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January 16th, 2023

Urology Personal Statement Writing Guide with Examples for 2023 Applications

Why do you choose urology?

Where do you see yourself as a urologist in ten years?

These are some important questions that you need to tell your admission panel when you apply for higher studies in urology residency.

Before you tell them these directly, you must illustrate them convincingly in a document called personal statement urology.

Don’t worry if you are hearing about it for the first time or haven’t written it yet.

Through this blog, we will help you understand:

What Is Urology Residency?

Urology residency is a specialization in medicine that is aimed at imparting detailed knowledge and exposure to trainees about the clinical aspect of urologic diseases.

It is a five-year-long post graduate education wherein the aspirants get a thorough understanding of various types of urology diseases and the prevention and treatment methods to cure them.

What Is a Personal Statement Urology Residency? Why Is It So Important?

Urology personal statement is a document which you need to include in your application for a urology residency program.

Most universities and colleges ask for it from their prospective candidates in order to have a basic understanding of them before taking their application forward.

You are required to present a personal statement because:

• There are hundreds of other applicants just like you waiting for the green signal from the selection panel.

Through your personal statement, you can show how you are different from them.

• Personal statement helps you prove that you are truly motivated to choose urology residency and focus your career on it.
• Admission panel learns about your career aspirations as a urologist from your personal statement.
• Personal statement also serves as proof of your written communication skill and English language proficiency.
• Your urology personal statement gives you the opportunity to get noticed for your relevant experiences and exposure to urology.

NEED EXPERTS HELP FOR WRITING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT? CLICK HERE NOW!

When Should You Start Writing Your Personal Statement Urology?

It is never too early to start working on your urology personal statement. The earlier you have it ready to submit, the better it is.

Ideally, the best time to start writing it is two months ahead of the application closing date.

If the last date to file the application is December 15, start your urology personal statement preparation by October 15.

Even if you haven’t finalized the college or university for your course, you can get ready with all other points, the narrative for the introduction, skills, strengths and experience to highlight etc.

What Is the Recommended Length for A Personal Statement Urology?

Although not all universities would tell you how long your urology personal statement needs to be, the common consensus is to keep it somewhere in the range of 500 words.

Here are some useful figures for you to consider.

No of pages:

No. of characters:, font style:, example 1 – urology residency personal statement.

I have always loved studying biology. As a biology enthusiast, it was my childhood dream to be a Doctor in the future. Though I was not sure about the specialisation, I was adamant to build my career in the field of medicine. As a senior secondary student I was mesmerised after learning about various body parts and its functions. On learning about the genetic makeup of the human being, I was left wondering and thrilled about the complex structure of the human body. As a student who has had a profound interest in the field of medicine, I was sure that I will have a great career in the future.

It was during my medical study at XYZ Medical College that I developed a special interest in the field of Urology. At first I didn’t have a special liking for the field of Urology, but it was my clinical experience which attracted me to choose Urology medicine. Assisting various Urologists gave me a fair idea regarding the whole practical treatment followed in Urology. I still remember the young patient who was in his early teenage years, brought to the Urology department due to severe pain in back, lower abdomen and side. Though several medications were given to him, nothing had a positive effect on him, until an Ultrasound Scanning was prescribed to him. The scanning result shocked me as he was diagnosed with Renal Calculi or Nephrolithiasis. Though it was rare to find kidney stones in children, it was common as well. It was then my professor explained to me that there are many diseases that can affect the Kidney and reproductive organs, but due to negligence, it is diagnosed very late. So during my clerkship, I conducted several workshops and webinars to make people aware of different diseases coming under Urology medicine. It is a bitter fact that people try to be negligent when it comes to any diseases affecting their lower abdomen area, but I hope that I was able to contribute my little part to create awareness with my workshops and webinars.

I am impressed with the scope offered by Urology Medicine as it gives me the liberty to treat both male and female patients including children. As an important field of medicine, I am sure I can perform well with my duties and treat my patients with great care and passion. As a medical branch which offers the scope of surgery, I would like to solve my patients’ medical problems. As a field of medicine which is connected with bladder issues, urinary tract infections, or kidney problems, I am sure, with my passion and diligence, I would be able to track down issues and understand the origin of ailments. With my inquisitive behaviour and diligent attitude, I am sure I can perform well in my professional responsibilities.

I choose this Medical Residency due to its proclaimed status as a pioneer in Urology Medicine. I am sure with the right guidance and teaching offered by the faculty of your Residency, I can hone my skills and develop great understanding of different facets of Urology which will help me to exercise my duties well in the future.

Example 2 – Urology Residency Personal Statement

Last year I lost my grandfather to prostate gland cancer. It was diagnosed late, and was diagnosed at the 4th stage. So he passed away within a few months of diagnosis. As I was greatly attached to my grandfather, this incident left a trauma in my mind. Being a medical student, I was not even able to diagnose his problems and this made me guilty of what had happened. As I had not planned my medical school specialization, this incident inspired me to choose Urology medicine as my specialization, as I believe this specialty matches with my interest and aspirations. With the knowledge gained, I wish to create awareness among the people about the diseases coming under Urology medicine, so that no one will be negligent about the changes happening in their body.

With the passion to join Urology medicine, I was very diligent and enthusiastic during my clerkship at the Urology department and the subsequent ward experiences. One day a lady was brought to the clinic who had discomfort, pain, tenderness, pressure in the bladder, parts of lower abdomen, and areas in the pelvic region. On evaluation, she was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, a painful bladder disease. She was in her nascent stage of disease, and though this medical condition is incurable, with our proper medication and treatment, she got a certain amount of relief from her ailments. With the care and comfort received from our side, she was very satisfied with our humanistic approach and treatment. She was particularly satisfied with my care and approach, and she gave me a special review about the same as well. This was a proud moment for me, as this is all one happens to receive in the busy schedule of one’s medical life.

To familiarize myself with the various tests involved in Urology medicine, I had spent a considerable amount of time in labs. I am sure this has increased my clinical understanding of the diseases and with the knowledge gained from various methodologies used in a lab, I believe that I have gained a considerable understanding of the same as well.

As a branch of medicine which covers all types of people including males, females, children etc. I know I must be patient, approachable, kind and friendly. To enhance my communication skills, I have even enrolled myself at various clubs and organizations to better hone my communication and interpersonal skills.

I choose this Medical Residency because I am satisfied with the opportunities offered here in Urology Medicine. With the right combination of both theoretical and practical training, I am sure I can better hone my skill set. I believe my passion for Urology Medicine will help me to connect with all of my patients well. As a person who is very professional in approach, I am sure I can undergo my training in a fruitful and effective manner. With my passion and diligence for the subject, I am sure I can be a great Urologist in the future.

How to Make Use of These Urology Personal Statement Samples?

Before you read the samples, here are a few tips to help you make the best use of them.

• Understand how each sample differs in narrative and writing tone. Your urology personal statement needs to be as unique as your profile.
• Do not copy the narrative or points or themes used in the urology personal statement examples.

Use them only to help you brainstorm your own unique ideas.

• After you have finished writing your own personal statement, see how it compares with the sample in terms of engaging the reader.
• Use the samples to understand how relevant points are emphasized and supported by evidence.
• Learn from the sample how different grammatical ranges and sentence construction structures are used to emphasize specific points.

How to Structure Your Urology Personal Statement?

Organize the paragraphs of your personal statement into three parts.

The body can be further divided into multiple paragraphs depending on the number of points you want to include.

Introduction

The introduction of your urology personal statement should:

• Create a curiosity in the reader about your backstory and make sense as to how that relates to your choice of urology as a career choice.
• Give a clear overview about what you are going to present through your personal statement.

