When you write a medical school application essay, keep in mind that the character limit is 5,300 characters – which is about one page! Therefore, make sure to create a coherent and interesting story. Your theme should relate to the reasons why you want to study medicine. If you are unsure of what to write about, consider writing more than one draft. This will allow you to improve your writing and polish your story for the admissions committee.
Avoiding cliches
While many applicants make their friends or family members the star of their personal statement, this can be a mistake. This type of writing can make the admissions committee forget about YOU. Your personal statement should be about YOU, but include other characters who reflect your unique personality and skills. Don’t talk about your ambition to become a doctor – this is too generic and may turn off the admissions committee.
Personal stories are not good hooks. You should remember that readers at medical schools are not premedical students who have seen many interesting cases. It’s better to use patient encounters in the body of your essay instead of using them as hooks. Using an experience with a patient does not mean you should try to convince the admissions committee that your personal experience makes you a good doctor. Instead, use such experiences in the body of your essay to demonstrate the qualities you hope to gain by becoming a physician.
Setting context
In the second paragraph of your medical admission essay writing, set the scene for the reader. You have already mentioned your interest in medicine, and you mention early experiences of helping youth and mentoring them. If you had begun the essay by describing your teaching experience in 11th grade, you have now seamlessly moved from this non-medical service to why you’re interested in medicine. You end the essay by detailing how you hope to serve patients and their families, while scratching your own itch for problem-solving.
In the personal statement, don’t attempt to answer all prompts, but try to hit the main points. Start brainstorming ideas, and prioritize the responses that are most impactful and relevant. In addition to conveying your personality and setting context, a perfect personal statement showcases refined communication skills, maturity, and professionalism, and a genuine desire to apply to medical school. Here are some guidelines to follow to help you come up with a great personal statement.
Avoiding hyperbole
While using hyperbole in medical admission essay writing is acceptable in some situations, it should be avoided at all costs. Hyperbole can be very far removed from reality. It is also important to avoid using general terms, such as “as a physician I will save lives every day” or “as a surgeon I will heal people.” These statements may raise red flags in the admissions committee’s mind and may not be well received.
Avoiding controversial topics
While political and religious topics are sometimes tempting to explore, medical admissions committees would rather see you show a growth mindset than rant about current events. Regardless of the topic, don’t write a personal essay on a controversial subject. After all, there’s only so much space in an essay to make a good impression. If you do choose to write about a controversial topic, make sure you can demonstrate your growth in the aftermath.
Good controversial essay topics are those that create strong feelings in the writer, either positive or negative. These topics make the writer want to speak out about them. Consider recent debates, and think carefully about what your argument will be about. Remember that controversial topics should only be controversial if they can be supported by credible sources. If you cannot find any reliable sources, choose another topic. This is particularly true of essays on controversial topics.