harvard medical school personal statement

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Harvard Medical School Personal Statement Examples

3 strong medical school personal statements for harvard applications.

Harvard Medical School personal statement examples in this blog can inspire you to write your own stellar essay. Remember, HMS is one of the top Ivy League medical schools and therefore your AMCAS application, including your personal statement, must be outstanding! Let's take a look at 3 Harvard Medical School personal statement examples.

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Article Contents 13 min read

Harvard medical school personal statement example #1:.

It was always expected that I would become a doctor. Both of my parents are doctors, my aunt & uncle are doctors, & my older brother is completing medical school; everyone assumed I would follow a similar path. However, for a while, I didn’t see myself following this path of my own volition: it felt like something imposed, rather than something I actually desired. I maintained solid grades in my pre-med courses, but found myself really coming alive in my electives, particularly creative writing/poetry. During my high school years & first 2 years of undergrad, I found the sciences cold & detached – far from the imaginative world of creative thinking I got to explore in my breadth requirements. So, I spent my initial undergraduate years ticking the necessary boxes & getting solid marks in my required science courses, but my heart was pulled more & more toward the humanities. At the end of my second year, I decided to carry my pre-med major, while also declaring a minor in creative writing. It wasn’t until that summer between my 2nd & 3rd years that I realized these worlds of thought are not as far removed as I’d initially (& admittedly naively) assumed.

At the tender age of 9, I thought the arrival of a baby sister would be a joyous occasion. It never occurred to me that it could be one of the most terrifying ordeals I’d ever experience. I recall the preparations we’d made in our home for Jenna, the anticipation & excitement each time I felt her move in our mother’s womb. 3 months prior to her expected arrival, however, Jenna was born prematurely. She was tiny, under 2 pounds, & spent the first 10 weeks of her life in the NICU. I recall the brief moments I was able to hold her, just a tiny, fragile bundle. Throughout this trial, I was also able to see the dedication & tenacity of the doctors who worked tirelessly to save her life. Watching a medical team devote themselves to her care, tending also to my mother, father, & myself, helping us steal as many precious moments as we could with her, filled me with hope & determination. As she grew stronger, they celebrated with us – every gained pound as much a cause for joy for them as it was for us. They were not merely her doctors, they were part of our family for that time. Seeing all they did for Jenna, & the relationship they built with all of us, helped me realize my own calling in life. The day she came home was the day I decided that I wanted to become a doctor.

As inspirational as this early motivator was, it was later that I learned the real work & challenges I’d need to overcome in pursuing this profession. While no one in my immediate family is a physician, my uncle, a cardiologist, has been keen on helping me achieve my goals. His guidance led me to volunteer work & shadowing experiences even in my grade school years. In Grade 7, I thought I may want to go into neurosurgery; he used his connections to help me shadow a renowned surgeon. Though I was only 12, Dr. Tankian treated me as if I were a serious med school applicant. I followed him through a full day of surgeries, standing by his side as he removed a ruptured disc in a patient’s back, & installed an artificial bone in the neck of a patient with a degenerative condition. Being in the operating theater was exhilarating, but also terrifying. At one point in the disk removal surgery, I had to step out of the room to catch my breath, as the smell was something I hadn’t anticipated & it made me woozy. A nurse brought me tea, & I momentarily thought about leaving. However, I knew I was getting an incredible opportunity. Despite this small set-back, I firmed my resolve & returned to watch the rest of the surgery & the one that followed, & I made it through the rest of the day without having to step away again. Though I persevered, the temptation to leave had been strong, but I know now that I can face such challenges head-on & set aside my own discomfort for the sake of learning. After our day together, Dr. Tankian helped me compile research on the brain & its functions, which I assembled into an un-assigned research project that I voluntarily presented to my science class. Though it was not a graded assignment, it remains one of the proudest moments of my childhood.

In his landmark text, The Birth of the Clinic, Michel Foucault observed the ways in which medical doctors act as empowered & revered agents in modern societies, but also the ways in which the “medical gaze” can dehumanize patients, reducing them to mere bodies that are acted upon. Though published in 1963, this work continues to inspire physicians, philosophers, sociologists, & other scholars who seek to understand such power dynamics & bring empowered patients back to the center of medical care. Acknowledging this role of the doctor has left every project, every research goal, & indeed, every step on my path to gaining my M.D., subject to additional analysis & reflection. It has helped me understand the medical world in new ways & inspired me to act as an advocate for chronically ill – & often misunderstood – patients.

7 years ago, my mother woke up one day with widespread pain in her body, relentless fatigue, & a multitude of other generalized symptoms. For the first few weeks, she brushed these off. Seeing her struggle just to do basic tasks like showering or making dinner was excruciating, but she assured me that this was just a passing flu or something like that. Weeks & months went by, with no improvement; I finally convinced her to see a doctor. I thought that would be the end of this ordeal – she would get a diagnosis & treatment, & things would return to normal. After a battery of tests that all came back negative, however, we hit a wall. Over the following 2 years, she would see 5 different doctors, undergo more tests – blood draws, stress tests, even an MRI – which all came back “negative”; yet, her suffering continued. With no real treatment, she cut back her working hours, & spent most of her time off work in bed. I had to step in to maintain the home, prepare meals for our family (her, my younger brother, & myself), & ensure bills were paid, all while working part time & continuing my education.

Finally, after insisting upon a referral, she was able to see a specialist (rheumatologist), who diagnosed her with fibromyalgia. While we sighed with relief upon the diagnosis & related treatment, this was the beginning of yet another arduous struggle with the medical establishment. We quickly learned, upon returning to our family doctor, that because this disorder is not easily tested or treated, it is not always taken seriously – patients are often told that it’s “all in their head” or treated as if they are seeking narcotics. I witnessed both things happen to my mother, as I’d started attending her doctor’s appointments. All I could see was a woman who used to be heroic in my eyes, reduced now to a lifetime of very real pain & suffering. As I began researching fibromyalgia & frequenting support groups for those with this condition, a long history of dismissal, humiliation, & intense physical & mental anguish spread out in front of me.

Harvard Medical School utilizes the AMCAS application system, meaning that your personal statement should adhere to the requirements of the AMCAS personal statement. This means that your essay should be no more than 5300 characters (including spaces), and should speak to your motivations to pursue a career in medicine (“ Why do you want to be a doctor ?”). Remember, you’ll also have the AMCAS Work and Activities section to give details about your work, volunteering, research, etc., and the AMCAS Most Meaningful Experiences to expand on some significant moments in your life, work, and education. The personal statement should be a narrative engagement that highlights your key qualities and core competencies, as they align with the requirements of medical professionals, and the mission of the university itself, in ways that cannot be articulated in smaller components like the autobiographical sketch or most meaningful experiences. 

Harvard is definitely not one of the easiest medical schools to get into – indeed, it remains one of the most competitive medical schools in North America (follow this link to see medical school acceptance rates ). This means that your essays must be next-level if you want to be considered as an applicant. 

*Please note that our sample essays are the property of BeMo Academic Consulting, and should not be re-used for any purpose. Admissions committees regularly check for plagiarism from online sources.

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Madina Safarova

I am an overseas student and planning to make my Master's degree and PhD iat Harvard university in the faculty of education. Therefore, I wonder where I would be able to find personal statements written for Education faculty Thanks for your response in advance Regards Madina

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello Madina! Thank you so much for your message. Since you are looking to apply to graduate school at Harvard, you should take a look at our sample statements of purpose, or personal statements for grad school. You can find several samples in this blog https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/blog/graduate-school-statement-of-purpose-example-and-tip There is a variety of personal statements from different schools and prompts. Let us know if we can help with anything else!

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4 Medical School Personal Statement Examples

The personal statement can be one of the most challenging parts of your medical school application process. You want to show admissions committees the qualities that make you stand out while avoiding cliches. After all, a lot is riding on this essay. Don’t panic. We’ve done our homework, talked to insiders, and gathered firsthand personal statements to help you get started.

Getting Started

Before diving into the personal statement examples, here are some tips on framing your experiences to wow admissions officers.

1. Stick to your real-life experiences. While it’s great to express what you want to do in healthcare in the future, that doesn’t really set you apart. All premed students have goals for what they’ll do in the medical profession, but this often changes after time in medical school. Telling a personal story instead gives admission committee members a look at who you already are and if you have the qualities they deem desirable for med school .

Feel free to mention specialties you’re passionate about and touch on your clinical experience, but make sure the experiences you discuss are unique.

2. Build an in-depth narrative. Nobody wants to read a blanket summary of your research experience. This is your chance to get passionate and demonstrate some communication skills. Explain the driving force behind your desire to work in the medical field.

The old writing rule comes into play here: “show, don’t tell.” You will always capture your reader’s attention more by telling a story than by explaining a circumstance. Medical school admissions committees are no different. Showing them your strong work ethic — or dedication, or whatever personal quality you want — without just saying, “I have a strong work ethic” will have a greater impact.

3. Don’t include metrics. Admissions officers already have access to your GPA and MCAT scores. If they want to know how you did in biochemistry, they can find out. Don’t waste space here. If you’re concerned about those numbers, it’s much more important to nail the personal statement and secure a secondary application and eventual medical school interview.

4. Know the character limits — and try to meet them. Both AACOMAS and AMCAS applications have a character limit of 5,300. You do not necessarily need to use all 5,300 characters, but you also don’t want it to be under 3,000. You want to use as many as possible while staying on topic and being relevant. A too-short essay can look careless.

5. Get comfortable with revising . You’ll do it a lot. Expect your first draft to be just that – a first draft. This writing process will take several weeks, if not months. Once you’re confident in your essay, ask for feedback. Avoid asking family members (unless they’re experts in the field of medicine). Instead, have professors, mentors, and peers read it and offer notes.

|| Read more about capturing readers from the first paragraph with our Medical School Personal Statement Storytelling Guide . ||

6. Use coaching to craft the perfect essay. Personal statements like the ones below only come after countless hours of brainstorming and writing drafts. However, with MedSchoolCoach , you’ll work with professional writing advisors step-by-step to develop an impactful medical school personal statement.

|| Check out more Tips for Writing a Personal Statement ||

Personal Statement Example #1

Our second essay contest winner was a medical student who made their submission an AMCAS personal statement . It serves as a great and effective medical school personal statement example . We also thought it was a good read overall!

A four-letter word for “dignitary.” The combinations surge through my mind: emir? agha? tsar? or perhaps the lesser-used variant, czar? I know it’s also too early to rule out specific names – there were plenty of rulers named Omar – although the clue is suspiciously unspecific. Quickly my eyes jump two columns to the intersecting clue, 53-Across, completely ignoring the blur outside the window that indicates my train has left the Times Square station. “Nooks’ counterparts.” I am certain the answer is “crannies.” This means 49-Down must end in r, so I eliminate “agha” in my mind. Slowly, the pieces come together, the wordplay sending my brain into mental gymnastics. At the end of two hours, I find myself staring at a completed crossword puzzle, and as trivial as it is, it is one of the greatest feelings in the world.

As an avid cruciverbalist, I have a knack for problem-solving. I fell in love with another kind of puzzle in college: organic chemistry. While some of my peers struggled with its complexity, the notion of analyzing mass spectroscopy, IR spectrums, and H-NMR to identify a specific molecule invigorated me. The human body was a fantastic mystery to me in my biology classes. Intricacies such as hormonal up- and down-regulation pulled at the riddler in me; I was not satisfied until I understood the enigma of how the body worked. Graduate school at Columbia was an extension of this craving, and I chose a thesis topic to attempt to elucidate the sophisticated workings of neuro-hormonal balance peri-bariatric surgery.

In non-academic settings, I also pursued activities that would sharpen my intellect. The act of teaching is a form of problem-solving; a good teacher finds the most effective way to convey information to students. So I accepted the challenge and taught in both international and domestic settings. I assumed leadership positions in church because it forced me to think critically to resolve conflicts. In the lab, I volunteered to help write a review on the biological mechanisms of weight regain. It was precisely what I loved: isolating a specific human phenomenon and investigating how it worked.

I believe medicine and puzzles are in the same vein. After participating in health fairs, working at a clinic, and observing physicians, I understand that pinpointing a patient’s exact needs is difficult at times. In a way, disease itself can be a puzzle, and doctors sometimes detect it only one piece at a time – a cough here, lanugo there. Signs and symptoms act as clues that whittle down the possibilities until only a few remain. Then all that is left is to fill in the word and complete the puzzle. Voila!

Actually, it is more complicated than that, and inevitably the imperfect comparison falls through.

I distinctly remember a conversation I had with a psychiatric patient at Aftercare. He had just revealed his identity as Batman — but it turns out he was also Jesus. During downtime between tests, he decided to confide in me some of his dreams and aspirations. He swiftly pulled out a sketchpad and said confidently, “When I get better, I’m going back to art school.” Any doubts stemming from his earlier ramblings vanished at the sight of his charcoal-laden sheets filled with lifelike characters. “They’re… really good,” I stammered. I was looking for the right words to say, but there are times when emotions are so overwhelming that words fail. I nodded in approval and motioned that we should get back to testing.

Those next few hours of testing flew by as I ruminated on what I had experienced. After working 3 years at the clinic, I got so caught up in the routine of “figuring out” brain function that I missed the most important aspect of the job: the people. And so, just as the crossword puzzle is a 15×15 symbol of the cold New York streets, a person is the polar opposite. Our patients are breathing, fluid, and multi-dimensional. I’ve come to love both, but there is nothing I want more in the world than to see a broken person restored, a dream reignited, to see Mr. Batman regain sanity and take up art school again. The prospect of healing others brings me joy, surpassing even the most challenging crosswords in the Sunday paper.

This is why I feel called to a life in medicine. It is the one profession that allows me to restore others while thinking critically and appreciating human biology. I am passionate about people, and medicine allows me to participate in their lives in a tangible way, aligned with my interest in biology and problem-solving skill.

The New York Times prints a new puzzle daily, and so does the Washington Post, USA Today, and the list continues. The unlimited supply of puzzles mirrors the abundance of human disease and the physician’s ongoing duty to unravel the mystery, to resolve the pain. A great cruciverbalist begins with the basics of learning “crosswordese,” a nuanced language; I am prepared to do the same with health, starting with my education in medical school. Even so, I am always humbled by what little I know and am prepared to make mistakes and learn along the way. After all, I would never do a crossword puzzle in pen.

||Read Our First Essay Contest Winner: Considerations Before Applying to Medical School ||

||Read The Formula For A Good Personal Statement | |

Personal Statement Example #2

Student Accepted to Case Western SOM, Washington University SOM, University of Utah SOM, Northwestern University Feinberg SOM

With a flick and a flourish, the tongue depressor vanished, and a coin suddenly appeared behind my ear. Growing up, my pediatrician often performed magic tricks, making going to the doctor feel like literal magic. I believed all healthcare facilities were equally mystifying, especially after experiencing a different type of magic in the organized chaos of the Emergency Department. Although it was no place for a six-year-old, childcare was often a challenge, and while my dad worked extra shifts in nursing school to provide for our family, I would find myself awed by the diligence and warmth of the healthcare providers.

Though I associated the hospital with feelings of comfort and care, it sometimes became a place of fear and uncertainty. One night, my two-year-old brother, Sean, began vomiting and coughing non-stop. My dad was deployed overseas, so my mother and I had no choice but to spend the night at the hospital, watching my brother slowly recover with the help of the healthcare providers. Little did I know, it would not be long before I was in the same place. Months later, I became hospitalized with pneumonia with pleural effusions, and as I struggled to breathe, I was terrified of having fluid sucked out of my chest. But each day, physicians comforted me, asking how I was, reassuring me that I was being taken care of, and explaining any questions related to my illness and treatment. Soon, I became excited to speak with the infectious disease doctor and residents, absorbing as much as possible about different conditions.

I also came to view the magic of healing through other lenses. Growing up, Native American traditions were an important aspect of my life as my father was actively involved with native spirituality, connecting back to his Algonquin heritage. We often attended Wi-wanyang-wa-c’i-pi ceremonies or Sun Dances for healing through prayer and individuals making personal sacrifices for their community. Although I never sun danced, I spent hours in inipis chewing on osha root, finding my healing through songs.

In addition to my father’s heritage, healing came from the curanderismo traditions of Peru, my mother’s home. She came from a long line of healers using herbal remedies and ceremonies for healing the mind, body, energy, and soul. I can still see my mother preparing oils, herbs, and incense mixtures while performing healing rituals. Her compassion and care in healing paralleled the Emergency Department healthcare providers. 

Through the influence of these early life experiences, I decided to pursue a career in the health sciences. Shortly after starting college, I entered a difficult time in my life as I struggled with health and personal challenges. I suddenly felt weak and tired most days, with aches all over my body. Soon, depression set in. I eventually visited a doctor, and through a series of tests, we discovered I had hypothyroidism. During this time, I also began dealing with unprocessed childhood trauma. I decided to take time off school, and with thyroid replacement hormones and therapy, I slowly began to recover. But I still had ways to go, and due to financial challenges, I decided to continue delaying my education and found work managing a donut shop. Unbeknownst to me, this experience would lead to significant personal growth by working with people from all walks of life and allowing me time for self-reflection. I continuously reflected on the hospital experiences that defined my childhood and the unmatched admiration I had for healthcare workers. With my renewed interest in medicine, I enrolled in classes to get my AEMT license and gain more medical experience. 

As my health improved, I excelled in my classes, and after craving the connections of working with others, I became a medical assistant. In this position, I met “Marco,” a patient traveling from Mexico for treatment. Though I spoke Spanish while growing up, I had little experience as a medical interpreter. However, I took the opportunity to talk with him to learn his story. Afterward, he became more comfortable, and I walked him through the consultation process, interpreting the physician’s words and Marco’s questions. This moment showed me the power of connecting with others in their native language. As a result, I began volunteering at a homeless clinic to continue bridging the language barrier for patients and to help advocate for the Latinx community and those who struggle to find their voice. 

My journey to becoming a doctor has been less direct than planned; however, my personal trials and tribulations have allowed me to meet and work with incredible people who have been invaluable to my recovery and personal development. Most importantly, I have seen the value of compassionate and empathetic care. Though I have not recently witnessed any sleight of hand or vanishing acts, what healthcare providers do for patients can only be described as magic.

I look forward to bringing my diverse background as a physician and expanding my abilities to help patients in their path to healing.

||Read: But I Don’t Have 15 Activities ! | Apply to Med School After 3rd or 4th Year? ||

Personal Statement Example #3

Student accepted to Weill Cornell

My path to medicine was first influenced by early adolescent experiences trying to understand my place in society. Though I was not conscious of it then, I held a delicate balance between my identity as an Indian-American and an “American-American.” 

In a single day, I could be shooting hoops and eating hotdogs at school while spending the evening playing Carrom and enjoying tandoori chicken at a family get-together. When our family moved from New York to California, I had the opportunity to attend a middle school with greater diversity, so I learned Spanish to salve the loss of moving away and assimilate into my new surroundings.

As I partook in related events and cuisine, I built a mixed friend group and began understanding how culture influences our perception of those around us. While volunteering at senior centers in high school, I noticed a similar pattern to what I sometimes saw: seniors socializing in groups of shared ethnicity and culture. Moving from table to table and language to language, I also observed how each group shared different life experiences and perspectives on what constitutes health and wellness. Many seniors talked about barriers to receiving care or how their care differed from what they had envisioned. Listening to their stories on cultural experiences, healthcare disparities, and care expectations sparked my interest in becoming a physician and providing care for the whole community.

Intrigued by the science behind perception and health, I took electives during my undergraduate years to build a foundation in these domains. In particular, I was amazed by how computational approaches could help model the complexity of the human mind, so I pursued research at Cornell’s Laboratory of Rational Decision-Making. Our team used fMRI analysis to show how the framing of information affects cognitive processing and perception. Thinking back to my discussions with seniors, I often wondered if more personalized health-related messaging could positively influence their opinions. Through shadowing, I witnessed physicians engaging in honest and empathetic conversations to deliver medical information and manage patients’ expectations, but how did they navigate delicate conflicts where the patients’ perspectives diverged from their own?

My question was answered when I became a community representative for the Ethics Committee for On Lok PACE, an elderly care program. One memorable case was that of Mr. A.G, a blind 86-year-old man with radiation-induced frontal lobe injury who wanted to return home and cook despite his doctor’s expressed safety concerns. Estranged from his family, Mr. A.G. relied on cooking to find fulfillment. Recognizing the conflict between autonomy and beneficence, I joined the physicians in brainstorming and recommending ways he could cook while being supervised.

I realized that the role of a physician was to mediate between the medical care plan and the patient’s wishes to make a decision that preserves their dignity. As we considered possibilities, the physicians’ genuine concern for the patient’s emotional well-being exemplified the compassion I want to emulate as a future doctor. Our discussions emphasized the rigor of medicine — the challenge of ambiguity and the importance of working with the individual to serve their needs.

With COVID-19 ravaging our underserved communities, my desire to help others drove me towards community-based health as a contact tracer for my county’s Department of Public Health. My conversations uncovered dozens of heartbreaking stories that revealed how socioeconomic status and job security inequities left poorer families facing significantly harsher quarantines than their wealthier counterparts.

Moreover, many residents expressed fear or mistrust, such as a 7-person family who could not safely isolate in their one-bedroom and one-bath apartment. I offered to arrange free hotel accommodations but was met with a guarded response from the father: “We’ll be fine. We can maintain the 6 feet.” While initially surprised, I recognized how my government affiliation could lead to a power dynamic that made the family feel uneasy. Thinking about how to make myself more approachable, I employed motivational interviewing skills and small talk to build rapport. 

