Your residency personal statement is your opportunity to show a side of you that might not be easy to see in your ERAS application. A well-written personal statement can be very effective for capturing the readers’ attention and wanting to get to know you better, potentially leading to getting an interview with a program. It can also show the faculty reading it, how your experiences in medical school have shaped you into the physician you want to be for a given specialty.

Let’s explore what it takes to write a strong residency personal statement.

What is the selection committee looking for?

A resident that has an appropriate knowledge base for their chosen specialty

This means that not only do you have to have a strong knowledge base for your specialty seen through board scores and rotation grades/comments, but also your Dean’s Letter needs to highlight those characteristics and traits that are necessary for your chosen specialty.

A resident that has a realistic understanding of what training in this specialty entails

Unfortunately, every year, there are issues with professionalism which means showing up on time and putting in the work. Residency programs want to make sure that you have realistic expectations of what the next 3-7 years of your life is going to look like.

A resident that is going to be a team player and work hard
A resident that has demonstrated the drive, professionalism, patience, and compassion to deal with the rigors of residency

Who reads your personal statement?

Program Director/Associate Program Director(s)
Clinical /Core Faculty
Residents

what your personal statement is not

A space to tell an overly creative and flowery story about your life or to use colloquial language
A space to put down other specialties
A space to boast or preach
A place to only discuss a red flag or legal issue
A space to engage extensively in controversial topics

For example, we are all aware of the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision. If you are looking into practice abortion care, it’s absolutely ok to state this. What you do not want to do is push an agenda on a very divisive and controversial topic or put down those people that might have different opinions.

what you must include in your personal statement

What draws you to the specialty
The skills and qualities that will help you succeed during residency and as a practicing physician in your chosen specialty
Your vision of the kind of physician you want to be

Ask yourself, what setting do you want to be in – do you want to be urban or rural? Do you want to be outpatient, inpatient or both? Is there a specific population you want to work with?

Your personal attributes that make you good fit for this specialty
What draws you to a specific program

If you have a set of programs that are in your top 3, you do have the option to submit a tailored personal statement for a specific program. While it’s not necessary, for those where geography matters a lot, it might be a good idea to write a specialized personal statement for those programs.

A word count of ~900 words or 5300 characters with spaces

What should you NOT include in your personal statement?

A reiteration of your life story
A reiteration of your CV
The story of why you went into medical school
New concepts and thoughts that have not previously been discussed in the body of your essay
A quick mention of a major red flag without approaching it correctly
Traditional English essay conclusions that start with “in summary…”

questions to ask yourself to help you brainstorm

What first drew you to medicine?
Was there a meaningful experience, clinical or otherwise, that impacted your decision to choose your specialty?
Where do you see yourself after graduating residency? What kind of attributes do you want to have?
What is an important part of who you are that is not on your CV?
Who are your role models and why?
If true, how did COVID influence your decision to be a part of this specialty?
What are you most meaningful extracurricular activities and why?
What was a profound moment in your life, either in or out of medical school?
What are the current issues in the news and/or policy issues that you care about and how does your chosen specialty allow you to serve those issues?
Think about the attributes that are needed for your specialty and list them out
- Think of specific examples where you learned and/or showed these

How should you start writing your essay?

Start with a “vomit dump”
Put it all on paper and then let it go for 24-48 hours
When you re-read your essay, print it out

I think that being able to look at your work physically can help you see things in a different way than if you are always on the computer typing it out.

Once you re-read your draft, think about:
- What do you like and dislike about this draft? Circle and cross things out.
- What parts do you think have potential?
- What parts are redundant?
- Is there a theme emerging?

the opening paragraph

Capture the attention of the reader with a story, anecdote, or clinical experience that really exemplifies why you are choosing your specialty
Think about what you want to convey over the course of your personal statement. What is the theme of your personal statement?

This is called your “through-line”. It is the central theme of your personal statement. It’s going to be the basis of the arc of your personal statement. Make sure to include your through-line within the 1st two paragraphs.

Make sure that you name what specialty you are applying for within these 1st two paragraphs as well

The body paragraphs

Show the reader why your opening paragraph(s) are impactful to you and how it relates to your chosen specialty. These include:
- Skills and knowledge gained from your experiences
- Attributes you bring to the residency that no one else can
Connect the personal to the professional
- How is this program going to prepare you to be the kind of physician you want to be?
Show that you’re capable of change and growth through reflection and via your through-line
- Always remember to bring each paragraph to your central theme
Talk about your vision; how do you see yourself practicing beyond residency?

Closing Paragraph

Tie it all back together - this is why having a strong through-line is SO important
If you choose to personalize the essay to a specific program:
- Make sure to mention what is unique about the program that draws you to it; be specific about the characteristics you admire about the program
  - Don’t forget to bring those characteristics back to the kind of physician you want to be
- Address the geography of the program

If you really want to be in a certain geography, take the time to share why and the meaning of that program to you. Programs want to know that you are going to have a support system so if your SO, spouse, or family is in the area, make sure to mention that!

Don’t glorify the program

Identify specific characteristics of the program that make you want to go there and how those characteristics are going to help you become the doctor you’ve always envisioned

Don’t try to sell yourself; be authentic

Tips for editing and re-editing your personal statement

Print out your personal statement and read it after giving yourself at least a 24-hour break from looking at it

Read your personal statement out loud so you can hear how it sounds
Send it to others (friends, current residents, faculty, mentors) and ask for feedback
If there are big changes to make, don’t just edit; re-write it!

How to handle red flags in your personal statement

A red flag includes any of the following: if you’ve had legal issues, multiple failures, had to repeat a block, time off from medical school, or institutional action taken against you
Be succinct and take ownership
Don’t dwell on it for the entirety of the essay
Don’t address single issues

If you failed one Step or COMLEX exam and no others, don’t bother including it into your PS. One-off mistakes don’t need to be explained as readers will see that in your application and if they really want to talk about it, they will bring it up in the interview.

A strong and unique personal statement is one that captures the attention of the reader and leaves a lasting impression. PDs/APDs/Faculty read hundreds of personal statements, so it is important to stand out. Writing a personal statement for the Match process requires time, effort, and reflection. A strong and unique personal statement can set you apart from other applicants and increase your chances of being offered an interview by a specific residency program. By following these tips and using the outline provided, you can craft a personal statement that demonstrates not only your passion for your chosen specialty, but one that also shows who you really are, and the kind of physician you are capable growing into.

If you’re struggling with the writing process, click on the ‘Work With Us’ tab below. Let us help you brainstorm your ideas and craft together a personal statement that reflects exactly who you are!

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a step-by-step guide to writing your residency personal statement