Take a look at the below example of the introduction:

One of the incidents that led me to get interested in urology was a casual reading I did as part of my first-semester research paper in medical school. It was about cancer in men and the journal I read mentioned that prostate cancer was the most leading cause of cancer deaths in men. While this new knowledge didn’t surprise me, the fact that the advanced stage of prostate cancer was one of the most impossible types of cancers to cure even by today’s advanced treatments did really surprise me. This challenging nature of prostate cancer, in fact, made me more interested in the specialized residency program of urology. I am convinced that this urology residency program will equip me with the knowledge and foundation for a career in urology.

Coming to the main body of your personal statement:

• Keep in mind that the main body should flow naturally from the introduction
• Make sure that it provides sufficient clarification to all questions that selection panel may have such as

Why do you want to study urology?

Answer why urology is the right higher study option for you. Explain what you can contribute to the field and how you are going to benefit from the course.

What are you good at?

List down the important academic achievements and accomplishments with evidence. Also, share a couple of notable contributions in the non-academic areas.

In what way are you different from other candidates?

Here you talk about any voluntary works or personal research etc, you have done in a relevant field of urology. Sometimes, such exposure would give you a competitive edge over other candidates.

What are your future plans?

Talk about your short term and long-term career plans.

Write a conclusion that reiterates all points you have covered previously. Remember that the two three sentences that you write in the conclusion are all that will stay in the mind of the reader.

So, make each word in the conclusion really count.

• Make your conclusion sound positive and hopeful.
• Ensure that your conclusion agrees with what you said in the introduction and main body.

Common Mistakes in Urology Residency Personal Statement

Personal statement is a unique piece of writing that differs from person to person. However, there are some common mistakes that you need to avoid while writing it.

This happens if you are going to write your personal statement after reading many personal statement samples online. Come up with a unique narrative that has no resemblance to any samples.

Errors can be in multiple forms. For instance, grammatical errors, spelling errors, use of incorrect punctuation etc. Do not let any of those mistakes ruin the appeal and strength of your urology personal statement.

Failing to customize:

The admission panel tries to see how much you have understood about their program, institute and student community. Failing to customize your personal statement without addressing these can ruin your write-up.

A personal statement is an academic document and thus a certain degree of professionalism and the academic standard is expected in it. The use of slang will not make it look professional and tailored for academic purposes.

Negativity:

Through your personal statement, you should try to make the admission panel feel positive about your profile. The presence of negativity or pessimism in the document will make the reader feel the same about your profile.

Urology Personal Statement Writing Tips

• Show your in-depth understanding of urology and different aspects that it deals with such as reproductive and urinary systems.
• Urologists are expected to have great observation skills. Show how you excel in that area with examples.
• Start working on your urology personal statement as early as possible, even if you haven’t finalized your university yet.
• Clearly demonstrate why urology and why it is the best choice for your higher education. This is the most important area to address in your personal statement.
• Develop a good grasp of medical terminology and use them diligently to show your domain knowledge.

Best Urology Residency Programs to Choose in 2023

Urology programs are offered across numerous universities across the world.

If you are considering your residency in urology abroad, check the programs in the following universities.

Choose a program that best fits your skills and expectations.

Always apply with a customized urology residency personal statement.

• University of Alberta
• Western University
• Canterbury Christchurch University
• University of Adelaide
• Massey University
• University of British Columbia
• Laval University
• The University of Edinburgh
• Monash University
• University of Melbourne

When Should I Apply for Urology Residency?

Once you zero in on the university, the next step is to fill out your application and submit it.

But before you do that, it is necessary to find out when to apply.

• In most universities abroad, you can apply through fall and spring intakes. Go with the most popular intake of your preferred university.
• Do not wait for the last date to submit your application. If all your documents are ready, apply as early as possible.
• Since personal statement urology residency is an important part of your application, give utmost importance to its preparation.

How to Apply for Your Favourite Urology Residency Course?

• Visit the website of the university or college you have chosen for your urology residency program and understand the application procedure, requirements and timeline.
• Prepare all necessary documents for your application such as duly filled application form, urology residency personal statement, letter of recommendation, etc.
• Submit your application before the deadline as per university guidelines.

In A Nutshell…

Always remember that the centre of attraction in your urology residency application is the urology personal statement.

So, make it work by incorporating the tips and strategies we shared in this blog.

How was your experience of writing your personal statement?

We are excited to know about it.

In case you feel that we could still add more to this blog to make it even more useful to you, let us know the same in the comments below.

Mrs Jizah M

Mrs Jizah M has always enjoyed writing down her thoughts since school days. What just started as a hobby slowly transformed into a passion. Her writing skills were first acknowledged by few of her professors when she wrote content for the college website; this was a turing. Slowly she started getting freelance works and later on, a series of events led her to specialize in academic and higher education related documentations. In additional to personal statements, she along with her team writes LORs, SOPs, college application essays, admission essays and all similar types of documents.

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Residency Personal Statements: The Medfools Personal Statement Library is now open! Need a sneak peek into some completed personal statements for residency? How about some inspiration in what to say, and how to say it? These sample personal statements are here for your viewing pleasure (fully anonymous). We're hoping to add more in the future, including Pre-Med personal statements. If you've got one to add to the free library, don't forget to contribute yours .

Check out our new Medfools Personal Statement Help Page before you begin! Note for Residency Program Directors : Does that personal statement sound familiar? It probably is! Check out our Top Copied personal statement lines , used over and over again!

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Personal Statement

Home  >   Specialty  >   Urology   >  Personal Statement

The personal statement is an important factor used by urology residency programs in making interview decisions. 

A particularly important question to answer in the statement is "Why are you interested in pursuing a career in urology? In our free E-Document "Why Urology," we share the reasons why physicians chose to enter the field. 

Resources to Help You Develop a Powerful Personal Statement

Why urology   read more >>, the book the successful match 2017 (includes 40-page chapter on the personal statement with sample statements)     read more >>.

For those requiring additional assistance, we have an exceptional personal statement review and edition service. Learn more about our Personal Statement Review and Editing Service with Dr. Samir Desai.

Residency Sample Personal Statements

These are real personal statements from successful residency applicants (some are from students who have used our services or from  our advisors ). These sample personal statements are for reference purposes only and should absolutely not be used to copy or plagiarize in any capacity. Plagiarism detection software is used when evaluating personal statements. Plagiarism is grounds for disqualification of an applicant.

Disclaimer: While these essays ultimately proved effective and led to successful residency matches, there are multiple components that comprise an effective residency applicant. These essays are not perfect, and the strengths and weaknesses have been listed where relevant.

Sample Personal Statements

Encouraged by the idea of becoming well rounded, I collected many hobbies and passions as I grew up from snowboarding and cooking to playing board games and practicing meditation. Despite the increasing demands on my time, however, I never learned how to get more than 24 hours out of a day. Since I entered medical school, I have been searching for ways to continue pursuing my one my most influential hobbies, playing the violin. While my violin may be gathering more dust than I would like to admit, I discovered that the same motivations that gave me an affinity for my favorite pastime are still fulfilled in the practice of anesthesia.

Learning to play the violin was challenging; for the first few years, everything that came out of my violin sounded as if it had been scratched out on a chalkboard. Through daily practice and enormous amount of patience from my parents whose ears were being tortured, playing violin slowly came to be effortless. My violin teacher went beyond teaching me how to play but also challenged me to envision my future and write down my aspirations. While achieving my milestones gave me a jolt of confidence, I learned that setting goals are part of a broader journey of constant improvement. Developed from years of practicing violin, my discipline to work tirelessly towards my goals provides the framework that will help me to master anesthesiology.

