March 19, 2024 • 7 mins
Struggling to pen down that winning personal statement for medical school? I'm Dr. Jasmine Weiss, and I've sat on both sides of the admissions table. I know the power of a story that can catapult your application to the top of the pile. In this electrifying episode of BlackMed Connect, I'm peeling back the curtain to share the very narrative that landed me not one, but two full-ride scholarships. Prepare to elevate your writing with my intimate insights and personalize your journey into one that resonates with the hearts and minds of the admissions committee.
Join me as we dissect the anatomy of a standout personal statement. From my childhood battles with asthma to the profound influence of my pediatrician, I'll show you how to captivate from the first sentence and maintain that grip throughout your narrative. We'll navigate the delicate art of authenticity, ensuring that your genuine self-pulsates through every word. With personal anecdotes and key experiences from my own life as a guiding light, this episode is an arsenal of strategies to showcase your unwavering commitment to medicine and the underserved. By the end of our journey, you'll be armed with the knowledge to craft a personal statement that not only tells your story but also opens the gates to your medical career.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I've had the opportunity to review a lot of
different personal statementsfor people who are going to
medical school.
I've been a medical schooladmissions interviewer and I've
written my own personalstatement as I journey to
medical school.
So today, on this episode ofthe BMAID podcast, we're going
to tackle how to write acompelling personal statement,
and I'm even going to shareparts of my personal statement
(00:21):
with you that helped me to gettwo full-ride scholarships to
different medical schools.
So before we get started, Iwant you to first follow
BlackMed Connect on YouTube.
If you're listening on apodcast platform, be sure to
follow and subscribe.
Now let's jump right into theepisode.
Welcome back to the BlackMedConnect podcast.
(00:57):
I'm your host, dr Jasmine Weiss, and we share inspiring stories
of Black physicians andphysicians in training, and
today I'm going to share withyou three tips to help you write
a compelling personal statement.
So the first tip I have for youis to make sure you crush the
opening act, just like in a playor in a movie, when the action
gets started.
(01:18):
You want to make sure yourfirst paragraph of your personal
statement is something that'svery attention grabbing.
It's something that capturesthe reader's attention and I
know this sounds unique becauseyou're writing an essay to get
into medical school.
But individuals are reading alot of personal statements and
you want to do your best tostand out.
So let me share with you asnippet from my own personal
(01:40):
statement.
When I was applying to medicalschool as a child, it was very
common for me to stare out ofthe window as the school bus
would go by.
All I wanted to do is go toschool, but the wheezing, the
coughing and the nebulizertreatments made this an
impossible feat.
Multiple stays in the hospitaland recurring doctor's office
visits due to my asthma wereabsolutely dreadful.
(02:02):
The only source of comfort atthe doctor's office was the
pediatrician, whose kind wordsalways eased my mind and helped
me with my illness.
My experiences with asthma,coupled with my pediatrician's
compassion, warmth and abilityto relate to me during my time
of sickness, sparked my interestin medicine At a young age.
I knew that one day I wanted toreciprocate the generosity
(02:24):
afforded to me in an effort tocare for suffering individuals.
So this was my opening act andthis was a way to make sure that
the readers knew my passion formedicine was personal and very
deep for me.
So make sure you figure outwhat's important to you and
showcase that experience in youropening paragraph.
The second tip I have for you isto make sure you showcase your
(02:47):
personal experiences throughoutyour personal statement.
This is not the time to be shy.
I want you to be sure you thinkabout activities that you've
done that you really reallyvalued, that really helped you
solidify your interest inmedicine, and this isn't the
time to be superficial.
I want you to be very specificabout what you learned during
(03:08):
the experience, how it impactedothers and impacted patients,
and ultimately, how thatexperience helped you move
forward as you decided to go tomedical school.
Let me share this next excerptwith you from my personal
statement, where I highlighted aparticular experience.
There was a day when everysingle patient that came into
the office suffered from highblood pressure, diabetes or high
(03:30):
cholesterol.
A common thread amongst themajority of these patients was
that these individuals were fromminority populations.
While working as an assistantoffice manager for a durable
medical equipment company, Ialso noticed that a majority of
the patients were coming in fordiabetic supports and motor
wheelchairs due to amputation,and these individuals were often
(03:51):
African Americans who were onMedicare or Medicaid.
Having these personalexperiences allowed me to see
the vast effects of lifestylediseases and how they impacted
minority communities.
Being that minoritiescollectively have less access to
quality, affordable healthcarein the United States, it is my
desire to be a part of thesolution by serving underserved
(04:12):
populations.
