The Personal Statement is your opportunity to introduce yourself to admission committees. Since your personal statement will be sent to all schools you apply to, you will want to ground your narrative on events that served as motivation AND confirmation for your decision to pursue a career in healthcare, moving beyond the common motivation to "help people". Decide ahead of time what first impression you want schools to make about you, and the strengths you want them to “see” first. Write about any meaningful aspects of your identity, or life/professional experiences that demonstrate maturity and constructive situational judgment. 

Online resources can be helpful to visualize how others have approached the personal essay writing process, but your final product will be unique to you. The Thompson Writing Center will be a great resource to help you through your writing process.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER AS YOU PLAN YOUR WRITING

  • How has my decision to go into this profession changed over time?
  • What professional, academic, or personal experiences have I had that influenced my decision to follow this path?
  • What populations do I want to serve through my work in healthcare?
  • What healthcare problem do I want to help solve?

SAMPLE OF WRITING TOPICS 

  • Encounters with individuals in patient or service settings.
  • Observations from shadowing healthcare providers.
  • Working through misunderstandings.
  • Positive impact of your working in teams.
  • Delivering bad news or coping with grief alongside others.
  • Evidence of your ability to be coached, learn from mistakes, and persist through inevitable life challenges.

PROMPT LOGISTICS

Prompting questions and the space allowed for personal essays may differ by profession. The systems below count space as characters and will give you an error message if you exceed the limit.

  • Allopathic Medicine (AMCAS): 5,300-character limit, about one page.
  • Osteopathic Medicine (AACOMAS): 5,000-character limit.
  • Texas Medical, Dental and Veterinary Programs (TMDSAS): 5,000-character limit.
  • Dental (AADSAS): 4,500-character limit.
  • Veterinary Medicine (VMCAS): 5,000-character limit.
  • MD/PhD applicants write two additional essays using AMCAS:
    • Why MD/PhD: describe why you want the dual degree: 3,000-character limit.
    • Significant Research Experience: describe your research experiences: 10,000-character limit.

TOP 5 TIPS FOR WRITING PERSONAL STATEMENTS

  • Avoid clichés.
  • Strive for authenticity and engagement.
  • Anticipate working on various drafts.
  • Ask others to read and provide feedback on your writing for things like tone, parts that stand out, word choice, and organization.   
  • Check spelling, grammar and punctuations.

Essay Help

Schedule appointments with a trained writing consultant at the Thompson Writing Center for feedback on your personal essay. Alumni will need an active Duke NetID to utilize this service.