I found violin to be most rewarding when I had the opportunity to share my music with others. Through the simple act of pulling my bow across a string, I was able to convey my emotions to my audience. The desire to directly and physically affect change is a large part of my motivation to pursue anesthesiology where problems are identified and immediately met with a potential solution. Drawn to science because of my desire to understand the world around me, I enjoy creating a hypothesis and executing a plan in order to test it. While I was at [UNIVERSITY], I identified areas in which the school could improve the student experience and then implement projects that could address these areas. As the Academics and Research Committee chair, I planned as a summer math course for incoming freshmen to prepare them proof writing, which was a topic that many were to which they were not previously exposed. I derive satisfaction from the ability to take an idea and carrying it through to completion. As a life long learner, I take pleasure in finding ways to grow and expand my mind. My love of learning started from a young age where my favorite use of my computer was to browse my CD-ROM “the way things worked.” My golf team nicknamed me ‘Encyclopedia’ because of my tendency to share interesting facts with them as we drove to tournaments around [STATE]. To this day, it is difficult for me to have dinner with my friends without bringing up an interesting fact I learned from a podcast.

When playing violin became second nature, practicing became a sort of therapy where the world around me disappeared and my mind became quiet and focused. Throughout my life, I have been drawn to tasks that require intense concentration to transform thoughts into physical action from rehearsing a swing to hit a perfect drive to carefully executing a protocol for an experiment. The direct and focused care that takes place in the OR actually turned out to be tranquil and relaxing for me. Monitoring the patient, forming differentials, testing my hypothesis, and planning ahead, I found my mind completely immersed while I was assisting in cases. Able to use my own hands to care for a patient, I left the OR feel satisfied that my efforts were wholeheartedly directed towards providing the best possible care for my patient.

I first discovered chamber music at violin camp and immediately fell in love with beautiful harmonies and intricate counter melodies. One of the most shocking things about chamber music was how foreign the music sounded when I practiced at home because the individual parts frequently do not capture the beauty of piece. It isn’t until rehearsal as a group that the true form of the song emerges. Chamber music, similar to the operating room, involves a small group of people working together toward a single goal. Everyone from the surgeon to the nurses has his or her own role, which is needs to be executed appropriately in order to provide the best care for the patient. The teamwork required in the OR reminds me of seemingly impossible feats humans are able to accomplish through coordinated efforts. This collaboration is an essential characteristic of the type of environment in which I would like to work. In addition, I hope that the anesthesia residency I attend values the spirit of self-reflection and constant improvement. I am excited to pursue a career in anesthesiology where I will continue to build on my interests and strengths that were honed through years of practicing the violin.

The author did a masterful job of integrating one of his/her main outside passions (violin) into an interesting and engaging narrative as to why the applicant was fit for anesthesia.

Compared to the common “writing your CV” mistake that many applicants make, this personal statement is a breath of fresh air. The theme of violin is not irrelevant, as the author relates seemingly unrelated aspects of its practice or performance to key elements of anesthesia, medicine, or being part of a team in the operating room. 

The author allows his/her personality and voice to come through. Reading this, it is easy to imagine a quirky and intellectual applicant who is genuinely curious and excited to pursue the career of anesthesia, along with some interesting hobbies. It is no surprise, then, that this applicant interviewed at top programs across the nation and multiple residency admissions committee members cited the applicant’s personal statement during the interview.

As I stand on stage in front of 500 audience members, they are all eagerly awaiting my next line. In order to start the scene, I need a suggestion from the audience. “What am I holding?” I raise my empty hand in the air. One brave soul replies “Bacon!” My fellow improvisers and I proceed to perform a scene set around a bacon dinner party. We deliver our lines punctuated by laughter until the scene comes to a close. I recall this scene during my first night in the emergency department (ED). I am struck by how much improvisation has taught me. Emergency Medicine (EM) and improv have very similar motifs. Every scene in improvisation is different, as is every ED patient. Scenes are fast paced and force you to draw from life experiences while working in a team setting, similar to the controlled chaos often encountered during an ED shift. Ultimately, ingenuity, communication and resourcefulness are the main draws I have to EM which are traits that have been instilled into my character by my experience with improvisation.

During my third year of medical school, an elderly woman presented to the ED with acute vision loss. Reassessing the patient was difficult because I had no way of documenting the improvement of her vision. Improvisation had prepared me to use creativity and whatever tools available to find a solution for any given situation. I created a system where she could mark an ‘X’ wherever she could see on a grid drawn on paper. Each hour she would add more X’s to the grid as she received corticosteroid treatment. Helping patients with improvised solutions gives me the feeling of being an artist which can complement the logic and criteria needed in EM.

New and imaginative ideas in improvisation are born from constant communication between improvisers. Emergency physicians are constantly communicated information which changes their management of a patient. A growing discipline in EM is the idea of shared decision-making (SDM). My research aims to improve the communication between the emergency doctor and the patient using SDM which is when the patient relies on their life experiences, values, and preferences while the EM physician contributes his/her medical knowledge to improve decision-making. I have been involved in several projects to help identify barriers to SDM in the emergency department, and I am currently leading a research project on the implementation of SDM in oral anticoagulation therapy for patients with new onset atrial fibrillation. Through this novel concept, I learned how to effectively communicate with patients about their illnesses and the benefit of giving them an active role in choosing their care plan.

Entering medical school, I developed an original research project incorporating my life experiences. Five years ago, my grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s disease. In medical school, I learned of the benefits of various alternative treatments of neurodegenerative diseases. Combining my experience with Alzheimer’s and improvisation, I developed a study where elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment were enrolled in an eight-week improvisation class. My efforts to improve the participants’ verbal fluency, level of depression and cognition using a treatment that had not yet been explored gave me the ability to administer care with the tools given to me by past experiences. Approaching the undifferentiated ED patient similarly requires resourcefulness and problem-solving which can stem from past life experiences. I believe I will be able to pull from these experiences salient information applicable to the situation because improvisation has helped me nurture this characteristic.

In my future career, I see myself working with underserved populations and performing research. There I can lift those who are in need as well as continue to research improvements in patient engagement through SDM. I know if I am given the chance to practice medicine in an environment that fosters ingenuity, communication and resourcefulness I can continue to be strong advocate for my patients and become a great EM physician.

Building from a unique background, the author of this residency personal statement brings a unique element to the table – improvisation. Similar to the personal statement above, the author uses their passion and interests outside of medicine to illustrate how the skills they have developed in that area will translate to their being an effective physician. 

Notably, the author also describes his novel research project incorporating improvisation into research and the backstory of how this idea was derived from Alzheimer’s dementia effecting his own family members. This simple anecdote reinforces the applicant’s passion for improvisation, their interest in furthering the scientific literature through research, and the personal connection to a condition. 

The applicant comes across as interesting. However, to further improve the impact of the essay, the author may consider tightening up the conclusion with a reference back to improvisation or other parting words that are more unique.

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Surgery Residency Personal Statement Examples

To learn how to write a great surgery personal statement in 2024 start by reviewingsurgery personal statement examples. Along with taking time to review possible surgery residency interview questions that may come your way, and practicing your answers, you should learn what makes a strong personal statement and write one that reflects your suitability for this specialty. A great personal statement will increase your chance of being offered an interview, and being considered for residency.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 11 min read

Surgery is a moderately competitive field, and is a common specialty choice for many future MDs. Throughout a surgery residency, you will learn to master the basics of patient interaction and care, tend to patients’ needs (especially when the attending physician isn’t on duty), and most importantly, learn all of the essentials about general surgery and hone a wide set of skills that will ultimately lead you down a path to becoming a skilled and talented surgeon yourself.

