word count personal statement medical school

6 Tips for Writing Your AMCAS® Personal Comments Essay

New section.

The Personal Comments Essay section of the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) application is your opportunity to tell medical school admissions officers who you are and what makes you unique. Here are some tips to help you as you write your essay.

The AMCAS® application to medical school asks for a lot of information about yourself. It includes biographical information, courses taken, and work experiences just to name a few.  The application also requires you to include a Personal Comments Essay, which is entered in Section 8 of the application. This essay provides an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants and provide admissions officers with more insight into why you have chosen to pursue a career in medicine.

Many admissions committees place significant weight on this section, so we have compiled a list of tips to help you craft a well-organized and compelling essay.

• Take time to think about the content of your essay before writing a first draft. As you’re thinking about the structure of your essay, remember to keep the content general because it will go to all medical schools you apply to. Try not to duplicate information provided elsewhere in the application. Some questions you may want to consider before you begin writing include: What are some of your personal values and how have they influenced your desire to enter the medical profession? What motivates you to learn more about medicine? What should medical schools know about you that isn’t described in other sections of the application?
• Show, don't tell.  If challenges in your childhood or a defining experience led you to consider medicine, use details to describe those experiences and bring your essay to life. Try to include content that aligns with the premed competencies for entering medical students . Write in your authentic voice; your essay can help you contextualize and elaborate on topics during your interview.
• Stay on topic. There is a 5,300 character limit (including spaces) in this section. This equals about 1 1/2 pages of writing, single-spaced. Make sure your essay is interesting, follows a logical and orderly flow, relates to your reasons for choosing medicine, and describes why you believe you will be successful as a physician.
• Don’t be afraid of the editing process.  Be sure to write more than one draft and make edits to your essay. Find a reviewer who does not have a personal relationship with you, as an external reviewer will help you gain new perspectives on your writing and refine the story you want to tell admissions committees.
• Remember to proofread and be mindful of formatting. The AMCAS application does not include spell -check, so be sure to proofread your essay for any typos or grammatical errors. You will not be able to go back into this section to make any edits after submitting your application. To avoid formatting issues, we recommend that you draft your essay in text-only word processing software, such as Microsoft Notepad or Mac TextEdit, then copy and paste your essay into the application. You can also type your essay directly into the AMCAS application.
• If you are applying to MD-PhD programs, there are two additional essays you will need to complete. The first essay asks your reasons for pursuing the combined degree and is relatively short. The second essay asks you to describe your research activities and is about three pages long. You can read more about these additional essays in the 2024 AMCAS® Applicant Guide (PDF) or get further guidance from your prehealth advisor or career counselor.

For more AMCAS program-related tips, please check out the AMCAS Tools and Tutorials page . There, you’ll find video tutorials, presentations, guides, and recordings of past webinars. For further advice from current prehealth advisors, access our “Advisor Corner: Crafting Your Personal Statement” article .

2024 How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement (11 Steps)

• By Med School Insiders
• December 2, 2023
• Medical Student , Pre-med
• Medical School Application , Personal Statement

Each piece of a med school application brings a unique set of anxiety-ridden challenges, but few equal that of the personal statement. A personal statement is much, much more than a narrative-version of your CV. Reiterating your grades and extracurriculars in complete sentences is not how to write a medical school personal statement.

A personal statement is an opportunity to tell your story. Why do you want to study medicine? What drives you? This is your chance to let an admissions committee know who you really are beyond your grades.

Of course, you’re studying to become a doctor, not a novelist, which means the idea of crafting your personal statement may seem daunting, to say the least.

In this guide, we’ll take a comprehensive, step-by-step look at how to write a medical school personal statement, including how to get started, everything you need to include, and common mistakes to avoid.

Article Sections

• Anatomy of Medical School Personal Statement

What Med School Admissions Committees Look For

How to get started.

• How to Write a Personal Statement

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Medical school personal statement examples, anatomy of a medical school personal statement.

A personal statement has a 5,300 character maximum, about 1.5 pages of single-spaced 12-point Times New Roman font. The challenge isn’t trying to fill in words; the challenge is selecting the key moments in your life that made you want to be a doctor and expressing them concisely.

A personal statement is made up of three parts:

Introduction

It’s essentially a short essay that uses your life experience to succinctly demonstrate why you’re the right person for the job. If someone’s making a movie about your life and the events that shaped your desire to become a doctor, what key moments do you want to highlight?

Your introduction must capture an admissions committee’s attention. Use the introduction to hook your readers. The first few sentences should entice them to read more.

There isn’t a perfect number of paragraphs or set structure. This is where you discuss the experiences that have shaped your personality, your desire to study medicine, and your dreams for the future.

This is the summary of your statement, and it should tie in directly to your introduction. Now is the time to emphasize why you want to be a physician and your future goals.

Learn more about the Anatomy of a Stellar Medical School Personal Statement .

Admissions committees need to know they’re accepting students who are ready to face the rigorous day-and-night grind of medical school. They have your CV and transcripts; now you need to demonstrate you have what it takes to succeed.

The personal statement is your chance to display your personality and highlight the experiences that shaped you. What drives you? What strengths and experiences will you bring to medical school? Why are you an asset?

The admissions committee isn’t looking for a list of your accomplishments. They want to know your story . Don’t tell the admissions committee you’re compassionate and driven; show them with tangible examples from your life.

So you’re a great listener. What’s a moment in your past that demonstrates this? If you care deeply about the wellbeing of others, what story from your life illustrates that passion?

1 | Read Real Personal Statement Examples

Right off the bat, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone—far from it. Every medical student who came before you has written personal statements, which means you have a wealth of examples to read and learn from.

Every personal statement is unique to the writer. Don’t expect to find a perfect blueprint you can copy off of, but reading several different personal statements will give you a sense of the themes, concepts, strategies, and stories that can help you find success.

If you know people in your own life who have successfully matriculated to med school, it’s a good idea to ask them if you can take a look at their personal statement. Med School Insiders compiled a database of personal statements donated by successful medical school applicants. Reading successful personal statements will give you an idea of what’s expected.

Reading bad personal statements can also give you an idea of what mistakes to avoid. Learn from our bad personal statement examples , which includes key insights into what you should do instead.

2 | Reflect on Past Experiences

Take this as an opportunity to reflect. Don’t think of it as brainstorming, and don’t worry about being creative just yet. Simply think back on key moments from your past.

Think of your personal statement like your superhero origin story. You may have excellent grades, abilities, and a natural aptitude for science, but why are you pursuing medicine? What moment or moments in your life revealed to you why you had to be a doctor?

Take Spider-Man. Yes, Peter Parker received his superpowers from a radioactive spider bite, but that’s not why he fights crime; Spider-Man fights crime so that what happened to his Uncle Ben never happens to anyone else. Bruce Wayne is incredibly smart, incredibly strong, and incredibly rich, but that’s not why he fights crime as Batman. Bruce Wayne became Batman so that no one else would lose their parents to a random act of violence like he did.

The truth is, a lot of superheroes have pretty similar motivations, and doctors have similar motivations, too. Your desire to become a doctor likely stems from a genuine intellectual interest in medicine, a desire to work closely with other humans, and a drive to help people and save lives. The other med school hopefuls you’re applying with have very similar motivations.

The key is digging deep and determining what you value most about becoming a doctor. Once you know that, think about the tangible experiences in your life that helped you realize those values.

Utilize our list of 25 medical school personal statement prompts as you ideate and reflect on your life to date.

3 | Choose Which Experiences/Traits to Highlight

Identify three to four personal strengths you are particularly proud of and want the admissions committee to know. Where did these strengths shine in your premedical years? What experiences helped you build on these strengths? This will make up the body of your personal statement.

Remember: writing a personal statement takes time—and lots of it. It will likely take several different attempts and drafts. After discussing your selected strengths, you may find that they don’t define you well enough or that there are better options. Don’t be discouraged. Give yourself plenty of time to reflect on and explore a variety of different strengths.

Don’t forget about the interview; the admissions committee will certainly ask you to further elaborate on the experiences outlined in your personal statement. Share personal stories that you want to be asked about and feel comfortable addressing.

Generally, personal statements involve experiences in the following categories:

• A passion for patient interaction
• Intellectual curiosity for medicine (academics, research, etc.)
• Dedication and discipline (medicine or another pursuit)
• Perseverance in the face of adversity
• Interpersonal and professional skills

How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement

4 | show, don’t tell.

If essays or storytelling aren’t necessarily your strong suit, think back to math class and those equations where the teacher made you show your work for the full grade. It’s not enough that you got the answer right; you had to show how you arrived at the answer.

Think of this in the same way. It’s great that you’re compassionate, but the admissions committee isn’t going to take you at your word. They want you to back up that claim with evidence. It is vital that you show the admissions committee you’re compassionate with concrete examples from your life that illustrate your journey to medicine.

It’s much more impactful to share a story that demonstrates specific qualities than it is to tell someone you have those qualities directly. Saying you are hardworking or resilient is not enough. You need to craft a story that allows the reader to infer those qualities about you.

5 | Leverage the Narrative-Based Approach

You are applying to medical school along with an immense number of other students with great grades, stellar qualifications, and impressive clinical hours. These are all key to your medical school application, but the best grades in the world won’t set you apart in the eyes of the admissions committee.