As the daughter, granddaughterand great-granddaughter of three
women, each of whom havediabetes and high blood pressure
, I can identify with patientsand families who are trying to
help their loved ones makelifestyle changes due to these
illnesses.
So, again, this highlights howmy own personal family
experiences and my workexperiences and shadowing
(04:34):
opportunities and shadowingexperiences that I've had helped
me to really become interestedand passionate about health and
underserved communities.
So that's tip number two Makesure you showcase the
experiences that are importantto you and why they've helped
you to decide on a career inmedicine.
My third tip for you is to makesure you are authentic when you
(04:55):
write your personal statement.
This is about your uniquejourney, so don't try to copy
anyone else.
Don't look at the framework orthe way in which other personal
statements have been written.
You can use, ultimately, thesame kind of opening paragraph
talk about your experiences and,conclusion, make sure you talk
about something that is verynear and dear to you.
(05:16):
Remember, this personalstatement will be something that
schools will read to get toknow you better.
So you don't wanna pick anexperience that you think is
important just because it mayhave been the most popular or
most prominent experience youhad.
Pick something that was reallyimpactful to you and your
journey to medicine.
So that is my third tip for youMake sure you are authentic
(05:38):
when you're writing yourapplication and writing your
personal statement.
My final bonus tip I have foryou is that this process takes
time.
So I want you to make sure youtake some time just to
brainstorm about what type oftopic you wanna talk about
during your personal statement.
I want you to reflect back ondifferent volunteer experiences
(05:58):
you've had, any patient careexperiences you've had.
What has happened with youpersonally and your health, or
maybe even your family or afriend.
Make sure you take the time toreflect on how all of those
experiences have shaped you andmade you the person you are as
you pursue medical school.
So when writing that personalstatement, I want you to take
the time to brainstorm.
So that's my bonus tip for you.
(06:21):
So I hope you've enjoyed thisepisode where I shared three
compelling tips to help youtackle your personal statement.
I want you to remember to hitthat personal statement hard in
the first paragraph.
Make sure you have a greatopening paragraph that is
interesting and exciting andgets the reader engaged in
reading your personal statement.
Then I want to make sure youhighlight and showcase your
(06:42):
personal experiences that helpedyou to decide why medicine is a
career that's important to you.
And then don't forget to beauthentic.
Write about something that wasmeaningful to you and impactful
to you as you write yourpersonal statement.
I hope you have enjoyed thisepisode.
Next week we're gonna alsotackle a little bit more about
the common mistakes that peoplemake when writing their personal
(07:04):
statements.
So make sure you tune in.
Next week.
Don't forget to follow BlackMedConnect on all podcast
platforms.
And until next time, alwaysremember to dream without limits
.
No mistakes will be easier thanever in your journey.
I've had the opportunity to review a lot of
different personal statementsfor people who are going to
medical school.
I've been a medical schooladmissions interviewer and I've
written my own personalstatement as I journey to
medical school.
So today, on this episode ofthe BMAID podcast, we're going
to tackle how to write acompelling personal statement,
and I'm even going to shareparts of my personal statement
(00:21):
with you that helped me to gettwo full-ride scholarships to
different medical schools.
So before we get started, Iwant you to first follow
BlackMed Connect on YouTube.
If you're listening on apodcast platform, be sure to
follow and subscribe.
Now let's jump right into theepisode.
Welcome back to the BlackMedConnect podcast.
(00:57):
I'm your host, dr Jasmine Weiss, and we share inspiring stories
of Black physicians andphysicians in training, and
today I'm going to share withyou three tips to help you write
a compelling personal statement.
So the first tip I have for youis to make sure you crush the
opening act, just like in a playor in a movie, when the action
gets started.
(01:18):
You want to make sure yourfirst paragraph of your personal
statement is something that'svery attention grabbing.
It's something that capturesthe reader's attention and I
know this sounds unique becauseyou're writing an essay to get
into medical school.
But individuals are reading alot of personal statements and
you want to do your best tostand out.
So let me share with you asnippet from my own personal
(01:40):
statement.
When I was applying to medicalschool as a child, it was very
common for me to stare out ofthe window as the school bus
would go by.
All I wanted to do is go toschool, but the wheezing, the
coughing and the nebulizertreatments made this an
impossible feat.
Multiple stays in the hospitaland recurring doctor's office
visits due to my asthma wereabsolutely dreadful.
(02:02):
The only source of comfort atthe doctor's office was the
pediatrician, whose kind wordsalways eased my mind and helped
me with my illness.