Whether you’re Canadian and applying through CaRMS , or American/International and using ERAS , your personal statement is a very important portion of your surgery residency application. Your personal statement should highlight several aspects of your experiences, including your personal ties to the field, academic career, goals, values, and professional experience in this speciality that, when all considered in combination, will ultimately make you stand out in the field.

While your personal statement is a personal piece of writing, it must still adhere to any word limits (normally this is 750-800 words) and should maintain a concise and organized structure.

Consider including the following details in your surgery personal statement:

Optional: a brief explanation of any gaps or unfavorable grades "}]">

No matter what field you’re applying for residency, your residency personal statement must only be a few concise paragraphs that clearly communicate why you are interested in pursuing a particular residency/field.

Here are some things that your surgery personal statement should not include:

Any negative remarks. This is especially crucial if you do choose to address gaps in your timeline or poor grades. Always utilize the opportunity to address how you made improvements and grew from negative experiences instead! "}]">

Example One

Looking down at my little sister’s wound on her head after she’d plummeted from the top of the slide was the first time I knew I had to act fast in order to tend to her injury, as well as her emotional well-being. When somebody would fall and become injured, most children would freeze or watch the situation unfold from afar…but not me. I would often be found consoling injured classmates on the playground. I’d utter words of inspiration and keep their spirits high—not because anybody taught me to—but because I reacted calmly to humans in distress. I’d watch curiously as their wounds were bandaged, but that action quickly morphed into me having the urge to be the one to dress the wound and offer insight and opinions about the injury. Of course, many people don’t take the word of a 10-year-old seriously, but it never discouraged me. Rather, it fueled my desire to be in a position where I would be taken seriously when I tried to help.

Through my surgical clerkship in year 3 of my MD program, I was able to make the confident decision that surgery was the field I was meant to train in, and I feel I’ll make an outstanding surgeon.

Throughout my various rotations, clerkships and volunteer opportunities over the past five years, I’ve met many patients whose lives had been altered and improved—and many saved—by their surgeons. I learned that while some surgeries are certainly more ‘general’, others are lifesaving, and all require quick thinking and organized action. Accident victims, victims of a ruptured appendix or inflamed gallbladder, and those suffering from a fracture (and more)! Every time I interacted with them, or heard of their case, patients of all ages inspired me in their own unique ways to continue to learn how to best correct and fix such problems through surgery. In my general surgery clerkship, I was often asked to address pre-op questions that patients had, comfort them and put their mind at ease before wheeling them into the OR, and report to the patient in recovery with the attending physician. During surgery, I would observe and have the opportunity to ask questions afterward about specific tools and approaches used in the OR to better understand what was being done, and why. Through this experience, I gained a broad knowledge of general surgery terminology an practices, and grew to understand the importance of communication between patients, doctors, nurses, residents, and even shadowing students, collaboration, and focus during the entire surgical process.

In the tenth grade, my class entered the Body Words exhibition at X City Science Centre. Most of my classmates joked uncomfortably and cringed throughout the exhibit, but I remember being utterly captivated and intrigued—I wanted to know more. That was the first time I remember being stunned by the intricacy of the human body and the world that exists within the CNS and every bone, muscle and vein within us all. From the tenth grade onward, I knew I wanted to study medicine, but I now wholeheartedly believe that the surgical field is where my skills and interests lie, and where I can best utilize my passion. I have been continually fascinated by the human body and have been a strong observer of its functions and dysfunctions throughout my past four years in medical school, as well as throughout my undergraduate and adolescent years. I am eager to learn as much as I can about how the body works, how it fails, and how surgical interventions can help people achieve optimal function and health.

I also believe that surgical residency is where I can best utilize my communication skills and interpersonal abilities, whether communicating with colleagues or patients. During my clerkships, in general surgery, emergency medicine, and my rotations and volunteer experience in pediatrics, I learned to communicate thoroughly, calmly, and clearly with various patients, even in tough situations in the ER trauma unit; my ability to remain collected and communicative is innate, and I feel this would be an asset as a future surgeon. I have always felt a strong sense of empathy for others, which has helped me connect with patients and their families. I also believe that my years as an athlete and team captain have given me incredible discipline, leadership skills, and a competitive edge in the operating room, where every second counts and no one wants to lose. Just like on the hockey rink during AAA finals, everybody has a job to do, and communication and teamwork is key, especially when quick decisions must be made.

I have a personal connection to surgery, and this experience further drove my passion to become an expert in the field and pursue medicine. My father had a heart attack when he was 41 years old. The doctors told him that he needed open-heart surgery, but they could not perform the procedure due to his poor condition. They said that if they were able to operate on him, he would have only a 25% chance of survival. However, his skilled surgeon assured us that he would take a risk do everything he could to help my father...and he did just that. During my undergraduate years, I volunteered at the same hospital that saved my father’s life, and I attribute the volunteer experience to my ability to remain calm and level-headed in traumatic, upsetting and intense situations. In particular, I volunteered in the pediatric oncology unit for six months, met dozens of inspiring patients and had the pleasure of reading to them, assisting them with meals, as well as shadowing physician’s during scheduled appointments and post-op visits, and tense conversations with patient’s families.

I remember the first time I won a mathematics competition; people congratulated me and often spoke of my future as being one in academia. While it didn’t seem far-fetched, I, even as a teen, had visualized myself working in a hands-on field and helping people directly, despite my talent for solving complex equations.

I have loved science and math since I was in elementary school and won various awards and scholarships throughout my life, including seven state math competitions in high school, and being awarded the X University Grant (for ‘Mathematic Excellence’) in my third year of undergraduate study. But, ultimately, I knew I wanted to work hands-on, and in the medical field. I first became interested in science when my father began to take me outside to show me plants in our yard and explain their biology to me, as he is an accomplished, passionate Botanist. The knowledge he imparted on me about these plants inspired me to learn more about all kinds of organisms—not just plants— but humans. I was about ten years old when I figured that because I loved biology, anatomy, science and math, a career in medicine was the clear choice for me. And, I was in high school when I realized that working hands-on in surgery was my calling.

This interest in biology led me to pursue a combined degree in Mathematics and Biology at X University, where I began to take more speciality- focused courses to explore all of my areas of interest, like immunology. From there, I went on to medical school at XYZ College of Medicine. During my recent years in medical school I took advanced courses and completed rotations in neurosurgery, orthopedics, sports medicine, general surgery, and emergency medicine—all while working toward earning my MD degree and trying to learn as much as I could, across various fields of medicine. At the end of each day, though, surgery was always at the forefront of my mind. I am an analytic thinker, an accomplished mathematician, a science-minded MD student, with the ability to act quickly and think of several ways to approach a scenario, which I feel is a vital quality for a surgeon to have. Sometimes, the solution to a problem is black-and-white, and other times, the solution can only be found if one thinks ‘outside-the-box’; I have proven, through my academic and professional experiences, that I understand how to do both.

Your personal statement is a vital component of your residency application! It is an opportunity for you to express your interest in a particular field, in this case, surgery, and explain why you are a great fit for residency in your respective field! Remember, ERAS and CaRMS do not include prompts, and this is why it’s important that you review samples of personal statements in order to understand how to write your own and make it as strong as possible to increase your chances of admission.

Surgery is considered to be ‘medium’ or ‘average’ in terms of competitiveness, as it is in demand, a fairly popular choice, and moderately easy to match in. Remember, whether it’s the most competitive residency or the least competitive residency, your application must be stellar in order to match.

