Residency personal statement

Residency personal statement is an essay you write about your background, your reasons for choosing the residency specialty and your medical career plans. During the initial screening process, most residency program selection committees rely on the USMLE test scores to eliminate applicants. At the time of the medical interview, the Personal statement becomes an important component of the residency program’s selection process. What you say and more importantly, what you don’t say in your residency personal statement can make a significant difference to your medical career.   

• Most medical residency program directors spend an average of three minutes scanning through your personal statement. So be brief about what you wish to express and don’t exceed one page.

• If you are applying for fellowships, don’t use the same personal statement from your residency match. Your medical goals have changed and your skills have improved.

• Residency program directors are looking for an academically sound residency applicant who is willing to work and learn under a closely supervised and structured program.

• Fellowship program directors, on the other hand, are looking for a mature physician who will be able to handle stress and manage patients independently. In other words, they are not looking for a medical student. They are looking for a colleague who will work with them. This is a whole different ball game. You have to spice up your personal statement to meet this expectation.

• Typically, Personal statements are one page long and contain 5-6 small paragraphs. Each paragraph deals with one or two topics.

• If you are at a loss, as to where to begin, answer these questions and you will come up with enough content.

ü Why did you join Medicine?

ü Why did you choose this residency specialty (Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Family Practice, Surgery etc.)?

ü Why are you interested in this fellowship specialty?

ü What features of the residency / fellowship specialty, interest you? (Procedures, primarily outpatient, elderly population, recent advances in medical research, new blockbuster drugs)

ü Brief background information about yourself, Medical school, honors and accomplishments. Don’t repeat your CV. Instead, try to emphasize the high points of your medical career.

ü Are you interested in teaching? What has your experience been so far with medical students, nurses and residents?

ü Will you be interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine? Do you plan to work at a University based hospital?

ü How do you perceive your patients? Do you bond with them? Do you take your patient care responsibilities seriously?

ü What research experience did you have in Medical school / Residency? What are your research interests? How do you plan to contribute to medical research?

ü Write briefly about your family life and interests. Are you married? What does your spouse do? How many kids? These give the residency program director an insight into your personality and life. This gives flesh and life to your personal statement. 

• Keep sentences short. Text should flow eloquently. Your residency personal statement should show you as a confident, mature and well-rounded Physician.

• The final paragraph should summarize your expectations of the residency program and your future medical career plans.

• Do not forget to align your right and left borders by selecting (highlight) the whole page (text) and clicking Justify. Most residents forget to do this and leave their personal statement looking uneven with right margin indents.

• While ERAS residency applicants transmit their documents electronically, fellowship applicants are required to print and mail their work. Don’t compromise on quality when printing your CV and Personal statement. Use a laser printer and professional heavyweight resume paper. Ivory and White are safe colors.

• Request your colleagues, professors or residency program director to proofread your personal statement.

• If you are still not satisfied, consider hiring a professional writer