When we returned to discussing the hotel, he trusted my intentions and accepted the offer. Our bond of mutual trust grew over two weeks of follow-ups, leaving me humbled yet gratified to see his family transition to a safer living situation. As a future physician, I realize I may encounter many first-time or wary patients; and I feel prepared to create a responsive environment that helps them feel comfortable about integrating into our health system.

Through my clinical and non-clinical experiences, I have witnessed the far-reaching impact of physicians, from building lasting connections with patients to being a rock of support during uncertain times. I cannot imagine a career without these dynamics—of improving the health and wellness of patients, families, and society and reducing healthcare disparities. While I know the path ahead is challenging, I am confident I want to dedicate my life to this profession.

Personal Statement Example #4

Student Accepted to UCSF SOM, Harvard Medical School

Countless visits to specialists in hope of relief left me with a slew of inconclusive test results and uncertain diagnoses. “We cannot do anything else for you.” After twelve months of waging a war against my burning back, aching neck and tingling limbs, hearing these words at first felt like a death sentence, but I continued to advocate for myself with medical professionals. 

A year of combatting pain and dismissal led me to a group of compassionate and innovative physicians at the Stanford Pain Management Center (SPMC). Working alongside a diverse team including pain management specialists and my PCP, I began the long, non-linear process of uncovering the girl that had been buried in the devastating rubble of her body’s pain. 

From struggling with day-to-day activities like washing my hair and sitting in class to thriving as an avid weightlifter and zealous student over the span of a year, I realized I am passionate about preventing, managing and eliminating chronic illnesses through patient-centered incremental care and medical innovation.

A few days after my pain started, I was relieved to hear that I had most likely just strained some muscles, but after an empty bottle of muscle relaxers, the stings and aches had only intensified. I went on to see 15 specialists throughout California, including neurologists, physiatrists, and rheumatologists. Neurological exams. MRIs. Blood tests. All inconclusive.

Time and time again, specialists dismissed my experience due to ambiguous test results and limited time. I spent months trying to convince doctors that I was losing my body; they thought I was losing my mind. Despite these letdowns, I did not stop fighting to regain control of my life. Armed with my medical records and a detailed journal of my symptoms, I continued scheduling appointments with the intention of finding a doctor who would dig deeper in the face of the unknown.

Between visits, I researched my symptoms and searched for others with similar experiences. One story on Stanford Medicine’s blog, “Young Woman Overcomes Multiple Misdiagnoses and Gets Her Life Back”, particularly stood out to me and was the catalyst that led me to the SPMC. After bouncing from doctor to doctor, I had finally found a team of physicians who would take the profound toll of my pain on my physical and mental well-being seriously.

Throughout my year-long journey with my care team at the SPMC, I showed up for myself even when it felt like I would lose the war against my body. I confronted daily challenges with fortitude. When lifting my arms to tie my hair into a ponytail felt agonizing, YouTube tutorials trained me to become a braiding expert. Instead of lying in bed all day when my medication to relieve nerve pain left me struggling to stay awake, I explored innovative alternative therapies with my physicians; after I was fed up with the frustration of not knowing the source of my symptoms, I became a research subject in a clinical trial aimed at identifying and characterizing pain generators in patients suffering from “mysterious” chronic pain.

At times, it felt like my efforts were only resulting in lost time. However, seeing how patient my care team was with me, offering long-term coordinated support and continually steering me towards a pain-free future, motivated me to grow stronger with every step of the process. Success was not an immediate victory, but rather a long journey of incremental steps that produced steady, life-saving progress over time.

My journey brought me relief as well as clarity with regard to how I will care for my future patients. I will advocate for them even when complex conditions, inconclusive results and stereotypes discourage them from seeking continued care; work with them to continually adapt and improve an individualized plan tailored to their needs and goals, and engage in pioneering research and medical innovations that can directly benefit them.

Reflecting on the support system that enabled me to overcome the challenges of rehabilitation, I was inspired to help others navigate life with chronic pain in a more equitable and accessible way. Not everyone has the means to work indefinitely with a comprehensive care team, but most do have a smartphone. As a result, I partnered with a team of physicians and physical therapists at the University of California San Francisco to develop a free mobile application that guides individuals dealing with chronic pain through recovery. Based on my own journey, I was able to design the app with an understanding of the mental and physical toll that pain, fear, and loss of motivation take on patients struggling with chronic pain. Having features like an exercise bank with a real-time form checker and an AI-based chatbot to motivate users, address their concerns and connect them to specific health care resources, our application helped 65 of the 100 pilot users experience a significant reduction in pain and improvement in mental health in three months.

My journey has fostered my passion for patient-centered incremental medicine and medical innovation. From barely living to thriving, I have become a trailblazing warrior with the perseverance and resilience needed to pursue these passions and help both the patients I engage with and those around the world.

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Applying to Medical School

While the majority of students interested in medical school plan to complete premedical requirements during college and start the application process by the end of their junior or senior year, others take the necessary courses as postbaccalaureate students. Many students don’t make the decision to pursue a career in medicine until late in college or after graduation. Applying after college does not put you at a disadvantage; in fact, many medical schools say they appreciate the maturity of older applicants. If you are a current applicant for the 2023 cycle or if you an alumni planning to apply in the future, please subscribe to our Medical School Applicant Listserv .

Learn more about the steps required for applying to medical school:

Timeline for Seniors & Alumni

Senior Applicants Attending medical school directly after graduation; applying the summer after junior year.

Alumni Applicants Taking a year off before medical school; applying the summer after senior year. About 75-80% of Harvard College applicants to medical school take one or more gap years. Of this number, around two-thirds take 2+ gap years.

• Review the  Premedical Information for Students  (pdf) booklet, which provides an overview of academic requirements and dispels some pervasive premed myths.
• Read our monthly email newsletters.
• Begin to identify possible sites for  volunteering in the health field .
• Get involved on campus.
• Get to know your faculty, preceptors, instructors, and teaching fellows – attend office hours, invite them to dinner, etc.
• Seek out help and advice from faculty, students, and/or our advisors .
• Attend a Pre-Health 101 workshop.
• Attend workshops in the Gaining Traction in Pre-Health Series.
• Complete the  Navigating Premed and Pre-Health form  and schedule a Navigating Premed and Pre-Health advising appointment.
• Connect with the Pre-Health Peer Liaison PAFs (PPL PAFs) and attend Pre-Health Question Centers.

Sophomore Year

• Attend medical and other health-related programs at our office, in your House, and in the broader campus community.
• If you did not attend one as a first-year, schedule a Navigating Premed and Pre-Health advising appointment.
• Participate in service organizations and campus activities.
• Refine extracurricular interests whether or not they are medically relevant.
• Continue gaining healthcare experience.
• Continue meeting with faculty. Consider asking for a recommendation letter.
• Think about what you might like to do during the summer.
• Attend some medical school admissions information sessions co-hosted by our office with premed student clubs.

Junior Year (Senior Year for Alumni Applicants)

• Make an appointment with one of our Premedical/Pre-Health Advisors to discuss your timeline, grades, and activities to ensure that this is the correct cycle for you to apply.
• Begin Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) preparation ( MCAT calendar ).
• If applicable, apply for MCAT testing accommodations early.
• Apply for  AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP)  prior to MCAT (if eligible).
• Make an appointment to speak with one of the Resident Premedical Tutors on the Premedical/Pre-Health Committee in your House (or the Dudley Community).
• Attend pre-applicant meetings and/or other programs for upcoming applicants arranged by your House/the Dudley Community Premed/Pre-Health Committee.
• Review House/the Dudley Community deadlines for submitting required application materials to your Premed/Pre-Health Committee.
• Attend our workshop on the Medical School Application Process .

Spring term

• If you have not already applied for the  AAMC Fee Assistance Program  (FAP), be sure to apply now (if eligible). Note that the benefits are not retroactive and need to be approved before registering for the MCAT or submitting the AMCAS to receive full benefits.
• Take the MCAT  by early-mid May of the application year.
• Brainstorm and begin a draft of your personal statement for AMCAS application.
• Medical School Application Process (if you missed it in the fall)
• Selecting Medical Schools
• Personal Statements and other Application Essays
• The AMCAS Application
• Generate a list of medical schools to which you would like to apply.
• Confirm that all letters of recommendation have been sent to your Resident Dean’s Office/ your Premedical Committee. (See your House/the Dudley Community website for the waiver form and instructions for how to request and have your recommenders submit your recommendation letters to your Resident Dean’s Office.)
• Send spring grades and GPA recalculation to your Premed/Pre-Health Committee. (May-June)
• Arrange for official transcripts to be sent to AMCAS from all colleges attended.
• Complete and submit your  AMCAS application  by the middle of June.
• Receive and complete secondary applications for individual med schools within 10-14 days of receipt. (July/August)
• Premedical Committee letters are sent to all medical schools by August 15 provided you have adhered to House/the Dudley Community deadlines.

Senior Year (Post-Grad Year for Alumni Applicants)

• Confirm with medical schools that your application is complete. (September)
• Attend a Medical School Interview webinar.
• Keep up with current issues in medicine and healthcare.
• Schedule a mock interview with your House/the Dudley Community.
• Practice interview questions with friends/family.
• Attend medical school information sessions co-hosted by our office with premed student clubs.
• Receive invitations to interview. (August through March)
• Travel to/attend virtual interviews. (September through April)
• If you have received 0-2 interviews by mid-late October, please let your Premed Tutors and our premed/pre-health advisors know and make an appointment with the premedical/pre-health advisor in our office with whom you are working, to discuss your application and strategies to gain interview invitations.
• Stay in touch with Premedical Tutors regarding the status of your application.
• Apply for financial aid via FAFSA and follow school-specific guidance to receive your aid offer.
• Be aware of the last date to hold more than three acceptance offers (April 15) and the last day to hold more than one. (April 30).
• If on wait list(s), keep in touch with medical schools.
• Register for your first day of medical school!

Info for Postbaccalaureate Students

As an alumna/us who graduated fewer than five years ago, you may continue to take advantage of the resources available to you at our office (workshops, premedical/pre-health drop ins and start-of-term office hours, and individual advising appointments). If you are no longer in the Cambridge area or are abroad, advising appointments can be done over the phone or Zoom. If you have been out longer than five years, please contact our front desk to arrange for a single courtesy advising appointment.

If you are planning to apply to medical or dental school soon, please contact your Premedical/Pre-Health Committee as soon as possible, preferably by late winter before your upcoming application year, for assistance with the process. The Premedical/Pre-Health Committee will write a committee letter of support for alumni up to five years post graduation. However, at the discretion of the House Faculty Dean, the number of years post graduation may, at times, be extended.  Applicants should be ready to submit their AMCAS application by mid-June the year prior to matriculation at medical school. AMCAS processing and verification can take up to six weeks for those applicants who submit AMCAS later in the summer, significantly delaying consideration of their application.

If you are considering other pre-health professions such as nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, pharmacy, optometry, or midwifery, please make an appointment in Crimson Careers with our premedical/pre-health advisors and emailing [email protected]  with any questions.

A significant number of students take postbaccalaureate coursework before entering medical school. There are many types of postbaccalaureate programs, but they generally fall into two main categories: “career changer” and “enhancement” programs. The target population of these two programs differs. A “career changer” program is geared toward students who have completed few or no premed science requirements, whereas an “enhancement” program targets students who have completed all or most of their required science courses, but are advised to take additional science courses to strengthen their GPA.

Many Harvard alumni choose to enroll in the courses offered at the  Harvard Extension School . This is an excellent option for “career changers” as well as students who seek to enhance their academic record and GPA. Note: Application and enrollment in the  Extension School’s Premedical Studies Program  is usually not necessary for Harvard College alumni.

Please review the following  resource page for postbaccalaureate information , a glossary and FAQs developed by the National Association of Advisors in the Health Professions.

• Searchable database of all postbaccalaureate programs  (AAMC)

How do postbaccalaureate students afford to take classes?

Postbaccalaureate courses are often offered in the evening, allowing students to work during the day. Some universities offer tuition assistance to employees, encouraging staff members to enroll in courses for very low fees. For example, Harvard University offers an exceptional  Tuition Assistance Plan  (TAP), and several of the hospitals in the Boston area offer their own version of tuition assistance to employees working as Clinical Research Coordinators/Research Assistants, with which to enroll in science course at the Harvard Extension School or elsewhere. We also encourage alumni to look into the possibility of applying to be a Faculty Aide at one of the Houses (also referred to as a “House Elf” position) in exchange for free room and board.

Postbaccalaureate Career-Changers

Career-changer programs are typically designed for students with little or no science background, who have completed none (or only one or two) of the science course requirements. These programs can vary in their degree of structure, ranging from a certificate program with a set list of courses and pre-professional internships to a self-study continuing education program.

Things to consider when choosing a career-changer program:

• Structure and access to courses (including electives outside of the premed core requirements)
• Size of program
• Cost and financial aid
• Individualized advising (by whom) and academic support
• Workshops, programming, alumni contact
• Internships/volunteer/research opportunities
• MCAT support
• Committee letter
• Linkage arrangements with medical schools
• Postbac student culture

See a full listing of  Career Changer Programs  maintained by the American Association of Medical Colleges.

Postbaccalaureate Academic Record Enhancement

Academic record enhancement coursework is targeted to those students right out of college who have already decided that medical school is their primary goal, but whose academic performance requires additional effort to be competitive for medical school admission.

Examples of such students include, but are not limited to:

• MCAT scores with any section below 125 or a composite score below 505
• Science and overall GPAs below 3.30
• Students who experienced personal challenges during their undergraduate career, which impacted GPA negatively

Special Master’s Programs

Students with cumulative undergraduate GPAs below 3.3 and/or MCAT scores below 505 may want to consider a special master’s postbaccalaureate graduate program in which students take actual medical school courses and are graded in relation to the University’s own medical school students. This allows postbac students to demonstrate their ability to perform well in a rigorous medical school program. A true special master’s post-baccalaureate program is one that is affiliated with a medical school and whose curriculum overlaps with the medical school curriculum.

Many students with weaker credentials are better served by completing additional coursework or a full postbaccalaureate program prior to applying to medical school.

See the full listing of  Academic Enhancer  maintained by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Opportunities for Economically or Educationally Disadvantaged Students and Those Belonging to Groups Underrepresented in Medicine (URM)

Special programs for disadvantaged or under-resourced students exist. Although URMs account for about 25 percent of the US population, they account for a substantially smaller percentage of practicing physicians. To address this imbalance, numerous postbaccalaureate programs have been developed that assist disadvantaged students with gaining acceptance to medical school. These students are self-described as disadvantaged applicants using  AAMC criteria . Eligible students typically matriculate into these specially designed programs with lower cumulative GPAs and MCAT scores. These programs for disadvantaged or underrepresented students generally fall into two categories:

• Programs at medical or other health professions schools that invite only students from their prospective applicant pools to apply. Some of these programs offer conditional acceptance to the medical school upon completion of the program with a certain GPA and MCAT score.
• Programs to which students may apply directly, regardless of their application status with the health professions school with which the program is associated.

Some medical schools offer summer programs which expose students to a limited science tutorial program in which they must attain a certain level of proficiency before they can be considered for acceptance to the medical school. Other schools accept students into their MD class, but require a summer enrichment program to facilitate the student’s transition to medical school. In some instances student performance may dictate that the accepted applicant be placed in a decelerated program (e.g., the first year of medical school courses may be taken over a two-year period).

NAAHP provides information and links to dozens of research programs and fellowships for premedical and other pre-health students at universities and research centers across the country, including the  Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) ,  Community Based Dental Education , and numerous postbaccalaureate programs.

See the full listing of postbaccalaureate programs designed for economically or educationally disadvantaged students as well as for groups underrepresented , in medicine maintained by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC).

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) assesses the applicant’s understanding of basic concepts in general biology, biochemistry, general/inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, non-calculus based physics, statistics, psychology, and sociology. The test consists of four multiple-choice sections:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

For the most up-to-date information about the test, please visit the official  Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)  website. Some highlights include:

• What’s on the MCAT Exam?
• Online practice questions
• Khan Academy MCAT video collection
• JoVE  (pdf) MCAT video tutorials (current Harvard students have institutional access via HarvardKey login to the complete set of JOVE’s MCAT prep resources and videos.)
• Test dates and registration

If you are unsure if your current score is still valid, check the school-by-school list of the oldest and latest MCAT test dates accepted for the current application cycle in the  Medical School Admissions Requirements , view the consolidated list on this AAMC document , check individual school websites, or review  the MCS document: US Medical School Admissions Information for 2023 Matriculants. .

• The AAMC  Fee Assistance Program   (FAP) provides benefits for MCAT registration, access to the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR), and AMCAS benefits. Benefits are not retroactive, so be sure to apply early enough to receive full benefits of the program.
• The AAMC provides accommodations for qualifying MCAT test-takers . The review process can take between two and three months to complete, so early applications are encouraged. See the recommended submission dates based on planned exam dates .

Retaking the MCAT

If your MCAT score was lower than you had hoped for, the following list of questions may help you decide whether to retake the MCAT:

• What is your score? On the MCAT website, you can view  data on other applicants who re-took the test  with similar initial scores.
• Which medical schools would you like to apply to?
• Are you truly motivated to retake the test? How thoroughly would you prepare? Do you have enough time and energy to do the preparation and practice necessary to improve your scores?
• Do you feel you were adequately prepared for the test the first time around?
• What opportunities would you miss out on by re-taking the test? Would your time, effort, and money be better spent strengthening other aspects of your candidacy, or do you really need an improved score to be competitive? How competitive are the other aspects of your candidacy, such as grades, activities, recommendations, etc.?
• Did you run out of time on certain sections of the MCAT? Was this in part due to not taking multiple practice tests?
• For students who took the MCAT during the Covid-19 pandemic: If you believe you underperformed on your test due to the changes to the test format or time, or other circumstance related to Covid-19, reach out to your House/Dudley Community premed tutor/s and our premedical/pre-health advisors for advice about retaking or not. You will also be able to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on your MCAT test and score/s in medical school secondary applications.

An AMCAS application workshop is held every spring for current applicants ( see schedule ). The 2023 AMCAS webinar presentation and recording (for late summer/fall 2023 matriculants) and FAQs are provided below.

AMCAS and other primary application & secondary applications and Casper and other situational judgment tests

• AAMC AMCAS Website  |  AMCAS Applicant Guide  (pdf)
• AMCAS Course Classification Guide  |  AMCAS Course Classification Guide  (pdf)
• AMCAS tutorials
• AMCAS Letter Service  |  AMCAS Letter Writer Application

Applying to State Medical and Dental Schools in Texas: Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS)

• TMDSAS Website  |  TMDSAS Application Guide

Applying to Osteopathic (DO) Schools: Association of American College of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)

• Application Instructions and FAQs

At this time,  around 40 allopathic U.S. medical schools, a number of osteopathic medical schools, and some dental and veterinary schools require applicants to take an online situational judgment test (SJT) called Casper . The test presents scenarios which include an ethical dilemma and then asks applicants to comment on how the individuals in the scenario should proceed and why. Proponents of the test believe it measures personal traits such as integrity and the ability to reason. To help you prepare for Casper, there are free online practice scenarios and tests ( see   https://takecasper.com/sample-casper-test/  and  http://apetest.com/caspersim/practice-test/  for two examples). PrepMatch : A free peer-to-peer CASPer simulation platform is a highly recommended practice resource. This SJT requires timed, rapid typing about specific scenarios, so applicants need to practice that skill if possible. Please be sure to review the Casper  FAQs on the Acuity Insights site to learn more about the format of the test. We recommend that you aim to take Casper by the end of July, so it does not delay any interview invitations.

The 2023 AAMC PREview™ professional readiness exam (formerly known as the AAMC Situational Judgment Test)

Learn more about the  PREview exam . List of participating medical schools. Register at  www.aamc.org/preview

Review test dates  and the  registration deadlines for each testing window. For questions about the PREview test and program, email  [email protected]  or call 202-540-5457.

FAQ for Applicants:

Coursework section.

Q: How do I classify a course in AMCAS?

A: Many Harvard courses do not fit perfectly into AMCAS course classifications, so you will need to use your best judgment. Classify according to the primary content or disciplinary approach of the course. So, biostatistics would be classified as math/stats, not biology. For further explanation, please see the AMCAS Applicant Guide. Our premedical/pre-health advisors cannot make this determination for you; AMCAS is the final arbiter of all course classifications. Your Science (“BCPM”) GPA is made up of your Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math (Statistics = Math) grades. For more information about how to classify your courses, see the AMCAS Course Classification Guide .

If AMCAS changes a classification you made, and you disagree with the change, you can appeal the change via the Academic Change request option (available within the AMCAS application). You only have a limited time to appeal this decision, so review your application carefully as soon as it is verified by AMCAS.

Q: I am not Advanced Standing but want to indicate to med schools that I have taken AP Calculus. How do I do this in the coursework section?

A: AMCAS has asked that students not list AP calculus on their AMCAS application if it is not on that student’s Harvard transcript. You will have other opportunities to tell medical schools how you are fulfilling their requirements, either on the secondary application, on the interview day or later after acceptance. The Harvard Registrar will not validate the APs, but you may be asked at some point to have the official AP score sent from the College Board to particular medical schools.

Q: Do I have to list future coursework?

A: No. Some applicants may want to indicate to med schools how they will complete the requirements or that they plan to take more science courses. But most applicants do not fill this out. You are not under any obligation to enroll in courses you indicate you plan to take.

