O PENING THE DOOR TO YOUR P ERSONAL E SSAY

WHAT IS THE PERSONAL ESSAY? This is the ESSENTIAL part of your Medical School Application that gives you the opportunity to let your Self and your life experience come out in a way that is personal and meaningful to the reader. This is your chance to communicate directly to the Admissions readers. In your essay you are a unique, breathing and living person, not a set of numbers and facts.

What’s the Autobiographical Sketch VS the Personal Essay Autobiographical Sketch Personal Essay Is Informal, 1-2 pages Can be prose or bullets Is more like a “life resume”, a simple description/outline of life experience and events that bring you to this decision. It only goes to your letter writers (part of your “packet and posted on interfolio) Helps your writers know about your character, personality and motivation for going to med school. writer(s) get to know A more professional piece of writing 5300 characters This is a “piece of writing” with a beginning middle and end This goes directly into your AMCAS application This tells a story about you that is authentic to you, and is the readers’ chance to discover something about who you are as a whole person. Also helps them know about your character and motivation for going to medical school.

*From Barron’s “Essays that Will Get you Into Medical School:” Some Admissions committee readers (comprised of staff, faculty, students and/or doctors) will read up to 40 essays a day Essays must be interesting and make the committee want to interview you. Essays should demonstrate “proof” of an applicants motivation to become a doctor Strong writing and communication skills should be demonstrated Evidence of skills not found elsewhere in application can be showcased

DO: Don’t” Make it Personal! Really. You ARE what is interesting about you. Tell stories. Use details. Be honest. Really! You don’t need to have glamour or pizzazz. You don’t need to have had lightning bolt epiphanies. You do need to say something true about yourself. Let Your own personality come out. Get feedback! Make it Personal! Really. You ARE what is interesting about you. Tell stories. Use details. Be honest. Really! You don’t need to have glamour or pizzazz. You don’t need to have had lightning bolt epiphanies. You do need to say something true about yourself. Let Your own personality come out. Get feedback! Use gimmicks Be vague Make unsubstantiated statements Make lists Make grammatical errors or typos

AND…. Give Yourself Time! Creativity (which is what this is) takes time to percolate and come into form. Meet up with the blank page and don’t wait until you get “the perfect, fully formed, idea.” Just get started, and you will find that your ideas will emerge and develop by having given yourself the time. A fully formed (GREAT) essay, will emerge. Really.

GETTING STARTED…… In this phase you are gathering your ideas, your material. Writing exercises help you build your writing “muscle.” Brainstorming exercises help devise essay topics. Self assessment gives you understanding of your own experiences, accomplishments and skills. Recall events/things/people that influenced you Contemplate and clearly identify your own goals As you do these kinds of exercises, notice what grabs your attention, feels sparky to you, best describes you and your motivations. Welcome surprises!

Make timed writing “sessions” to explore a specific question or topic. Put your pen to the paper and just write until the time is out. You can use questions specific to the Personal essay or just play. IE: you can start with a word or idea: “goals;” “influences;” strengths;” “compassion;” integrity;” “inspiration;” “red;” “my grandparent’s house,” “fast cars;” etc. Morning pages: keep a notepad and pen by your pen and just write for 10 minutes as soon as you wake up, whatever comes to mind. Journal writing, taking stock or your thoughts, responses or experiences in your day. Notice What You Notice: Choose a question or idea, and, as if you were looking at a tree, or rock, that, just notice /describe anything, ANYthing that comes into your head about it and just take notes.

Today’s Exercises: Use again anytime For Today: 3 Minutes per question/suggestion Just put your pen to paper I will state questions /suggestions out loud All questions/statements are on next slide for your future use

Talk about something you love to do Write down anything you are proud of doing/having done, no matter how “small” it might seem. Don’t limit this to “career” types of accomplishments. What’s mattered to YOU. Who is someone that has been important to you and why? Again, it doesn’t have to be lightening bolts--something(s) that have mattered to you. Describe some significant influence in your life What is a favorite food for you and why? Describe.. What are you passionate about? What motivates you to be a doctor? When have you “changed your mind” because of an experience. What are your skills?

And To Continue….on your own, with more time… Play with chronology. Starting from childhood note any and all special or pivotal experiences you might remember… Include feelings/responses. Describe your personality/character traits and consider how some of them are also skills. Note how they have been part of how you do things and what you choose. Note how they might be part of what would make you a successful doctor. What healthcare experiences have been meaningful to you? When have you experienced adversity and how did you go through it? What touches you, moves you, makes you laugh? **Remember--what’s been pivotal to YOU might have been apparently small moments, but for some reason were meaningful to YOU. That is what is important. Big or small, what is True for you?

N OW W HAT ? You can Put it away for a little while and let things percolate, BUT Make time to keep exploring and keep coming back. What pops out at you: what questions were easy to answer, what were difficult? Was there anyplace where you just wanted to keep writing? Did anything surprise you? Or did something grab you? You Can Use some of this info for Autobiographical Sketch Try an essay draft built around some of the bits that grabbed. See where it leads. Ask a trusted friend to read it for feedback. At this stage, know it might still change a great deal… be open to starting one place and finding yourself writing in a whole new direction because of something you found out once you put your pen to the paper!