In order for any personal statement to stand out, you have to highlight what skills, experiences and accomplishments you’ve had that are relevant to the field of which you’re applying! For surgery, be sure to detail any volunteer, paid, and especially clinical clerkship experiences you’ve had that are related to surgery. You must also outline what steps you’ve taken to familiarize yourself with the field, for example, courses and clerkships, patient/rotation experiences, research, or even personal experiences that enhanced your passion for surgery.

Your CV exists to list and highlight your academic and professional achievements, and your personal statement is a story, so they are quite different. While you can certainly mention any relevant points included on your CV, such as an award or publication, in your surgery personal statement, you should ensure that it ties into the overall story you are trying to tell with your personal statement.

Your personal statement should include a very strong opening sentence/paragraph that captivates the reader (the admissions team!) and brief details that highlight why you’re a perfect fit for surgery, what specific accomplishments and experiences you’ve had that make you a strong candidate, and examples of skills you’ve acquired/experiences that taught you these vital skills.

Generally speaking, aim for 750-800 words, unless otherwise specified by the program! Personal statements are meant to be a brief, personal piece of writing that highlights your relevant skills and experiences that would make you an exceptional surgery resident.

First of all, you don’t have to address these things if you feel you shouldn’t! However, a personal statement can serve as a way for you to clarify any details and share information about what you’ve learned/how you’ve recovered from a bad grade or experience in your program. If you choose to do so, you should describe the scenario briefly and explain what you’ve learned, or, how you’ve changed as a result. Avoid any negative statements and excuses and stick to the facts!

Your personal statement is an independent story! So, we would advise against directly referring to components of your application, and encourage you to focus on creating a brief narrative that highlights the skills, experiences and qualities you possess that make you a great candidate for surgery residency.

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Gender-Based Differences in Urology Residency Applicant Personal Statements

Alysen demzik.

1 Department of Urology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Pauline Filippou

Christopher chew.

2 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Allison Deal

3 Multidisciplinary Genitourinary Oncology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC

Emily Mercer

Sejal mahajan, eric m. wallen, hung-jui tan, angela b smith.

To gain insight into the perceptions of urology held by medical students as they enter the field, we analyzed the linguistic characteristics and gender differences in personal statements written by urology residency program applicants.

Personal statements were abstracted from residency applications to a urology residency program. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count, a validated text analysis software, characterized the linguistic content of the statements. Analyzed statements were compared according to gender of the applicant using multivariate analysis, examining the association of applicant gender and statement characteristics. Multivariate analysis was also performed to determine the association of personal statement characteristics with matching into urology residency.

Of 342 analyzed personal statements, no significant difference was found in statement characteristics between matched and unmatched applicants. Male and female applicants wrote with the same degree of overall analytical thinking, authenticity, and emotional tone. Clout, a measure of portrayed confidence, was low for both genders. Female applicants used more social and affective process words. Male applicants used more words indicating a sense of community and acceptance. Female applicants had more references to women within their statements.

Significant linguistic differences exist among personal statements written by men and women applying to urology residency. Word usage differences follow societal gender norms. Statement content demonstrates a difference between genders in perceived sense of belonging, highlighting the importance of gender concordant mentorship within the field.

The personal statement is a required portion of the standardized application for all urology residency programs within the United States. This one-page essay is used by medical students to express their career goal of entering the urology workforce, and highlight and contextualize the accomplishments listed in their application. Despite relative subjectivity and lack of evidence that personal statements correlate with future success or clinical performance, they are used in the residency application process to better determine a medical student's “fit” for a program. 1 , 2 The freeform nature of the personal statement allows students to advocate for themselves in their own voice, thereby allowing insight into the personality, interests, morals, and values of each individual applicant not otherwise captured in the rest of the residency application. As USMLE Step 1 scores move to pass/fail grading and the potential implications of COVID-19 for future residency application cycles materialize, the personal statement may become more prominent in the decision making process.

Due to the individualized nature of personal statements and the difficulty in analyzing such subjective content, previous studies examining personal statements have focused on the weight of the statement in the applicant ranking process across various medical residencies with limited and varying results. 3 , 4 , 5 With the advent of automated text analysis, more recent studies have explored the nuanced differences of both letters of recommendation and personal statements of residency applicants to various medical fields. The majority of these studies have found differences between men and women's writing that play into gender stereotypes. 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 Previously, we found that letter of recommendations written for male urology residency applicants were written in a more authentic tone, and reference themes of drive, power and work more often than letters written for female applicants. 6 However, gender-based differences in personal statements of applicants to urology residency programs have not been studied.

While current urology residency match rates are equal among male and female applicants, the overall proportion of female applicants is approximately one third that of males. 10 Approximately 90% of practicing urologists are male, and male patients are seen 3 times more often in the ambulatory urology setting. 11 , 12 The predominantly male patient and provider environment of urology may serve as barriers to female matriculation, and these distinct differences in gender ratios throughout the specialty may influence medical students’ perception of urology, their role as they enter the field, and how their personal statements are received by reviewers. Through comprehensive linguistic analysis of personal statements of urologic residency applicants, we sought to gain insight into gender-based differences through applicant's personal statements, identifying writing characteristics unique to urology applicants and highlighting similarities and differences between male and female authors. We hypothesize that there are linguistic differences between personal statements written by male and female residency applicants that follow gender stereotypes which in turn may highlight the continued gender disparities within the field of urology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study characteristics.

After receiving institutional IRB approval, residency applications submitted to the Department of Urology residency program at the University of North Carolina during the 2016-2017 application cycle were extracted from the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applications were included in the study if they attended medical school in the United States. Residents who matched at the University of North Carolina urology residency during the studied application year were excluded in an effort to reduce risk of identification of the author. Descriptive data of applicants were manually extracted from their residency applications, including age, race, gender, number of gap years between medical school and residency, USMLE Step 1 score, number of research projects reported, match outcome, and medical school rank. Medical school rank was determined by examining the US News & World Report Best Medical School Research rankings reported during the 2016-2017 year.

Personal statements from included applicants were transcribed and de-identified to remove all personal information, including any personal or educational program names within the body of the personal statement. In accordance with application guidelines, each personal statement was limited to 3500 characters.

Linguistic Outcomes

Personal statements were then analyzed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), an internally and externally validated text analysis program (Pennebaker Conglomerates, Inc, Austin TX). The analysis of each statement by LIWC included an evaluation of word count, 4 summary language variables (analytical thinking, clout, authenticity and emotional tone), and the presence of 41 word categories ( Fig. 1 ). Each summary language variable is a research-based composite score created using a proprietary algorithm. Their value, assigned on a 0-100 scale, quantifies text characteristics. The analytic thinking score describes how rational and formal text is. Clout refers to writing that is authoritative, confident and exhibits leadership. Authenticity refers to writing that is personal and honest. A higher emotional tone score describes positive emotions, while lower scores describe more negative writing. Word category scores determine what percentage of the analyzed text contains words referencing different psychological constructs (eg, affect, cognition, biological processes, drives, etc.) and personal concerns (eg, work, home, leisure, and activities). For example, if the word “eager” was encountered by the program in a piece of text, the score for positive emotion, affect and reward categories would increase. If the word “cried” were encountered, the score for sadness, negative emotion, and affect would increase.

Linguistic inquiry and word count (LIWC) document analysis output.

Statistical Analysis

Descriptive statistics were used to report baseline applicant characteristics as well as general personal statement characteristics. Differences between male and female personal statements were analyzed using independent sample t tests. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to control for USMLE Step 1 score. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was also performed to compare personal statements of matched and unmatched applicants. Two-tailed test with P < .05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analyses were performed using R (version 3.6.1; R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) software.