Q: What should I list as the Course Number?

A: The course number is generally the department name and the number that follows (e.g., Chemistry 17, Math 21a, etc.).

Q: Should I list the Course Name exactly as it appears on my transcript? (e.g., “Frank Lloyd Wright and the”)

A: What you list for Course Name does not need to correspond exactly to what is listed on your transcript. But make sure it is similar enough, so that AMCAS can easily match up your course with the one on your transcript. Med schools need to be able easily to discern what kind of course it was. It is fine to abbreviate course names.

Q: For a SAT/UNSAT (or SEM/UEM) course, do I select “Pass/Fail” for course type?

A: Yes, AMCAS only has one option for pass/fail, so you select this regardless of whether the course was required pass/fail or optional pass/fail, and regardless of whether the grade on your transcript is “PA” or “SAT” or another binary grade notation. Note that the grade you enter should be the grade that appears on your transcript (e.g., “SAT” or “SEM”).

Q: If I took Harvard Summer School course/s after matriculating at Harvard College, and also took Harvard Extension School course/s (and/or Harvard Summer School course/s before matriculating at Harvard College), how do I enter this coursework in AMCAS?

Note: If this applies to you, you will need to enter the Harvard Extension School in the Division of Continuing Education (DCE) as one of the schools you have attended (in the AMCAS schools attended section), and  order a transcript from the Extension School DCE Registrar’s Office  to be sent to AMCAS (so AMCAS will receive two separate transcripts, one issued by the DCE Registrar and the other – your Harvard College transcript – issued by the FAS Registrar’s Office; both of these Registrar’s Offices use Parchment to transmit transcripts).

A: Enter the Extension course/s (and/or any HSS course/s you took prior to matriculation at the College) as coursework taken at the Harvard Extension School (or Harvard Summer School), as they appear on your DCE transcript.

Enter the Harvard Summer School (HSS) course/s you took on the Cambridge campus *  after you matriculated at Harvard College as part of your Harvard College coursework, and as they appear on your Harvard College transcript.

Do not enter the HSS course/s you took while a student at the College under your DCE coursework (even though the HSS course/s appear/s on your DCE transcript as well as on your College transcripts). The AMCAS Department has confirmed that they are aware that HSS courses will appear on both transcripts, and they instruct applicants in this situation to only enter this coursework once as part of your Harvard College coursework.

* For instructions on how to enter Harvard Summer School courses taken abroad in a HSS study abroad program into your AMCAS application, see the answer to the following FAQ (under the AMCAS tab) at  https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/applying-to-medical-school/ : 

Q: If I did a Harvard Summer School (HSS) abroad program, do I indicate that this was a study abroad program in AMCAS?

A. Yes. If you took courses abroad through a Harvard Summer School (HSS) program, you must first add a second entry for “Harvard University” in the “Schools attended” section of your AMCAS (in addition to your main entry of your “Harvard University” undergraduate degree program).

In the box called “School Name,” in which “Harvard University” appears as an option, please type into the box to add “—Study abroad” so that it will say “Harvard University—Study Abroad—Name of country in which you studied abroad.”

Next, assign “undergraduate credit,” enter the dates of your HSS summer program, and for “Other options,” check the box “Study Abroad Program.”

When you get to the “TRANSCRIPT REQUEST” page, you will be prompted to answer the question “Does AMCAS require an official transcript from Harvard University-Study Abroad?;” answer “No,” and select “Foreign Institution or Study abroad program sponsored by U.S., U.S. territorial or Canadian institution- Credits transferred” as your “Transcript Request Exception Reason.”

Next, answer “Yes” to the question “Was credit for Harvard University-Study Abroad transferred to another institution?”. As “School where transfer credits appear,” select “Harvard University” (which refers to your first entry of “Harvard University” under schools attended, where you recorded your undergraduate degree and major, and for which you should make a transcript request for your Harvard College transcript; your HSS Study Abroad summer course/s appear on this transcript).

Note that courses taken in the summer are entered as part of the upcoming academic year (e.g., a course taken in the summer of 2021 should be entered as part of the 2021-2022 academic year, along with the year in school status (i.e., SO, JR, or SR).

For all Study Abroad-related questions about course work and institutions attended: See the “Foreign Coursework” and other relevant sections of the AMCAS Applicant Guide. If your question is not answered by these instructions, please contact the AMCAS Help Line at 202.828.0600.

Q: I took organic chemistry, CHEM S-20, in the Harvard Summer School, for which I received a full year’s worth of Harvard credit (8 credits) / Q: I took an intensive semester-long language course (e.g., French Bab), for which I received a full year’s worth of Harvard credit (8 credits). How do I indicate that these courses were equivalent to a full year’s worth of credits? How do I make sure that the full weight of these grades is entered into my GPA calculation?

A: Your transcript will indicate the amount of credit you received. But do make sure that you double check that these courses were coded and calculated correctly when your verified AMCAS is returned to you.  Do not code these courses as “Full Year” courses.  For all summer courses, assign the upcoming year’s status (e.g., courses between FR & SO year will be listed as SO status). For an intensive term-long 8-credit course, assign the term’s status (e.g., for junior year spring, JR/ 2021/ S2).

Work & Activities Section

Q: In the description section, is it better to write full sentences or in resume form? (e.g., “I volunteered at the Red Cross for four years” versus “Volunteered at the Red Cross for four years”)

A: From the  AMCAS Applicant Guide  (aamc.org): “Medical schools receive all text entry responses as plain text. This means that formatting options such as bulleted lists, indented paragraphs, and bold/italic fonts do not appear for reviewers.” Because of this and for the ease of the reader, it is preferable to write these descriptions in sentences rather than using a resume style of writing.

Q: Should I say only what I did or also what I got out of the experience (i.e., should I reflect on what the experience meant to me)?

A: We think that keeping your “Experience Descriptions” (700 or fewer characters) brief and to the point makes sense. Med schools will glance over your activities very quickly, and you want to make sure they are able easily to pick out the main points.

For the three activities you select as your “most meaningful experiences,” you have an additional 1325 characters to write about the experience. See the instructions that go with this additional “Experience Summary.” Remember that you also have your personal statement for additional reflection on any experience described in the “Activities” section you feel merits more attention.

Q: I was the director (or a member) of a student-run volunteer group, and there is no supervisor who can verify my role and responsibilities for this activity. Who do I enter as the “Contact” for the organization?

A: Supervisor contact information must be provided. If the activity was organized by a student group, list a faculty/staff advisor or another administrator who can verify your experience, if possible. This person does not need to know you personally. You may use a student director as contact if there are no administrators who can validate the activity. As a courtesy, be sure to notify the person whose name you list for this contact.

Q: Should I fill up all 15 slots for activities and/or go right up to the word limit?

A: Probably not. Many applicants will not have 15 substantive activities that they can list. Also, most activities will not require using all the space allotted to you in the description section. Be concise and to the point.

Q: If I was involved with an organization for an entire summer but only sporadically during the year, what do I fill in for hours per week, dates, etc.?

A: By selecting the ‘repeated activity’ option, you are able to enter up to four separate date ranges, including future end dates up to the start of the matriculation year. Specify the total hours spent on this activity for each date range. If you do not select ‘repeated activity’, you will only see one time range; if you enter an activity that began sophomore fall and ended junior spring as one continuous time range, you add up the total number of hours for the duration of the activity.

Q: Can I consolidate activities and awards under one entry?

A: Yes, feel free to be flexible. If you have been involved in three different service activities but do not have a lot to say about each one individually, perhaps list them as one activity and call it “Various service activities.” If you have received a fellowship for an internship, you can mention the fellowship in the description section of the internship; it does not require its own entry. If you have little to say about an activity or award, this is probably an indication that you can fold it into another entry or leave it out. You want to make understanding how you have been involved as easy as possible for the reader, and consolidating activities, awards, etc., can help you do this.

Q: Is it appropriate to include activities in which I participated for only a year (e.g., First or Sophomore year), or for short period of time only, etc.?

A: Any activities you list are fair game for questions during interviews, so list only those activities that were significant and that you know you would be enthusiastic to talk about.

Letters of Evaluation Section & Process

Review the AMCAS letter service links on their website: AMCAS Letter Service  |  AMCAS Letter Writer Application

Q: How many letters do I need to “add” in AMCAS?

A: You will only enter one “committee letter” in the Letters of Evaluation section. This “committee letter” consists of the committee letter written by your House (or the Dudley Community), as well as your individual letters of support. For “Letter title,” enter “Harvard Committee Letter.” For primary contact’s title, enter “[House name/or Dudley Community] Academic Coordinator.” For primary contact’s first name, enter “Academic,” and for their last name, enter “Coordinator.” For primary contact’s email address, enter your Academic Coordinator’s email address, and for their mailing address, enter the US Postal Service address for your House Office.

Q: Will AMCAS process my application before my House letter is uploaded?

A: Yes, these processes are completely separate. Plan to submit AMCAS by mid-June. Your letters of recommendation will be sent to AMCAS by your House/the Dudley Community by mid-August.

Q: What is the AMCAS Letters program and what do I need to do?

A: For most U.S. medical schools, AMCAS is going to serve as a central repository for applicants’ recommendation letters. Letters will be sent to AMCAS and then AMCAS will make them available to each of the medical schools on your list. There are three things that you will need to do in order to ensure the successful delivery of your recommendation letters through AMCAS.

• Within the AMCAS application, you will need to “add” a committee letter to let AMCAS know about the letters they are going to receive from your Premedical/Pre-Health Committee.
• An AMCAS Letter ID is automatically generated when “adding” a committee letter in AMCAS. Your Academic Coordinator (see instructions in the first FAQ answer in this section for how to add their contact and other information) will receive an email from AMCAS with instructions for how to upload your letters to the AMCAS Letter Service.
• You need to assign the committee letter to each of the schools that participate in the AMCAS Letters program to which you are applying. Please see Completing the AMCAS 2022 Application (available at the top of this page) for more detailed instructions.
• For MD-PhD applicants: If you are applying to both MD and to MD-PhD programs, and wish to send a different selection of individual letters and/or different versions of your Committee Letter to your MD and your MD-PhD schools, respectively, you will create two separate AMCAS Letter IDs for these two sets of letters. You will then assign the MD schools Letter ID to the schools where you are applying MD only, and the MD-PhD Letter ID to the schools where you are applying MD-PhD.

Q: I created multiple AMCAS Letter IDs for each individual recommender rather than just the one that I was supposed to do. What do I do?

A: If you have created multiple Letter IDs (the IDs that get generated in AMCAS when applicants “add” letters that will be sent on their behalf), keep the Letter ID for the Committee Letter (to which your individual letters will be attached), which will be uploaded to the AMCAS Letter Service by your Academic Coordinator. Be sure to correct your AMCAS application to indicate that the other letters will no longer be sent. If you have already submitted your application, you can no longer delete letter of evaluation requests and must contact AMCAS so they can update your application.

Q: Do I need to let my Academic Coordinator know to which schools I am applying?

A: Yes, your Academic Coordinator will need your list of schools. For a school that uses the  AMCAS Letter Service  program, your letters will be sent as explained in the previous FAQ. As long as you complete your AMCAS Letter section correctly and meet your House/the Dudley Community-deadlines for turning in their materials (e.g., list of medical schools, individual rec letters turned in by your recommenders, list of which letters to send, etc.), your letters will be successfully transmitted via AMCAS to medical schools by August 15. For those of you applying to Texas schools, Osteopathic (D.O.) schools, and/or Canadian, European, or other foreign medical schools, your Academic Coordinator will transmit your letters to these schools electronically or, in some cases, by mailing hard copies directly to the schools. Please consult directly with your Academic Coordinator for detailed instructions.

Q: Can I customize the group of letters I send from medical school to medical school?

A: No, all medical schools will receive a single PDF containing the committee letter from your House/the Dudley Community and the individual recommendation letters that you choose to include. (MD/PhD applicants: see below.)

Q: I am an MD/PhD applicant. Does the process change for me?

A: The letter transmission process is the same for an MD/PhD applicant as it is for an MD applicant. If you will apply to MD/PhD programs only, you will only need one AMCAS Letter ID. If you are applying to both MD and MD/PhD programs, and wish to send two different letter selections, follow the instructions in the third FAQ in this section. For example, applicants in this category may want to include four to five letters for MD-only programs and five to seven letters for MD/PhD programs (to include additional research-focused letters). Once you have created two separate AMCAS Letter IDs for these two selections of letters, your Academic Coordinator will be able to transmit the MD-only PDF to your MD schools, and the MD/PhD PDF to your MD/PhD schools.

Q: Do I need to list Additional Authors under the Committee Letter details in the AMCAS?

A: No, leave these fields blank. However, make sure to fill out the Primary Contact/Author fields with the words “Academic” and “Coordinator” as per the instructions in Completing the AMCAS 2022 Application (available at the top of this page).

Q: Will I be notified when my letters have been transmitted to medical schools?

A: Yes, you will be able to see if your letters have been transmitted to and received by your schools in the “My Documents Statuses” section or your AMCAS application.

Q: Can I send in a letter that came in late, after my letters were already sent?

A: Letters arriving to your Resident Dean’s Office after the committee letter packet has been sent will need to be submitted to AMCAS separately. This is highly discouraged and should happen only in the rarest of circumstances. Please use the  AMCAS Letter Service  to send any additional letters.

Q: When will my Committee Letter PDF be sent?

A: The Academic Coordinators will transmit all Committee Letter PDFs to medical schools by mid-August if the applicant abides by the deadlines set by the Premedical/Pre-Health Committees by which to submit all required application-related materials. This timeline for completing and transmitting letters is similar for all of our peer institutions. Medical schools are aware of this timeline for when to expect your letters, and have confirmed that receiving your letter PDF by mid-August will not place you at a disadvantage in the admissions process.

Secondary Applications

Q: What questions have medical schools asked within their secondary applications?

A: Read the  examples of secondary application questions  (scroll down to the end of the page) that medical schools have asked applicants on their secondary applications. Keep in mind that next year’s questions may be different and the specific questions vary from school to school. Many students access questions from the secondary applications of previous years on studentdoctor.net or the “Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database” on the prospectivedoctor.com site.

Q: Washington University (or another medical school) has a math requirement and on their secondary application say they accept AP Calculus but only if it appears on a transcript (and they will not accept the ETS score report in lieu of the score appearing on my transcript). What should I tell them? Will this hurt my chances for admission?

A: Washington University’s secondary application asks you to list which courses satisfy their year-long math requirement and, if an AP is used, that it should appear on the transcript. APs do not show up on the Harvard transcript unless you activated Advanced Standing. If you did not take math at Harvard and would like to use your AP Calculus scores to satisfy this requirement, please list the AP on your Washington University secondary.

In the additional information section, you should explain that you would like to petition that the AP be counted in place of coursework. Each House has access to a letter from the Math Department explaining the equivalence between an AP Calculus score and math courses offered at the College. For now, list your AP on the Washington University secondary and explain the situation briefly in the additional information section.

You will not need this letter until later in the process, if at all, and you should ask this to be sent to a medical school only if they explicitly request it.  Please be aware that not all medical schools with this policy (e.g., John Hopkins University School of Medicine) will accept this letter and, therefore, not all medical schools will accept your AP test scores.  In most circumstances, whether or not you have already verified that you satisfy a school’s math requirement will not affect your chances of being admitted.

Ordering & Sending Harvard Transcripts to AMCAS

For instructions about how to obtain your official Harvard transcript, please see the  FAS Registrar’s Office instructions.

If a school has placed a financial hold on your transcripts, AMCAS will not grant an exception under any circumstances.

State Residency Concerns

Our office is not equipped to answer questions related to this topic, as the definitions and requirements of residency vary from state to state, and within states, and sometimes from one medical school in the state to another. Also, residency is often defined differently for different purposes. Please contact state medical school/s directly for all questions related to how to validate, establish, or re-establish state residency in a particular state.

Contact AMCAS for Help

Remember that the quickest answers to many questions can often be obtained by contacting AMCAS directly:

• AMCAS Help Line: 202.828.0600; office hours M-F 9:00am – 7:00pm EST. 24-hour automated phone line.
• On the  applicant website , see especially the AMCAS Applicant Guide.
• Message AMCAS.

Personal Statement

• Attend the  Personal Statement  webinar , held each spring.

Getting Started

What everyone writes for the amcas application.

• Personal statement (5300 characters, including spaces)
• Activities descriptions (700 characters, up to 15 allowed)
• Three descriptions of most meaningful activities (an additional 1325 characters for each activity)

What some people write on the AMCAS application

• Institutional action explanation (1325 characters)
• Disadvantaged status explanation (1325 characters)
• MD/PhD essay—Why MD/PhD? (3000 characters)
• MD/PhD essay—Significant Research (10,000 characters)
• TMDSAS applicants—Personal Statement (5000 characters), Personal Characteristics essay (2500 characters) and Optional essay (2500 characters)
• AACOMAS applicants—Personal Statement (5300 characters)

What you write beyond AMCAS–Secondary applications

What everyone writes for the amcas application.

1. Personal statement  – The prompt for this is “Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school.” Keep in mind that for the average applicant who might apply to 26 schools, this essay will likely be read by somewhere between 54 and 270 people.

First, good editing is good writing. Be prepared to go through a lot of drafts. Do not worry if your first draft is too long. There will always be things to cut. Do not get too attached to your first idea. Often you will not be able to figure out how something will sound until you write it.

Get feedback, but not too much feedback. Asking 10 people to read it may leave you confused. In the end, it needs to be your voice coming through. Listen to advice when a trusted reader tells you that something seems off. It will hit some medical school admissions committee members the same way.

Please note: Your main resource for feedback on your personal statement will be your assigned premedical tutor (non-resident or resident) in your House/Dudley Community. If you are feeling stuck with the writing process or just want more general feedback, the  writing center  at Harvard can also be a valuable resource.

Here are some general issues to think about as you start to write:

• How  do you know that you want to be a doctor?  How have you demonstrated this interest?
• How has your interest in medicine changed and developed over time?
• How did you overcome your doubts?
• Why medicine and not other career fields, such as teaching, science, public health, nursing, etc.?
• Have you faced any obstacles in your life (for example, economic, familial, or physical)?  How did you handle these?
• How have you been influenced by certain events and people?
• Recall a time when you had a positive impact on another person.  How did you and the person change as a result?
• What were major turning points in your life?
• What do you want the committee to know that is not apparent elsewhere?
• Use a concrete anecdote or experience to draw the reader in; perhaps circle back to it at the end to create bookends.
• Approach the essay as a chance to share the arc of your journey to this point.
• Consider whether to discuss fluctuations in performance, hardship affecting academic record, and/or a personal or medical situation.
• Remember that if you write something in your personal statement, you may be asked about it in an interview. If you do not wish to speak about it in an interview, do not write it here.

Here are some specific “Do’s” for writing the personal statement.

• Tell a story.
• Keep it interesting by using specific examples and anecdotes.
• Provide information, insight, or a perspective that cannot be found elsewhere in your application.
• Describe experiences in terms of what they mean to you and what you learned.
• Make sure the reader learns about  you , not just  what you did.
• Use strong action verbs and vivid images; paint a picture.
• Be concise. Make sure every sentence  needs  to be there.
• Describe what you learned in your research, not the details of the specific research project (unless writing the MD/PhD significant research essay).
• Allow plenty of time to write, revise, reflect, and revise some more. Step away often so you can revisit your essay with fresh eyes.
• Proofread. Spell checking will not catch everything! Then, proofread again and get someone else to do the same. Read the essay out loud to catch typos your eyes may have missed.

Here are some “Don’ts” for the essay.

DON’T:

• Just list or summarize your activities. This is not a resume (and your activities have their own section).
• Try to impress the reader with the use of overly flowery or erudite language.
• Directly  tell   the reader that you are compassionate, motivated, intelligent, curious, dedicated, unique, or different than most candidates  (“Show don’t tell”).
• Focus only on childhood or high school experiences.
• Use slang or forced analogies.
• Lecture the reader, e.g., on what’s wrong with medicine, what doctors should be like.
• Make excuses for poor grades.
• Begin every sentence or paragraph with “I”.
• Overwork the essay to the point where you lose your own voice.
• Use generalizations and clichés.
• Follow the advice of too many people.
• Try to share everything there is to know about you.  

2. Activity descriptions —You are allowed space for up to 15 activities in this section and for each activity you are allowed 700 characters to describe the experience. This amounts to about 5 or 6 sentences. Some activities will not require that much description. From the AMCAS  Applicant Guide  (aamc.org): “Medical schools receive all text entry responses as plain text. This means that formatting options such as bulleted lists, indented paragraphs, and bold/italic fonts do not appear for reviewers.” Because of this and for the ease of the reader, it is preferable to write these descriptions in sentences rather than using a resume style of writing.

3. Most meaningful activities —You will designate three of your activities as “most meaningful.” For these three, you will write the 700 character description, but then you are prompted to write an additional 1325 character narrative to discuss why it was a most meaningful activity. Again, this should be in sentences. This may give you an opportunity to speak about an experience in detail that is not part of your personal statement.  

WHAT SOME PEOPLE WRITE FOR THE AMCAS APPLICATION

We will first focus very briefly on the parts that only some people write.

1. Institutional Action explanation —You are required to disclose certain kinds of institutional action that may have occurred in your academic career. If this has been the case for you, we strongly advise you to make an appointment with your Allston Burr Resident Dean and with one of our premedical/pre-health advisors to discuss the situation and strongly advise you to ask for advice regarding this explanation.

