Medical School Personal Statement Editing Tips

There are few academic endeavors more frightening or nerve-racking than applying to medical school. The application rate is high, as is the rejection rate. You’re competing against countless others for a spot in an acclaimed institution – an institution that only wants to train the best of the best, before passing them off into the medical world. With so much pressure, it’s easy to get discouraged or confused about writing your personal statement for medical school. This statement, however, is crucial to your future entrance to medical school. When editing your statement, it’s goof to remember a few tips that will keep you at the top of the admission list. These helpful tips include:

• Removing unneeded words, phrases, or even sentences. As a future professional in the medical field, it really isn’t your job to communicate in an elaborate way. Doctor’s have to be able to communicate information, ideas and facts clearly and without error. When you’re editing your personal statement, remove anything that muddles up you meaning or makes the statement difficult to understand. You want the statement to be informed, but still direct and easy to comprehend.
• Staying straightforward and within the boundaries. A personal statement is not (contrary to what the name might suggest) a way for you to express yourself as an individual. While you should communicate your individual experiences, desires, goals and connections, the overall format of your statement should be standard. Keep to the right spatial orientation, format and font. You are, after all, presenting yourself as a professional.
• Getting a second set of eyes to review the statement. It’s easy to think that the statements we write our flawless – we already know what we’re trying to say. Getting a second review from a peer (or even better, a professor) can really help to improve the statement. They’ll spot errors and confusion that you may not.
• Sticking to one event or theme. In writing a personal statement for medical school, you’ll likely revolve around an experience that encouraged you to study in the medical field. This is good – stick to one idea and got with it. You don’t want to spout off six reasons why you want to be a doctor. One great, well-developed central theme is more than enough.
• Avoiding extremes. Personal statements that are too vastly vocal about your outstanding achievements will meet with rolling eyes; statements that highly undervalue your qualities will meet the same result. Avoid extremes when describing and expressing yourself. Make yourself sound appealing – not pompous or depressed.