Each residency application needs personal statement. When applying for the best medical residency programs your essay must include personal statement that the committee needs to know. The personal statement is your opportunity in telling the readers who you are as well as what is unique about you. You also need to emphasize reasons why you have interest in that specialty.
Structure of Family Medicine Residency Personal Statement
In regards to the personal statement for family medicine residency, you need to have a clear structure. It is important that you have an introduction, body and conclusion. In the introduction, it is where you give some details on what you will discuss on your body. In the body section, you need to write main points that you will discuss and explain it. In the conclusion, end your personal statement with words, phrases or sentences that will be remembered by the committee.
Tips in Writing Personal Statement for Family Medicine Residency Program
It must show introspection and insight: The best personal statement for family medicine is about telling great deals about yourself through insights and experiences that you have gained in the past years.
It should flow well: If you want to tell story, you need to highlight it with your experiences that influence you a lot. Make sure that you give clear chronology sense in order to make sure that your essay is logical and will not confuse your readers.
It should be engaging and interesting: A great personal statement engages readers. This does not mean that you need to use flowery language or big words. This means that you need to use your own voice and language in a way that it is engaging and interesting to read. You can tell about your intriguing experiences that you think the committee has not yet read.
It must give your readers a mental image of who you are: You need to give your readers that you are a medical student who are passionate in helping other people. You need to give a good sense of who you are, especially in coping adversity and crisis. Make sure that you do your best to give your best picture to committee so that you will be chosen.
It must illustrate your passion: You need to convince the committee that you are committed and excited in the specialty so that they will choose you.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Writing the Personal Statement
Avoid abbreviations: Some students think that they can use abbreviations in writing the personal statement, but it is not. In writing procedures and family practice residency programs, you should never use abbreviations because it will ruin the quality of your essay.
Avoid repetitive sentence structure: You need to have a good structure in writing your personal statement, but always repeating to use it is not pleasant. As much as possible, never do it because it is not interesting.
Avoid using jargon: If there is simpler, shorter and less pretentious of doing it, do so.
Do not use acronyms: In writing the personal statement, you should not use acronyms.
Rehashing your CV: In writing the personal statement, you need to present new ideas and do not to rehash your CV. It is important to write information that does not appear on other requirements. Mostly, students just write details that can be found on their curriculum vitae and it is one of the mistakes they did.
Writing the personal statement for ERAS application is not easy because you need enough time. You need to plan and think carefully on what you should do. Finally, if you cannot start writing your essay, there are tips to help you. Just check on it and apply. Be sure that you know what you are doing in writing the personal statement so that it will be interesting, appealing and effective.