2. Disadvantaged status explanation —If you believe you grew up in a situation that could be described as disadvantaged, you are allowed to explain this. From the AMCAS Applicant Guide, “you might consider yourself disadvantaged if you grew up in an area that was medically underserved or had insufficient access to social, economic, and educational opportunities.” Be sure to refer to AMCAS Applicant Guide section and appendix for this part of the AMCAS Biographic Information section for detailed instructions and examples of disadvantages that medical schools want to be aware of. If you are unsure if you qualify, this is also a good topic for an advising conversation. Again, we suggest letting someone at our office or one of your House/Dudley Community tutors review this explanation.

3. MD/PhD essays —Candidates for combined MD/PhD programs are required to write two additional essays. You can get advice from your House/Dudley Community tutor/s or your research mentors as you write these essays. The first focuses on why you want to get the combined degree. The second, much longer essay, focuses on your research experiences, including the project/s you worked or are currently working on with your supervisor, the nature of the problem studied, and your contribution to the project.  These essays are sent only to the schools where you select the MD/PhD option.

BEYOND THE AMCAS SECONDARY APPLICATIONS

Some schools screen applicants prior to sending secondary applications but most do not. Secondary applications will begin coming as soon as your AMCAS application is verified and sent to schools. A few may come even earlier. You should make sure you set aside time to do these applications promptly and efficiently in the summer. Ideally, plan to turn each one around within 10-14 days and do not prioritize any schools when completing these. Error-free documents are critical, so if you have to hold on to it an extra day to check it, then you should do so. You need to be able to check your email virtually every day in the summer. Check your spam folder every day.

ADDITIONAL SECONDARY APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Why medicine and your future in medicine.

• What satisfactions do you expect to receive from your activities as a physician? (2475 character limit)
• Please share with us your thoughts on specialties and how you plan to choose yours (250 word limit)
• What do you think will be your greatest personal challenge as a physician, and how will you address this? (300 word limit)
• Write another essay that provides us with some insight into you as a person.

Added Diversity to the Medical School Community

• Do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of our medical school?
• How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and Stethoscope Medical School? (300 word limit)
• At Stethoscope Medical School, we are committed to building a superb educational community with students of diverse talents, experiences, opinions, and backgrounds. What would you as an individual bring to our medical school community? (250 word limit)
• What makes you special, someone who will add to Stethoscope Medical School’s community? (250 word limit)

Additional Information/Special Circumstances

• Do you wish to include any comments (in addition to those already provided in your AMCAS application) to the Admissions Committee?
• Please feel free to use this space to convey any additional information that you might wish the Committee to know. (1000 character limit)
• Optional Essay: 500 words to give a stronger view of yourself as an applicant.
• Are there any special circumstances that Stethoscope Medical School should be aware of?
• Do you have unique experiences or obstacles that you have overcome that were not covered in your application about which you would like to inform our Admissions Committee?
• Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat AMCAS application information. (2000 character limit)

Leaves of Absences/Post-Grad Experiences

• Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education?
• If you have already completed you education, if your college or graduate education was interrupted, or if you do not plan to be a full-time student during the current year, describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (1800 character limit)
• Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate work? If no, please explain. (1400 character limit)
• If you are not attending school full-time during the entire 2008-2009 school year, please indicate activities, coursework, employment, or other occupations for that period to account for full-time involvement. (three line limit)

Why Us? (Fit)

• At Stethoscope Medical School, we strive to identify students who will be a great “fit” with our medical school. Our mission statement is an expression of our core purpose and educational philosophy. Please reflect on its content and write an essay describing why you see yourself as a great “fit” for our school. Please include examples of past service, community, clinical, educational, and research experiences. Please also discuss your future goals.
• Briefly describe your interest in Stethoscope Medical School. (100 word limit)
• Why have you chosen to apply to Stethoscope Medical School, and how do you think your education at here will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (5000 characters limit)
• What is your specific interest in the MD Program at Stethoscope Medical School? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? (ten line limit)

Situational and Experiential

• Tell us about a difficult or challenging situation that you have encountered and how you dealt with it. In your response, identify both the coping skills that you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. (2400 character limit)
• Please check up to three activities which demonstrate commitment and leadership.
• Briefly describe any health-related experience and/or research experience (volunteer or employed). Also, indicate the time and frequency of your involvement.
• Select one experience from your list of non-academic activities and describe in a brief essay how it impacted on your decision to go into medicine. (250 word limit)
• Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be part of particular interest to us. For example, have you lived in another country or experienced a culture unlike your own, or worked in a field that contributed to your understanding of people unlike yourself? Or, have you experienced advanced training in any area, including the fields of art, music, or sports? This is an opportunity to describe learning experiences that may not be covered in other areas of this application. It is not necessary to write anything in this section. (2000 character limit)

Selecting a School

Selecting Medical Schools webinar is held each spring.

• America’s Best Medical Schools: A Critique of the U.S. News & World Report Rankings  (pdf)
• U.S Medical School Admissions Information – Financial Aid policies, MCAT policies, and information about in-state, out-of-state, and international applicants  (xlxs)
• Academic requirements
• Rural Medicine Programs  (pdf)
• Medical and other health professions school information sessions and campus visits: Open to all students and alumni, and especially helpful for students getting ready to apply or already applying to MD and other health professions programs.

Letters of Recommendation

An effective letter of recommendation provides a portrait of who you are beyond your college grades or entrance exam scores. Admissions committees rely on letter of recommendations not only to validate what you have written in your application, but also to gather information about your personality, character, and motivation for your chosen field. For medical or other health professions schools, you are advised to have two letters from science faculty/instructors and one letter from a non-science faculty/instructor.

Before Asking for a Letter

Before approaching faculty or employers for letters of recommendation, reflect on how these letters can strengthen your application.

• List the qualities that the graduate program is looking for in an applicant. Medical schools seek students who can handle a science-intense curriculum, but who have also shown evidence of compassion and strong motivation for medical careers. To get a sense of what an employer or graduate school is looking for in a candidate, think about who succeeds in the program or job you are seeking.
• Who can positively comment on these relevant personal qualities?
• If you need to provide several letters of recommendation, consider how each letter can fill different needs and request letters from individuals who know you in different contexts and can comment on different strengths.
• What would you like someone to include/address in the letter that may be missing in the rest of your application? Who can comment on your professional behavior? Your maturity? Did you take a particularly challenging sequence of courses that is not necessarily obvious from your transcript? Are there extenuating circumstances that might account for atypical grades?
• Decide whether you want to waive your right to see the letter of recommendation. For most employers and graduate programs, confidential letters have greater credibility and are assigned greater weight in the application process. Interestingly, many letter writers are less inhibited in praising an applicant when the letter is confidential.
• Allow plenty of “turnaround time.” Be sure the letter writer has the opportunity to write a thoughtful, complete letter without worrying about an unrealistic deadline.

When Asking for a Letter

After deciding which individuals can provide the most positive and complete picture of your relevant skills, experiences, and character traits, make an appointment to meet with each of the potential writers.

• Ask the letter writer if they feel comfortable writing a letter to support your application. If they seem hesitant or ambivalent, thank them for their time but do not request a letter from this individual. It is crucial that the person writing your letter is positive about your application and conveys that in their letter. If a letter is lukewarm or negative, it can reflect poorly on your ability to judge how you appear to others as well as give the employer or graduate program feedback that you did not intend to convey.
• Feel free to share these  letter guidelines  provided by the AAMC.
• The letter of recommendation will be especially effective if the writers describe specific examples and instances whenever possible. So, provide each letter writer with information relevant to your experience and application. This could be a resume, a personal statement, a reminder of particular incidents or discussions, etc. Spend some time with the letter writer discussing how this information relates to your application. Let them know what would be helpful to include in the letter. Consider whether the writer can comment on any of the  AAMC competencies  for entering medical students.

After Asking for a Letter

Don’t forget to thank the person writing your letter by sending a thank-you note. Let them know the outcome of your application. Not only could their letter make the difference in whether or not you are accepted, you most likely will want to ask for letters again in the future.

Interview Prep

Each August, our office holds a medical school interview webinar for students who are currently in the application process. This webinar is an opportunity for advisors and students to discuss the medical school interview comprehensively. Please reach out to your assigned House resident or non-resident tutor to arrange mock interview.

Preparing for the Interview

Why do medical schools interview.

As you prepare for the interview, it may help to think about  why  medical schools interview applicants. They hope to evaluate your personality, professionalism, and maturity; to hear your motivation to pursue medicine in your own spoken words; to hear how you have tested and confirmed your desire to become a clinician; to learn if you have realistic expectations of life as a physician; and to decide if you are going to be a great colleague and peer.

What about logistics?

Schedule your interviews as soon as you receive an invitation. With regard to logistics, remember to use an incognito window as you search for flights; know that staying with student hosts is an option; and know that the  Harvard Financial Aid Office may be able to help with some costs if you are on significant financial aid and are still an enrolled undergraduate student at the College. If you are going abroad or are otherwise going to be unavailable during portions of the interview season, make sure you let your schools know. Since medical schools are continuing to hold remote interviews, your House/Dudley Community mock interviews as well as our Medical School Interview workshop will continue to cover advice and information about virtual interviewing.

Appearance matters.

There are two main options for interview attire: suits with pants or skirts and a solid color dress shirt or blouse or a dress with a blazer. Dress conservatively so that nothing is too low cut or too short. Remove facial/tongue piercings if possible, and cover large tattoos.

Preparing for the substance of the interview.

Come prepared to tell them  more  about why their medical school is the right fit for you. Build on what you wrote about the specific medical school in your secondary. Be prepared to show that you are familiar with the school’s style of teaching and assessment. Contact your House or Dudley Community premed tutor/s to arrange a mock interview.

Interview formats vary.

Medical schools use different formats which are listed on  MSAR  and on the individual schools’ websites. Schools may utilize traditional 30 to 60-minute interviews, multiple mini-interviews (MMI) or group interviews. The interviews may be closed or open with regard to your file. Interviews may also be remote. Read through the AAMC’s Virtual Interviews: Applicant Preparation Guide for best practices.

Tips for the Interview Day

The day of the interview can be stressful, but many people also find it exciting and enjoyable. Here are a few last minute tips:

• Be nice to  everyone.
• Be prepared, but do not over rehearse.
• Be flexible and expect the unexpected.
• Actively engage.
• Be positive and upbeat.
• Give direct, thorough answers.
• Take your student interviewer seriously.
• Anticipate what might concern the interviewer (e.g., poor grades, disciplinary action). Have an explanation ready that is not an excuse or rationalization.

You are not expected to resolve difficult ethical, moral, or political issues, but you should be able to demonstrate familiarity with current issues in medicine. At the end, be prepared for “Anything else you want me to know?” and “Do you have any questions for me?” Do not ask questions that would have obvious answers from the website. It is fine to ask questions directly related to your interviewer.

The MD/PhD Interview

There are a number of ways in which the MD/PhD interview process is different. Be prepared to speak about your research at a number of different levels. You will often know who your interviewers are in advance. Be sure to use that to your advantage. Meet with and set up a mock interview with an MD/PhD student who is a resident or non-resident tutor at your House. Prepare an “elevator speech” (of 90-second duration) to describe your research extemporaneously.

The Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI)

More medical schools are using the MMI format. There is some variation from school to school, but the MMI usually involves 6-10 stations. At each station you are given two minutes to read a scenario and 6-8 minutes to answer/execute. There are varying types of questions. Some use scenario-based questions, which tend to be situational, ethical, and problem-solving oriented. Some schools use spatial and collaborative problem-solving questions.

What you are being evaluated on may not always be obvious. You receive scores based on how you answer the questions. Do you consider different perspectives and possible answers? How do you react emotionally to the interviewers’ follow up questions? How do you respond if you’re disagreed with?

Sample Questions

There are countless possible interview questions that you might be asked. Many will seem predictable. Some will be unique and thoughtful. Rarely, they may seem silly or irrelevant. Your job is to roll with whatever you’re asked, to be familiar with your own application, to be generally familiar with the broad issues facing American healthcare, and to be familiar with the school as presented on the website. If you have solid, thoughtful answers to these few questions below, that will get you through the majority of your interviews.

• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
• Why do you want to be a doctor?
• What experiences have most motivated you to pursue medicine?
• What got you interested initially in medicine?
• Tell me about a time when you had to compromise.
• Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What did you do and how did you correct it?
• What was the most stressful situation you ever faced? How did you handle it?
• Tell me about a time when you collaborated on a successful project.
• Tell me about yourself.
• What is the one thing you want me to convey to the admission committee?
• What is the biggest challenge that is facing the medical field today?
• How do you imagine the balance of research and clinical work in your future?
• Why choose medicine over some other career in health?
• Tell me more about ­­­______ from your personal statement (or AMCAS application).

Additional Sample Interview Questions:

• What makes you particularly interested in this school?
• How have you enjoyed your undergraduate experience? What would you change?
• What field of medicine interests you most?
• How did you choose to major in _____________?
• What non-science courses did you like the most?
• What do you think you will find most difficult about medical school?
• What are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?
• What has been your biggest failure, and how did you handle it?
• How do you work under pressure? Give an example. What, in hindsight, were you most dissatisfied with about your performance? What did you learn from your experience?
• What have you done that shows initiative? What did you gain from that experience? How were you most/least satisfied with that endeavor?
• How do you respond to criticism? Describe a situation where your work was criticized. What was your immediate reaction to the situation?
• What are the negative aspects of being a doctor?
• How could you affect the health care system?
• How would friends describe you?
• What do you think is the most important quality a physician should have?
• Are you interested in research? How do you imagine the balance of research and clinical work in your future?
• What is the reason for your poor grades sophomore year?
• What last bit of information would you like me to know about you?
• Describe a situation in which you felt like a fish out of water.
• Tell me about a time when you got into a conflict with someone else. How was it resolved?
• What do you do for fun?
• How would a good friend describe you as a person?
• If you couldn’t be a physician, what career would you choose?
• How do you see the field of medicine changing in the next ten years? How do you see yourself fitting into those changes?
• What is the one thing you would change about the American healthcare system?
• What is your opinion about what we can do about the high cost of healthcare?
• How would you react if a colleague wanted you to keep a medical error they made a secret from a patient?
• What would you do if a 15-year-old came into your clinic and wanted an abortion?
• What would you do if you were seeing a patient in the emergency room and he or she wants to leave against medical advice?
• What do you think about physician-assisted suicide? Alternative medicine?

Immediately After the Interview

If you are given an assignment, such as reading a paper or connecting with someone, do it quickly. Send a thank-you note to your student host.

Send a hand-written note to interviewers or to everyone on a panel as soon as possible, unless the school asks that you not do this. Travel with notecards and stamps. It is a great activity to do while waiting for trains, planes, buses, etc.

For virtual interview processes, it’s appropriate to send thank-you emails to an admissions office or when possible individual interviewers.

In the note, thank them for their time. Be enthusiastic about the school. Be sure to proofread. Do not try to sneak in a personal statement. This is a  thank you  letter. The letter may be read by your interviewer before presenting you to their committee and can strengthen their recollection of you. It may or may not become part of your file.

MD/PhD Pathways

Considering becoming a physician scientist? The  MD-PhD section of the AAMC  website has many resources that can help guide you through the process. Highlights include:

• Why Pursue an MD/PhD?   (from 2022)
• MD/PhD Chart with Programs, Policies, and Funding  (from 2019)
• MD/PhD Degree Programs by State (a database of programs, searchable by school and by specific degrees they offer)
• Science magazine published  this article , which provides answers to commonly asked questions, such as what admissions committees look for in an application and what factors to consider when selecting a program.
• “ Is an MD/PhD program right for me? Advice on becoming a physician-scientist ” written by Dr. Lawrence (Skip) Brass, University of Pennsylvania MSTP Director (from 2018)
• The Medical Science Training Program (MSTP)  is an initiative by one of the NIH’s institutes. MSTP provides funding to about one-third of MD/PhD programs. Students admitted to MSTP receive full tuition, stipend, and insurance. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible.
• MD/PhDs and MD/PhD candidates who are resident or non-resident tutors in the Houses are great resources for learning more about the MD/PhD path. If your House/Dudley Community does not have a tutor who is an MD/PhD or MD/PhD candidate, reach out to one of your resident premed tutors and ask if they can connect you a tutor on the MD/PhD physician scientist career path in another House. Also, use the  Alumni Directory  to find alumni who have MD/PhDs.

2 Med School Essays That Admissions Officers Loved

Here are tips on writing a medical school personal statement and examples of essays that stood out.

2 Great Med School Personal Statements

Getty Images

A compelling medical school admissions essay can address nearly any topic the applicant is interested in, as long as it conveys the applicant's personality.

A personal statement is often a pivotal factor in medical school admissions decisions.

"The essay really can cause me to look more deeply at the entire application," Dr. Stephen Nicholas, former senior associate dean of admissions with the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons , told U.S. News in 2017. "So I do think it's pretty important."

A compelling medical school admissions essay can address nearly any topic the applicant is interested in, as long as it conveys the applicant's personality, according to Dr. Barbara Kazmierczak, director of the M.D.-Ph.D. Program and a professor of medicine and microbial pathogenesis with the Yale School of Medicine.

“The passion that the writer is bringing to this topic tells us about the individual rather than the topic that they’re describing, and the essay is the place for us to learn about the applicant – who they are and what experiences have brought them to this point of applying to medical school,” she told U.S. News in 2017.

Rachel Rudeen, former admissions coordinator for the University of Minnesota Medical School , says personal statements help medical schools determine whether applicants have the character necessary to excel as a doctor. "Grit is something we really look for," she says.

Evidence of humility and empathy , Rudeen adds, are also pluses.

Why Medical Schools Care About Personal Statements

The purpose of a personal statement is to report the events that inspired and prepared a premed to apply to medical school, admissions experts say. This personal essay helps admissions officers figure out whether a premed is ready for med school, and it also clarifies whether a premed has a compelling rationale for attending med school, these experts explain.

When written well, a medical school personal statement conveys a student's commitment to medicine and injects humanity into an admissions process that might otherwise feel cold and impersonal, according to admissions experts.

Glen Fogerty, associate dean of admissions and recruitment with the medical school at the University of Arizona—Phoenix , put it this way in an email: "To me, the strongest personal statements are the ones that share a personal connection. One where a candidate shares a specific moment, the spark that ignited their passion to become a physician or reaffirmed why they chose medicine as a career."

Dr. Viveta Lobo, an emergency medicine physician with the Stanford University School of Medicine in California who often mentors premeds, says the key thing to know about a personal statement is that it must indeed be personal, so it needs to reveal something meaningful. The essay should not be a dry piece of writing; it should make the reader feel for the author, says Lobo, director of academic conferences and continuing medical education with the emergency medicine department at Stanford.

A great personal statement has an emotional impact and "will 'do' something, not just 'say' something," Lobo wrote in an email. Admissions officers "read hundreds of essays – so before you begin, think of how yours will stand out, be unique and different," Lobo suggests.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School

Lobo notes that an outstanding personal statement typically includes all of the following ingredients:

• An intriguing introduction that gets admissions officers' attention.
• Anecdotes that illustrate what kind of person the applicant is.
• Reflections about the meaning and impact of various life experiences .
• A convincing narrative about why medical school is the logical next step.
• A satisfying and optimistic conclusion.

"You should sound excited, and that passion should come through in your writing," Lobo explains.

A personal statement should tie together an applicant's past, present and future by explaining how previous experiences have led to this point and outlining long-term plans to contribute to the medical profession, Lobo said during a phone interview. Medical school admissions officers want to understand not only where an applicant has been but also the direction he or she is going, Lobo added.

When premeds articulate a vision of how they might assist others and improve society through the practice of medicine, it suggests that they aren't self-serving or simply interested in the field because of its prestige, Lobo says. It's ideal when premeds can eloquently describe a noble mission, she explains.

Elisabeth Fassas, author of "Making Pre-Med Count: Everything I Wish I'd Known Before Applying (Successfully) to Medical School," says premeds should think about the doctors they admire and reflect on why they admire them. Fassas, a first-year medical student at the University of Maryland , suggests pondering the following questions:

• "Why can you really only see yourself being a physician?"
• "What is it about being a doctor that has turned you on to this field?"
• "What kind of doctor do you imagine yourself being?"
• "Who do you want to be for your patients?"
• "What are you going to do specifically for your patients that only you can do?"

Fassas notes that many of the possible essay topics a med school hopeful can choose are subjects that other premeds can also discuss, such as a love of science. However, aspiring doctors can make their personal statements unique by articulating the lessons they learned from their life experiences, she suggests.

Prospective medical students need to clarify why medicine is a more suitable calling for them than other caring professions, health care fields and science careers, Fassas notes. They should demonstrate awareness of the challenges inherent in medicine and explain why they want to become doctors despite those difficulties, she says.

Tips on Crafting an Excellent Medical School Personal Statement

The first step toward creating an outstanding personal statement, Fassas says, is to create a list of significant memories. Premeds should think about which moments in their lives mattered the most and then identify the two or three stories that are definitely worth sharing.

Dr. Demicha Rankin, associate dean for admissions at the Ohio State University College of Medicine , notes that a personal statement should offer a compelling portrait of a person and should not be "a regurgitation of their CV."

The most outstanding personal statements are the ones that present a multifaceted perspective of the applicant by presenting various aspects of his or her identity, says Rankin, an associate professor of anesthesiology.

For example, a premed who was a swimmer might explain how the discipline necessary for swimming is analogous to the work ethic required to become a physician, Rankin says. Likewise, a pianist or another type of musician applying to medical school could convey how the listening skills and instrument-tuning techniques cultivated in music could be applicable in medicine, she adds.