Your personal statement is a chance to stand out in a crowded field. Too many personal statements read like a CV but with full paragraphs, which quickly becomes monotonous.

Leverage a narrative-based approach so that the admissions committee is excited to learn more about you. Your entire application should illustrate your compelling journey toward becoming a doctor. Highlight how your experiences make you an asset who will contribute uniquely to the medical school.

It’s not enough to simply check off the boxes. The admissions committee wants to know your story.

Learn How to Develop a Cohesive Narrative for Medical School Applications .

6 | Create an Outline

After taking the time to reflect on the experiences and traits you want to include in your personal statement, create an outline to structure your approach .

You do not need to stick to it, but this is the general structure of most personal statements:

• Introduction (A strong hook to catch the reader’s attention—usually an anecdote or reflection that introduces the theme of your story. Hook the reader with the opening sentence.)
• Experience 1
• Experience 2
• Experience 3
• Conclusion (Tie your story back to the opening hook/theme. Summarize why you want to be a physician and what your future goals are.)

Remember, this is not a list of your accomplishments. The personal statement must read like a cohesive narrative, not a resume.

Establish a theme in the introduction that’s central to your desire to become a doctor. Each following paragraph will illustrate how your personal experiences have shaped that desire and prepared you for your journey. In the conclusion, gracefully tie back to your central theme or hook to turn the personal statement into a consistent, interconnected story.

7 | Force Yourself to Start Writing

It’s understandable and common to feel overwhelmed while writing a personal statement. In fact, if you don’t feel overwhelmed, it’s safe to say that you’re not taking this seriously enough.

Start with a theme, but don’t get stuck trying to come up with the perfect opening sentence. That comes later. Once you have a general outline, just start writing. See what happens, and—most importantly—be kind to yourself.

The first words you write won’t be perfect, but they will get you started. You should fully expect the first draft of your personal statement to be terrible. That’s okay. First drafts are never perfect.

Your first draft probably won’t look anything like your final essay. Put one foot in front of the other and just start writing. Get the ideas out and worry about editing later.

8 | Keep it Concise and Direct

In your subsequent drafts, focus on cutting down your words and being concise. It’s not your use of flowery language that will impress the admissions committee. Forget about extravagant word choices and convoluted sentence structure. You don’t have the space for poetic tangents anyway.

Use your words efficiently, and favor clear language over long, complicated words. It’s easy for readers to spot when you’re using a thesaurus, and it will only take away from your end message. Find the simplest way to say something.

For example:

Hard-working over Assiduous

Compassion over Magnanimity

Agree over Concur

Use tools like the Hemingway App to keep your language direct and concise.

9 | Take Some Time Away

Take time away from your drafts. Once you complete a draft, take a break, and let it sit. Go for a walk, watch some TV, or work on a completely different activity. After your break, come back to your personal statement with fresh eyes. You may find that the fantastic opening line you came up with isn’t so fantastic anymore, or that sentence you weren’t so sure about actually works really well.

Writing your personal statement will take time. Even if you feel extremely confident in your personal statement, take time away from it and come back.

10 | Refine, Review, and Edit

We recommend using editing apps like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor , but don’t rely on bots alone to catch possible mistakes.

Ask your friends and family for their first impressions on the content of your personal statement. Tell them to be brutally honest (because the admissions committee certainly will be.) Reach out to a mentor or people who have been through this process before.

Spelling or grammar mistakes indicate carelessness on your part and are an automatic red flag for admissions committees. Read over your work carefully, and ask others you trust to do the same.

The editing process is such a critical phase for your personal statement. Learn how to edit your personal statement to impress admissions committees.

11 | Invest in Essay Editing Services

Your medical school personal statement is arguably the most important piece of your application. While an excellent essay can lock-in your interview offer, a poorly-written personal statement can ruin your chances—even with stellar grades, impressive academic awards, and a notable list of extracurriculars.

Don’t risk your acceptance. Essay editing services can provide the help that friends, family, and mentors cannot.

Med School Insiders Personal Statement Editing Services includes careful analysis of content and tone as well as helpful insights into how you can improve your essay and impress admissions committees.

Avoid the following common personal statement mistakes .

• Don’t list your accomplishments or rehash your CV and extracurriculars.
• Don’t make spelling or grammar errors.
• Don’t overuse the word I. Doing so makes you more likely to state your accomplishments instead of telling a story.
• Don’t use flowery language or words you found in a thesaurus.
• Don’t explain to a physician what medicine is all about. Talk about yourself and your experiences; the admissions committee already understands medicine.
• Don’t state the obvious or use clichés. (Every applicant likes science and wants to help people.)
• Don’t lie or fabricate your personal stories.
• Don’t make excuses for poor grades or a low MCAT score.
• Don’t speak negatively about another physician or healthcare professional.
• Don’t plead for an interview or acceptance.
• Don’t edit your personal statement by yourself.
• Don’t procrastinate.

Learn more: 20 Personal Statement: Dos and Don’ts .

It’s important to read the personal statements of matriculated students. While you won’t be able to mimic someone else’s personal statement, you can still learn a lot from them, and reading different statements can spark ideas for your own essay.

We compiled a selection of real medical school personal statements from successful applicants. These statements are for reference purposes only and should not be plagiarized in any way. Plagiarism detection software is used when evaluating personal statements, and plagiarizing is grounds for an automatic disqualification.

Be sure to read the included feedback regarding the personal statements as well, as this will give you extra insight into what admissions committees are looking for.

Read Real Medical School Personal Statement Examples .

Medical School Personal Statement Editing

Don’t write your medical school personal statement alone—we can help. Med School Insiders offers a range of personal statement editing packages , from general editing to unlimited, in-depth editing with a physician who will be there to advise you every step of the way.

Learn more about our Comprehensive Medical School Admissions Packages . Our team of doctors has years of experience serving on admissions committees, so you’ll receive key insights from people who have been intimately involved with the selection process.

Next read: Guide to Understanding the Medical School Application Process

Med School Insiders

2025-2026 Medical School Application Timeline and Monthly Schedule

This is the medical school application timeline you should follow, including key dates and an ideal month-by-month preparation schedule.

The Benefits of Shadowing a Doctor & How to Do It Right

Shadowing a doctor is an absolute must on the medical school application. We outline the benefits of shadowing a doctor and how to do it right.

How Late Can You Submit Your Primary Application? (Without Consequence)

Top applicants do everything they can to be competitive, and a key piece of that is submitting early. So, how late can you submit your primary application?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Complimentary 1-hour tutoring consultation Schedule Now

How to Write a Perfect Medical School Personal Statement: A Complete Guide

Writing a personal statement for medical school can be a daunting task, but it’s an important part of your application that can set you apart from other candidates. A medical school personal statement requires you to reflect on your experiences and communicate your passion for medicine in a compelling way. But there is a word limit, and being concise can be challenging. However, with careful planning and preparation, it is possible to write a strong and effective personal statement. Here are some tips to help you.

7 Important Tips for Writing a Perfect Personal Statement for Medical School

A strong personal statement can significantly affect your medical school application. Here are seven tips that you need to remember when writing your personal statement. 

Start with an engaging opening:

 Your opening sentence should grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read more. Consider starting with a personal story, a thought-provoking question, or a bold statement.

Showcase your motivation: 

Medical school admissions committees want to know why you want to become a doctor. Share your personal motivation for pursuing medicine, whether it’s a desire to help others, a personal experience that inspired you, or a specific aspect of the field that interests you.

Highlight your experiences:

 Use specific examples to illustrate your interest in medicine and your suitability for the profession. This could include volunteer work, research experience, clinical exposure , or any other activities related to medicine .

Discuss your strengths:

Highlight the strengths and qualities that make you a strong candidate for medical school. This could include your leadership skills, teamwork abilities, or resilience in the face of challenges.

Be authentic: 

Write in your own voice and be honest about your experiences and motivations. Avoid clichés and generic statements.

Keep it concise: 

Your personal statement should be no longer than two pages, so be sure to prioritize the most important information and avoid unnecessary details.

Edit and proofread:

 Take the time to revise and proofread your personal statement. Ask others for feedback and make sure your writing is clear, concise, and error-free.

Remember, your personal statement is your chance to showcase your unique qualities and experiences. Use this opportunity to demonstrate your passion for medicine and your suitability for the profession.

How long should a medical school personal statement be?

The length of a medical school personal statement can vary, but most medical schools have specific guidelines on the length. Typically, a personal statement should be no longer than 1-2 pages or about 500-800 words. However, some schools may have different requirements, so it’s important to check each school’s guidelines before writing your personal statement.

While it may be tempting to include as much information as possible, it’s important to remember that the admissions committee will be reading many personal statements , so it’s important to keep yours concise and to the point. Focus on the most important information, such as your motivation for pursuing medicine, your relevant experiences, and your unique qualities and strengths. Be sure to follow the guidelines provided by the schools you are applying to and proofread carefully to ensure that your personal statement is clear, concise, and error-free.

Medical School Personal Statement Format

There is no set format for a personal statement for medical school, but there are some general guidelines you should follow. Here is a basic outline that you can use:

• Introduction: Begin with an attention-grabbing opening that introduces yourself and your interest in medicine.
• Body Paragraphs: Write two or three paragraphs to elaborate on your qualities and experiences. This section gives you the opportunity to convince the admissions committee that you are the perfect fit for this profession.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points and reiterate your motivation for pursuing medicine.

