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We will be covering several topics, including figuring out your personal brand and what that looks like, how to write like you mean it, how to tell your story, and how to avoid missteps. Additionally, we love to do Q&A. Toward the end of the webinar, we always leave some time for you to ask questions. Whether you choose to unmute yourself or use the chat, both options will be available for questions about the personal statement, personal narratives, brand building, the MCAT, interviews (which, as I know, Kitty is a specialist in), and more.
As mentioned, we are Inspira Advantage—a globally recognized admissions consulting and test-prep firm with over 16 years of experience. We specialize in helping students gain entry into the top graduate healthcare programs—from medicine to nursing—with a 94% acceptance rate, something we’re incredibly proud of. We believe in starting early, which is why we offer something called pre-health advising for college freshmen. We help by building a tailored academic timeline (including course selection and GPA strategy), finding impactful experiences like research, shadowing, clinical and non-clinical volunteering, extracurriculars, and leadership roles. We also help make their application stand out from the rest with a strong personal statement and interview preparation. This allows us to lay a strong foundation to help our applicants differentiate themselves from others and leave a lasting impression. In addition, we have tutors who provide one-on-one test prep for the MCAT, DAT, and GRE.
We begin with diagnostic tests, move into custom study plans, monitor progress, and our students do see a score increase—which is nice. On average, that’s a 15-point increase on the MCAT with 45-plus hours of tutoring, and our 60-hour program actually has a score guarantee of 515 for the MCAT, 21 for the DAT, and 320 for the GRE. Once we’ve gone through all of this and it’s time to apply, we have an all-inclusive application program that offers unlimited support for the entire application cycle. This includes crafting a personalized narrative and school list, perfecting personal statements and secondary essays with unlimited edits (which I think is really important), providing interview preparation, scholarship guidance, and waitlist strategy as well. We are with our students until they receive acceptance.
Our goal is very clear: to create the most competitive candidates and applications, ensuring our students shine in this never-ending, very competitive admissions landscape. If you’d like to know a little bit more about us, we offer personalized consultations via video, phone, or email—no matter where you are in your application process. We’d love to chat with you and be there for you if you need any support outside of this webinar.
I’m Katie. I am a PGY4, so I’m in my fourth of six years at the University of Wisconsin training in plastic and reconstructive surgery. In my premed days, I had quite a background in educational content, writing, and teaching—so that’s my other background apart from medicine. I went to Virginia Commonwealth University for medical school and, as I said, now I’m here in Madison, Wisconsin for residency, before taking my plastic surgery boards in two years. I actually love helping clients and talking about personal statements and how to optimize them, especially coming from the perspective that I was, of course, on the medical school admissions board and I am now current on the residency admissions committee for plastic surgery. So, coming from the reviewer side of things, I’m here to give whatever tips I can. How to write a personal statement is the general topic for tonight. I’m going to try to give you all the tips, tricks, and advice that I have.
The first thing that will help you conceptualize how to write a good personal statement is figuring out your personal brand. Everyone has one—even if you have not identified it yet. That is the first pivotal step: determining what makes you different from other applicants. Obviously, all applicants to medical school invest a lot of money, time, and effort just to apply. They are all strong, passionate about helping people and medicine.
So, what makes you different? The answer is your story. No one has a story like yours—no one has had the same experiences you have. Others might have similar volunteer or research opportunities, but no one has your story. Figure out the steps in your narrative, the experiences that have shaped your personal worldview, and how those experiences have influenced your values and motivated you to pursue medicine. This is what we want admissions committees to understand about you.
Your personal statement should not be a retelling of your application or your CV. It should not be just a listing of your experiences, qualifications, or leadership activities. In my mind, your personal statement is a story—a narrative that, when read, helps us understand the sequence of events that led you to this point in applying to medical school and realizing that medicine is for you. It should not merely tick the boxes required for an application.
Once you’ve identified the story that is most meaningful to you or will come across clearly to admissions committees, the next step is to convey it in an authentic and genuine way. One piece of advice I received when I was applying for residency—and I like to retell it—is that about 90% of the personal statements we review on admissions committees are just fine. They don’t really do anything to elevate your application; they sound generic and similar to everyone else’s. They list characteristics that would make you a good student and physician but don’t really move the needle. That’s okay, as many people do get into medical school with such statements. About 5% are red flags—perhaps something sketchy or controversial that makes me question if the applicant is a good fit—and then 5% are truly outstanding personal statements that make me, as an admissions reviewer, want to meet the person. The difference between a generic personal statement and an outstanding one is authenticity.
By authenticity, I mean that your story is uniquely yours. I have not heard it before, and it conveys the context of how you arrived at this point—beyond simply telling me what you think I want to hear as a reviewer. When you write just to please the reviewer, it ends up sounding generic. Strive for authenticity in your narrative, and remember: this is why personal statements can take months to write. They need time to evolve so that the authenticity of your voice develops.