Rankin notes that it's apparent when a premed has taken a meticulous approach to his or her personal statement to ensure that it flows nicely, and she says a fine essay is akin to a "well-woven fabric." One sign that a personal statement has been polished is when a theme that was explored at the beginning of the essay is also mentioned at the end, Rankin says, explaining that symmetry between an essay's introduction and conclusion makes the essay seem complete.

Rankin notes that the author of an essay might not see flaws in his or her writing that are obvious to others, so it's important for premeds to show their personal statement to trusted advisers and get honest feedback. That's one reason it's important to begin the writing process early enough to give yourself sufficient time to organize your thoughts, Rankin says, adding that a minimum of four weeks is typically necessary.

Mistakes to Avoid in a Medical School Personal Statement

One thing premeds should never do in an admissions essay is beg, experts say. Rankin says requests of any type – including a plea for an admissions interview – do not belong in a personal statement. Another pitfall to avoid, Rankin says, is ranting about controversial political subjects such as the death penalty or abortion.

If premeds fail to closely proofread their personal statement, the essay could end up being submitted with careless errors such as misspellings and grammar mistakes that could easily have been fixed, according to experts. Crafting a compelling personal statement typically necessitates multiple revisions, so premeds who skimp on revising might wind up with sloppy essays, some experts say.

However, when fine-tuning their personal statements, premeds should not automatically change their essays based on what others say, Fogerty warns.

"A common mistake on personal statements is having too many people review your statement, they make recommendations, you accept all of the changes and then – in the end – the statement is no longer your voice," Fogerty wrote in an email. It's essential that a personal statement sound like the applicant and represent who he or she is as a person, Fogerty says.

Dr. Nicholas Jones, a Georgia-based plastic and reconstructive surgeon, says the worst error that someone can make in the personal statement is to be inauthentic or deceptive.

"Do not lie. Do not fabricate," he warns.

Jones adds that premeds should not include a story in their personal statement that they are not comfortable discussing in-depth during a med school admissions interview . "If it's something too personal or you're very emotional and you don't want to talk about that, then don't put it in a statement."

Medical School Personal Statement Examples

Here are two medical school admissions essays that made a strong, positive impression on admissions officers. The first is from Columbia and the second is from the University of Minnesota. These personal statements are annotated with comments from admissions officers explaining what made these essays stand out.

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Great Medical School Personal Statement Examples (2024-2025) Insider’s Guide

A physician and former medical school admissions officer teaches you how to write your medical school personal statement, step by step. Read several full-length medical school personal statement examples for inspiration.

In this article, a former medical school admissions officer explains exactly how to write a stand-out medical school personal statement!

Our goal is to empower you to write a medical school personal statement that reflects your individuality, truest aspirations and genuine motivations.

This guide also includes:

• Real life medical school personal statement examples
• Medical school personal statement inventory template and outline exercise
• AMCAS, TMDSAS, and AACOMAS personal statement prompts
• Advanced strategies to ensure you address everything admissions committees want to know
• The secret to writing a great medical school personal statement

So, if you want your medical school personal statement to earn more more medical school interviews, you will love this informative guide.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

Medical School Personal Statement Fundamentals

If you are getting ready to write your medical school personal statement for the 2024-2025 application year, you may already know that almost 60% of medical school applicants are not accepted every year . You have most likely also completed all of your medical school requirements and have scoured the internet for worthy medical school personal statement examples and guidance.

You know the medical school personal statement offers a crucial opportunity to show medical schools who you are beyond your GPA and MCAT score .

It provides an opportunity to express who you are as an individual, the major influences and background that have shaped your interests and values, what inspired you to pursue medicine, and what kind of a physician you envision yourself becoming.

However, with so much information online, you are not sure who to trust. We are happy you have found us!

Because the vast majority of people offering guidance are not former admissions officers or doctors , you must be careful when searching online.

We are real medical school admissions insiders and know what goes on behind closed doors and how to ensure your medical school personal statement has broad appeal while highlighting your most crucial accomplishments, perspectives, and insights.

With tight limits on space, it can be tough trying to decide what to include in your medical school personal statement to make sure you stand out. You must think strategically about how you want to present your personal “big picture” while showing you possess the preprofessional competencies med schools are seeking.

When a medical school admissions reviewer finishes reading your medical school personal statement, ask yourself:

• What are the most important things you want that person to remember about you?
• Does your medical school personal statement sum up your personality, interests, and talents?
• Does your medical school personal statement sound as if it’s written from the heart?

It’s pretty obvious to most admissions reviewers when applicants are trying too hard to impress them. Being authentic and upfront about who you are is the best way to be a memorable applicant.

The Biggest Medical School Personal Statement Mistakes

The most common medical school personal statement mistake we see students make is that they write about:

• What they have accomplished
• How they have accomplished it

By including details on what you have accomplished and how, you will make yourself sound like every other medical school applicant. 

Most medical school applicants are involved in similar activities: research, clinical work, service, and social justice work. 

To stand out, you must write from the heart making it clear you haven’t marched through your premedical years and checking boxes.

We also strongly discourage applicants from using ChatGPT or any AI bot to write their medical school personal statement. Writing in your own voice is essential and using anything automated will undermine success.

The Medical School Personal Statement Secret

MedEdits students stand out in the medical school personal statement because in their personal statements they address:

WHY they have accomplished what they have.

In other words, they write in more detail about their passions, interests, and what is genuinely important to them. 

It sounds simple, we know, but by writing in a natural way, really zeroing in on WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, you will appeal to a wide variety of people in a humanistic way. 

MedEdits students have done extremely well in the most recent medical school admissions cycle. Many of these applicants have below average “stats” for the medical schools from which they are receiving interviews and acceptances.

Why? How is that possible? They all have a few things in common:

• They write a narrative that is authentic and distinctive to them.
• They write a medical school personal statement with broad appeal (many different types of people will be evaluating your application; most are not physicians).
• They don’t try too hard to impress; instead they write about the most impactful experiences they have had on their path to medical school.
• They demonstrate they are humble, intellectual, compassionate, and committed to a career in medicine all at the same time.

Keep reading for a step by step approach to write your medical school personal statement.

“After sitting on a medical school admissions committee for many years, I can tell you, think strategically about how you want to present your personal “big picture.” We want to know who you are as a human being.”

As physicians, former medical school faculty, and medical school admissions committee members, this article will offer a step by step guide to simplify the medical school personal statement brainstorming and writing process.

By following the proven strategies outlined in this article, you will be and to write a personal statement that will earn you more medical school interviews . This proven approach has helped hundreds of medical school applicants get in to medical school the first time they apply!

Learn the 2024-2025 Medical School Personal Statement Prompts ( AMCAS , TMDSAS , AACOMAS )

The personal statement is the major essay portion of your primary application process. In it, you should describe yourself and your background, as well as any important early exposures to medicine, how and why medicine first piqued your interest, what you have done as a pre med, your personal experiences, and how you became increasingly fascinated with it. It’s also key to explain why medicine is the right career for you, in terms of both personal and intellectual fulfillment, and to show your commitment has continued to deepen as you learned more about the field.

The personal statement also offers you the opportunity to express who you are outside of medicine. What are your other interests? Where did you grow up? What did you enjoy about college? Figuring out what aspects of your background to highlight is important since this is one of your only chances to express to the med school admissions committee before your interview what is important to you and why.

However, it is important to consider the actual personal statement prompt for each system through which you will apply, AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS, since each is slightly different.

Getting into a medical school has never been more competitive. Let the experts at MedEdits help you with your medical school application materials. We’ve worked with more than 5,000 students and 94% have been admitted to medical school.

Need help with your Personal Statement?

Schedule a free 15 Minute Consultation with a MedEdits expert.

2024 AMCAS Personal Statement Prompt

The AMCAS personal statement instructions are as follows:

Use the Personal Comments Essay as an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Consider and write your Personal Comments Essay carefully; many admissions committees place significant weight on the essay. Here are some questions that you may want to consider while writing the essay:

• Why have you selected the field of medicine?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about you that hasn’t been disclosed in other sections of the application?

In addition, you may wish to include information such as:

• Unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits
• Comments on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application

As you can see, these prompts are not vague; there are fundamental questions that admissions committees want you to answer when writing your personal statement. While the content of your statement should be focused on medicine, answering the open ended third question is a bit trickier.

The AMCAS personal statement length is 5,300 characters with spaces maximum.

2024 TMDSAS Personal Statement Prompt

The TMDSAS personal statement is one of the most important pieces of your medical school application.

The TMDSAS personal statement prompt is as follows:

Explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician.

This TMDSAS prompt is very similar to the AMCAS personal statement prompt. The TMDSAS personal statement length is 5,000 characters with spaces whereas the AMCAS personal statement length is 5,300 characters with spaces. Most students use the same essay (with very minor modifications, if necessary) for both application systems.

You’ve been working hard on your med school application, reading medical school personal statement examples, editing, revising, editing and revising.  Make sure you know where you’re sending your personal statement and application.  Watch this important medical school admissions statistics video.

2024 AACOMAS Personal Statement Prompt

The AACOMAS personal statement is for osteopathic medical schools specifically. As with the AMCAS statement, you need to lay out your journey to medicine as chronologically as possible in 5,300 characters with spaces or less. So you essentially have the same story map as for an AMCAS statement. Most important, you must show you are interested in osteopathy specifically. Therefore, when trying to decide what to include or leave out, prioritize any osteopathy experiences you have had, or those that are in line with the osteopathic philosophy of the mind-body connection, the body as self-healing, and other tenets.

Medical School Application Timeline and When to Write your Personal Statement

If you’re applying to both allopathic and osteopathic schools, you can most likely use the same medical school personal statement for both AMCAS and AACOMAS. In fact, this is why AACOMAS changed the personal statement length to match the AMCAS length several years ago.

Most medical school personal statements can be used for AMCAS and AACOMAS.

Know the Required Medical School Personal Statement Length

Below are the medical schools personal statement length limits for each application system. As you can see, they are all very similar. When you start brainstorming and writing your personal statement, keep these limits in mind.

AMCAS Personal Statement Length : 5,300 characters with spaces.

As per the AAMC website :   “The available space for this essay is 5,300 characters (spaces are counted as characters), or approximately one page. You will receive an error message if you exceed the available space.”

AACOMAS Personal Statement Length : 5,300 characters with spaces

TMDSAS Personal Statement Length : 5,000 characters with spaces

As per the TMDSAS Website (Page 36): “The personal essay asks you to explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. You are asked to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician. The essay is limited to 5000 characters, including spaces.”

Demonstrate Required Preprofessional Competencies

Next, your want to be aware of the nine preprofessional core competencies as outlined by the Association of American Medical Colleges . Medical school admissions committees want to see, as evidenced by your medical school personal statement and application, that you possess these qualities and characteristics. Now, don’t worry, medical school admissions committees don’t expect you to demonstrate all of them, but, you should demonstrate some.

• Service Orientation
• Social Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Oral Communication
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Capacity for Improvement

In your personal statement, you might be able to also demonstrate the four thinking and reasoning competencies:

• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Written Communication
• Scientific Inquiry

So, let’s think about how to address the personal statement prompts in a slightly different way while ensuring you demonstrate the preprofessional competencies. When writing your personal statement, be sure it answers the four questions that follow and you will “hit” most of the core competencies listed above.

1. What have you done that supports your interest in becoming a doctor?

I always advise applicants to practice “evidence based admissions.” The reader of your essay wants to see the “evidence” that you have done what is necessary to understand the practice of medicine. This includes clinical exposure, research, and community service, among other activities.

2. Why do you want to be a doctor?

This may seem pretty basic – and it is – but admissions officers need to know WHY you want to practice medicine. Many applicants make the mistake of simply listing what they have done without offering insights about those experiences that answer the question, “Why medicine?” Your reasons for wanting to be a doctor may overlap with those of other applicants. This is okay because the experiences in which you participated, the stories you can tell about those experiences, and the wisdom you gained are completely distinct—because they are only yours. 

“In admissions committee meetings we were always interested in WHY you wanted to earn a medical degree and how you would contribute to the medical school community.”

Medical school admissions committees want to know that you have explored your interest deeply and that you can reflect on the significance of these clinical experiences and volunteer work. But writing only that you “want to help people” does not support a sincere desire to become a physician; you must indicate why the medical profession in particular—rather than social work, teaching, or another “helping” profession—is your goal. 

3. How have your experiences influenced you?

It is important to show how your experiences are linked and how they have influenced you. How did your experiences motivate you? How did they affect what else you did in your life? How did your experiences shape your future goals? Medical school admissions committees like to see a sensible progression of involvements. While not every activity needs to be logically “connected” with another, the evolution of your interests and how your experiences have nurtured your future goals and ambitions show that you are motivated and committed.

4. Who are you as a person? What are your values and ideals?

Medical school admissions committees want to know about you as an individual beyond your interests in medicine, too. This is where answering that third open ended question in the prompt becomes so important. What was interesting about your background, youth, and home life? What did you enjoy most about college? Do you have any distinctive passions or interests? They want to be convinced that you are a good person beyond your experiences. Write about those topics that are unlikely to appear elsewhere in your statement that will offer depth and interest to your work and illustrate the qualities and characteristics you possess.

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• How To Get Into Columbia Medical School
• How To Get Into UT Southwestern Medical School
• How To Get Into Harvard Medical School

Complete Your Personal Inventory and Outline (Example Below)

The bulk of your essay should be about your most valuable experiences, personal, academic, scholarly, clinical, academic and extracurricular activities that have impacted your path to medical school and through which you have learned about the practice of medicine. The best personal statements cover several topics and are not narrow in scope. Why is this important? Many different people with a variety of backgrounds, interests, and ideas of what makes a great medical student will be reading your essay. You want to make sure you essay has broad appeal.

The following exercise will help you to determine what experiences you should highlight in your personal statement. 

When composing your personal statement, keep in mind that you are writing, in effect, a “story” of how you arrived at this point in your life. But, unlike a “story” in the creative sense, yours must also offer convincing evidence for your decision to apply to medical school. Before starting your personal statement, create an experience- based personal inventory:

• Write down a list of the most important experiences in your life and your development. The list should be all inclusive and comprise those experiences that had the most impact on you. Put the list, which should consist of personal, extracurricular, and academic events, in chronological order.
• From this list, determine which experiences you consider the most important in helping you decide to pursue a career in medicine. This “experience oriented” approach will allow you to determine which experiences best illustrate the personal competencies admissions committees look for in your written documents. Remember that you must provide evidence for your interest in medicine and for most of the personal qualities and characteristics that medical school admissions committees want to see.
• After making your list, think about why each “most important” experience was influential and write that down. What did you observe? What did you learn? What insights did you gain? How  did the experience influence your path and choices?
• Then think of a story or illustration for why each experience was important.
• After doing this exercise, evaluate each experience for its significance and influence and for its “story” value. Choose to write about those experiences that not only were influential but that also will provide interesting reading, keeping in mind that  your goal is to weave the pertinent experiences together into a compelling story. In making your choices, think about how you will link each experience and transition from one topic to the next.
• Decide which of your listed experiences you will use for your introduction first (see below for more about your introduction). Then decide which experiences you will include in the body of your personal statement, create a general outline, and get writing!

Remember, you will also have your work and activities entries and your secondary applications to write in more detail about your experiences. Therefore, don’t feel you must pack everything in to your statement!

Craft a Compelling Personal Statement Introduction and Body

You hear conflicting advice about application essays. Some tell you not to open with a story. Others tell you to always begin with a story. Regardless of the advice you receive, be sure to do three things:

• Be true to yourself. Everyone will have an opinion regarding what you should and should not write. Follow your own instincts. Your personal statement should be a reflection of you, and only you.
• Start your personal statement with something catchy.  Think about the list of potential topics above.
• Don’t rush your work. Composing thoughtful documents takes time and you don’t want your writing and ideas to be sloppy and underdeveloped.

Most important is to begin with something that engages your reader. A narrative, a “story,” an anecdote written in the first or third person, is ideal. Whatever your approach, your first paragraph must grab your reader’s attention and motivate him to want to continue reading. I encourage applicants to start their personal statement by describing an experience that was especially influential in setting them on their path to medical school. This can be a personal or scholarly experience or an extracurricular one. Remember to avoid clichés and quotes and to be honest and authentic in your writing. Don’t try to be someone who you are not by trying to imitate personal statement examples you have read online or “tell them what you think they want to hear”; consistency is key and your interviewer is going to make sure that you are who you say you are!

When deciding what experiences to include in the body of your personal statement, go back to your personal inventory and identify those experiences that have been the most influential in your personal path and your path to medical school. Keep in mind that the reader wants to have an idea of who you are as a human being so don’t write your personal statement as a glorified resume. Include some information about your background and personal experiences that can give a picture of who you are as a person outside of the classroom or laboratory.

Ideally, you should choose two or three experiences to highlight in the body of your personal statement. You don’t want to write about all of your accomplishments; that is what your application entries are for!

Write Your Personal Statement Conclusion

In your conclusion, it is customary to “go full circle” by coming back to the topic—or anecdote—you introduced in the introduction, but this is not a must. Summarize why you want to be a doctor and address what you hope to achieve and your goals for medical school. Write a conclusion that is compelling and will leave the reader wanting to meet you.

Complete Personal Statement Checklist

When reading your medical school personal statement be sure it:

Shows insight and introspection

The best medical school personal statements tell a great deal about what you have learned through your experiences and the insights you have gained.

You want to tell your story by highlighting those experiences that have been the most influential on your path to medical school and to give a clear sense of chronology. You want your statement always to be logical and never to confuse your reader.

Is interesting and engaging

The best personal statements engage the reader. This doesn’t mean you must use big words or be a literary prize winner. Write in your own language and voice, but really think about your journey to medical school and the most intriguing experiences you have had.

Gives the reader a mental image of who you are

You want the reader to be able to envision you as a caregiver and a medical professional. You want to convey that you would be a compassionate provider at the bedside – someone who could cope well with crisis and adversity.

Illustrates your passion for, and commitment to, medicine

Your reader must be convinced that you are excited about and committed to a career in medicine!

Above all, your personal statement should be about you. Explain to your reader what you have done and why you want to be a doctor with insight, compassion, and understanding.

Medical School Personal Statement Myths

Also keep in mind some common myths about personal statements that I hear quite often:

My personal statement must have a theme.

Not true. The vast majority of personal statements do not have themes. In fact, most are somewhat autobiographical and are just as interesting as those statements that are woven around a “theme.” It is only the very talented writer who can creatively write a personal statement around a theme, and this approach often backfires since the applicant fails to answer the three questions above.

My personal statement must be no longer than one page.

Not true. This advice is antiquated and dates back to the days of the written application when admissions committees flipped through pages. If your personal statement is interesting and compelling, it is fine to use the entire allotted space. The application systems have incorporated limits for exactly this reason! Many students, depending on their unique circumstances, can actually undermine their success by limiting their personal statement to a page. That said, never max out a space just for the sake of doing so. Quality writing and perspectives are preferable to quantity.

My personal statement should not describe patient encounters or my personal medical experiences.

Not true. Again, the actual topics on which you focus in your personal statement are less important than the understanding you gained from those experiences. I have successful clients who have written extremely powerful and compelling personal statements that included information about clinical encounters – both personal and professional. Write about whichever experiences were the most important on your path to medicine. It’s always best, however, to avoid spending too much space on childhood and high school activities. Focus instead on those that are more current.

In my personal statement I need to sell myself.

Not exactly true. You never want to boast in your personal statement. Let your experiences, insights, and observations speak for themselves. You want your reader to draw the conclusion – on his or her own – that you have the qualities and characteristics the medical school seeks. Never tell what qualities and characteristics you possess; let readers draw these conclusions on their own based on what you write.

Medical School Personal Statement Examples and Analysis for Inspiration

Below are examples of actual medical school personal statements. You can also likely find medical school personal statements on Reddit.

AMCAS Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #1 with Personal Inventory  

We will use Amy to illustrate the general process of writing an application to medical school, along with providing the resulting documents. Amy will first list those experiences, personal, extracurricular, and scholarly, that have been most influential in two areas: her life in general and her path to medical school. She will put this personal inventory in chronologic order for use in composing her personal statement.

She will then select those experiences that were the most significant to her and will reflect and think about why they were important. For her application entries, Amy will write about each experience, including those that she considers influential in her life but not in her choice of medicine, in her application entries. Experiences that Amy will not write about in her activity entries or her personal statement are those that she does not consider most influential in either her life or in her choice of medicine.