Remember, this is just a general outline, and you should customize your personal statement to fit your own experiences and strengths. Be sure to focus on your unique qualities and experiences and show the admissions committee why you are a great fit for their program. Also, keep in mind any specific requirements or prompts that the medical school may have provided.

Introduction Paragraph

The introduction of your personal statement is the first impression the admissions committee will have of you, so it’s important to make it great. Here are some tips for writing a strong personal statement introduction:

Start with a hook:

 Begin with a sentence or two that will grab the reader’s attention and make them want to keep reading. This could be a personal story, a surprising fact, or a bold statement.

Introduce yourself: 

In the first few sentences, introduce yourself and briefly mention your background or experiences that have led you to pursue medicine.

Share your motivation:

 The admissions committee wants to know why you want to become a doctor, so be sure to share your personal motivation for pursuing medicine. This could be a personal experience, a desire to help others, or a specific aspect of the field that interests you.

Show your enthusiasm:

 Demonstrate your enthusiasm for medicine and your eagerness to learn and contribute to the field. Avoid sounding cliché or insincere.

Be concise: 

Keep your introduction brief and to the point. Remember, you only have a limited amount of space for your personal statement, so use it wisely.

Remember, your introduction sets the tone for the rest of your personal statement, so make sure it’s engaging, authentic and reflective of your passion for medicine.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of your medical school personal statement are where you will showcase your experiences, qualities, and skills that make you a strong candidate for medical school. Here are some tips for writing great body paragraphs:

Use specific examples: 

Instead of making general statements, use specific examples to illustrate your experiences and qualities. This will make your personal statement more engaging and memorable.

Be authentic:

 Write in your own voice and be honest about your experiences and motivations. Avoid using clichés or sounding insincere.

Show, don’t tell:

 Rather than simply stating your qualities, show how you’ve demonstrated them in your experiences. This will make your personal statement more compelling.

Stay focused:

 Keep your personal statement focused on your experiences and qualities that are relevant to medicine. Avoid including irrelevant or unnecessary information.

Use transitions:

 Use transition words or phrases to smoothly connect your ideas and make your personal statement flow well.

Convey your growth:

 Use your experiences to show how you’ve grown and learned and how they’ve prepared you for medical school.

Be concise:

 Keep your body paragraphs concise and to the point. Avoid going off on tangents or including too much information.

Remember, your body paragraphs are where you will show the admissions committee why you are a strong candidate for medical school. Use specific examples to showcase your experiences, qualities, and skills, and make sure they are relevant to medicine.

Conclusion Paragraph

The conclusion paragraph of your medical school personal statement is your last opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee. Here are some tips for writing a great conclusion paragraph:

Summarize your main points:

 Briefly summarize the key points you’ve made in your personal statement. This will remind the reader of your main message and help tie your personal statement together.

Reiterate your motivation:

 Remind the reader why you are passionate about medicine and why you want to become a doctor.

Connect to the future:

 Make a connection between your experiences and your future goals as a physician. Show the admissions committee that you have a clear understanding of what it means to be a doctor and how you plan to contribute to the field.

End with a strong statement:

 End your personal statement with a powerful statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. This could be a personal anecdote, a memorable quote, or a final reflection on your experiences.

Avoid Repetition:

Keep your conclusion paragraph concise and to the point. Avoid repeating information from earlier in your personal statement or introducing new information.

Remember, your conclusion paragraph is your last chance to make a strong impression on the admissions committee. Make sure it leaves a lasting impression by summarizing your main points, reiterating your motivation, and connecting to your future goals as a physician. End with a strong statement that shows your passion and commitment to the field of medicine.

6 Cliché Phrases that You Should Avoid in Your Medical School Personal Statement

When writing your medical school personal statement, it’s important to avoid using clichés. These are overused phrases or ideas that have lost their impact and can make your personal statement appear generic and unoriginal. Here are some medical school personal statement clichés to avoid:

“Ever since I was a child, I’ve wanted to be a doctor.” 

While it’s important to show your motivation for medicine, this cliché is overused and doesn’t provide any unique insight into your experiences or qualities.

“I want to help people.”

 While helping others is a noble goal, this statement is too broad and doesn’t provide any specific examples of how you’ve helped others in the past.

“I’ve always been interested in science.”

 While it’s important to show your interest in science and medicine, this statement is too general and doesn’t provide any specific examples of how you’ve pursued your interests.

“I’ve faced many challenges, but I’ve overcome them all.”

 While it’s important to show your resilience and ability to overcome obstacles, this cliché is overused and doesn’t provide any unique insight into your experiences or qualities.

“I’ve always been a hard worker.”

 While it’s important to show your work ethic, this statement is too general and doesn’t provide any specific examples of how you’ve worked hard in the past.

“I have a passion for helping underserved communities.”

 While it’s important to show your commitment to serving others, this cliché is overused and doesn’t provide any specific examples of how you’ve worked to serve underserved communities in the past.

To make your personal statement stand out, try to provide specific examples and insights into your experiences and qualities rather than relying on overused clichés. Show the admissions committee what makes you unique and why you would make a great candidate for medical school.

Should Applicants Address Bad Grades in their Medical School Personal Statement?

It is generally not recommended to mention bad grades in your medical school personal statement, as it may draw unnecessary attention to a negative aspect of your application. The personal statement is your opportunity to showcase your strengths, experiences, and qualifications that make you a strong candidate for medical school.

Instead of focusing on any negative aspects of your medical school application, you should focus on highlighting your positive attributes and accomplishments. You can use your personal statement to describe your experiences in healthcare or other related fields, explain why you are passionate about medicine, and demonstrate your dedication to the field.

If you have any extenuating circumstances that led to your lower grades, such as a personal or medical issue, you may want to address them in your application elsewhere, such as in an optional essay or during an interview. However, if your grades are simply the result of not performing well in certain courses, it is best to focus on your strengths and achievements in your personal statement.

Remember that the personal statement is just one component of your medical school application , and the admissions committee will consider your entire application when making their decision. If you have concerns about your grades or other aspects of your application, you can reach out to Jack Westin experts for guidance.

► To learn more about different aspects of a medical school application. You can watch This VIDEO .

In this post, we elaborated on different aspects of writing a medical school personal statement. Remember that there is no one “perfect” medical school personal statement, as each applicant’s personal statement will be unique to their experiences and qualifications. However, a strong medical school personal statement should provide insight into who you are as a person and as a potential doctor. It should demonstrate your passion for medicine, your unique qualities and experiences, and your potential to make a meaningful contribution to the field of healthcare.

If you need help with your personal statement or any other aspect of your medical school application, CONTACT US ! Jack Westin experts are by your side on your path to medical school . 

Your Notifications Live Here

{{ notification.creator.name }} Spark

{{ announcement.creator.name }}

Trial Session Enrollment

Live trial session waiting list.

Next Trial Session:

{{ nextFTS.remaining.months }} {{ nextFTS.remaining.months > 1 ? 'months' : 'month' }} {{ nextFTS.remaining.days }} {{ nextFTS.remaining.days > 1 ? 'days' : 'day' }} {{ nextFTS.remaining.days === 0 ? 'Starts Today' : 'remaining' }} Starts Today

Recorded Trial Session

This is a recorded trial for students who missed the last live session.

Waiting List Details:

Due to high demand and limited spots there is a waiting list. You will be notified when your spot in the Trial Session is available.

• Learn Basic Strategy for CARS
• Full Jack Westin Experience
• Interactive Online Classroom
• Emphasis on Timing

Next Trial:

Free Trial Session Enrollment

Daily mcat cars practice.

New MCAT CARS passage every morning.

You are subscribed.

{{ nextFTS.remaining.months }} {{ nextFTS.remaining.months > 1 ? 'months' : 'month' }} {{ nextFTS.remaining.days }} {{ nextFTS.remaining.days > 1 ? 'days' : 'day' }} remaining Starts Today

Welcome Back!

Please sign in to continue..

Please sign up to continue.

{{ detailingplan.name }}.

• {{ feature }}

Medical School Personal Statement Storytelling Guide [With Examples]

Typical medical school personal statements list qualities and accomplishments in paragraph form and can be boring to read for admissions committee members. But the best personal statements demonstrate qualities through engaging stories. Those stories reveal insights into your personality, as well as interests outside healthcare and medicine (especially those that align with the medical schools you’re applying to ).

Medical school admissions committees want to learn who you uniquely are and why you want to become a medical professional. They also want to know what you are going to contribute to their school and the larger medical field.

Our in-depth guide will help you explore unique personal topics and stories to capture admission committee members’ attention and help you stand out in a sea of ordinary med school personal statements.

Table of contents

1. brainstorm topics, 2. choose stories that show your character, show, don’t tell, stay on topic, common medical school personal statement mistakes, get an expert’s opinion.

The first step in the personal statement writing process is to decide what stories and facts are most important to reveal and how to weave in your motivation for applying to a school of medicine.

When you’re ready to brainstorm, don’t just sit down to stare at a list of your premed activities like research experiences, volunteering, or shadowing. Instead, compile the fundamental personal experiences and people that helped shape you. These stories will likely translate beyond your personal statement into interviews , so be picky to choose only the most transformative.

