Personal Statements for Residency Applications

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Personal Statements for Residency Applications

• Karen Borst-Rothe, Ph.D.
• Borst-Rothe Associates
• 1987 Marin Ave. Berkeley, CA 94707
• KBorstroth_at_aol.com

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Definition and Purpose

• Who You Are
• Why This Specialty
• What You Plan to Accomplish

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General Requirements

• Accomplishments, Abilities, Events
  Leading to Choice
• Personal Elaboration
• Background Information for Interview

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Specific Requirements

• Readable for Audience
• 1 Page, Font at 11
• Structure Style - Engaging Clear
• NO Mistakes -- Spelling, Grammar
• Relevant to Field as Preparation for Interview

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Preparing

• Critical Thinking Drafts
• Examine Personal Traits along with
  Professional Goals -- Describe
• Look at Motives -- Describe
• Hopes for Achievement -- Describe

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Preparing the Draft

• Be Concise Precise - 1 Readable Page!
• Relate to Field, Show Positive Attitude
• Have 3 Readers Check for Content (Logical Flow,
  etc.) Spelling/Grammar
• Readers See MANY Personal Statements

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Three Examples With Clear Structure Engaging
Style

• 1) Pediatrics Public Health Two Role Models,
  Patient Example, Details -- Reasons for Choice
• - General statement narrowed to general role
  model
• - Specific role model personal details
  interwoven leading to patient example
• - Detailed relevant experiences leading to
  significant decisions future plans

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Three Examples With Clear Structure
Engaging Style

• 2) Emergency Medicine Dramatic, Personal Life
  Experiences/ Stories
• - Powerful, wide-range experiences shaping life
  philosophy and career
• - All experiences give insights into
  flexibility, love of change ability to handle
  particular pressures in Emergency Medicine

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Three Examples With Clear Structure Engaging
Style

• 3) Psychiatry Contrasted Definition Related
  to Life Experiences/ Stories
• - Basic contrast b/t naïve earlier idea of
  medicine with more complex understanding of
  mental health -- affecting every aspect of life
• - Select chronology leading to decision, ending
  with brief powerful reference to decision

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Two Examples With Issues In Structure And Style

• 4) Pediatric Cardiology Essentially Good
  Content BUT Controversial Style
• - Life experiences not focused enough on
  connection to field, no reasons given for
  specialization in pediatrics -- cardiology
• - Wordy style, some ESL issues
• - Almost all feelings, 2 apparent endings

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Two Examples With Issues In Structure And Style

• 5) Pediatrics Not Serious Enough Too
  Casual
• - Focus mainly on personal trait of humor
• - Logical flow problems, lack of transitions
• - Unclear paragraph point, lack of related
  details to specific medical field

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Four Extra Examples 3 Good Models -- 1 With
Issues

• A) Pediatrics Public Health Very
  Professional Short BUT to the Point
• B) Public Health Epidemiology Very Personal
  BUT Appropriate
• C) Internal Medicine -- AMA Example
• D) Pediatrics Risky Style Too Casual