Amy’s personal inventory (from oldest to most recent)

• Going with my mom to work. She is a surgeon — I was very curious about what she did. I was intrigued by the relationships she had with patients and how much they valued her efforts. I also loved seeing her as “a doctor” since, to me, she was just “mom.”
• I loved biology in high school. I started to think seriously about medicine then. It was during high school that I became fascinated with biology and how the human body worked. I would say that was when I thought, “Hmm, maybe I should be a doctor.”
• Grandmother’s death, senior year of high school. My grandmother’s death was tragic. It was the first time I had ever seen someone close to me suffer. It was one of the most devastating experiences in my life.
• Global Health Trip to Guatemala my freshman year of college. I realized after going to Guatemala that I had always taken my access to health care for granted. Here I saw children who didn’t have basic health care. This made me want to become a physician so I could give more to people like those I met in Guatemala.
• Sorority involvement. Even though sorority life might seem trivial, I loved it. I learned to work with different types of people and gained some really valuable leadership experience.
• Poor grades in college science classes. I still regret that I did badly in my science classes. I think I was immature and was also too involved in other activities and didn’t have the focus I needed to do well. I had a 3.4 undergraduate GPA.
• Teaching and tutoring Jose, a child from Honduras. In a way, meeting Jose in a college tutoring program brought my Guatemala experience to my home. Jose struggled academically, and his parents were immigrants and spoke only Spanish, so they had their own challenges. I tried to help Jose as much as I could. I saw that because he lacked resources, he was at a tremendous disadvantage.
• Volunteering at Excellent Medical Center. Shadowing physicians at the medical center gave me a really broad view of medicine. I learned about different specialties, met many different patients, and saw both great and not-so-great physician role models. Counselor at Ronald McDonald House. Working with sick kids made me appreciate my health. I tried to make them happy and was so impressed with their resilience. It made me realize that good health is everything.
• Oncology research. Understanding what happens behind the scenes in research was fascinating. Not only did I gain some valuable research experience, but I learned how research is done.
• Peer health counselor. Communicating with my peers about really important medical tests gave me an idea of the tremendous responsibility that doctors have. I also learned that it is important to be sensitive, to listen, and to be open-minded when working with others.
• Clinical Summer Program. This gave me an entirely new view of medicine. I worked with the forensics department, and visiting scenes of deaths was entirely new to me. This experience added a completely new dimension to my understanding of medicine and how illness and death affect loved ones.
• Emergency department internship. Here I learned so much about how things worked in the hospital. I realized how important it was that people who worked in the clinical department were involved in creating hospital policies. This made me understand, in practical terms, how an MPH would give me the foundation to make even more change in the future.
• Master’s in public health. I decided to get an MPH for two reasons. First of all, I knew my undergraduate science GPA was an issue so I figured that graduate level courses in which I performed well would boost my record. I don’t think I will write this on my application, but I also thought the degree would give me other skills if I didn’t get into medical school, and I knew it would also give me something on which I could build during medical school and in my career since I was interested in policy work.

As you can see from Amy’s personal inventory list, she has many accomplishments that are important to her and influenced her path. The most influential personal experience that motivated her to practice medicine was her mother’s career as a practicing physician, but Amy was also motivated by watching her mother’s career evolve. Even though the death of her grandmother was devastating for Amy, she did not consider this experience especially influential in her choice to attend medical school so she didn’t write about it in her personal statement.

Amy wrote an experience-based personal statement, rich with anecdotes and detailed descriptions, to illustrate the evolution of her interest in medicine and how this motivated her to also earn a master’s in public health.

Amy’s Medical School Personal Statement Example:

She was sprawled across the floor of her apartment. Scattered trash, decaying food, alcohol bottles, medication vials, and cigarette butts covered the floor. I had just graduated from college, and this was my first day on rotation with the forensic pathology department as a Summer Scholar, one of my most valuable activities on the path to medical school. As the coroner deputy scanned the scene for clues to what caused this woman’s death, I saw her distraught husband. I did not know what to say other than “I am so sorry.” I listened intently as he repeated the same stories about his wife and his dismay that he never got to say goodbye. The next day, alongside the coroner as he performed the autopsy, I could not stop thinking about the grieving man.

Discerning a cause of death was not something I had previously associated with the practice of medicine. As a child, I often spent Saturday mornings with my mother, a surgeon, as she rounded on patients. I witnessed the results of her actions, as she provided her patients a renewed chance at life. I grew to honor and respect my mother’s profession. Witnessing the immense gratitude of her patients and their families, I quickly came to admire the impact she was able to make in the lives of her patients and their loved ones.

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine as my mother had, and throughout high school and college I sought out clinical, research, and volunteer opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of medicine. After volunteering with cancer survivors at Camp Ronald McDonald, I was inspired to further understand this disease. Through my oncology research, I learned about therapeutic processes for treatment development. Further, following my experience administering HIV tests, I completed research on point-of-care HIV testing, to be instituted throughout 26 hospitals and clinics. I realized that research often served as a basis for change in policy and medical practice and sought out opportunities to learn more about both.

All of my medically related experiences demonstrated that people who were ‘behind the scenes’ and had limited or no clinical background made many of the decisions in health care. Witnessing the evolution of my mother’s career further underscored the impact of policy change on the practice of medicine. In particular, the limits legislation imposed on the care she could provide influenced my perspective and future goals. Patients whom my mother had successfully treated for more than a decade, and with whom she had long-standing, trusting relationships, were no longer able to see her, because of policy coverage changes. Some patients, frustrated by these limitations, simply stopped seeking the care they needed. As a senior in college, I wanted to understand how policy transformations came about and gain the tools I would need to help effect administrative and policy changes in the future as a physician. It was with this goal in mind that I decided to complete a master’s in public health program before applying to medical school.

As an MPH candidate, I am gaining insight into the theories and practices behind the complex interconnections of the healthcare system; I am learning about economics, operations, management, ethics, policy, finance, and technology and how these entities converge to impact delivery of care. A holistic understanding of this diverse, highly competitive, market-driven system will allow me, as a clinician, to find solutions to policy, public health, and administration issues. I believe that change can be more effective if those who actually practice medicine also decide where improvements need to be made.

For example, as the sole intern for the emergency department at County Medical Center, I worked to increase efficiency in the ED by evaluating and mapping patient flow. I tracked patients from point of entry to point of discharge and found that the discharge process took up nearly 35% of patients’ time. By analyzing the reasons for this situation, in collaboration with nurses and physicians who worked in the ED and had an intimate understanding of what took place in the clinical area, I was able to make practical recommendations to decrease throughput time. The medical center has already implemented these suggestions, resulting in decreased length of stays. This example illustrates the benefit of having clinicians who work ‘behind the scenes’ establish policies and procedures, impacting operational change and improving patient care. I will also apply what I have learned through this project as the business development intern at Another Local Medical Center this summer, where I will assist in strategic planning, financial analysis, and program reviews for various clinical departments.

Through my mother’s career and my own medical experiences, I have become aware of the need for clinician administrators and policymakers. My primary goal as a physician will be to care for patients, but with the knowledge and experience I have gained through my MPH, I also hope to effect positive public policy and administrative changes.

What’s Good About Amy’s Medical School Personal Statement:  

Paragraphs 1 and 2: Amy started her personal statement by illustrating a powerful experience she had when she realized that medical caregivers often feel impotent, and how this contrasted with her understanding of medicine as a little girl going with her mother to work. Recognition of this intense contrast also highlights Amy’s maturity.

Paragraph 3: Amy then “lists” a few experiences that were important to her.

Paragraph 4: Amy describes the commonality in some of her experiences and how her observations were substantiated by watching the evolution of her mother’s practice. She then explains how this motivated her to earn an MPH so she could create change more effectively as a physician than as a layman.

Paragraph 5: Amy then explains how her graduate degree is helping her to better understand the “issues in medicine” that she observed.

Paragraph 6: Amy then describes one exceptional accomplishment she had that highlights what she has learned and how she has applied it.

Paragraph 7: Finally, Amy effectively concludes her personal statement and summarizes the major topics addressed in her essay.

As you can see, Amy’s statement has excellent flow, is captivating and unusual, and illustrates her understanding of, and commitment to, medicine. She also exhibits, throughout her application entries and statement, the personal competencies, characteristics, and qualities that medical school admissions officers are seeking. Her application also has broad appeal; reviewers who are focused on research, cultural awareness, working with the underserved, health administration and policy, teaching, or clinical medicine would all find it of interest.

med school personal statement examples

Osteopathic Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #2

Medical School Personal Statement Example Background: This is a nontraditional applicant who applied to osteopathic medical schools. With a 500 and a 504 on the MCAT , he needed to showcase how his former career and what he learned through his work made him an asset. He also needed to convey why osteopathic medicine was an ideal fit for him. The student does an excellent job illustrating his commitment to medicine and explaining why and how he made the well-informed decision to leave his former career to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine.

What’s Good About It: A nontraditional student with a former career, this applicant does a great job outlining how and why he decided to pursue a career in medicine. Clearly dedicated to service, he also does a great job making it clear he is a good fit for osteopathic medical school and understands this distinctions of osteopathic practice.. 

Working as a police officer, one comes to expect the unexpected, but sometimes, when the unexpected happens, one can’t help but be surprised. In November 20XX, I had been a police officer for two years when my partner and I happened to be nearby when a man had a cardiac emergency in Einstein Bagels. Entering the restaurant, I was caught off guard by the lifeless figure on the floor, surrounded by spilled food. Time paused as my partner and I began performing CPR, and my heart raced as I watched color return to the man’s pale face.

Luckily, paramedics arrived within minutes to transport him to a local hospital. Later, I watched as the family thanked the doctors who gave their loved one a renewed chance at life. That day, in the “unexpected,” I confirmed that I wanted to become a physician, something that had attracted me since childhood.

I have always been enthralled by the science of medicine and eager to help those in need but, due to life events, my path to achieving this dream has been long. My journey began following high school when I joined the U.S. Army. I was immature and needed structure, and I knew the military was an opportunity to pursue my medical ambitions. I trained as a combat medic and requested work in an emergency room of an army hospital. At the hospital, I started IVs, ran EKGs, collected vital signs, and assisted with codes. I loved every minute as I was directly involved in patient care and observed physicians methodically investigating their patients’ signs and symptoms until they reached a diagnosis. Even when dealing with difficult patients, the physicians I worked with maintained composure, showing patience and understanding while educating patients about their diseases. I observed physicians not only as clinicians but also as teachers. As a medic, I learned that I loved working with patients and being part of the healthcare team, and I gained an understanding of acute care and hospital operations.

Following my discharge in 20XX, I transferred to an army reserve hospital and continued as a combat medic until 20XX. Working as a medic at several hospitals and clinics in the area, I was exposed to osteopathic medicine and the whole body approach to patient care. I was influenced by the D.O.s’ hands-on treatment and their use of manipulative medicine as a form of therapy. I learned that the body cannot function properly if there is dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system.

In 20XX, I became a police officer to support myself as I finished my undergraduate degree and premed courses. While working the streets, I continued my patient care experiences by being the first to care for victims of gunshot wounds, stab wounds, car accidents, and other medical emergencies. In addition, I investigated many unknown causes of death with the medical examiner’s office. I often found signs of drug and alcohol abuse and learned the dangers and power of addiction. In 20XX, I finished my undergraduate degree in education and in 20XX, I completed my premed courses.

Wanting to learn more about primary care medicine, in 20XX I volunteered at a community health clinic that treats underserved populations. Shadowing a family physician, I learned about the physical exam as I looked into ears and listened to the hearts and lungs of patients with her guidance. I paid close attention as she expressed the need for more PCPs and the important roles they play in preventing disease and reducing ER visits by treating and educating patients early in the disease process. This was evident as numerous patients were treated for high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes, all conditions that can be resolved or improved by lifestyle changes. I learned that these changes are not always easy for many in underserved populations as healthier food is often more expensive and sometimes money for prescriptions is not available. This experience opened my eyes to the challenges of being a physician in an underserved area.

The idea of disease prevention stayed with me as I thought about the man who needed CPR. Could early detection and education about heart disease have prevented his “unexpected” cardiac event? My experiences in health care and law enforcement have confirmed my desire to be an osteopathic physician and to treat the patients of the local area. I want to eliminate as many medical surprises as I can.

Texas Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #3

Medical School Personal Statement Example Background: This applicant, who grew up with modest means, should be an inspiration to us all. Rather than allowing limited resources to stand in his way, he took advantage of everything that was available to him. He commuted to college from home and had a part-time job so he was stretched thin, and his initial college performance suffered. However, he worked hard and his grades improved. Most medical school admissions committees seek out applicants like this because, by overcoming adversity and succeeding with limited resources, they demonstrate exceptional perseverance, maturity, and dedication. His accomplishments are, by themselves, impressive and he does an outstanding job of detailing his path, challenges, and commitment to medicine. He received multiple acceptances to top medical schools and was offered scholarships.

What’s Good About It: This student does a great job opening his personal statement with a beautifully written introduction that immediately takes the reader to Central America. He then explains his path, why he did poorly early in college, and goes on to discuss his academic interests and pursuits. He is also clearly invested in research and articulates that he is intellectually curious, motivated, hard working, compassionate and committed to a career in medicine by explaining his experiences using interesting language and details. This is an intriguing statement that makes clear the applicant is worthy of an interview invitation. Finally, the student expresses his interest in attending medical school in Texas.

They were learning the basics of carpentry and agriculture. The air was muggy and hot, but these young boys seemed unaffected, though I and my fellow college students sweated and often complained. As time passed, I started to have a greater appreciation for the challenges these boys faced. These orphans, whom I met and trained in rural Central America as a member of The Project, had little. They dreamed of using these basic skills to earn a living wage. Abandoned by their families, they knew this was their only opportunity to re-enter society as self- sufficient individuals. I stood by them in the fields and tutored them after class. And while I tried my best to instill in them a strong work ethic, it was the boys who instilled in me a desire to help those in need. They gave me a new perspective on my decision to become a doctor.

I don’t know exactly when I decided to become a physician; I have had this goal for a long time. I grew up in the inner city of A City, in Texas and attended magnet schools. My family knew little about higher education, and I learned to seek out my own opportunities and advice. I attended The University with the goal of gaining admission to medical school. When I started college, I lacked the maturity to focus on academics and performed poorly. Then I traveled to Central America. Since I was one of the few students who spoke Spanish, many of the boys felt comfortable talking with me. They saw me as a role model.

The boys worked hard so that they could learn trades that would help them to be productive members of society. It was then I realized that my grandparents, who immigrated to the US so I would have access to greater opportunities, had done the same. I felt like I was wasting what they had sacrificed for me. When I returned to University in the fall, I made academics my priority and committed myself to learn more about medicine .

Through my major in neuroscience, I strengthened my understanding of how we perceive and experience life. In systems neurobiology, I learned the physiology of the nervous system. Teaching everything from basic neural circuits to complex sensory pathways, Professor X provided me with the knowledge necessary to conduct research in Parkinson’s disease. My research focused on the ability of antioxidants to prevent the onset of Parkinson’s, and while my project was only a pilot study at the time, Professor X encouraged me to present it at the National Research Conference. During my senior year, I developed the study into a formal research project, recruiting the help of professors of statistics and biochemistry.

Working at the School of Medicine reinforced my analytical skills. I spent my summer in the department of emergency medicine, working with the department chair, Dr. Excellent. Through Dr. Excellent’s mentorship, I participated in a retrospective study analyzing patient charts to determine the efficacy of D-dimer assays in predicting blood clots. The direct clinical relevance of my research strengthened my commitment and motivated my decision to seek out more clinical research opportunities.

A growing awareness of the role of human compassion in healing has also influenced my choice to pursue a career in medicine. It is something no animal model or cell culture can ever duplicate or rival. Working in clinical research has allowed me to see the selflessness of many physicians and patients and their mutual desire to help others. As a research study assistant in the department of surgery, I educate and enroll patients in clinical trials. One such study examines the role of pre-operative substance administration in tumor progression. Patients enrolled in this study underwent six weeks of therapy before having the affected organ surgically excised. Observing how patients were willing to participate in this research to benefit others helped me understand the resiliency of the human spirit.

Working in clinical trials has enabled me to further explore my passion for science, while helping others. Through my undergraduate coursework and participation in volunteer groups I have had many opportunities to solidify my goal to become a physician. As I am working, I sometimes think about my second summer in Central America. I recall how one day, after I had turned countless rows of soil in scorching heat, one of the boys told me that I was a trabajador verdadero—a true worker. I paused as I realized the significance of this comment. While the boy may not have been able to articulate it, he knew I could identify with him. What the boy didn’t know, however, was that had my grandparents not decided to immigrate to the US, I would not have the great privilege of seizing opportunities in this country and writing this essay today. I look forward to the next step of my education and hope to return home to Texas where I look forward to serving the communities I call home.

Final Thoughts

Above all, and as stated in this article numerous times, your personal statement should be authentic and genuine. Write about your path and and journey to this point in your life using anecdotes and observations to intrigue the reader and illustrate what is and was important to you. Good luck!

Medical School Personal Statement Help & Consulting

If all this information has you staring at your screen like a deer in the headlights, you’re not alone. Writing a superb medical school personal statement can be a daunting task, and many applicants find it difficult to get started writing, or to express everything they want to say succinctly. That’s where MedEdits can help. You don’t have to have the best writing skills to compose a stand-out statement. From personal-statement editing alone to comprehensive packages for all your medical school application needs, we offer extensive support and expertise developed from working with thousands of successful medical school applicants. We can’t promise applying to medical school will be stress-free, but most clients tell us it’s a huge relief not to have to go it alone.

MedEdits offers personal statement consulting and editing. Our goal when working with students is to draw out what makes each student distinctive. How do we do this? We will explore your background and upbringing, interests and ideals as well as your accomplishments and activities. By helping you identify the most distinguishing aspects of who you are, you will then be able to compose an authentic and genuine personal statement in your own voice to capture the admissions committee’s attention so you are invited for a medical school interview. Our unique brainstorming methodology has helped hundreds of aspiring premeds gain acceptance to medical school.

Sample Medical School Personal Statement

Example Medical School Personal Statement

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How to get into harvard medical school: a complete guide.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 10/5/23

Do you have your sights set on Harvard Medical School? Then read on to have all your admissions questions definitively answered. 

There’s no use in denying the reputation. Harvard Medical School (HMS) offers students of the best educational experiences. It’s no surprise that U.S. News and World Report ranks HMS as the best national medical school for research and No. 9 in primary care. 

While HMS is a reach school for many students hoping to get into med school , insider knowledge can help you claim one of the approximately 165 seats up for grabs. Fortunately, our expert team is passionate about getting you accepted at HMS. We regularly receive ecstatic testimonials from accepted students each cycle: 

This ultimate guide will provide the relevant insights you need to know how to get into Harvard Medical School. Read on for admissions requirements, application deadlines, and more! 

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

MD Programs At Harvard

HMS offers two tracks within the MD program: Pathways and Health Science Technology (HST).

Pathways : This more traditional track allows students to gain early clinical experience and core basic/population science knowledge. Through advanced science courses, faculty-mentored scholarly projects, and electives, students forge their own paths. Most Harvard Medical School students enroll in Pathways. 

Health and Science Technology (HST) : HST is a joint program between Harvard and MIT centering on clinical expertise, rigorous scientific instruction, and research experiences. Compared to 135 Pathways students, 30 enrolled in the HST program in a recent cycle. 

You can apply to both HMS tracks if you’re unsure which is best for you. You can also choose from combined degree programs such as: 

If you want an interdisciplinary education, a combined degree at HMS may be right for you. 

How Hard Is It to Get Into Harvard Medical School?

HMS is highly selective, so getting in is no easy task. According to CBS News, Harvard Medical School is one of the hardest medical schools to get into . The average GPA of matriculants is 3.9 , evidencing that high-achieving students have the best shot at admission. 

Harvard Medical School Admissions Statistics

MSAR data shows the class of 2026 was formed from 7,796 applications. Assuming only 164 students were admitted, that puts Harvard Medical School’s admission rate at only 2.1%. 

This chart outlines more Harvard med school admissions statistics to help you learn about the school’s selectivity: 

Source: MSAR

The Harvard average MCAT score and GPAs of students are slightly lower than the median. 

Take our interactive quiz below to find out how likely you are to get into Harvard Medical School.

Harvard Medical School Admissions Requirements

Before applying, you must ensure you meet all Harvard med school requirements. 

HMS Course Requirements

You can apply to HMS with any undergraduate major. However, you must take all HMS prerequisites . 

While you don’t need to have finished these Harvard med school prerequisites before applying, you must complete them by enrollment: 

Source: Harvard Medical School

Ensure you fulfill all Harvard Medical School requirements before applying. 

HMS looks for students with diverse academic backgrounds. While most of the incoming class are science majors, 24% of matriculants held an undergraduate degree in another field .  

Harvard Med MCAT Requirements

Because Harvard Med’s acceptance rate is low, it’s no surprise matriculants report high MCAT scores . The average reported MCAT score is 520. 

However, HMS reviews all applications holistically, meaning a lower MCAT score won’t necessarily spell automatic rejection. A strong GPA and well-rounded profile may offset a lower score. HMS considers all valid MCAT scores. You can submit all scores if you've taken the MCAT multiple times with varying section scores.

Harvard Medical School Letters of Recommendation

Submitting letters of recommendation is crucial to your application. The admissions committee learns more about your strengths and fit for HMS from other perspectives. You can submit up to six recommendation letters , but HMS asks you to note that: 

• At least two letters should come from professors in sciences
• At least one letter should come from a professor not in the sciences
• MD and MD-PhD applicants should request recommendations from all their research supervisors (you can exceed the six-letter limit to meet this requirement) 
• A pre-health committee letter packet counts as one recommendation letter
• You don’t need to ask your employer for a recommendation, but if you’re a non-traditional applicant who has been out of school for some time, you should ask for one 

You must submit at least three recommendation letters to apply to HMS. 

Harvard Medical School Interview

HMS describes your ability to communicate effectively as “crucial to the delivery of care.” Effective communication in your interview is integral to your acceptance. Harvard Medical School interviewed 857 candidates out of 7.796 applications; if you get to this step, you’re almost there! 

All HMS interviews are virtual for the foreseeable future. If you’re selected for an interview, be honest, confident, and show how your acceptance will contribute to HMS. Applicants who are selected for an interview are notified by mid-January. 