When brainstorming your personal statement for medical school, consider these topics:

Significant or formative life experiences: something that changed the course of your life, your outlook on the world, or made you think differently about your future

• Learning to do something that leads you to excel/teach others/make a contribution (e.g., sports, science, foreign language, special skills)
• Being given a second chance
• Connecting with someone who made an impact on you
• Being out of your comfort zone (experiences with people of different backgrounds, travel, moving, doing something for the first time)

Challenging life experiences: something that forced a lesson upon you

• A mistake you made
• An event that was out of your control that nonetheless caused you suffering or loss
• Overcoming an obstacle

People that shaped your life:

• Mentor, family member, friend
• Author, actor, speaker, personal hero

Think about what each element on your list taught you or how it changed your thinking. Answer for yourself why the event or person is important. Then brainstorm how one or two medically related activities can be tied in.

With this strategy, your personal statement will develop around a narrative that is unique to you. It will also communicate to admissions officers who you are and why you want to provide medical care.

To further your thought processes, ask yourself these questions:

• What is distinct or unique about you/your life story?
• What are some specific details about your personality, values, or experiences you can share to help them get a better understanding of who you are?
• In what ways have your experiences contributed to your growth?
• Have you overcome any obstacles or difficult circumstances in your life?
• What valuable personal characteristics (integrity, compassion, diligence, etc.) do you have?
• What soft skills (leadership, teamwork, communication skills, etc.) do you have?

Next, connect those answers to medicine-specific questions:

• How and when did you become interested in medicine?
• What have you learned so far about medicine?
• Why do you want to become a doctor?
• How do you know you want to be a doctor?
• How have your experiences and your understanding of yourself confirmed your desire to do medicine?
• In what ways have you shown that you have the characteristics necessary to succeed in the field of medicine?
• How will your skills translate into being a good doctor?
• Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that need explaining? This can be an obstacle or difficult circumstance.

Though you don’t want to include the answers to all these questions in your personal statement, knowing the answers to these questions is a good starting point.

You should highlight a few unique experiences, skills, or personal characteristics and make those the focal point of your essay.

Ordinary personal statements focus on the experiences that applicants think will make them seem impressive. The best personal statements focus on the qualities that make applicants truly special.

Instead of choosing their standout qualities — character, personality traits, attitudes — many applicants simply choose experiences they think will help them stand out to admissions committees. Then, they try to force those qualities into the experiences they’ve already chosen.

Why is this an issue? Imagine you have participated in the following extracurricular activities:

• Biochemistry research for 2 years
• Clinical experience shadowing for 3 years
• Math tutor for underserved youth for 2 years
• Trombonist in the high school band and trombone instructor for 3 years
• International medical mission trip volunteer for 3 summers
• Premed organization member for 3 years (vice president for 1 year)

At face value, which of these experiences do you think would make you seem the most impressive to an admissions committee? Given these choices, most students would choose to write about clinical shadowing (2) or medical mission trips (5).

Most students who choose one of those two topics will take a very similar approach, such as starting off the essay describing some interaction with a very ill patient or one with whom they experienced a language barrier.

Typical Applicant Personal Statement Example:

“Mary was well known at our clinic by all of our doctors, nurses, and medical staff. Based on her sharp intellect and cheerful pattern of making our staff feel like we were her best friends, it would be difficult to tell why she frequently visited the hospital. Besides her use of a walker, her Parkinson’s disease diagnosis had not slowed her down much. Throughout my interactions with Mary, I wondered how she maintained such a positive attitude despite her ailments. She seemed to give our staff more joy with her beaming smile than receiving care. I wanted to give her the best care possible, whether through asking our great nurses to check in on her or offering an extra blanket or favorite snack to ensure comfort throughout her stay. However, I was simultaneously frustrated that my ability to help Mary ended there. This lingering lack of fulfillment has served as a great motivator to find ways to do more for patients like her.”

What’s wrong with this example?

Although the above example provides some insights about the applicant’s motivations (“…find ways to do more for patients…”), it is written about a common topic (a realization that came during clinical shadowing) with a typical delivery —  written broadly about interactions with a particular patient.

The best personal statement writers, on the other hand, first think of the personal qualities they want to demonstrate in their essay before choosing a situation or event to write about. Next, they think of an experience that best highlights these qualities, regardless of whether or not it seems most “impressive” at face value. Finally, the best personal statements zero in on a particular event or situation to capture the reader’s attention with a detailed personal story.

By taking this approach, the best personal statement writers are better able to demonstrate their qualities because their story was chosen expressly for that purpose. After all, schools are attracted to particular candidates because of their qualities and not a specific experience they’ve had.

Let’s suppose this same applicant wanted to highlight her community involvement and commitment to serving underprivileged groups. Returning to the list of extracurriculars above, she could choose to write about working as a math tutor (3) or being a trombonist in the school band and trombone instructor (4). By choosing the latter and zooming in on a particular event, this same student could write the following personal statement introduction:

Better Personal Statement Example:

“My palms had never been as sweaty as when I walked on stage with my trombone in front of a 500-plus member audience on June 9th, 2015. Sure, I was pretty good. But I would like to think that being invited to play Curtis Fuller’s “Along Came Betty” at the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame had as much to do with the music skills I had honed over the past decade as it did with training the 8-member band of 10 to 13 year-olds from the inner city to join me on that same stage. I was nervous because this performance was for them; I needed to be at my best.”

Why is this example better than the one before it?

This introduction would likely stand out because it is about an uncommon topic (a musical performance) and seamlessly demonstrates the writer’s community involvement, especially with underserved youth. As a bonus, it captures the reader’s attention in 382 fewer characters.

Typical personal statements could have been written by any applicant. Good personal statements are those that can only be written by a specific applicant. The example of a typical introduction could have been written by any number of medical students who volunteered in a hospital. There simply aren’t enough unique insights and details about the applicant. On the other hand, the second introduction could have only been written by that individual.

So, how do you avoid a dull introductory paragraph? Use the approach above — first, list your unique qualities, then identify situations where you’ve expressed those qualities, and finally, zoom in to tell a detailed story.

Want to improve your chances of acceptance? Get world-class coaching from former admissions committee members for a more compelling personal statement and polished application. Students who work with us double their chances of getting accepted!

You’ve likely heard the adage “Show, don’t tell” enough already. Rarely do we receive practical advice on exactly how to demonstrate our qualities, rather than list them. When you can do this, you provide a more authentic glimpse of who you really are.

If you read the following sentences from two different applicants, which one would you think was more giving?

• Applicant #1: I am a very giving person.
• Applicant #2: I volunteer 4 hours every week to work at the homeless shelter.

You’d probably choose applicant #2, even though they never used the word “giving” in their sentence. As a reader, we extrapolate how giving that applicant is.

Going back to the intro paragraphs above, we can see that the typical one “tells” about the applicant’s qualities, whereas the better paragraph “shows” the applicant’s qualities.

More Medical School Personal Statement Examples :

Typical introductions:

• “I wanted to give the best patient care possible…” (giving)
• “This lingering lack of fulfillment has served as a great motivator to find ways to do more” (motivated)

Better introductions:

• “…the music skills I honed over the past decade…” (dedicated)
• “…training the 8-member band of 10-13 year-olds from the inner city to join me on that same stage.” (giving, empowering)
• “I was nervous because this performance was for them; I needed to be at my best.” (selfless, motivated)

Strive to let your accomplishments, approaches, and insights speak for themselves. Describe your work in an engaging way and let the reader do the complimenting for you.

Some applicants make the mistake of putting the focus on supporting characters, like a parent or patient, making them more compelling than themselves or sharing the limelight. But the best personal statements maintain the focus on the applicant.

Like any great story, your personal statement should highlight a compelling character. But that character, the star of your story, should always be YOU. There is nothing wrong with including another character in your personal statement’s story. But other characters should only be used to demonstrate your qualities, whether through an interaction you had or an insight you gained after.

Returning to our examples above:

In the typical paragraph, Mary and the applicant are co-leads in the story. We don’t even read about the applicant or her insights until the fourth sentence. Mary seems just as impressive as the applicant.

The better paragraph is all about the applicant — her concerns, dedication, and motivations. Even though she mentions the inner-city youth, they serve only to demonstrate the applicant’s qualities.

Your opportunity to impress med school admissions committees with your personal statement is limited to 5,300 characters. Strive to keep the focus nearly entirely on you.

Know ahead of time that your first draft is just that — a first draft. Once you get something on the page, you can start rewriting and revising it into the perfect statement.

Explaining the answer to “Why I want to be a doctor” can be overwhelming. Many applicants end up making the mistake of answering a different question: “What have I done that qualifies me for medical school?” The result is a tedious list of GPAs and MCAT scores that make personal statements read like a resume.

A better approach is not to focus on the question that your essay will answer, but on the personal aspects of your experiences on earth that shaped who you are — a person whose goals and values align with entering the medical profession.

More common mistakes to avoid:

• Not being concise
• Using clichés
• Breaking character limits
• Not using transitions between paragraphs and topics
• Not getting a second opinion or consulting an expert

There are some red flags to keep in mind as well. Admissions experts will not be impressed with:

• Arrogance or narcissism
• Self-deprecation or lack of confidence
• Unexplained gaps in education
• Generalizations
• Poor grammar
• Lack of passion

Read Next: A Guide To Medical Schools That Don’t Require The MCAT

What is the AMCAS personal statement prompt?

The AMCAS personal statement prompt is: Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school.

How many characters are allowed in the medical school personal statement?