My experiences with asthma,coupled with my pediatrician's
compassion, warmth and abilityto relate to me during my time
of sickness, sparked my interestin medicine At a young age.
I knew that one day I wanted toreciprocate the generosity
(02:24):
afforded to me in an effort tocare for suffering individuals.
So this was my opening act andthis was a way to make sure that
the readers knew my passion formedicine was personal and very
deep for me.
So make sure you figure outwhat's important to you and
showcase that experience in youropening paragraph.
The second tip I have for you isto make sure you showcase your
(02:47):
personal experiences throughoutyour personal statement.
This is not the time to be shy.
I want you to be sure you thinkabout activities that you've
done that you really reallyvalued, that really helped you
solidify your interest inmedicine, and this isn't the
time to be superficial.
I want you to be very specificabout what you learned during
(03:08):
the experience, how it impactedothers and impacted patients,
and ultimately, how thatexperience helped you move
forward as you decided to go tomedical school.
Let me share this next excerptwith you from my personal
statement, where I highlighted aparticular experience.
There was a day when everysingle patient that came into
the office suffered from highblood pressure, diabetes or high
(03:30):
cholesterol.
A common thread amongst themajority of these patients was
that these individuals were fromminority populations.
While working as an assistantoffice manager for a durable
medical equipment company, Ialso noticed that a majority of
the patients were coming in fordiabetic supports and motor
wheelchairs due to amputation,and these individuals were often
(03:51):
African Americans who were onMedicare or Medicaid.
Having these personalexperiences allowed me to see
the vast effects of lifestylediseases and how they impacted
minority communities.
Being that minoritiescollectively have less access to
quality, affordable healthcarein the United States, it is my
desire to be a part of thesolution by serving underserved
(04:12):
populations.
As the daughter, granddaughterand great-granddaughter of three
women, each of whom havediabetes and high blood pressure
, I can identify with patientsand families who are trying to
help their loved ones makelifestyle changes due to these
illnesses.
So, again, this highlights howmy own personal family
experiences and my workexperiences and shadowing
(04:34):
opportunities and shadowingexperiences that I've had helped
me to really become interestedand passionate about health and
underserved communities.
So that's tip number two Makesure you showcase the
experiences that are importantto you and why they've helped
you to decide on a career inmedicine.
My third tip for you is to makesure you are authentic when you
(04:55):
write your personal statement.
This is about your uniquejourney, so don't try to copy
anyone else.
Don't look at the framework orthe way in which other personal
statements have been written.
You can use, ultimately, thesame kind of opening paragraph
talk about your experiences and,conclusion, make sure you talk
about something that is verynear and dear to you.
(05:16):
Remember, this personalstatement will be something that
schools will read to get toknow you better.
So you don't wanna pick anexperience that you think is
important just because it mayhave been the most popular or
most prominent experience youhad.
Pick something that was reallyimpactful to you and your
journey to medicine.
So that is my third tip for youMake sure you are authentic
(05:38):
when you're writing yourapplication and writing your
personal statement.
My final bonus tip I have foryou is that this process takes
time.
So I want you to make sure youtake some time just to
brainstorm about what type oftopic you wanna talk about
during your personal statement.
I want you to reflect back ondifferent volunteer experiences
(05:58):
you've had, any patient careexperiences you've had.
What has happened with youpersonally and your health, or
maybe even your family or afriend.
Make sure you take the time toreflect on how all of those
experiences have shaped you andmade you the person you are as
you pursue medical school.
So when writing that personalstatement, I want you to take
the time to brainstorm.
So that's my bonus tip for you.
(06:21):
So I hope you've enjoyed thisepisode where I shared three
compelling tips to help youtackle your personal statement.
I want you to remember to hitthat personal statement hard in
the first paragraph.
Make sure you have a greatopening paragraph that is
interesting and exciting andgets the reader engaged in
reading your personal statement.
Then I want to make sure youhighlight and showcase your
(06:42):
personal experiences that helpedyou to decide why medicine is a
career that's important to you.
And then don't forget to beauthentic.
Write about something that wasmeaningful to you and impactful
to you as you write yourpersonal statement.
I hope you have enjoyed thisepisode.
Next week we're gonna alsotackle a little bit more about
the common mistakes that peoplemake when writing their personal
(07:04):
statements.
So make sure you tune in.
Next week.
Don't forget to follow BlackMedConnect on all podcast
platforms.
And until next time, alwaysremember to dream without limits
.
No mistakes will be easier thanever in your journey.
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