Personal Statement Advice

[KarlPilkingtod]

Hey guys I was just looking for some general personal statement advice from someone who has gotten a good score on it in previous years since last cycle it was the lowest part of my application. I thought I did good covering all the qualities that Dalhousie outlines should be covered in the letter, and I did I good job interweaving how my experiences have helped build these qualities using concrete examples and stories. The only thing I can think of is that it probably didn't feel all that unique. The way I formatted it was: in this position I learned this, and this is why it's relevant to medicine which then led me to explore this type of opportunity etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Chels1267]

I scored above the average accepted score last application cycle and I structured my essay more like a story. Maybe this is just me but my decision to pursue medicine started at a younger age and kind of developed as I worked/volunteered so I talked about the skills I learned along the way and how they're all suited to a career in medicine.

[KarlPilkingtod]

On 8/12/2019 at 8:10 PM, Chels1267 said:

I scored above the average accepted score last application cycle and I structured my essay more like a story. Maybe this is just me but my decision to pursue medicine started at a younger age and kind of developed as I worked/volunteered so I talked about the skills I learned along the way and how they're all suited to a career in medicine.

Thanks for the advice! Did you find that you ended up talking about specific situations you found yourself in while you were working/volunteering or did you more generally discuss your experiences, what they involved, and the skills you gained from them?

[Chels1267]

11 hours ago, KarlPilkingtod said:

Thanks for the advice! Did you find that you ended up talking about specific situations you found yourself in while you were working/volunteering or did you more generally discuss your experiences, what they involved, and the skills you gained from them?

There were particular activities that had a significant impact so I talked about them in more detail than others, but focusing more on what I got out of those experiences in terms of skills and learning opportunities. I never really explained what I did, but that was just because the ones I talked about in more detail were pretty self explanatory. I feel like if you had someone read your essay that had no knowledge of what exactly you did at work/through volunteering and they were able to follow along without any questions you should be good.

[Dalhousie23]

13 hours ago, KarlPilkingtod said:

Thanks for the advice! Did you find that you ended up talking about specific situations you found yourself in while you were working/volunteering or did you more generally discuss your experiences, what they involved, and the skills you gained from them?

I also scored very high on this section as well. So here’s my two cents. 

I’m not sure I would call the format I used a “story”, but more of a narrative. I wasn’t one of those students that had a life-changing moment where they realized medicine is what they wanted to pursue. My journey towards medicine developed over time, through a variety of different experiences. I used my narrative to talk about how that happened, and what each one of those experiences gave me in terms of knowledge/skills, but more importantly, how that will make me a better physician. Remember that the over-arching goal of this personal statement is not only why you want to be a doctor, but to demonstrate to the admissions committee that you will make an excellent physician, and your narrative of your experiences should demonstrate that. 

 

[KarlPilkingtod]

7 hours ago, Dalhousie23 said:

I also scored very high on this section as well. So here’s my two cents. 

I’m not sure I would call the format I used a “story”, but more of a narrative. I wasn’t one of those students that had a life-changing moment where they realized medicine is what they wanted to pursue. My journey towards medicine developed over time, through a variety of different experiences. I used my narrative to talk about how that happened, and what each one of those experiences gave me in terms of knowledge/skills, but more importantly, how that will make me a better physician. Remember that the over-arching goal of this personal statement is not only why you want to be a doctor, but to demonstrate to the admissions committee that you will make an excellent physician, and your narrative of your experiences should demonstrate that. 

 

Thanks that's great advice and probably something I was lacking. I read mine again and I did seem to emphasize WHY I wanted to be a physician and less of why I think I will make a good one.

[yeescience]

On 8/14/2019 at 1:18 PM, Frederick Sanger said:

Advice on how to ace this section: 

1) Think narrative format: A story that highlights who you are as a person, what is unique about you, what your interests are, etc.

2) A clear statement that shows your commitment to the Maritimes.

3) What it is in medicine that appeals to you and why that appeal cannot be anything else. 

4) Being brief in your response and to the point. 

5) Ensuring each sentence transitions to the next logically. I do not mean using adverbial clauses to attach things together, but the integrity of your ideas would need to flow. 

Hey, I'm an out of province applicant and I'm wondering how crucial your second point is (a clear statement showing commitment to Maritimes) since I have that already strongly conveyed in my Maritime connection essay? I focused my statement on your other 4 points and really emphasized why I would be a good physician but didn't connect it to Maritimes anymore, especially since my experinces were in another province and country... Any advice is appreciated.

[Chels1267]

1 hour ago, yeescience said:

Hey, I'm an out of province applicant and I'm wondering how crucial your second point is (a clear statement showing commitment to Maritimes) since I have that already strongly conveyed in my Maritime connection essay? I focused my statement on your other 4 points and really emphasized why I would be a good physician but didn't connect it to Maritimes anymore, especially since my experinces were in another province and country... Any advice is appreciated.

Just guessing but I believe this person was just giving general advice without necessarily knowing exactly what the two different essay prompts are? You definitely do not need to go into the Maritime connection in your first essay, that is in fact why the second "Maritime connection" essay exists for OOP applicants.