Some factors can weaken even a good personal statement. We mentioned red-flag topics—controversial or overly personal issues that may make the reader uncomfortable. In addition, overloading your statement with accomplishments is a pitfall. This is not a retelling of your CV. If I only read a paragraph about something you did without learning anything about how it changed you or helped you grow, I lose interest. Writing in a generic, overly polished manner (as if a chatbot wrote it) or using overly academic language can also be problematic. A personal statement should be personal. Rather than simply listing experiences, show me how those experiences affected you.
Avoid “telling” instead of “showing.” Instead of just describing an experience in detail, let me feel your emotions and see the transformation in you. Also, do not forget to link your experiences to personal growth, development, and your future goals. I want to know not only what you’ve been through, but also how those experiences have shaped you into someone who will be a successful physician and a compassionate, dedicated medical student.
Spelling and grammar errors also detract from your statement—they show a lack of attention to detail and organization. Read your statement aloud several times, and have someone you respect review it for clarity and professionalism. Even if you receive feedback, you don’t have to use every suggestion. However, if you get the same feedback repeatedly, it is a clear sign that a revision is needed.
I recommend spending more time than you might initially expect on the brainstorming process. It takes a lot of time and might feel unfulfilling at first because you won’t immediately have a composed paragraph. My personal preference for brainstorming is sometimes to simply think of a vivid memory that may not even be directly related to medicine. I jot down a couple of vivid memories, and sometimes they work as metaphors that tie through my application; sometimes they don’t. For example, one vivid memory from my medical school experience—although this was for residency—is of picking a scab on my knee after playing softball. I remember sitting at the dinner table and later relating that vivid scene as a metaphor for my career in medicine.
Other brainstorming options include making a list of your experiences, and also making a list of the few key characteristics you want to demonstrate to reviewers. These should be your core values—what makes you who you are and what makes a good physician. Once you have both lists, ask yourself: How do these experiences illustrate the characteristics you value? Look for one, two, or three experiences that best demonstrate these traits, and start working them into paragraphs. Explain how these experiences led into one another and brought you to where you are today. This process takes many iterations, so give it enough time. Write down your thoughts, set them aside, and then revisit them with fresh eyes a week later. New insights will emerge regarding what to keep or change.
Other ways to bring your voice to life are to demonstrate your personality through your writing. I love when I can hear the writer’s speech patterns in their work. This doesn’t mean you should use poor grammar, but there are ways to subtly convey your natural way of speaking in a professional manner. Use intentional sentence structure so that every word you choose contributes meaningfully to your story and the message you’re conveying.
Another challenge many applicants face is balancing humility with advocating for themselves. Your personal statement and overall application should advocate for your qualities as a strong applicant, yet you must also show that you are aware there is still much to learn and experience. You are among the top one or two percent of achievers in the country, but you are still early in your journey. Avoid coming off as overly boastful while simultaneously demonstrating your eagerness to continue growing and deepening your passions—whether in research or any other area. Striking this balance is critical.
Q: Is it okay to include many anecdotes?
A: In my experience, I haven’t seen many anecdotes used effectively. That’s not to say it can’t be done well, but generally, if multiple anecdotes lack a unifying theme, they become disjointed and distracting. If you have several anecdotes, ensure they have a common theme that ties them together. Loop back at the end to explain how these anecdotes fit together and why they are significant.
I could see this approach working if done carefully, but I would caution you to ensure they do not come across as disjointed or distracting from your main message. Typically, one or two personal stories are sufficient to provide context and help me understand your narrative.
Q: How do we ensure that there is a coherent flow from the personal statement, through the secondary essays, and even your CV?
A: That’s a great question. Tonight, we’ve focused primarily on the design, writing, and flow of the personal statement. However, it’s also crucial to consider how your personal statement fits into your overall application. If I review your application and have a good sense of your experiences, but then your personal statement doesn’t align with those experiences, it can be jarring as a reviewer. For example, if your application highlights volunteer work in pediatrics but your personal statement is about becoming an orthopedic surgeon, it suggests a lack of clear vision for your future. Your primary application, meaningful activities, personal statement, and other materials should work hand in hand to help me understand you better and convey your true motivations. They should complement rather than repeat each other.
The main tip for the entire application process—and for every component of it—is timeliness. Whether it’s your primary application, your secondary essays, or your interviews, the process operates on a rolling admissions basis. The sooner you submit your materials, the sooner your application will be reviewed, increasing the likelihood of progressing to the next step—be it interviews or acceptance.
There is plenty of advice online regarding application organization and timing, but we also offer personalized organizational support. I recommend dedicating at least six months to application preparation. For the personal statement, I believe it should take between three and six months to edit, revise, or even restart if needed. Regarding the MCAT, we generally advise scheduling it so that your score is available in time to decide which schools to apply to. For instance, if primary applications are due at the end of May or early June—and today is May 28th—your MCAT should be taken early enough (typically by March, given the six-week turnaround) to allow for a potential retake if necessary.
The minimum amount of dedicated time for application preparation is about six months, ensuring you have enough time to write, revise, and fill in all the details.
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