting here staring..... waiting for inspiration to hit me or run me over. Some time soon, i hope.
posted by ms.match at 1:04 AM
2 Comments:
Excellent blog. was helpful for me! i am kinda lost really... wht was ur step1 score like?
thats excellent ! [:)] congratulations! what field did u apply in ?
I wud try for Emergency medicine with FP as backup. Will apply in 2k9.. long time. i know .!
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