How to Find People to Read Your Personal Statement
Written by Sawyer Bawek, DO
The personal statement is one of the most challenging tasks to complete on your ERAS application. There are many challenges in making it unique and representing you as an applicant best. Check out the personal statement blogs on Inside the Match A Start to Your Personal Statement, Writing an Effective Personal Statement, and Dos and Don'ts of a Personal Statement.
One of the biggest things I want to emphasize for personal statements is to start early! Many applicants often wait until the last moments to start and quickly scramble to find editors and time to make revisions. Waiting until the last minute can cause a lot of stress on applicants and ultimately may result in a finished product that applicants are unsatisfied with.
After completing the first rough draft, some applicants may need help finding people to review their personal statements. You do not need to pay someone to review your personal statement, as there are many free opportunities to find reviewers. Here are some tips:
One of the best resources you can utilize for the initial review of your personal statement is close family members and friends. They do not need to be in medicine to review your personal statement. Individuals who know you well can help you determine if the personal statement highlights your best qualities and is a realistic picture of you. Some applicants often "sell themselves short" on personal statements because they find it hard to talk about themselves. However, this is where the ones closest to you can ensure all of your best qualities are shown through your personal statement before reaching your final product.
Other great resources to utilize are personal advisors, or anyone you have worked with who would be willing to look at your personal statement. Residents from your school or residents you may know are also good to reach out to as they have recently gone through the application process and can guide you on some of the feedback they received on their personal statements or tips they learned while making their own personal statements.
I highly recommend all applicants utilize one additional resource: #MedTwitter. I recommend creating a professional Twitter account and making sure you follow @Inside_TheMatch! Some individuals on #Medtwitter also offer to help review ERAS applications. Some applicants also post using #Medtwitter ad ask if anyone is willing to review their personal statement. Often you will see an abundance of individuals reaching out to help.
Additionally, residents and physicians should consider volunteering to review personal statements for applicants. I know the volunteers who helped me during my application cycle helped craft my personal statement into one I was excited about, and I am forever grateful. I had the opportunity to volunteer myself and help a few applicants review their personal statements this past year. I felt incredibly proud to receive a text on Match Day that the applicant's hard work had paid off and they matched into a program they were extremely excited about!
The personal statement is one of the most challenging and most time-consuming aspects of ERAS applications. Start early and get as many eyes on your personal statement as possible. I want to wish you the best of luck during application season. No matter the outcome, when you submit your application, take a moment to review everything you have accomplished over the years and be proud! Best of luck; you got this!
