The Personal Statement and Letters of Recommendation Sharon P. Douglas, MD Pulmonary Physician Professor of Medicine Associate Dean for VA Education

POINTS TO REMEMBER Find what you love and what you do well…….then, make that the mission of your life. Colin Powell

Personal Statement YOUR VOICE WHO YOU ARE No one can write it for you or tell you what to write. This is uniquely YOU! Personal Statement WHO YOU ARE Selling yourself YOUR VOICE ONLY PART YOU HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER IMPORTANT TOOL Can make reviewers want to meet you!

Personal Statement Your voice to give insight to who you are besides test scores grades activities

Show that……. You know something about You have committed to You are a good match for…. THE SPECIALTY YOU HAVE CHOSEN

Three Major Questions Why did you choose your specialty? What are you looking for in a residency? What are your future goals in the specialty?

What Do I Say? Describe interests Discuss influential experiences State skills, qualities, or strengths “I love kids” ..a patient you cared for who affected you ..that show you are well suited for the specialty and a potential asset to their program

What can I write about in my PS? Could write about clinical activities Could discuss research projects Could site volunteer activities That helped you develop skills important in your planned specialty …and/or… That helped you solidify your career goals. Focal point? What is unique or unusual? Remember, if you mention it, it comes on the table for discussion.

Other Uses of PS Explain gaps in education Discuss academic difficulties Describe unusual circumstances Provide context and discuss lessons learned (esp if positive outcome) ***Discuss with your advising dean if you question whether to discuss something.

POINTS TO REMEMBER Character is who you are in times of adversity.

SPECIAL POINTS PS is to reflect you NOT a humorous writing attempt. Programs look for cohesive ideas conveying who applicant is. Use a theme or organize material so concepts flow. Gimmicks are risky. Have others read for content, flow, grammar, spelling. Communicate your passion for your planned specialty You have your own writing style and personality. It should be you. Remember what you wrote in your PS. Who should read for content?

DON’T: -Plagiarize -Rehash CV -Underestimate importance -Focus on fellowship -Wait too late to start -Make it impersonal -Make negative comments -Have grammar/spelling errors Remember to…. Ask a physician(s) in your specialty to read it. (even residents you trust) Bring to your meeting with your dean who will read it too. Limit it to one page. Vary sentence structure. Have it proofread by…e.g. mom, spouse, English teacher.. for grammar, verb tense, spelling, etc.

A Few Process Points You can send a different PS to different programs. Limited in ERAS to 28K characters. Some formatting is available. PS created outside of MyERAS –do in a plain text word processing application (notepad- windows, simpletext-Mac). Take copies of your CV and PS to all interviews. (copy on nice paper)

Stuck???? Planning time/materials Ideas—What brought me here? Outline Theme Draft Share/Ask for Help

sometimes you just need to step back and see the obvious!

Letters of Recommendation LORs “expert testimony” ERAS allows unlimited storage. BUT, you can’t send more than four to an individual program. (min 3) Ask no later than August. Need to give writers 3-4 weeks in general. Some specialties require a “chair letter”.

LORs-What Qualitative Personal and professional characteristics Strengths in clinical care Hopefully specific examples of your performance

LORs –WHO? Ideally a clinical faculty in your specialty that knows you well and can clinically attest to your skills in the specialty you have chosen. Attendings from M3 or M4 rotations Department Chair-some cases Sometimes Program Director Research collaborators sometimes Faculty of extracurricular activities Maybe faculty from other specialty NOT residents ***For questions about writers, discuss with your dean. Caveats: Depends on what you are applying for……. Some only 3 letters and only from the specialty

LORs-ask Yourself Did I do a good job on service? Did I develop a good relationship? Does person think highly of me? Does person care about my future? Does person have good communication skills?

Asking for an LOR Be polite. Do directly and in person if able. If written request, ask for future FTF. They need to remember you-put face in front of them. Give them CV, PS. Give them cover sheet/instructions. Diligently but gently track them. “Would you be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation for me and include some specific examples of why I would be a good applicant?”

POINTS TO REMEMBER Politeness costs nothing and gains everything. Charm will get you everywhere!

Waiving the Right to See Some reviewers think waived letters are more reliable, valid, and straightforward. Most applicants seem to comply with waiving. Recommended in general-at least by me.

LOR Points The MSPE is NOT a LOR. At least half of the letters should be from physicians in that specialty. Give writers a timeline and gently follow up with them. THANK them afterward.

POINTS TO REMEMBER Stuff……….. happens!!

Always have a vision for who you want to be. POINTS TO REMEMBER Always have a vision for who you want to be.

POINTS TO REMEMBER We are here for you. We want you to match. Your success is our success.

Watch your thoughts, they become words; Watch your words, they become action; Watch your actions, they become habits; Watch your habits, they become character; Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Thank You! Gotta RUN…