You can use up to 5,300 characters in the medical school personal statement sections of the AMCAS and AACOMAS applications . Spaces count as characters. You’ll have roughly 500 words to write.

How long should a personal statement be for medical school?

A personal statement for medical school should be approximately one page. It should be long enough to take a deep look at a transformative experience or concept.

What personal statement topics should I avoid?

There are no specific topics that you should completely avoid in your personal statement outside of openly offensive topics. You may receive advice to steer clear of topics like mental health, having a parent who’s a doctor, or volunteer work. But it’s not these topics themselves that are a problem; how you use these stories and experiences to show your personality and character is what matters.

Your personal statement is one of the few times in the medical school application process where your personality, experiences, and uniqueness can shine through. It’s too important to leave it to guesswork, particularly if you’re reapplying !

Work with experienced Writing Advisors and Physician Advisors to give your personal statement the X factor sure to be noticed by admissions committees. Many of our advisors are former AdComs !

Related posts:

• Medical Schools Prove Us Wrong as They Effortlessly Adjust to Manage Increase in Applicants Caused by the Fauci Effect
• 10 Questions Pre-Med Students Need to Ask When Shadowing a Doctor
• DO vs MD: What are the Differences?
• Military Medicine: 3 Ways To Serve, Plus Scholarship Options

Sahil Mehta

Related articles.

Tips from a Medical School Admissions Officer

What Should You Do On Interview Day?

International Medical Schools – What To Consider?

Pre-Med Myths

• MCAT Exam Info
• What's Tested on the MCAT?
• What's a Good MCAT Score?
• MCAT Test Dates
• When to Take the MCAT
• MCAT Study Plans
• MCAT Tips and Tricks
• MCAT Prep Courses
• Applying to Med School
• MCAT Question of the Day
• MCAT Pop Quiz
• MCAT 20-Minute Workout
• Free MCAT Practice Test
• Free MCAT Events

Medical School Personal Statement FAQs

Let’s start today with a seemingly simple question that you are going to have to consider before applying to med school: Who are you? It may seem simple on the surface, but this can be one of the most challenging questions that premed students encounter on the medical school application or the MCAT. Yet, it’s the basic question posed in at least one major part of your application:  the medical school personal statement .

There are a couple important themes to keep in mind while you’re coming up with the subject matter for your medical school personal statement—or, what many admissions officers refer to as “your interview in writing.” Check out a few of our handy personal essay FAQs:

What kind of questions will I be asked?

The question posed—or the essay prompt—will be surprisingly vague. The Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) prompt from the  AMCAS application  is simply: “Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school.” This broad net can prove both a blessing and a curse, depending on how you look at it. On one hand, it allows you the freedom to take your story in just about any direction, and what could be better than that? On the other, it can feel overwhelming if you overthink it.

How long should my medical school personal statement be?

How many versions should i write.

Unlike the school-specific, tailored information you’ll give on your secondary applications, your AMCAS medical school statement will remain uniform across all the schools you apply to.

Since you’ll only have one version of the personal essay, it should not be directed towards any individual school. Use your  secondary applications and essays to express your interests in individual medical schools.

What should I write about in my personal statement?

Even though the prompt for the medical school personal statement is vague, it is generally understood that you have three major goals to accomplish in this essay. Focus the essay with these in mind, but don’t be afraid to be creative!

You’ll need to give some serious thought to  why you want to go into medicine , and more specifically, why you want an  MD or a DO . Far too often, students write generic, impassioned passages about “wanting to help people.” While that is a completely valid reason to go to medical school, it doesn’t really explain why you want to become a doctor to the exclusion of other health careers, like nursing or physical therapy. It doesn’t really even explain why you want to go into medicine. Firefighters, teachers, plumbers, and landscapers help people too!

Why do I want to be a physician specifically?

Is it the translation of your scientific knowledge into patient education about how to live a healthy lifestyle? Is it the pursuit of new therapies and cures through research? Is it the rigor of a career that demands lifelong learning?

Medical schools want to know that if they admit you, you’ll contribute to the class in a unique and meaningful way. So think about what makes your desire to become a physician unique. Medical schools want to admit a  diverse class , and although  diversity in medical education is a rather broad topic in general, they’re looking beyond just demographics—to facets such as educational experiences, life challenges, medical interests, and more.How does everything fit together?

You want your medical school personal statement to tell an intricate story about you—something a reader can get excited about and relate to. Rather than simply rewriting your résumé in paragraph form, construct your essay around a theme that you can keep returning to.

Perhaps you’re a musicology major who’s also passionate about education and patient care. Focusing on the intersection between the arts and sciences both historically and in your own life could be a good launching-off point. Take it from us—it’s worked before.

Who should edit my med school essay?

• Someone who knows you really well.  Medical schools can spot a disingenuous personal statement a mile away. Get a best friend, parent, or significant other to call you on any bluffing or “gaming” of the essay. It’s not about writing what you think the admissions committee wants to hear—it’s about writing the truth, representing yourself tactfully, and letting your accomplishments speak for themselves.
• A strict grammarian.  To be sure,  using a comma when you should be using a semicolon  will not, by itself, keep you out of medical school. But any sloppiness or lack of clarity in your statement will subtly and collectively bring down the overall quality and effectiveness of your words.
• Someone who knows medicine.  Who should know better what will appeal to a medical school admissions committee than someone who’s already been there, done that? A physician you’ve shadowed, a PI with whom you’ve worked, or a friend who’s already a medical student will help you hone your statement’s message. If you are currently an undergraduate student, your pre-med advisor certainly fits the bill.

Ultimately, the essay is crucial to your success in applying to medical school, so go ahead and start writing. By thinking through your essay, you’re helping define who you are as a citizen, as a student, and as the physician you’re well on your way to becoming.

You might also like

Call 1-800-KAP-TEST or email [email protected]

Prep for an Exam

MCAT Test Prep

LSAT Test Prep

GRE Test Prep

GMAT Test Prep

SAT Test Prep

ACT Test Prep

DAT Test Prep

NCLEX Test Prep

USMLE Test Prep

Courses by Location

NCLEX Locations

GRE Locations

SAT Locations

LSAT Locations

MCAT Locations

GMAT Locations

Useful Links

Kaplan Test Prep Contact Us Partner Solutions Work for Kaplan Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy CA Privacy Policy Trademark Directory

• USMLE Step 1
• USMLE Step 2CK
• USMLE Step 3
• Comlex Level 1
• Comlex Level 2-CE
• Comlex Level 3
• NBME Shelf Exams
• Latest Posts

• Study Schedules
• Residency Matching
• Resource Reviews
• How To…

Writing A Medical School Personal Statement

Elite Medical Prep

5300 characters. You have 5300 characters, including punctuation and white spaces, to show a medical school that you are more than the sum of your GPA and MCAT score in your personal statement.

This means that your personal statement for Medical School word count will only be around 300-500 words. That’s it. Most personal statements will make or break your application. Admissions committees for medical schools give you one chance to show why you want to be a physician, and admittedly, this chance is probably one of the most stressful and anxiety-inducing parts of the medical school application process. It really feels like a game-winning shot at the buzzer from the moment you sit down to write it to the moment you hit submit on your application. But it doesn’t have to be that way…

If you’re determined to write the best personal statements for medical school, you’ll want to go through this guide carefully and take notes about writing your medical school personal statement.

Related Articles

Balancing Medical School and Life: Strategies for Maintaining a Social Life

The Benefits of Mentorship: Building a Support Network in Medical School

Understanding What the Medical School Personal Statement Means and Does

Before you write anything, take a second and truly think about the meaning of the medical school personal statement.

This shouldn’t be a place to list your accomplishments, or why you think you deserve to have an acceptance to medical school. Your personal statement is a narrative that illustrates one thing – why you want to become a physician .

This is your chance to tell the admission committee what your motivation is. A personal statement for medical school is not the time to boast your accomplishments.

In addition, it isn’t enough to simply state so, you are tasked with convincing someone who doesn’t know you. Take a minute to reflect on why you wish to be a physician, how you arrived at that decision, the path you took to get to where you are, and how you can tell this story to a stranger.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School

Once you’re ready to start writing your medical school application personal statement, it might feel like an eternity while you’re staring at the blank page.

You might feel like you have no idea what to say and you might be thinking: “how could I possibly fit into 5300 characters and white spaces the reasons I wanted to become a physician? How do I condense years of experiences and time spent in a meaningful way?” Looking at medical school personal statement examples is a great way to get the ball rolling.

A good jumping-off point for getting started with your personal statement would be to stop trying to guess what admissions committees want to hear or how to tailor your medical school personal statement to squeeze in all of your work and research experiences. Just talk about yourself!

Although this may seem obvious, it is a surprisingly difficult thing to do. One of the notoriously difficult interview questions is “tell me about yourself.” With this broad, open-ended question in mind,  sit down and just write about yourself.

Don’t worry about the 5300 characters, don’t worry about how it sounds. Just be honest and try to list or discuss key moments or experiences that brought you to where you are and have shaped your desire to become a physician. A stream of consciousness might seem counterintuitive, but it is the best way to allow your free-flowing thoughts to take over the page and start to take the shape of a compelling narrative. There will be room for plenty of editing down the road!