Extracurricular Activities 

Harvard Medical School considers your extracurricular activities for admission , including healthcare-related experiences, research, and community service work. While there are no extracurricular requirements, varied activities strengthen your application. 

What Do I Need to Do to Get Into Harvard Medical School? (3 Extracurriculars That Stand Out)

Team captain in college? Volunteer at your local nursing home? Spent a summer in the lab? These experiences were not in vain! Extracurricular experiences are an excellent way to demonstrate your passions and commitment to medicine.

Your activities show the unique knowledge, leadership skills, and experience you can bring to the classroom. These three types of extracurriculars can help you stand out at HMS. 

Since HMS values innovation, research is crucial to students’ educational experiences. Most applicants have some research experience , so yours must stand out. The admissions board values the depth of research projects over time commitment.

Therefore, research conducted out of sincere interest in improving medicine is more impressive. Research you’re passionate about and intend to continue serves you better than experiences you think will look good on paper. 

Patient Exposure

Connecting with patients and providing knowledge, comfort, and sympathy are valuable skills. Knowing how to maintain a professional but trusting relationship with patients is key. Working well with patients isn’t a skill that can be taught in the classroom. 

Hands-on experience, especially through shadowing, is essential to preparing for the HMS experience. Admissions officers look for patient exposure, whether it’s through shadowing, volunteering , scribing, or other opportunities.

Leadership Experience

Leadership is a cornerstone of the education you’ll receive at HMS. Harvard graduates often hold leadership positions due to the school’s reputation and commitment to high-quality education.

Therefore, you should emphasize leadership experience in your application. Some examples of leadership experience include: 

• Holding a student government position
• Starting a club or organization
• Leading a research project 
• Organizing a charity event or spearheading a community service project 

Demonstrated leadership isn’t limited to these examples. Consider times you’ve taken the initiative to make positive changes in your surroundings. 

Harvard Medical School Personal Statement (Example With Feedback) 

All candidates submit Harvard Medical School personal statements through AMCAS . Although it can be tough to outline your passion for medicine in 5,300 characters, this HMS personal statement excerpt and feedback can help you structure your own narrative. 

“When I first joined the Marines at 17, I wanted to ‘fight for freedom’ and give back to my country. I joined the infantry because I wanted to be where the fight was, and that was the surest way to end up in Iraq or Afghanistan. Three years later, I finally found myself in Afghanistan, leading a 3-man fire team. When I first arrived in May 2011, I felt as if we were going to make the region, if not the whole world, a better place by removing some of the evil from it. My experience over the next 7 months, however, proved to be more nuanced than anticipated. 

When I arrived in Marjah, almost a year after the initial invasion to oust the Taliban from the city, most of the large-scale fighting had ceased. Most of the ‘good’ I thought I would be doing had already been done, and the Taliban that survived had either fled or hid among the populace using guerrilla tactics. The city was in the early stages of rebuilding and a sense of normalcy had returned…

What ended up remaining with me after my return from Afghanistan was…the good we were able to do by taking small actions to help the locals. This ranged from actions as simple as providing locals with water, to actions as complex as rendering medical care to those in need. While I never actively participated in providing treatment to locals, I was struck by how large an impact these treatments could have on an individual. In one particular instance, while on patrol, I approached a man who had been kicked by his cow and had a severe infection on his arm…Having spent the majority of my life in the United States, I had always taken modest medicine, particularly antibiotics, for granted. In Afghanistan, however, where there was little to no access to modern medicine, I was able to appreciate just how beneficial it truly is. 

When I got out of the military the following summer and prepared to attend college, I wanted to contribute to a career where I was able to benefit others. My experience in Afghanistan, witnessing the power of medicine, combined with the interest I gained in medicine following my trauma training, drove me towards health care. I entered Cape Fear Community College with the intention of joining their highly competitive nursing program…I was completely fascinated by the material and, following completion of the class, wanted to learn more. This captivation continued as I progressed through my science classes. 

I became fascinated in infectious disease following a class in microbiology…This interest prompted me to transfer to UNCW, instead of continuing into the nursing program, where I could continue to study the subject more in-depth. While at UNCW, the majority of my biology coursework, as well as my two research projects, focused on infectious diseases, cementing my interest in the subject. While I briefly considered pursuing a PhD in microbiology, my desire to work closely with, and treat, patients led me to apply to medical school. 

Following medical school, I intend on training in an infectious disease fellowship, where I will be able to combine my interest in microbiology with my desire to help others…

While I am certainly interested in practicing medicine within the United States, after the completion of my training I am also highly interested in working with an organization like Doctors Without Borders, enabling me to once again be part of a team bringing healthcare to underserved individuals around the globe. After my experience in Afghanistan, and making the decision to work in medicine, this is an opportunity I’ve been highly interested in, particularly with my desire to work in infectious disease, as many of the regions this organization operates in are still burdened with endemic diseases, such as tuberculosis and malaria, as well as emerging diseases, such as Ebola. 

For the aforementioned reasons, I would like to attend medical school and pursue a career in medicine…Finally, I believe my prior leadership experience and ability to operate under stress will allow me to thrive.”

Harvard Medical School Personal Statement Feedback 

The author’s honesty and insight into their thought process make the introduction more impactful. They don’t leave the reader hanging or wondering what their intentions were. 

The author’s ability to realize the nuance of their situation and impact in Afghanistan shows critical thinking skills and the ability to shift perspectives in light of new information. Leading a squad also shows their leadership capability. 

Overall, it’s easy for the reader to follow their discovery and passion for medicine as it unfolds. We understand the initial event and how the author pursued education and experiences to further cultivate their interests. However, this essay could improve in the following ways: 

• Editing for concision : There is a lot of wordiness here that could be eliminated by editing for concision. They could have also eliminated redundancies, such as describing they’re “highly interested” in something more than once. 
• Sentence structure/flow: Many sentences are long and complex. Interspersed shorter sentences could have improved flow. 
• More imagery : There are many concrete facts here about the author’s experience that feel more like “telling” instead of “showing.” We would have loved to see more detailed descriptions, thoughts, feelings, and reactions. 

The concluding paragraphs preserve the narrative thread by referring back to the author’s experiences, skills, and desire to “do good” from their time in Afghanistan. While this personal statement worked at Harvard Medical School, don’t be afraid to show your creativity and writing skills. 

How to Tackle the Harvard Med School Secondary Essays

We’ll outline each Harvard Medical School secondary essay prompt and how to approach each one. 

1. “ The interview season for the 2023-2024 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2024. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank.”

This prompt is informing you of the interview cycles and is asking if you have any restrictions to your availability. 

2. “ If you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation. (4000 characters maximum) .” 

If this HMS secondary essay prompt applies to you, you don’t want to approach this as an itemized list. Instead, approach it as an essay and explain: 

• Why did you pursue a particular activity or activities (what was your goal?)
• What experiences or new skills did you gain? 
• How did these activities give you the tools to become a better doctor? How did they prepare you for medical school? 

Treat this prompt like a mini personal statement. Give enough detailed description and narrative flow to your writing that it comes across as a story rather than a collection of briefly summarized experiences. 

3. “ If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. (4000 character maximum) ”

You could answer this prompt if you didn't write about your background/identity at length in your personal statement. This is a classic diversity essay prompt; if you feel a deep dive into your identity and related experiences are relevant to your medical school journey, you should consider writing this essay. 

If you already have a diversity essay ready, you can take it one step further by tailoring it toward Harvard’s mission or connecting it to your desire to attend the school. 

4. “The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so.” (OPTIONAL) 

This HMS secondary essay prompt is optional. If the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted you or your trajectory, writing a response may be in your best interest. If there was no great impact on you or your journey, you might want to skip this one. After all, no response to an optional essay is much better than a weak one. 

Harvard Med School Application Deadline and Timeline

These are the important dates you should know, including the Harvard Medical School application deadline : 

All admissions decisions are sent out on the same day, whether you’re accepted, rejected, or waitlisted.

Harvard Medical School Tuition & Scholarships

Tuition at Harvard Medical School costs $69,300, not including other expenses. Here’s a breakdown of first-year tuition for Pathways students: 

Source: Harvard Medical School 

The total cost of attending Harvard Medical School is over $100,000 annually. However, HMS offers significant financial aid. Harvard aims to ensure student financial needs are met: 75% of the entering class received financial aid. The average annual scholarship students receive is $56,716.

The average student debt of Harvard grads is approximately $108,382 compared to the national average of $179,679 at public medical schools and $187,229 at private medical schools. Beyond this, HMS has an extensive list of outside scholarship opportunities.

Getting Into Harvard FAQs

If you have questions about getting into Harvard Medical School, check out these FAQs. 

1. What Are the Harvard Medical School Requirements for International Students?

Additional Harvard Med School requirements for international students include: 

• You must have studied for at least one year in the U.S. or Canada 
• You must have completed three years of college work and hold a baccalaureate degree
• Be fluent in English 

You don’t need to prove your English fluency (although expected), so you don’t need to take the TOEFL.

2. How Do I Get Into Harvard Med School With a Low GPA? 

If you have a lower GPA than you’d like, you can enroll in a post-bacc program to boost your GPA, ace the MCAT, or ensure the rest of your application is well-rounded and stellar. However, it’s in your best interest to attain a GPA of 3.9 or higher to reflect the average of admitted students. 

3. What Is Harvard Medical School’s Acceptance Rate? 

HMS’ acceptance rate is approximately 2.1%, making it one of the most challenging medical schools to get into. 

4. What MCAT Score Do You Need for HMS? 

You should strive for an MCAT score of 520 or higher to be a more competitive applicant. 

5. How Many Shadowing Hours Do You Need for Harvard Medical School? 

While Harvard doesn’t state a shadowing requirement, you should aim for at least 100 shadowing hours to apply to medical school. 

Getting Into Harvard Is Easy with Inspira Advantage

Now that you know how to get into Harvard Medical School, you can demonstrate your fit and show the admissions committee why you’re an excellent candidate. 

While there is no one tried and true method of getting into HMS, you have the best shot at acceptance with a polished application. Whether you need help with your application narrative or putting the finishing touches on your secondaries, our expert team at Inspira Advantage is here to make getting into Harvard easier! 

Schedule A Free Consultation

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Successful Harvard Medical School Essays | 2023

With a consistently competitive pool of applicants submitting essays to top medical schools each year, it is essential to gain a high-level understanding of what a successful application reads like. Browse through our list of successful medical school applications below from students who were accepted to elite universities and hear from expert college consultants on what made these pieces a success.

...and more!

Andrew's Essay

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Our pre-med shadowing study abroad programs offer students the unique opportunity to gain firsthand insights into global health, broaden their cultural competencies, and strengthen their medical school applications. These programs are designed to immerse students in foreign healthcare systems and give them a practical understanding of global medicine, all under the supervision of experienced professionals.

In addition to our study abroad programs, IMA offers comprehensive medical school admissions advising. Our team of seasoned consultants, including former admissions committee members from top medical schools, provides personalized guidance at every step of the application process. From crafting compelling personal statements to mastering medical school interviews, we equip students with the tools and strategies necessary to stand out in the highly competitive admissions landscape.

At International Medical Aid, we are passionate about helping the next generation of healthcare professionals reach their goals. With our global perspective, deep industry expertise, and commitment to each student's success, IMA is your partner on the journey to a fulfilling career in medicine.

Successful Harvard Medical School Essay

I vividly recall the surge of emotion and chills that ran down my spine as I wandered through the free health clinic in a rural, impoverished Salvadoran town. I met a kind nurse who cared for hundreds of patients by herself. She showed me her two tiny examination rooms, both littered with overly used equipment. It was sobering, but inspiring. No experience has been more impactful than witnessing the need for accessible, quality healthcare, especially in an area so close to my heart. Twenty-two years ago, my family adopted me from El Salvador. Over that time, they showed me how to care about people, keep a sharp focus on my goals, and always deliver on my word. Their teaching by example, coupled with the realization of just how fortunate I am, has led me to my passion. I want to spend the rest of my life helping others improve theirs, and believe that becoming a physician is how I’ll do it.

I want to spend the rest of my life helping others improve theirs, and believe that becoming a physician is how I'll do it.

My decision to pursue medicine began with a great deal of pain. It was the end of my eighth grade basketball season, in the semi-finals of a tournament. During the third quarter, I stole the ball from the other team, and dribbled up the court on a fast break. As I elevated for a layup, an opposing player charged into my body. SNAP! I immediately felt severe discomfort running up my leg, and knew something was very wrong. As the trainers helped me off the court, I watched the swelling around my ankle continue to grow. My first trip to the emergency room resulted in an inconclusive diagnosis, and a scheduled appointment with an orthopedic surgeon.

The next day, I was diagnosed with a fractured ankle, which unfortunately meant my season was over. The orthopedic surgeon’s vast knowledge of anatomy and physiology and explanation of my injury using X-rays captivated my attention, and sparked my interest in medicine. Over the next six weeks, I rehabilitated my ankle and returned to sports as healthy and quickly as possible. Grasping the impact of a medical profession, I set out to become a physician.

Setting goals was a habit growing up. Academics and sports were my primary focus, and in grade school, I dreamt of playing a varsity sport and set a goal in fourth grade to graduate as valedictorian of my class. These goals shaped the next eight years of my life, as I learned to balance schoolwork with playing sports. I was determined to excel inside and outside of the classroom, and worked very hard.

Throughout high school, I strove for academic and athletic excellence. Through dedication and perseverance, I started for three years in basketball and baseball, was named captain of both teams as a senior, led both teams to playoff appearances, and graduated as class valedictorian. While my academic and athletic experiences were very fulfilling, the highlight of my time in high school was sharing my love for sports and academics with children. Every summer, I volunteered to help my coaches run camps for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. During these camps, I taught the fundamentals of the game and emphasized the importance of determination, commitment, and teamwork. Coaching the kids was extremely rewarding, and allowed me to develop an even temper and positive attitude, even in stressful situations. This experience also helped me discover a strong interest in teaching that I hope to develop as a physician.

In college, I’ve had extensive shadowing experience. One unforgettable moment came in the emergency room when a patient coded. I watched as physicians and nurses urgently tried to stabilize the patient, to no avail. I learned two challenging lessons from the patient’s passing: medicine affects patients, their families, and healthcare professionals equally, and witnessing death is unavoidable when working in medicine. These lessons, among many others learned through my shadowing experiences, have provided me with invaluable insight into the daily life of physicians and surgeons, as well as the demands and rewards medicine offers.

Medicine affects patients, their families, and healthcare professionals equally, and witnessing death is unavoidable when working in medicine.

Although my shadowing experience was enjoyable, I desired to learn more about the aspect of medicine that shapes clinical practice–research. Through my research experiences, I discovered the intricate relationship between research and clinical medicine. As I spent a summer studying tendon development with some of the world’s brightest minds in Boston, the importance of collaboration and perseverance in effectively translating research from bench to bedside became clear. Now, I hope to combine my love for medicine with my research interests to broaden the scope of my work. This approach will be personally fulfilling while enabling me to make a valuable contribution to biomedical science. Life experiences shape us as individuals. An unfortunate sports injury sparked my interest in medicine, while clinical and research experiences and a visit to a clinic in my birth country further strengthened my ambition. Ultimately, I hope to return to that Salvadoran clinic as a medical student and physician to provide quality healthcare to those in need. I’m excited about moving forward and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Professional Review by International Medical Aid

This great example of the AMCAS personal statement makes the thesis clear from the start which is that of the writer’s wish to ensure “good health” by “doing more”.

The narrative presents this thesis through specific examples that gradually broaden in scope: from “my little brother” to “the stranger in the grocery storey.” It also expands across social segments, when the writer finds myriad meanings for “good health” across “countries, cultures and individuals”.

Technical terms are used to show knowledge of medical practices while also revealing curiosity and aptitude for clinical research.

The second part of the thesis, which is to “do more”, is presented through two compelling arguments: that research and medicine are always evolving, and that there is always more to be done. Technical terms are used to show knowledge of medical practices while also revealing curiosity and aptitude for clinical research.

The essay then shifts to how being an ‘extraordinary physician’ involves being empathetic and paying attention to socioeconomic factors. The generalization that medicine is both a science and an art since it touches humans is well-situated in contextual examples of underrepresented groups in Guatemala and Kenya.

The wish to “do more” reveals the writer’s growth mindset as well as a passion for medicine in simple but effective words that befit the personal statement.

Keizra’s Essay

Every future doctor experiences some level of self-doubt when applying to medical school. We empower aspiring physicians to identify the unique qualities that make them great doctors of the future. Our MD admissions consultants help applicants like you weave these qualities into a compelling narrative in every aspect of the medical school application. Using a proven methodology that has been tried and tested over 15 years with more than 1000 successful applicants, we help you approach the admissions process with the confidence to get into your ideal medical school.

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I sat in the US Senate’s Hart Building, memo in hand, nervously awaiting my chance to explain the complexities of an FDA draft guidance to staffers working on the Senate counterpart to the 21st Century Cures bill. This FDA draft guidance would, if finalized, increase the regulatory burden on laboratories developing genetic tests. Although nearly all the scientists I interviewed felt this guidance would unreasonably slow the integration of Next Generation Sequencing genetic tests into diagnostics, I learned that their story ignored the many inadequacies which currently plague genetic testing.

As I began to explain my memo, I thought of the first time I watched a doctor offer a genetic test to a patient. Dr. Patel, a geriatric psychiatrist, was offering a test to help determine which drugs might be most effective for her schizophrenic patient. This test seemed to offer an alternative to a frustrating experience that many patients face: trying various medication regimens to see which works best. The patient’s excitement was palpable, but I couldn’t help but recognize the sad truth that for this patient, a person of color, the diagnostic tools could be less than perfectly reliable. In a world where 80% of the DNA in genetic databases is European, I struggled knowing that these tests are significantly less effective for people of color than for individuals of European descent.

These hidden inequalities in emerging diagnostic tools, when combined with existing inequalities in access to care, have solidified my desire to work as a physician to care for marginalized individuals. As a doctor, I hope to help vulnerable patients access the care they desire while treating them with the respect they deserve, a goal I have looked to advance prior to medical school. During my first two years at Duke, I had countless conversations with my peers about the pressure they felt to embody “effortless perfection.” This expectation, whether self or culturally imposed, created a stigma around speaking out about one’s struggles, fears, and insecurities, which in turn led to a wariness towards accessing campus mental health resources. While Vice President of Equity and Outreach on Duke Student Government, I made combating “effortless perfection” my priority. I felt it was time to give students a space to discuss their struggles and make mental health resources more accessible. These experiences led me to create Duke’s first Mental Health Awareness Month. One particular event, a panel for students suffering from mental illness to discuss their experiences, was attended by over 100 students. Through the month’s programming, students were able to find strength and support in the recognition that they were not alone in their struggles. As a physician, I hope to leverage this understanding to create a space in my exam room where I work to understand and affirm patients’ experiences in the hopes that I can make their illnesses less isolating.

I hope to leverage this understanding to create a space in my exam room where I work to understand and affirm patients' experiences.

Though it was extraordinarily fulfilling to create awareness of accessible mental health resources, I also sought to combat another impediment to care: access. This year, I have worked to provide abortion access to women who cannot afford their procedures through the DC Abortion Fund. As a case manager, I work with women in all stages of their abortion access process. For some, I simply help them close the gap in their funding. For others, I work with them from start, finding a clinic, all the way to finish, helping to fund the procedure. This work has revealed to me the mountain of circumstances that vulnerable women seeking funding for abortion face. Every time I call a patient, the first question I ask is, “Can I leave a voicemail on this phone and can I identify myself?” This question is a constant reminder that for many of these women, accessing this care is an act of resistance against circumstances outside of their control like homelessness, domestic abuse, and poverty.

One of the patients I aided, Ms. E, found out she was pregnant while at an urgent care appointment for debilitating anxiety. She only learned about the Fund because her physician sat with her in the exam room helping Google resources for abortion care. This physician recognized that without adequate resources, her patient would not have the agency to choose her next steps. As a physician, I will view it as my highest responsibility to understand patients’ lives and circumstances. Without understanding the systemic barriers many patients face, I do not believe one can optimally care for a patient. Even when a patient has access to care, I know that treating vulnerable patients demands cultural understanding. While shadowing Dr. Lo, a plastic surgeon in Philadelphia, I saw first-hand how physicians can utilize their knowledge to create a safe space. I watched Dr. Lo work with a transgender-identifying patient seeking cosmetic surgery as a part of her gender confirmation process. Dr. Lo treated this patient with dignity and respect through the simple act of using her correct pronoun, ignoring the fact that her birth name and gender were associated with her insurance. This simple act of recognizing a patient’s true identity reminded me of the vital need for good doctors: I can only hope to one day be among their number.

Professional Review by Admissions Helpers

Several features make Keizra’s essay strong and engaging. First, the essay contains a unifying theme that gives the reader a clear sense of the applicant’s motivations. Using different examples and anecdotes throughout the essay, Keizra demonstrates their commitment to working with “marginalized” and “vulnerable” individuals.

Keizra demonstrates their commitment to working with marginalized and vulnerable individuals.

This essay also demonstrates an awareness of some of the key challenges in today’s healthcare system. Specifically, Keizra discusses inequity in genetic testing for people of color, the impact of social determinants on access to critical healthcare services like abortion, and the need for inclusivity for diverse patients including members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The strength in this discussion is that Keizra directly connects each challenge to their lived experiences.

