How to Write a Personal Statement for Surgery

Writing a personal statement for surgery is required for medical school and for earning an internship. Your personal statement for surgery is vital to starting your career as a surgeon. You will need to sell yourself in this personal statement. Writing a personal statement for surgery gives you the opportunity to allow the reader into your life and mindset and opens you up for some great opportunities in the medical field of surgery.

Instructions

• 1

  Read samples of successful personal statements. Reading these will help you get a better understanding of what works. Read samples of poorly written personal statements to learn what does not work. If you already know which residencies you are interested in, ask for samples of previously submitted successful personal statements.

• 2

  Choose an angle. Think beyond just why you want to become a surgeon and help people. Take some time to seriously brainstorm a solid angle for your personal statement for surgery. Choose a time and a place where you can be alone and avoid all distractions. Why do you want to be a surgeon? What brought you to this decision? If you have a specialty, why did you choose that specialty? Answering all of these questions will help you develop an angle for your personal statement for surgery.

• 3

  Show the reader your story instead of just telling the facts. You may have heard this elsewhere, and in writing it is a rule many follow: Show, don't tell. Show why you want to be a surgeon by telling a story and painting a picture of yourself and your experiences. Showing, not telling will make you seem more real. Simply writing about the events that led you to this point will be boring. Make it real and make it exciting.

• 4

  Set yourself apart. It's important to make an impression on the reader because many will be applying for few spots. If your personal statement for surgery is not memorable, it will be forgotten. Think about how to set yourself apart from your peers. There are some unique facts about you that will help set you apart. Show your passion for medicine and surgery in your personal statement, and why it is a passion for you. Tell them a story they will never forget.

• 5

  Take it seriously. Always keep in your mind that writing a personal statement for surgery is something that will be used to determine your eligibility for a residency. Brainstorm and draft your letter, then get some sleep. Re-read your personal statement and make some necessary changes along the way. Read it out loud to yourself or to a friend. Make more changes if needed. Then, and only then, you can write your final draft of your personal statement.