One very common thread in med school personal statements is that applicants will immediately jump into talking about a medical experience they had, the things they saw, and how that “motivated” them to want to be a physician. Keep in mind that, though you may have an interesting story to share, it might not say anything definitive about you as a person, an applicant, or a future physician. Start by talking about you. Your medical school personal statement needs to tell the committee all about you as a person.

 How to Continue Your Medical School Personal Statement

By now, you should have a nice and long stream of consciousness essay that illustrates you as your true self and your path to medicine. Right now, you need to stop, take a break, and come back in a week. Don’t look at your medical school personal statement, don’t look at other personal statements, don’t even think about personal statements.

When you come back after a week, you’ll find that much of what you’ve written is probably not what you would want it to be. However when you come back to your medical school personal statement after a week, you might find great bits of information that have the potential to be explored and developed into your narrative.

It is important to find these narrative events and try to frame them together. At some point in your life, you discovered medicine, then you questioned medicine; at some point a mentor guided you in your path to pursuing medicine, and at a final point, you realized that medicine is something you want to learn and practice for the rest of your life.

This path is different for everyone. However, writing about that “a-hah” moment – the one where you suddenly understand that a career in medicine is for you – will make for a generic personal statement. There is no event that will make you devote your entire life to a career, and if there is, this will only show an admissions committee your lack of maturity and depth of thought.

It’s essential that you understand how many personal statements for medical school this committee has likely reviewed during their time. They know the truth and they can see through medical school application personal statements that are simply written to impress them.

It is important to demonstrate to admissions committees that you have truly considered a career in medicine for a long time, understood its pros and cons deeply and decided to persevere after affirming your desire with experience. It’s not always all about the good times.

This is what you need to convey to the admissions committee – that medicine is more than a split-second decision for you. Demonstrate your thought process as you made this decision, the life events or experiences that added depth to your character and your wish to pursue medicine, and your excitement at the opportunity to follow this career path. The narrative you paint of your personal statement is fundamentally important to answering the question of “why medicine?” – be genuine and illustrate the significant effort you have dedicated to your pursuits.

How to Convince Your Reader

One of the worst things you can do is hold someone’s hand through your writing, walking them through your narrative. Many examples of good medical school personal statements will start off with: you already know why you want to be a physician, all you must do is say that you’re dedicated, that you’re committed to medicine, etc. You can do even better than this.

You might be familiar with the phrase “show, don’t tell.” This is something to keep in mind for everything you wrote about in your medical school personal statement so far. If you wrote something like “I learned that X and Y is important from my experience with person Z…”, the only thing an admissions committee member will see is someone who doesn’t think that their work will speak for itself.

Show the reader, through actions and story, what it is you want them to see and let them see it for themselves. If your work or experience is not enough to convince someone that you truly learned compassion, dedication, or discipline in whatever you went through, then consider reframing the experience you are writing about, or provide another one for your med school personal statement.

While doing so, you might come to terms with the feeling of inadequacy – that your experience isn’t as grandiose or important as someone else’s. Recognize that almost every applicant feels this way.

Understand that what matters is your reaction and the things you learned from what you write about. An event is important because you deem it so and describe it so, and no one can take that away from you. Every premed loves helping others, and every premed enjoys science—what admissions committees care about is what you have to say about it and your personal spin on this story.

Writing a Strong Ending for Your Medical School Personal Statement

One of the hardest parts of this already difficult process is concluding. How do you wrap up an entire story about your journey to pursuing medicine? You’ve worked so hard to get to this point and the last thing you would want is for a medical school personal statement to hinder your opportunities.

A good way to start is to restate a few important highlights of the things you wrote about, how they contributed to your narrative, and how those events should culminate with you becoming a physician.

The next part, and perhaps the hardest part, is editing . It is recommended to ask as many people as you can to read your personal statement, especially people with varying backgrounds and various relationships to you. This can include friends, parents, teachers, mentors, professionals, etc.

A wide variety of people is important because every person has their own unique perspective and will read parts of your medical school personal statement differently. In addition, try to have readers or editors who will not hold back. Ask for honesty in your reader’s feedback, for them to tell you when something you wrote is not good, even if you won’t like that.

All feedback considered, don’t be afraid to say no to edits. If you feel strongly about something and feel it is an important part of your narrative—say what you want to say! It is your medical school personal statement after all, and you want your voice and creativity to shine through.

How Long is a Personal Statement for Medical School?

Arguably the most annoying part of the medical school personal statement process will be cutting down your narrative to meet the 5300-character limit. Every time you try to edit your personal statement, you might find yourself thinking “there is no way to say this more concisely…” and every time, you can find a way to do exactly that! In fact, doing so will only make your work better.

Don’t be afraid to be creative or ask someone else to look at a piece you’re struggling with for a fresh set of eyes. Telling your story concisely, precisely, and efficiently will result in a smoother flowing and more clear med school personal statement, while fulfilling the 5300-character limit as well.

Writing a personal statement is a difficult task for everyone. It is one of the biggest hurdles of applying to medical school, but remember that it is also a free space for expression that can help you as an applicant as well – it verbalizes your ideas and beliefs about yourself, making them more concrete and evident to your reader.

Your personal statement is you on a page, so try to have fun with the creative aspect of it. Take pride in your medical school application personal statement, and good luck!

Need additional help with an exam?

Elite tutors are qualified, professional, and 100% online.

Never Miss an Article.

Sign up to our newsletter and get the best of Elite Medical Prep, tailored for you.

About the Author

The Elite Medical Prep team consists of MD and MD candidate tutors from the top medical schools and residency programs, our founders, Dr. Brus-Ramer and…

Never Miss an Article!

Featured Articles

Matching Into Orthopedic Surgery Residency

Maximize Your 4-Week Step 2 Study Plan: Free Intensive Step 2 CK Prep

US Doctor Specialties by USMLE Step 2 CK Scores

How to Match into Anesthesiology for Residency

Acceptance Factors for Matching into Pediatrics Residency

NBME 26-NBME 31: Which is the Best Predictor for Passing Step 1

What to Look For in a Residency Program

Post Interview Communication: The Residency Thank You Letter or Email

Best Study Books for the Step 2 CK 2024

8 Tips on How to Use Anki USMLE Flashcards

This site uses various technologies, as described in our Privacy Policy, for personalization, measuring website use/performance, and targeted advertising, which may include storing and sharing information about your site visit with third parties. By continuing to use this website you consent to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

Enter your email to unlock an extra $50 off any mcat program, by submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., 15 tips for your medical school personal statement.

Don't underestimate the power of the medical school personal statement to make a strong, positive impression on an admissions committee. Combined with your interview performance, your personal statement can account for 60% (or more) of your total admissions score!

Medical schools want to enroll bright, empathetic, communicative people. Here's how to write a compelling med school personal statement that shows schools who you are and what you're capable of.

Personal Statement Topics

Your medical school personal statement is a component of your primary application submitted via, TMDSAS (for Texas applications), or AACOMAS (NB: If you are applying to medical school in Canada, confirm the application process with your school, as not all application components may be submitted through AMCAS).

These applications offer broad topics to consider, and many essay approaches are acceptable. For example, you could write about:

• an experience that challenged or changed your perspective about medicine
• a relationship with a mentor or another inspiring individual
• a challenging personal experience
• unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits
• your motivation to seek a career in medicine

You'll write an additional essay (or two) when you submit secondary applications to individual schools. These essays require you to respond to a specific question. Admissions committees will review your entire application, so choose subject matter that complements your original essay .

Read More: Strategies for Secondary Applications

How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School

Follow these personal statement tips to help the admissions committee better understand you as a candidate.

1. Write, re-write, let it sit, and write again!

Allow yourself 6 months of writing and revision to get your essay in submission-ready shape. This gives you the time to take your first pass, set your draft aside (for a minimum of 24 hours), review what you’ve written, and re-work your draft.

2. Stay focused.

Your personal statement should highlight interesting aspects of your journey—not tell your entire life story. Choose a theme, stick to it, and support it with specific examples.

3. Back off the cliches.

Loving science and wanting to help people might be your sincere passions, but they are also what everyone else is writing about. Instead, be personal and specific.

4. Find your unique angle.

What can you say about yourself that no one else can? Remember, everyone has trials, successes and failures. What's important and unique is how you reacted to those incidents. Bring your own voice and perspective to your personal statement to give it a truly memorable flavor. 

5. Be interesting.

Start with a “catch” that will create intrigue before launching into the story of who you are. Make the admissions committee want to read on!

6. Show don't tell.

Instead of telling the admissions committee about your unique qualities (like compassion, empathy, and organization), show them through the stories you tell about yourself. Don’t just say it—actually prove it.

7. Embrace the 5-point essay format.

Here's a trusty format that you can make your own:

• 1st paragraph: These four or five sentences should "catch" the reader's attention.
• 3-4 body paragraphs: Use these paragraphs to reveal who you are. Ideally, one of these paragraphs will reflect clinical understanding and one will reflect service.
• Concluding paragraph: The strongest conclusion reflects the beginning of your essay, gives a brief summary of you are, and ends with a challenge for the future.

8. Good writing is simple writing.

Good medical students—and good doctors—use clear, direct language. Your essays should not be a struggle to comprehend.

9. Be thoughtful about transitions.

Be sure to vary your sentence structure. You don’t want your essay to be boring! Pay attention to how your paragraphs connect to each other.

Free MCAT Practice Tests & Events

Evaluate and improve your MCAT score.

