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Applying for Residency
The Match: General Information
Obtaining Residency
Information/Applications
The Application: General
Information
The Curriculum Vitae
The Dean's Letter
Letters of Recommendation
The Personal Statement
Interviewing
Rank List
The Personal Statement
How important is the personal statement?
A well-written
personal statement can significantly strengthen your application while a poorly
written one will seriously damage the candidacy of even the most qualified
applicant.
How do I write an effective personal statement?
Here
are the keys to writing an effective personal statement:
- Start early
- Revise. Revise. Revise.
- Start it with an attention-grabbing paragraph
- Be clear in your writing
- Make sure it flows well
- Keep your points specific; avoid general statements
- Be sure it is neat
- Proofread it carefully for spelling and grammatical
errors
- Have it reviewed (see below)
Who should I ask to review the personal statement?
Ask
at least several people to review your statement. Among those who you ask should
be your faculty advisor. It is also important to ask the program director at your
own institution to review it since he or she has probably looked over hundreds and
hundreds of personal statements. These individuals will be able to provide you
with the feedback that is necessary to polish your statement.
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