Of 353 residency applications to the University of North Carolina Department of Urology residency, a total of 342 personal statements were evaluated, with 243 written by male applicants and 100 written by female applicants. Applicants of different gender were overall similar in age, race, Step 2 score, and the number of research projects submitted as part of their application, with women applicants having a slightly lower Step 1 score compared to their male counterparts (242 vs 245, P  = .029, Table 1 ).

Characteristics of urology resident applicants by gender

When examining summary variables scores of analytic tone, authenticity, emotional tone, and clout, personal statements written by female and male applicants received similar scores within the summary categories of analytic tone, authenticity, emotional tone, and clout. ( Table 2 ). Personal statements contained high analytic tone (mean 89.18, range 0-100, with higher scores indicating predominantly formal writing) and with positive emotional tone (mean 89.28, range 0-100, with higher scores indicating positive over negative words). Authenticity was above average (mean 64.89, range 0-100, with high scores indicating more expressive writing). Notably, the score for clout was significantly lower than other summary categories (mean 36.3, range 0-100, with lower scores indicating tentative over authoritative language).

Characteristics of personal statements by gender of applicant controlling for USMLE Step 1 score

When examining differences between male and female personal statements among subcategories, several significant differences were found. Essays written by women had a higher word count compared to men (663.5 vs. 634.5, p=0.005). When compared to male applicants, female applicants used more social words such as “family,” “friend,” “talk,” and “community” ( P  = .004), and affective-process-based words such as “happy” and “cried” ( P  = .045) in their personal statements. After adjusting for statement length and frequency differences between male and female applicants, women used on average 6.5 more social words and 3.25 more affective-process words than men. Women also had increased frequency of word usage conveying negative emotions such as “hurt,” “ugly,” “nasty,” and “sad” ( P  = .025) and anxiety-based words “worried,” “fearful,” “scared,” and “concerned” ( P  = .012, Table 2 ).

Conversely, male applicants used community-based words such as “we,” “us,” and “our” at a significantly higher frequency than their female counterparts ( P  = .025). There was no difference in frequency of first-person singular pronouns such as “I” and “me” between male and female applicants. Applicants of both genders referred to men in their personal statements at a similar rate, however female applicants made significantly more female references (female: 0.19, male: 0.00, P  = .004).

Utilizing a logistic regression to control for USMLE Step 1 score, there was no statistically significant difference between LIWC characteristics between personal statements of applicants who matched and did not match into a residency program. Additional applicant variables were not included in logistic regression as they were not significantly associated with matching.

Gender disparity is pervasive in medicine and persistent in the field of urology. Despite a near tripling of female applicants to urology over the last few decades and recent data showing that female surgeons occupy a disproportionate volume of academic and subspecialty urology positions, there still exists a large minority of female urologists and substantial income inequality within the field. 13 , 14 , 15 In competitive professional settings, self-promotion and gender norms may serve as a major source of gender disparity. While men are often rewarded for self-promotion, women are often penalized. 16 With respect to gender norms, women are expected to use more social and relationship-oriented language that is less assertive, while men are expected to use more self-oriented and self-assured language. 17 , 18 Failure to adhere to gender norms often damages career advancement, and alteration of language and behavior to maintain these expectations is common. 16

Previous research comparing linguistic differences between genders in personal statements from the male-dominated fields of internal medicine and general surgery showed that while women tended to stay within the confines of social norms by writing more often about communal and social themes, both men and women wrote in equally self-promoting terms. 7 , 8 This was echoed in our study demonstrating that urology applicants were found to express the same level of achievement, power and reward words, which are all associated with self-promotion. This suggests that values of male-dominated specialties encourage applicants, regardless of gender, to express more agency overall. Conversely, residents entering pediatrics, a female-dominated specialty, showed equal amounts of communal language used by male and female applicants, again suggesting that personal statement language is partially dictated by the applicant's perception of specialty-specific values of behavior and speech. 9

It must also be noted that due to the gender disparity found within urology and other male-dominated medical fields, a large majority of faculty reviewers and program directors are male, which may impact how personal statements are read and received. While not previously studied, there could be also nuanced differences in perceptions that male readers form when compared to female readers as they navigate a personal statement.

Interestingly, women applying to internal medicine and general surgery self-promoted by describing examples of team work and emphasizing the emotional and relational aspects of doctoring, while men tended to itemize their accomplishments and express an individual narrative, illustrating the subtle pervasiveness of gender expectations. 7 , 8 , 9 Similarly, our analysis shows that female medical students applying to urology used more social and affective-process words in their personal statements. By engaging in self-promotion through focusing on their relation to a team, women can appear competent while avoiding appearing immodest and contrary to expected gender norms.

Our findings also suggest that male applicants may perceive an increased sense of belonging within the field of urology. Males and females used first-person singular pronouns at the same rate. However, when compared to women, men used words such as “we,” “us,” and “our” more often in their personal statements. These words are associated with a strong sense of identity with the cohort that is being addressed. Linguistic analysis of interview transcripts and diaries found that increased use of these community-based words suggest a social connectedness and increased sense of inclusion. 19 Additionally, linguistic analysis of various texts ranging from military letters to educational institution emails found a correlation between use of first person pronouns and social hierarchy, self-reported power and status. Lower ranked individuals use more first-person singular pronouns such as “I” and “me” whereas higher ranked individuals use more first-person plural pronouns such as “we” and “us.” 20 This may indicate that male medical students applying into urology perceive themselves to be of a higher social rank within the medicosocial hierarchy found in healthcare and urology than female students. This may also be reflected in the increased usage of anxiety-related words by female urology applicants as compared to men. Literature on the role of gender in medical school education suggests that implicit gender bias influences the acculturation and sense of self differently between male and female students that in turn reflects on their sense of acceptance in their chosen professional community. 21 , 22

Our study found that applicants to urology residency wrote their personal statements in a highly analytical and authentic style with positive emotional tone. Notably, there was a diminished clout score for all personal statements written by medical students applying into urology, implying a decreased sense of confidence and expertise. The average clout score was 36 (range 0-100), a significantly lower score than that of other summary categories of authenticity, emotional tone, and analytical processes which were higher than average scores when compared to various types of writing. 19 This finding seems understandable in that a tentative tone would seem natural when a relatively inexperienced medical student is appealing to a group of more experienced physicians. Additionally, reviewers may perceive this tone as reflecting increased humility, which could be favorable to applicants. However, this finding is not consistent across medical specialties. 7 , 8 , 9 Comparatively, clout scores were above average and approximately 15% higher among pediatric residency applicants. 9

The reasons for decreased clout in the writing of urology applicants is unclear. With the exception of expressive writing (categorized as emotional writing) which has a similarly low clout score (37, range 0-100), various texts such as novels, natural speech, and newspapers show high levels of clout. 19 Perhaps the perception that the urology residency match is highly competitive leads applicants to write more tentatively and emotionally. Lower clout scores could also reflect insecurity due to decreased field-specific exposure that some urology applicants may have during medical school as compared to other specialty applicants. 23

Despite being the first manuscript to explore linguistic differences in personal statements among urology applicants, our manuscript must be viewed in the context of several limitations. While LIWC software has been validated for context reliability, there still remains a possibility that the tone and authorial intent could be misinterpreted if full context was considered. For example, there are words that have a different meaning in medicine as compared to lay language, which may not be accurately captured using LIWC. Secondly, while the study of linguistic analysis is growing, there remains a lack of studies evaluating personal statements for many medical specialties. Thus, we are unable with full certainty to compare and contrast the personal statements from urology residency applicants to those of other specialties. Additionally, the personal statements used were collected from the applicants to a single urology residency training program. In the 2017 application cycle, 422 applicants submitted preference lists and of the senior medical students in the United States applying, 82% percent were matched. 24 While this is similar to our cohort of 342 applicants with a match rate of 84%, findings may not be generalizable to all urology residency applicants across the country.