10. Stick to the rules.

Watch your word count. That’s 5,300 characters (including spaces) for AMCAS applications, 5,000 characters for TMDSAS, and 4,500 characters for AACOMAS.

11. Stay on topic.

Rambling not only uses up your precious character limit, but it also causes confusion! Think about the three to five “sound bytes” you want admissions committee to know and remember you by.

12. Don't overdo it.

Beware of being too self-congratulatory or too self-deprecating.

13. Seek multiple opinions.

Before you hit “submit,” ask several people you trust for feedback on your personal statement. The more time you have spent writing your statement, the less likely you are to spot any errors. A professor or friend whose judgment and writing skills you trust is invaluable.

Read More: 12 Smart Tips for Your AMCAS Application

14. Double-check the details.

Always check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. This goes for the rest of your application (like your activities list), too. A common oversight is referencing the wrong school in your statement! Give yourself (and your proofreaders) the time this task truly requires.

15. Consult the experts about your personal statement strategy.

Our med school admissions counselors can diagnose the “health” of your overall application, including your personal statement. Get expert help and guidance to write an effective personal statement that showcases not only your accomplishments, but your passion and your journey.

Want to get an edge over the crowd?

Our admissions experts know what it takes it get into med school. Get the customized strategy and guidance you need to help achieve your goals.

Med School Admission Counseling

Explore Graduate Programs for You

Explore our featured graduate schools & programs to find those that both match your interests and are looking for students like you.

Best Law Schools

Check out our complete list of 168 law schools, based on surveys of school administrators and over 17,000 students.

Search for Medical Schools

Visit our Med School Hub to explore med schools with our ‘Find Your Med School’ filtered search or visit our Med School Advice pages for info about good MCAT scores or interview question prep.

Find MBA Programs Matched to Your Interests

Explore our featured business schools to find those that are looking for students like you.

MCAT Prep Courses

510+ course, ultimate course, summer immersion, more mcat articles, free mcat practice test & events,  1-800-2review.

Enrollment Advisor

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 1

1-877-LEARN-30

Mon-Fri 9AM-10PM ET

Sat-Sun 9AM-8PM ET

Student Support

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 2

Mon-Fri 9AM-9PM ET

Sat-Sun 8:30AM-5PM ET

Partnerships

• Teach or Tutor for Us

College Readiness

International

Advertising

Affiliate/Other

• Enrollment Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility
• Cigna Medical Transparency in Coverage

Register Book

Local Offices: Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM

• SAT Subject Tests

Academic Subjects

• Social Studies

Find the Right College

• College Rankings
• College Advice
• Applying to College
• Financial Aid

School & District Partnerships

• Professional Development
• Advice Articles
• Private Tutoring
• Mobile Apps
• International Offices
• Work for Us
• Affiliate Program
• Partner with Us
• Advertise with Us
• International Partnerships
• Our Guarantees
• Accessibility – Canada

Privacy Policy | CA Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information | Your Opt-Out Rights | Terms of Use | Site Map

©2024 TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University

TPR Education, LLC (doing business as “The Princeton Review”) is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, a firm owned by Chinese nationals with a principal place of business in Hong Kong, China.

• High-Yield Premed Resources
• Medical School Application Guides
• Medical School Application Essays
• Medical School Personal Statement Guides
• Medical School Recommendation Letters: Complete Guides
• Medical School Application Guides: Interviews
• Medical School Admission: Frequently Asked Questions
• Medical School Specialties: Complete Guides
• Taking A Gap Year As A Premed
• MCAT Prep 101: Just Starting
• MCAT Success Stories
• Increasing Your MCAT Score
• MCAT Retaker
• MCAT Motivation
• MCAT Memorization Strategies
• MCAT CARS Guides
• MCAT Chem/Phys Guides
• MCAT Bio/Biochemistry Guides
• MCAT Psych/Soc Guides
• Non-Traditional MCAT Student
• All MedLife Articles
• Science Content Review
• Med School Application Coaching
• Live MCAT Courses
• FREE MCAT Resources
• Free MCAT Course
• MCAT Content Review
• MCAT Blog Articles
• 1:1 MCAT Tutoring
• MCAT Strategy Courses
• Meet The Mentors

How To Write a Personal Statement for Med School Admission

 minutes remaining!

Back To Top

Writing your personal statement for med school is one of the most nerve-wracking and challenging parts of the application process. Therefore, please complete this critical section of your medical school application.

It would help if you started working on your personal statement well before the deadline to have enough time for brainstorming, reflection, revisions, and examining your work from a new angle. This will help you produce the most remarkable personal statement possible and improve your admission chances.

This article will help you write your personal statement for your medical school application. Please keep reading if you want to know the best tips, tricks, and mistakes to avoid when drafting your personal statement.

What is a Personal Statement for Medical School?

The personal statement explains your identity and motivations in the form of an essay. You will provide a story in it outlining your own path toward becoming a doctor. 

Additionally, it would help if you went into detail about a few character attributes that will distinguish you from the other numerous applicants the school will be considering.

Your MCAT score and GPA will likely be used as the initial screening criteria for your application. 

However, even a perfect GPA and a fantastic MCAT score will not guarantee admission to your chosen programs.

The qualities and resilience necessary to bear the demands of a medical school program and residency must be demonstrated to med schools. 

In addition, they must be able to humanize you so that they may learn more about you. 

This is something your personal statement can help you with. Additionally, it will be the first chance for medical schools to hear your "voice." 

Most of the time, the medical school faculty members who will be teaching you and supervising your work will be the ones reading your application and your personal statement. They want to know that you will be a good fit for the medical field and their curriculum.

Why Are Personal Statements Important in Medical School?

First, the personal statement is essential because it serves as a bridge to an interview. 

The admissions committee can learn more about you through your personal statement, confirm that you know what you are putting yourself into, and forge a bond with you. As a result, they will not be as willing to take a chance on a student they think will not be happy working as a doctor.

The importance of the personal statement varies by school, just like the application process. 

Many schools may give personal information more weight when deciding whether to schedule an interview with a student. Other institutions might pay greater attention to other parts, though.

Nevertheless, it is worth noting that you must exert significant time and effort when writing your personal statement for medical school.

7 Tips and Strategies When Writing Your Personal Statement

Never undervalue the power of your personal statement to make a strong, positive impression on the admissions committee for medical school. 

Combining your performance in the interview with your personal statement could determine your overall admissions score.

Here are the best tips and strategies to make your personal statement stand out:  

Have a Primary or Overarching Theme

Your essay will be more coherent and make an impression on the committee if it has a unifying theme. This theme could be a philosophy, a personality quirk, or an experience.

You can still incorporate a variety of prior experiences into your essay as long as they all relate to your theme. This subject may be:

• A situation that challenged you or altered how you view medicine
• A connection to a mentor or other motivating person
• A description of a memorable academic or personal encounter
• An understanding of how medicine is practiced

Research for Examples of Personal Statements

There are a ton of samples to choose from because personal statements for medical school are required of every student. 

Spend some time reading as many excellent examples of personal statements as possible.

Ask someone you know who graduated from medical school successfully whether you can read their personal statement. Look for samples of successful personal statements written by past students.

Keep in mind that they are only meant to be used as samples. 

Although you cannot duplicate or imitate another person's personal statement, you can understand what works. To inspire your own ideas, use examples. Your own statement will be unique to you.

Outline Your Personal Statement

Even after extensive research, many applicants struggle to figure out how to begin a personal statement for medical school. 

Before writing your personal statement for med school, construct an outline. 

Create a plan for how you want to tell your narrative. Using an outline, you may organize your essay and ensure that it contains what your audience needs.

One method of structuring your personal statement is as follows:

• Choose two to three attributes. Create a bullet for each quality you intend to discuss in your essay.
• Select an experience. Determine which experience(s) best illustrate(s) each attribute listed. Make a note of a few noteworthy critical moments.
• Consider your career path. Explain how your traits and past experiences led you to wish to learn more about medicine. 

Make Your Unique Qualities Known

Each year, admissions committees for medical schools evaluate many personal statements. So, naturally, you want yours to stand out.

Select Key Traits and Experiences

A list of your achievements is not what your personal statement is. Instead, select a few standout qualities that you want to emphasize. Never stress about getting everything covered.

Consider your professional and personal achievements. This includes extracurricular activities like travel, volunteer work, hobbies, and group affiliations. 

Next, decide what features you want in an application. Finally, determine what will work best for you. 

Pick the qualities about yourself that you are most proud of. Then, what do you want the admissions committee to remember about you if they only recall one thing? 

Experiences that demonstrate empathy, a love of patient engagement, an intellectual interest in medicine, discipline, and commitment, or interpersonal and professional skills are frequently included in personal statements.

Be Clear and Direct

The flowery words and fillers you used in high school English are unnecessary when writing your personal statement for medical school. Instead, make sure to weave your story effectively with your words.

Using thesaurus words will not help you sound more intelligent throughout your writing. Instead, it gives the impression that you used a thesaurus. Again, this is something that will not impress the admissions committee. 

Be Mindful of the Word Count Limit

You may need to know the word count or character limit for your medical school personal statement depending on the medical school you are applying to. However, you are unable to exceed the predetermined limit.

For instance, the AMCAS application only permits 5,300 characters in the section designated for your medical school personal statement.

A second medical school personal statement of no more than 3,000 characters and a 10,000-character essay outlining important research experience will be required for MD-PhD schools. 

