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The med school application essay, better known as the personal statement, is very important. It’s a key factor in whether or not you’ll get an interview invite.
I personally think that a personal statement is more important than an interview. Out of thousands of applications that come into a medical school, only roughly 16% of students get an interview invite.
One of the biggest obstacles a student needs to break through is with personal statement.
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I asked Dr. Rivera, the Dean at NYU, why the personal statement is so important and why they use it at NYU.
He said that in the ideal world, the personal statement would do xyz – being impactful and showing why you want to be a doctor and show your journey. But he said that in reality, most personal statements don’t do that anymore. They’re no longer personal. He even calls it a “village” statement since so many people are giving their input to the student.
When a student edits an essay with me, I don’t really tell them what to put on their personal statements. I just give them feedback on what they have written.
This being said, an editor of your personal statement shouldn’t give you advice on what needs to be in your personal statement.The only advice would be why what you’re writing is important.
The personal statement is important because it’s the gateway between you and an interview. If all numbers were equal and everybody is doing the same extracurriculars, then your personal statement is still going to be a very unique journey about why you’re applying to medical school. In a well-crafted personal statement, that story is going to resonate with the person reading it.
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The goal of your personal statement is to get that admissions committee member to make them want to talk to you more.
I did a mock interview with a student and she had an interview a couple of weeks ago at a mid-western MD school. She interviewed with the Dean of Admissions. And he said her personal statement is the best he has ever read.
Why?
Because she told her story about why she wants to be a doctor. She talked about the seed that was planted and what she did to water it. She told a unique story.
Everybody’s story is unique.
In her personal statement, she didn’t really talk about her medicine. She had a very common problem of just telling me how motivated and dedicated she was. She had this theme throughout and she did everything I told her not to do inn her first draft. After my feedback, she immediately turned it around and wrote an amazing story.
If you haven’t yet and you’re still in this planning phase, think about why you want to be a doctor. What experiences have you had along the way are supporting you in that journey? Tell that story. Show that story.
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I just received my admission to XXXXX! This is unreal and almost feels like I am dreaming. I want to thank you for all of your help with my application. I cannot overstate how influential your guidance and insight have been with this result and I am eternally grateful for your support!
IM SO HAPPY!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP, IM INDEBTED TO YOU! Truly, thank you so much for all your help. Thank you doesnt do enough.
I want to take a few moments and thank you for all of your very instructive, kind and consistent feedback and support through my applications and it is your wishes, feedback, and most importantly your blessings that have landed me the acceptance!
I got into XXXXX this morning!!!! It still has not hit me that I will be a doctor now!! Thank you for all your help, your words and motivation have brought me to this point.
I wanted to once again express my heartfelt gratitude for your help in providing feedback during my secondary applications. Your guidance has been instrumental in my journey.
Just wanted to share my wonderful news! I received my first medical school acceptance! Thank you for all that you do for us Application Academy!!!
I am excited to tell you that I just got my third interview invite from XXXXX today! I can’t believe it. I didn’t even know if I was good enough to get one, let alone three – by mid-September. Thank you so much for all of your help and support up to this point; I would not be in this position without it!!
I wanted to thank you for helping me prepare for my XXXXX interview. Even in a 30-minute advising session, I learned so much from you. Thank you for believing in me, and here’s to another potential success story from one of your advisees!
I just received an acceptance with XXXXX! This is so exciting and such a huge relief and so nice to have one of our top choice schools! I also received an interview with XXXXX which brings the total up to 20 interviews! Thank so much, none of this would have been possible without you!