Notwithstanding these limitations, our study has important implications, with specific considerations to reduce gender disparities. As one example, increased female mentorship would provide reassurance to female urology applicants in the face of elevated male-to-female ratios throughout urology. Our findings emphasize the importance and value that female applicants place on female gender-concordant experiences, as female applicants showed a significant increase in the number of female references in their personal statements as compared to males. While there is an increasing number of female urologists in academic and fellowship trained subspecialties, women hold a disproportionately small number of department chair, vice chair, and educational directorship positions. 25 , 26 There is a vital need for women to ascend to leadership positions in order to improve female mentorship within the field. Programs should strive to implement gender equality in the faculty responsible for selecting residents to limit effects of possible varied reception of personal statements written by male and female applicants. The implementation of female focused mentorship programs in medicine has shown relative increases in the number of senior faculty and leadership positions held by women. 27

The subtle differences in language used by men and women in their personal statements add to growing literature supporting that societal gender-based expectations plays a pervasive role in the medical education, specialty selection, and perceived sense of belonging within a medical field. Women may experience and perceive cultural disadvantages when considering and applying to a male-dominated specialty. Maintaining awareness of the implications of gender stereotypes within medicine and urology, striving for gender equity among faculty, and implementing programs for earlier targeted mentorship of female applicants may lessen obstructions to entering the field and decrease gender disparities within urology.

Financial Disclosure: The authors declare that they have no relevant financial interests.

Conflicts of Interest : No relevant conflicts. AS is funded by BCAN and PCORI. AS is a also on the study advisor committee and is a consultant for Photocure, Merck, Fergene, and Urogen.

Personal Statements

Your CV is a beautiful, readable, error-free summary of your accomplishments. You are moving on to your personal statement. You are ready, in one page, to tell residency program directors why they should select you, everything that has led you to this moment, to this decision, to this specialty choice. No pressure at all!

This blank page can be intimidating to many students. You are not alone. Take your time, so you can write several drafts.

Your CV tells people what you have done. Your personal statement tells people who you are.

• Do not use space in your statement re-stating what is already in your CV or other parts of your residency application.
• Don't redo your personal statement from your medical school application. You don't need to convince someone to admit you. You are in! You will have a job at the end of your fourth year.
• Do use your personal statement to help you find the job that is the most ideal match for you and your goals. You are going to be a doctor in a few short months. This personal statement should be much more focused on your specialty selection, your professional traits and your accomplishments that will impact your work as a physician.

A well-written personal statement should accomplish the following goals:

• Help pull you out of the crowd of applicants – be sure to include unique experiences, background, and information.
• Give the reviewer a glimpse at the type of resident you will be – don't say you are hard working (all residency applicants are). Instead, include examples of how you have acquired the attributes you want to feature in your statement. (See more ideas below.)
• Make the case that this specialty is really the right match for you. No program director wants to select a student who, six months into the residency, realizes they are not a good fit. What have you done to be sure this is the right career path for you?
• Be specific about what you like about the specialty. Do you enjoy the procedures? Why? Do you like the environment of the OR? Why? What type of patients do you enjoy working with? What experiences led you to consider this specialty? And, ultimately, why did you select this specialty?
• What about you will contribute to the specialty and the program? Residency programs, and residents, want to select their future peers and colleagues. What do you bring to them? What can you offer? How will you enhance that area of medicine?

Students should select six to 10 characteristics to weave into their statements. Some possibilities you could consider including are:

• leadership skills
• future practice location
• team building skills
• organization
• ability to work under stress
• problem solving
• patient communication skills

Sample Personal Statements

Sample statements are from University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine graduates who matched into various specialties. Ideas can be used for any specialty choice. The Associate Dean and the Director of Student Services are available to give you feedback on your personal statement draft. You can email a draft to Cherie Singer .

• Anesthesiology
• Dermatology
• Internal Medicine
• Plastic Surgery

Online Resources

• Medical Blog – personal statement pos

Writing a Personal Statement for Residency Application

Personal statements are an essential, required part of applying to residency. Residency programs screen thousands of applications every cycle and read many hundreds of these statements in the process. You should aim to write an interesting statement that showcases your personality as well as your achievements. Perhaps most importantly, you will need to skillfully articulate the reasons for your interest in family medicine and the particular program you're applying to.

How to Write a Great Personal Statement

A great personal statement sets itself apart from a good personal statement in several ways.

• First, it includes a level of specificity that shows your motivations and interests are authentic. For example, when conveying why you want to match into family medicine, show awareness of the exciting developments in the specialty, or describe your experience with or knowledge of topics like population health management, care coordination, and the social determinants of health.
• Feel free to highlight items in your CV if they help remind your reader of the experiences you’ve had that prepared you for the position. This is your opportunity to expand upon activities that are just listed in the CV but deserve to be described so your reader can appreciate the breadth and depth of your involvement in them. It should not be another comprehensive list of your activities, but rather should refer to activities that are listed in detail on the CV.
• The personal statement is also an appropriate place to address anything that may be ambiguous on your CV. In particular, you should address any nontraditional path you’ve taken through medical school, such as time off or an altered curricular journey. It is better to address these than to leave a program wondering. If you write about academic or personal challenges that you faced during medical school, make a positive impression by focusing on what you've learned from those experiences and how they brought you to where you are now. 

You may choose to relate significant personal experiences, but do so only if they are relevant to your candidacy for the position.

Sharpen Your Writing Skills 

The importance of good writing in a personal statement cannot be overemphasized. Unfortunately, not only are good writing skills allowed to deteriorate during medical school, but in some sense, they also are deliberately undermined in the interest of learning to write concise histories and physicals. For the moment, forget everything you know about writing histories and physicals. While preparing your personal statement:

• Avoid abbreviations.
• Avoid repetitive sentence structure.
• Avoid using jargon. If there is a shorter, simpler, less pretentious way of putting it, use it.
• Don't assume your reader knows the acronyms you use. As a courtesy, spell everything out.
• Use a dictionary and spell check. 
• Use a thesaurus. Variety in the written language can add interest, but don't get carried away.
• Write in complete sentences.

If you need a crash course in good writing, read  The Elements of Style ,  Fourth Edition  by Strunk and White. If you have friends or relatives with writing or editing skills, enlist their help. Student organizations at your school may host personal statement clinics, or your school may offer review services. Many student, medical, and specialty societies, local and national, may offer personal statement reviews or workshops.

Even if you're a great writer and feel confident about your application, you should ask trusted advisors, mentors, and friends to critique your personal statement (and your CV! ). They can help you make your statement as flawless as possible by giving you feedback about areas that might have been unclear or things that should be added.

Don't cross the line

Your personal statement should remain an original composition, even as you seek input and advice. Retain your voice as you refine your writing and don't ever plagiarize. Be aware of other ethical lines you shouldn't cross as well, for example, don't use vague references that would allow for the reader to misinterpret the nature of your experience, and don't take full credit for a project if others worked on it with you.

Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Family Physicians. All Rights Reserved.

StatementWritingHelp.com by  Dr. Robert Edinger Helping Applicants Since 1995   [email protected]

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I invite you to fill out my I nterview Form at this link. Even if you have a draft, the information on the interview form is often helpful and serves as the basis for me to make creative improvements to the statement. I spend more time with the statement for my premium service customers at US$299.00 ; this is especially true when it comes to making major contributions to creative ideas. My standard service at US$199.00 is for clients who already have a well-developed draft that they need to have tweaked. My premium service is for those clients who want my ultimate effort and further revision after making changes. 