Ensure you know your writing capacity if the medical schools you select request other essays.

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Personal Statement for Medical School

On the other hand, you must be aware of the mistakes most medical school applicants make when writing their personal statements. 

To avoid committing the same mistakes, these are the things that you must avoid as you draft your medical school personal statement.

Don't Use Clichés 

Avoid using clichés to describe your motivation, such as wanting to help others. 

Your personal statement will not impress the committee if you repeat tired justifications that have been used many times before.

If you are pursuing a medical degree for one of these overused justifications, attempt to make your experience stand out. 

For instance, why do you want to be a doctor rather than a social worker to help people? 

Don't Tell…Show

What, why, and how about the experience(s) you discuss should be addressed. 

Do not just mention that you helped out at a hospital. Instead, please describe why you found that an essential experience and how it inspired you to seek a medical career. 

To convey these details, use simple, direct language. You should write clearly and succinctly and avoid overly verbose terminology. Remember that you only have around a page to write about yourself, so each word counts.

Don't Focus on Others; Focus on Yourself

A personal statement is simply… personal.

Writing in your personal statement about patients, role models, or other people is expected. It can be helpful, but you should ensure it ultimately says something about you.

You do not want the reader to feel more informed about someone else after reading your personal statement than they did about you.

Don't Forget to Get Feedback from Others

You must allow enough time for your personal statement to be read and commented on by persons with experience. Unfortunately, your good concept could not work out as planned. 

Avoid focusing too much on a single idea. Instead, be receptive to the criticism you hear from colleagues, mentors, and experts.

Do not stress about coming up with the perfect concept first. Instead, decide on doing your study and thinking back on your life. Starting early is crucial since it will give you time to review, modify, and occasionally alter the course entirely.

Don't Explain to a Doctor What Medicine Is 

More often than not, this will show only a cursory knowledge of the subject. The admissions committee is already familiar with medicine but unaware of you.

Do not tell them something they already know. Instead, share with them who you are as an applicant and what drives you to be a doctor in the future. Furthermore, prove to them that you are worthy of admission.

You should not include a story in your personal statement that you would not feel comfortable discussing during an admissions interview for medical school.

Additionally, do not put it in a statement if it is too personal or if you are too emotional and you do not want to talk about that.

Don't Make Your Personal Statement a Repetition of your CV

While it is acceptable to go into further detail about a couple of extracurricular activities, the primary goal of your personal statement should not be to reiterate your CV or resumé. 

Asking yourself what you took away from experience and how that knowledge affects your objectives and motivations is an effective way to refocus on who you are. But, unfortunately, the task is less attractive to the reader than learning about you.

Step-by-Step Guide When Writing a Personal Statement for Medical School

Writing a personal statement for medical school is an iterative process that might take months. 

Hence, you must ensure you give your best on your first draft. Otherwise, you risk wasting your time and effort editing and changing what you have written.

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you write your personal statement for medical schools.

Read the Prompt Aloud

Reading the assignment and spending five to ten minutes loudly responding to it constitute the first stage in creating a personal statement for medical school.

Employ the Sticky Note Approach

In essence, you are going to have some notions that are reasonable while you speak. 

But after that, you will encounter some that will make you pause and will make you include that in the essay. Use sticky notes to record these ideas that suddenly come to mind.

Start With an Amazing Hook

The hook will be how you begin your essay, but you want to do it captivatingly. You want to make an impression. 

Be descriptive if you choose the plotted route. Imagine going back to your initial experience. Do your best to assist the reader in "imagining" that situation.

Organize Your Experiences

Select the experiences most likely to address the prompt and guide the reader to your conclusion by looking at your sticky notes. 

No matter which experiences you choose, start by considering which ones you do not intend to use.

Elaborate Your Experiences

Talk aloud for two to four minutes about the lessons you learned from each of your experiences. 

Explain how these experiences made you decide on the career path you want to take.

Create Your Transitions

Some personal statements do not have any 'flow.' Unfortunately, this is a typical mistake in most medical school personal statements. 

While you might have beautiful experiences to share, we neglect to transition the reader from one to the next.

Draft Your Conclusion

These 2-4 lines will summarize your response if the question asks why you want to attend medical school. 

Figure out what your ultimate objective is. Too frequently, students attempt to write their conclusions after finishing their writing. However, they often come off as far too generic.

Polish and Review

Make sure your writing is error-free. Check the grammar and spelling once your draft is complete. 

Finish your personal statement for medical school by addressing it to several respected peers and mentors and asking them for feedback.

Sample Personal Statement for Medical School

Your application to medical school may succeed or fail based on your personal statement. Therefore, investing time and energy into creating a solid personal statement would be beneficial. 

The personal statement example that helped a medical school candidate get accepted is below.

Hearing of Hillary's drunken father's incarceration, I went to her home. She was sobbing, and I didn't know what to say, so I held her hand for comfort. She gently squeezed in return and said, "Thank you." My nonverbal gesture conveyed an audible message of consolation, inspiration, and support.

I have formed deep connections with people of different ages through mentoring, including seven-year-old Hillary. Since many of my mentees come from underprivileged backgrounds, working with them has forced me to grow in compassion and empathy. I felt incredibly privileged to help Hillary even though she could not control her father's alcoholism. 

My minor successes, such as the assistance I provided to Hillary, contain a lot of personal significance, even though they are not always evident. 

Similarly, becoming an influential doctor involves empathy, dedication, curiosity, and a passion for problem-solving; medicine goes beyond comprehending concrete things like the science of disease and therapy. I've acquired these abilities from my work as a teacher and a motivational doctor's aide.

My interest in medicine was stoked by my work as a teaching assistant since I discovered that aiding students required more than just an understanding of organic chemistry. Instead, it was after I looked for their underlying concerns and feelings that I could solve their problems.

Azra, one of the students, had difficulties despite frequently coming to office hours. She came over and asked for assistance. As we collaborated, I realized that she was frustrated because she felt overwhelmed by issues. I assisted her by acknowledging her as a fellow student and listening to her concerns. I was working on a problem when I commented to Azra.

"Despite studying hard, I remember doing poorly on my first organic chemistry test." 

"Really? You're a teacher's assistant; shouldn't you be flawless?"

I said that I had worked hard to raise my grades as I looked up.

"If you could do it, then I can too," she added, instantly sounding more optimistic. She passed, earning a B+, and I thought I had also succeeded. That B+ meant so much since it represented the visible results of Azra's labors, our commitment to one another, and the relationship we developed while working together.

My curiosity and love of learning fuel my passion for imparting knowledge and teaching others. In particular, my shadowing experiences have piqued my interest and motivated me to study more about the globe. How can platelet-rich plasma promote the growth of tissue? How is the proximal convoluted tubule impacted by diabetes? I kept asking questions. I strongly desired to learn everything, and using my knowledge to solve clinical issues felt incredibly fulfilling.

I learned from my experience shadowing doctors that practicing medicine not only stimulates my interest but also tests my capacity for problem-solving. I appreciate the linkages that can be made in treatment when knowledge from one field may help solve problems in another.

For instance, observing Dr. Steel, I was questioned about varicose veins and their problems.

“What would it be?”, I asked myself. 

Since I shadowed Dr. Smith in the operating room, I knew that veins contain valves. She had amputated a patient's foot because ulcers prevented blood flow in the veins.

"Veins have valves, and valve issues could result in ulcers," I retorted. You're right, but it doesn't end there, Dr. Steel said with a smile. It is not about interventional cardiology or orthopedic surgery. In actuality, collaboration and intertwining in medicine. My true attraction to medicine is the capacity to integrate knowledge from several fields and connect seemingly unrelated ideas to create a coherent picture.

Science and medicine are closely related; in fact, medicine is science. Medicine is also about people—their emotions, difficulties, and worries. Humans are not pre-programmed machines with identical issues, and physicians should be kind and wise toward patients.

Humans want incredibly inquisitive physicians who are constantly challenging advances in medicine. They deserve someone who enjoys the challenge of solving problems and developing unique, creative solutions. I aspire to be that doctor.

I want to address every case as a distinct entity and use my advantages to give each patient the individualized care they deserve. Until then, you can see me in the operating room on Friday mornings, gazing over my shoulders and daydreaming about the day I get to handle the drill.

The personal statement above opens with an intriguing hook in the first paragraph and has a firm conclusion towards the end. The essay's hook makes it difficult to put down. The conclusion presents the author as devoted and passionate about their work.

The utilization of personal narrative by the writer in the middle and at the end is superb. 

The tales selected illustrate the writer's reaction to the frequently asked question, "Why do you want to be a doctor?" while also projecting the qualities of compassion, curiosity, and reflection. 

The essay outlines several essential traits and skills that go well beyond the cliché, "I want to be a doctor because I want to help people."

For more medical school personal statement samples, please visit the link below:

Personal Statement Examples

Final Thoughts

Your med school personal statement is your chance to show the admission committees who you are beyond your GPA and MCAT score. It also enables you to identify the crucial influences and backgrounds that have shaped your interests and values. 

You must make sure you stand out. You must carefully consider how you wish to present your "big picture" while proving that you possess the skills and abilities medical schools look for.

However, remember that your personal statement is just one part of your application. The primary application , letters of recommendation , med school interviews , etc., must all be weighed equally. 

You're no longer alone on your journey to becoming a physician