• Oct 28, 2023

Residency Urology Personal Statement Examples, Edit

Updated: Jan 14

Urology is a field where surgical competence, compassion, and sensitivity is paramount to patient care. I believe my personal strengths and experiences will allow me to succeed in this area of medicine. My interest in urology began in college when I lived in a fraternity and served as a Peer Health Counselor while attending UCLA. This meant conducting student seminars discussing topics ranging from dysuria to sexually transmitted diseases. I felt privileged to be confided in by so many people about their intimate personal problems. As a result of this experience, I authored a paper exploring the psychogenic versus the organic causes of impotence among the elderly as a class project during my senior year.

After college, my road to becoming a physician took a detour. I worked for a business management company for the music entertainment industry and then started and operated a computer consulting company. These experiences taught me important organizational skills, self-discipline, and knowledge in the inner workings of computer hardware and software.

My vision to pursue urology came into sharp focus in medical school. After my first exposure to the operating room, I realized the structure, teamwork, and the challenge of various surgeries had sparked a keen interest in me. I jumped at the opportunities to do everything in the operating room from starting IVs and intubating the patient to closing the wound. I enjoyed staying late at the hospital, which meant more opportunities to be involved with cases I would have otherwise missed.

My interest in and love of surgery was reflected in receiving a rating of eleven out of ten from my first surgical clerkship as well as excellent comments from all my preceptors. Coincidentally, it was during my urology rotation that my father suffered urinary retention secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Through the rotation and my father's experience, I was able to fully appreciate the prevalence and management of prostatic diseases and other urologic abnormalities. Just when I thought the cases could not become any more interesting, I was fortunate enough to assist in a ureteral-appendiceal interposition in a trauma patient. I was fascinated. After speaking with practicing urologists both in private and academic settings, I decided that I want to combine my natural ability to discuss sensitive issues and my love for the operating room with the fascination I have dealing with urological pathologies.

I have balanced my academic and clinical endeavors with an active personal life. Shortly after I immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan at age 11, I became involved with two-way amateur radio communications. I enjoy the ability to relay messages succinctly and accurately. I have found this to be an important skill both in and out of the operating room. With English as my second language, I especially welcome the challenge of public speaking. Synthesizing my knowledge of medical education as a student and personal computers, I frequently give presentations in front of large audiences. In my spare time, I like to run, play basketball, and weightlift. Having completed a marathon and numerous 10K runs, I have the stamina to endure the rigors of a surgical subspecialty. Lastly, there is nothing more relaxing than to spend a weekend snow skiing with friends.

My varied interests make deciding on my future goals in urology difficult. There are many topics in urology which intrigue me, and I am unable to decide on a specific area now. I hope to further my training in a residency program as I learn more about my options. In order to combine my desire for public speaking, love for helping others, and ability to succinctly explain complex topics, I am certain that I will be involved with teaching. I would like to continue my clinical research efforts and to eventually practice urology in an academic setting.

I seek a well-balanced program which will further my intellectual and technical development through varied and numerous surgical cases along with exposure to different subspecialties within urology. Combining my personal strengths and dedication with a strong residency program, I am looking forward to incorporating compassion with results in becoming a urologist.

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Russia Maps Show 25% of Moscow Without Power Amid Winter Freeze 'Emergency'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the nationalization of an ammunition plant in Moscow after a mechanical failure caused tens of thousands of Muscovites to lose heat and water amid freezing temperatures beginning last week.

On January 4, a heating main burst at the Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant in the town of Podolsk, which is around 30 miles south of central Moscow. Since then, tens of thousands of Russians are reported to have no heating in their homes in the Moscow region amid subzero temperatures.

Affected areas include the cities of Khimki, Balashikha, Lobnya, Lyubertsy, Podolsk, Chekhov, Naro-Fominsk, and Podolsk, a map published by a Russian Telegram channel and shared on other social media sites shows.

⚡️Map of European cities where people complain about the lack of heating and electricity due to the restriction of #ruZZian energy supplies 😆😆😆😆😆 pic.twitter.com/o0kldiLwiy — Aurora Borealis 🤫 (@aborealis940) January 8, 2024

Other Russian media outlets reported that in Moscow, residents of Balashikha, Elektrostal, Solnechnogorsk, Dmitrov, Domodedovo, Troitsk, Taldom, Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Krasnogorsk, Pushkino, Ramenskoye, Voskresensk, Losino-Petrovsky, and Selyatino are also without power.

That means that in total, more than a quarter of Moscow's cities have been hit with power outages and a lack of heating.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

Many residents have taken to publishing video appeals on social media to complain about their freezing conditions. In one clip, people living in Moscow say that they are left with no choice but to warm their homes with gas stoves, heaters, and "whatever else we can find." Others said they are lighting fires in the streets to keep warm.

Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, announced on Tuesday that Putin ordered the ammunition plant to be nationalized because two of its owners have been "located abroad." He didn't name the individuals.

"We received the right to take control of this boiler house within the framework of an emergency," Vorobiev said, adding that the plant's boiler room was managed "very poorly" and there was "virtually no qualified competent personnel."

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case over Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant not meeting safety requirements.

On Tuesday, the committee said that because of the incident, the deputy head of Podolsk's administration, the head of the plant's boiler house, and the general director of the ammunition plant had been detained.

Residents of Selyatino have described the situation as "some kind of struggle for survival," Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported.

Power outages have also struck St. Petersburg, Rostov, Volgograd, Voronezh, Primorsky Territory, and Yekaterinburg.

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Some results uranium dioxide powder structure investigation

• Processes of Obtaining and Properties of Powders
• Published: 28 June 2009
• Volume 50 , pages 281–285, ( 2009 )

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• E. I. Andreev 1 ,
• K. V. Glavin 2 ,
• A. V. Ivanov 3 ,
• V. V. Malovik 3 ,
• V. V. Martynov 3 &
• V. S. Panov 2  

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Features of the macrostructure and microstructure of uranium dioxide powders are considered. Assumptions are made on the mechanisms of the behavior of powders of various natures during pelletizing. Experimental data that reflect the effect of these powders on the quality of fuel pellets, which is evaluated by modern procedures, are presented. To investigate the structure of the powders, modern methods of electron microscopy, helium pycnometry, etc., are used. The presented results indicate the disadvantages of wet methods for obtaining the starting UO 2 powders by the ammonium diuranate (ADU) flow sheet because strong agglomerates and conglomerates, which complicate the process of pelletizing, are formed. The main directions of investigation that can lead to understanding the regularities of formation of the structure of starting UO 2 powders, which will allow one to control the process of their fabrication and stabilize the properties of powders and pellets, are emphasized.

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Elektrostal’ Polytechnical Institute (Branch), Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, ul. Pervomaiskaya 7, Elektrostal’, Moscow oblast, 144000, Russia

E. I. Andreev

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Original Russian Text © E.I. Andreev, K.V. Glavin, A.V. Ivanov, V.V. Malovik, V.V. Martynov, V.S. Panov, 2009, published in Izvestiya VUZ. Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya i Funktsional’nye Pokrytiya, 2008, No. 4, pp. 19–24.

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Andreev, E.I., Glavin, K.V., Ivanov, A.V. et al. Some results uranium dioxide powder structure investigation. Russ. J. Non-ferrous Metals 50 , 281–285 (2009). https://doi.org/10.3103/S1067821209030183

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Published : 28 June 2009

Issue Date : June 2009

DOI : https://doi.org/10.3103/S1067821209030183

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