Finally, each of the different ideas presented in the essay are explicitly tied to the applicant’s desire to become a physician, allowing the reader to understand why and how their experiences have shaped their motivations. When writing about genetic testing, mental health services for college students, and caring for Ms. E, Keizra’s essay does an excellent job highlighting the kind of doctor they aspire to be.

While the essay is strong overall, there is opportunity for improvement. The explanation Keizra offers about why they want to be a physician (in the 3rd paragraph) could be further developed. In particular, one can’t help but wonder why Keizra wants to fight the inequalities as a physician and not through another career such as politics or public health? The reasons why Keizra wants to practice clinical medicine are not clearly articulated. The essay also ends fairly abruptly, failing to give the reader a cohesive and memorable closing argument. Ideally, a personal statement ends by providing reflections on the key ideas presented and pulling everything together with a powerful summative statement. This is difficult with limited space but could have nevertheless been achieved by rewording and omitting certain details in other areas of the essay.

Mark's Essay

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Our curriculum, divided into clear Milestones and specialized workshops, streamlines the extensive writing and high-pressure interviews intrinsic to medical school applications. We replace the cycle of writing and rewriting with a systematic framework, assisting you at every stage, from brainstorming to refining your final narrative.

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“You have all the time.”

"Jay" was an advanced heart failure patient, unsure whether to continue treatment. But he needed to make a decision quickly. His EKG read “ventricular tachycardia.” Dr. D, though, saw the situation differently: Jay had “all the time.”

I analyze conversations like this in the LAB NAME Lab, where we study patient-physician communication, trying to understand what it means to provide patient-centered care. My research begins with the question: What is interesting in this encounter? In this interaction, Dr. D’s remark—“you have all the time”—caught my eye. It didn’t make sense. Jay’s arrhythmia was potentially life-threatening: he had no time. Surely, Dr. D, a cardiologist, knew this. And while Dr. D was personable in his other encounters with patients, he had never prioritized talking over treating. Why then, with Jay, did he ignore the “medical” side of medicine? At the time, I thought patient care revolved around somatic intervention. I was an EMT, after all. My job was to save people: if someone was bleeding, I didn’t stop to chat. I wrapped their bleed.

However, months later, my perception of medicine slowly began to change. Working as an EMT, I was dispatched to “Leo.” UNIVERSITY NAME staff had dialed 911 as he was heavily intoxicated. Immediately, Leo announced that he was fine; “You can leave,” he said to me. The situation seemed strange, though: alcohol by himself on a Monday afternoon? I thought: Should I ask Leo why he was drinking? But, perhaps, Leo was unable to be vulnerable around all the strangers in their uniforms. Hesitantly, I asked my partner and the mass of firefighters to step outside. I thought I could get Leo to open up. I recall sitting at eye level with him, considering what to say, aware of everyone outside, unsure if I was wasting their time. But in the end, I just talked—student to student. I described my life: how it felt to be away from family; how I missed home. Leo said nothing; so I kept speaking, conscious of myself. There was more silence, but then he replied, “I miss home too.” I waited for more; and Leo continued, “I need help.”

Our ability to talk—student to student, not EMT to student—allowed us to be honest with each other.

My interaction with Leo was at odds with my own understanding of medicine at that point; not once did I offer him an assessment of his blood pressure or his multicolored vomit. But had I done those things—focused on Leo’s physical condition—our encounter might have ended differently. I may never have discovered his intent to commit self-harm. Leo chose to be open with me, I think, because he trusted me, because I was open with him. Our ability to talk—student to student, not EMT to student—allowed us to be honest with each other. A disconnect between Leo and me would have failed both to address the root of his problem and to treat him as more than a brief emergency.

Now, I think that I better understand Dr. D’s remark to Jay. Maybe, he sought to humanize Jay, to reinforce his agency as a patient in a place that dealt with his physical ailments. Jay’s choice would have implications for the rest of his life. Perhaps, Dr. D wanted Jay to know that he was the decision-maker, that he controlled his own future. To Dr. D, the other aspect of medicine—the human side—was just as important as all the medications and IVs and drugs and shocks. I’ve begun to see that a physician’s work is stereoscopic. There is the intriguing and challenging human element, the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with patients. Then there is the somatic aspect, the chance to treat difficult medical conditions. I am drawn to medicine because of this duality.

As a physician, I’d like to develop my own ability to simultaneously practice the technical and personal elements of medicine. I think that patient-centered care might give my patients more than a fixed knee or a lower heart rate. Hopefully, they would feel healed, helped, respected—not as if I were just interested in fixing their physical ailments. I also think I’d enjoy medicine more if I could connect with my patients: talk to them as people, not just patients.

But, through the LAB NAME Lab, I’ve seen how difficult it can be to combine the objective and human sides of medicine. In patient-physician encounters, one of these two sides is often left out—it is hard to ask patients about their dogs when their livers are failing. Moreover, I’m not sure I can deconstruct Dr. D’s ability to communicate with patients like Jay: put it into a single competency that all doctors must master. It isn’t just empathy, honesty, or authenticity. I might describe it as humanity, the ability to talk to others without a machine-produced script. However, textbooks don’t feature a “How to Communicate Like Dr. D” section, and it isn’t a skill I imagine I will ever be done learning. The challenge of medicine appeals to me, though. I want a career in which I can constantly discover more.

Ultimately, I don’t expect to learn only in the clinic or hospital as a doctor. I will continue to do research on patient-physician communication. My work will likely inform my future medical practice, and, maybe, eventually I could teach what I’ve learned to residents and medical students.

As Dr. D has shown me, a physician’s work is complex and demanding. But the result can give patients like Jay “all the time.”

Professional Review by Premed Advocates

The compelling Personal Statement you've just read exemplifies the power of introspective storytelling. The author's reflection, highlighting his evolving understanding of medicine and future ambitions, led to acceptances and scholarships from prestigious medical schools like Johns Hopkins, Yale, Duke, UCLA, Mayo, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, and Mt Sinai.

At PreMed Advocates, we help create personal statements that keep the applicant as the central figure of the narrative. While many personal statements tend to recount the applicant's journey to medical school, often involving personal illness experiences or “inspirational” patient-doctor interactions, these narratives can inadvertently shift the focus onto the stories of others, and away from you—the main character.

Our reflective storytelling approach keeps your unique perspective at the heart of your personal statement.

Our reflective storytelling approach keeps your unique perspective at the heart of your personal statement. Through collaborative brainstorming, meticulous editing, and interview preparation, we guide applicants in transforming their experiences into a compelling narrative. Our method is also deeply rooted in our thorough understanding of medical school admissions rubrics and processes, which we've derived from extensive research and detailed profiling of each institution.

The PreMed Advocates difference lies in our unique approach. We equip our applicants with the tools they need to succeed, and supplement this with personalized, one-on-one guidance.

2024 How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement (11 Steps)

• By Med School Insiders
• December 2, 2023
• Medical Student , Pre-med
• Medical School Application , Personal Statement

Each piece of a med school application brings a unique set of anxiety-ridden challenges, but few equal that of the personal statement. A personal statement is much, much more than a narrative-version of your CV. Reiterating your grades and extracurriculars in complete sentences is not how to write a medical school personal statement.

A personal statement is an opportunity to tell your story. Why do you want to study medicine? What drives you? This is your chance to let an admissions committee know who you really are beyond your grades.

Of course, you’re studying to become a doctor, not a novelist, which means the idea of crafting your personal statement may seem daunting, to say the least.

In this guide, we’ll take a comprehensive, step-by-step look at how to write a medical school personal statement, including how to get started, everything you need to include, and common mistakes to avoid.

Article Sections

• Anatomy of Medical School Personal Statement

What Med School Admissions Committees Look For

How to get started.

• How to Write a Personal Statement

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Medical school personal statement examples, anatomy of a medical school personal statement.

A personal statement has a 5,300 character maximum, about 1.5 pages of single-spaced 12-point Times New Roman font. The challenge isn’t trying to fill in words; the challenge is selecting the key moments in your life that made you want to be a doctor and expressing them concisely.

A personal statement is made up of three parts:

Introduction

It’s essentially a short essay that uses your life experience to succinctly demonstrate why you’re the right person for the job. If someone’s making a movie about your life and the events that shaped your desire to become a doctor, what key moments do you want to highlight?

Your introduction must capture an admissions committee’s attention. Use the introduction to hook your readers. The first few sentences should entice them to read more.

There isn’t a perfect number of paragraphs or set structure. This is where you discuss the experiences that have shaped your personality, your desire to study medicine, and your dreams for the future.

This is the summary of your statement, and it should tie in directly to your introduction. Now is the time to emphasize why you want to be a physician and your future goals.

Learn more about the Anatomy of a Stellar Medical School Personal Statement .

Admissions committees need to know they’re accepting students who are ready to face the rigorous day-and-night grind of medical school. They have your CV and transcripts; now you need to demonstrate you have what it takes to succeed.

The personal statement is your chance to display your personality and highlight the experiences that shaped you. What drives you? What strengths and experiences will you bring to medical school? Why are you an asset?

The admissions committee isn’t looking for a list of your accomplishments. They want to know your story . Don’t tell the admissions committee you’re compassionate and driven; show them with tangible examples from your life.

So you’re a great listener. What’s a moment in your past that demonstrates this? If you care deeply about the wellbeing of others, what story from your life illustrates that passion?

1 | Read Real Personal Statement Examples

Right off the bat, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone—far from it. Every medical student who came before you has written personal statements, which means you have a wealth of examples to read and learn from.

Every personal statement is unique to the writer. Don’t expect to find a perfect blueprint you can copy off of, but reading several different personal statements will give you a sense of the themes, concepts, strategies, and stories that can help you find success.

If you know people in your own life who have successfully matriculated to med school, it’s a good idea to ask them if you can take a look at their personal statement. Med School Insiders compiled a database of personal statements donated by successful medical school applicants. Reading successful personal statements will give you an idea of what’s expected.

Reading bad personal statements can also give you an idea of what mistakes to avoid. Learn from our bad personal statement examples , which includes key insights into what you should do instead.

2 | Reflect on Past Experiences

Take this as an opportunity to reflect. Don’t think of it as brainstorming, and don’t worry about being creative just yet. Simply think back on key moments from your past.

Think of your personal statement like your superhero origin story. You may have excellent grades, abilities, and a natural aptitude for science, but why are you pursuing medicine? What moment or moments in your life revealed to you why you had to be a doctor?

Take Spider-Man. Yes, Peter Parker received his superpowers from a radioactive spider bite, but that’s not why he fights crime; Spider-Man fights crime so that what happened to his Uncle Ben never happens to anyone else. Bruce Wayne is incredibly smart, incredibly strong, and incredibly rich, but that’s not why he fights crime as Batman. Bruce Wayne became Batman so that no one else would lose their parents to a random act of violence like he did.

The truth is, a lot of superheroes have pretty similar motivations, and doctors have similar motivations, too. Your desire to become a doctor likely stems from a genuine intellectual interest in medicine, a desire to work closely with other humans, and a drive to help people and save lives. The other med school hopefuls you’re applying with have very similar motivations.

The key is digging deep and determining what you value most about becoming a doctor. Once you know that, think about the tangible experiences in your life that helped you realize those values.

Utilize our list of 25 medical school personal statement prompts as you ideate and reflect on your life to date.

3 | Choose Which Experiences/Traits to Highlight

Identify three to four personal strengths you are particularly proud of and want the admissions committee to know. Where did these strengths shine in your premedical years? What experiences helped you build on these strengths? This will make up the body of your personal statement.

Remember: writing a personal statement takes time—and lots of it. It will likely take several different attempts and drafts. After discussing your selected strengths, you may find that they don’t define you well enough or that there are better options. Don’t be discouraged. Give yourself plenty of time to reflect on and explore a variety of different strengths.

Don’t forget about the interview; the admissions committee will certainly ask you to further elaborate on the experiences outlined in your personal statement. Share personal stories that you want to be asked about and feel comfortable addressing.

Generally, personal statements involve experiences in the following categories:

• A passion for patient interaction
• Intellectual curiosity for medicine (academics, research, etc.)
• Dedication and discipline (medicine or another pursuit)
• Perseverance in the face of adversity
• Interpersonal and professional skills

How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement

4 | show, don’t tell.

If essays or storytelling aren’t necessarily your strong suit, think back to math class and those equations where the teacher made you show your work for the full grade. It’s not enough that you got the answer right; you had to show how you arrived at the answer.

Think of this in the same way. It’s great that you’re compassionate, but the admissions committee isn’t going to take you at your word. They want you to back up that claim with evidence. It is vital that you show the admissions committee you’re compassionate with concrete examples from your life that illustrate your journey to medicine.

It’s much more impactful to share a story that demonstrates specific qualities than it is to tell someone you have those qualities directly. Saying you are hardworking or resilient is not enough. You need to craft a story that allows the reader to infer those qualities about you.

5 | Leverage the Narrative-Based Approach

You are applying to medical school along with an immense number of other students with great grades, stellar qualifications, and impressive clinical hours. These are all key to your medical school application, but the best grades in the world won’t set you apart in the eyes of the admissions committee.

Your personal statement is a chance to stand out in a crowded field. Too many personal statements read like a CV but with full paragraphs, which quickly becomes monotonous.

Leverage a narrative-based approach so that the admissions committee is excited to learn more about you. Your entire application should illustrate your compelling journey toward becoming a doctor. Highlight how your experiences make you an asset who will contribute uniquely to the medical school.

It’s not enough to simply check off the boxes. The admissions committee wants to know your story.

Learn How to Develop a Cohesive Narrative for Medical School Applications .

6 | Create an Outline

After taking the time to reflect on the experiences and traits you want to include in your personal statement, create an outline to structure your approach .

You do not need to stick to it, but this is the general structure of most personal statements:

• Introduction (A strong hook to catch the reader’s attention—usually an anecdote or reflection that introduces the theme of your story. Hook the reader with the opening sentence.)
• Experience 1
• Experience 2
• Experience 3
• Conclusion (Tie your story back to the opening hook/theme. Summarize why you want to be a physician and what your future goals are.)

Remember, this is not a list of your accomplishments. The personal statement must read like a cohesive narrative, not a resume.

Establish a theme in the introduction that’s central to your desire to become a doctor. Each following paragraph will illustrate how your personal experiences have shaped that desire and prepared you for your journey. In the conclusion, gracefully tie back to your central theme or hook to turn the personal statement into a consistent, interconnected story.

7 | Force Yourself to Start Writing

It’s understandable and common to feel overwhelmed while writing a personal statement. In fact, if you don’t feel overwhelmed, it’s safe to say that you’re not taking this seriously enough.

Start with a theme, but don’t get stuck trying to come up with the perfect opening sentence. That comes later. Once you have a general outline, just start writing. See what happens, and—most importantly—be kind to yourself.

The first words you write won’t be perfect, but they will get you started. You should fully expect the first draft of your personal statement to be terrible. That’s okay. First drafts are never perfect.

Your first draft probably won’t look anything like your final essay. Put one foot in front of the other and just start writing. Get the ideas out and worry about editing later.

8 | Keep it Concise and Direct

In your subsequent drafts, focus on cutting down your words and being concise. It’s not your use of flowery language that will impress the admissions committee. Forget about extravagant word choices and convoluted sentence structure. You don’t have the space for poetic tangents anyway.

Use your words efficiently, and favor clear language over long, complicated words. It’s easy for readers to spot when you’re using a thesaurus, and it will only take away from your end message. Find the simplest way to say something.

For example:

Hard-working over Assiduous

Compassion over Magnanimity

Agree over Concur

Use tools like the Hemingway App to keep your language direct and concise.

9 | Take Some Time Away

Take time away from your drafts. Once you complete a draft, take a break, and let it sit. Go for a walk, watch some TV, or work on a completely different activity. After your break, come back to your personal statement with fresh eyes. You may find that the fantastic opening line you came up with isn’t so fantastic anymore, or that sentence you weren’t so sure about actually works really well.

Writing your personal statement will take time. Even if you feel extremely confident in your personal statement, take time away from it and come back.

10 | Refine, Review, and Edit

We recommend using editing apps like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor , but don’t rely on bots alone to catch possible mistakes.

Ask your friends and family for their first impressions on the content of your personal statement. Tell them to be brutally honest (because the admissions committee certainly will be.) Reach out to a mentor or people who have been through this process before.

Spelling or grammar mistakes indicate carelessness on your part and are an automatic red flag for admissions committees. Read over your work carefully, and ask others you trust to do the same.

The editing process is such a critical phase for your personal statement. Learn how to edit your personal statement to impress admissions committees.

11 | Invest in Essay Editing Services

Your medical school personal statement is arguably the most important piece of your application. While an excellent essay can lock-in your interview offer, a poorly-written personal statement can ruin your chances—even with stellar grades, impressive academic awards, and a notable list of extracurriculars.

Don’t risk your acceptance. Essay editing services can provide the help that friends, family, and mentors cannot.

Med School Insiders Personal Statement Editing Services includes careful analysis of content and tone as well as helpful insights into how you can improve your essay and impress admissions committees.

Avoid the following common personal statement mistakes .

• Don’t list your accomplishments or rehash your CV and extracurriculars.
• Don’t make spelling or grammar errors.
• Don’t overuse the word I. Doing so makes you more likely to state your accomplishments instead of telling a story.
• Don’t use flowery language or words you found in a thesaurus.
• Don’t explain to a physician what medicine is all about. Talk about yourself and your experiences; the admissions committee already understands medicine.
• Don’t state the obvious or use clichés. (Every applicant likes science and wants to help people.)
• Don’t lie or fabricate your personal stories.
• Don’t make excuses for poor grades or a low MCAT score.
• Don’t speak negatively about another physician or healthcare professional.
• Don’t plead for an interview or acceptance.
• Don’t edit your personal statement by yourself.
• Don’t procrastinate.

Learn more: 20 Personal Statement: Dos and Don’ts .

It’s important to read the personal statements of matriculated students. While you won’t be able to mimic someone else’s personal statement, you can still learn a lot from them, and reading different statements can spark ideas for your own essay.

We compiled a selection of real medical school personal statements from successful applicants. These statements are for reference purposes only and should not be plagiarized in any way. Plagiarism detection software is used when evaluating personal statements, and plagiarizing is grounds for an automatic disqualification.

Be sure to read the included feedback regarding the personal statements as well, as this will give you extra insight into what admissions committees are looking for.

Read Real Medical School Personal Statement Examples .

Medical School Personal Statement Editing

Don’t write your medical school personal statement alone—we can help. Med School Insiders offers a range of personal statement editing packages , from general editing to unlimited, in-depth editing with a physician who will be there to advise you every step of the way.

Learn more about our Comprehensive Medical School Admissions Packages . Our team of doctors has years of experience serving on admissions committees, so you’ll receive key insights from people who have been intimately involved with the selection process.

Next read: Guide to Understanding the Medical School Application Process

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Writing Application Essays and Personal Statements

Some applications ask that you write an essay that draws on more personal reflections. These essays, sometimes called Personal Statements, are an opportunity to show the selection committee who you are as a person: your story, your values, your interests, and why you—and not your peer with a similar resume—are a perfect fit for this opportunity. These narrative essays allow you to really illustrate the person behind the resume, showcasing not only what you think but how you think.

Before you start writing, it’s helpful to really consider the goals of your personal statement:

• To learn more about you as a person: What would you like the selection committee to know about you that can't be covered by other application materials (e.g. resume, transcript, letters of recommendation)? What have been the important moments/influences throughout your journey that have led to where (and who!) you are?
• To learn how you think about the unsolved problems in your field of study/interest: What experiences demonstrate how you've been taught to think and how you tackle challenges?
• To assess whether you fit with the personal qualities sought by the selection committee:  How can you show that you are thoughtful and mature with a good sense of self; that you embody the character, qualities, and experience to be personally ready to thrive in this experience (graduate school and otherwise)? Whatever opportunity you are seeking—going to graduate school, spending the year abroad, conducting public service—is going to be challenging intellectually, emotionally, and financially. This is your opportunity to show that you have the energy and perseverance to succeed.

In general, your job through your personal statement is to show, don’t tell the committee about your journey. If you choose to retell specific anecdotes from your life, focus on one or two relavant, formative experiences—academic, professional, extracurricular—that are emblematic of your development. The essay is where you should showcase the depth of your maturity, not the breadth—that's the resume's job!

Determining the theme of an essay

The personal statement is usually framed with an overarching theme. But how do you come up with a theme that is unique to you? Here are some questions to get you started:

• Question your individuality:  What distinguishes you from your peers? What challenges have you overcome? What was one instance in your life where your values were called  into question?
• Question your field of study:  What first interested you about your field of study? How has your interest in the field changed and developed? How has this discipline shaped you? What are you most passionate about relative to your field?
• Question your non-academic experiences:  Why did you choose the internships, clubs, or activites you did? And what does that suggest about what you value?

Once you have done some reflection, you may notice a theme emerging (justice? innovation? creativity?)—great! Be careful to think beyond your first idea, too, though. Sometimes, the third or fourth theme to come to your mind is the one that will be most compelling to center your essay around.

Writing style

Certainly, your personal statement can have moments of humor or irony that reflect your personality, but the goal is not to show off your creative writing skills or present you as a sparkling conversationalist (that can be part of your interview!). Here, the aim is to present yourself as an interesting person, with a unique background and perspective, and a great future colleague. You should still use good academic writing—although this is not a research paper nor a cover letter—but the tone can be a bit less formal.

Communicating your values

Our work is often linked to our own values, identities, and personal experiences, both positive and negative. However, there can be a vulnerability to sharing these things with strangers. Know that you don't have to write about your most intimate thoughts or experiences, if you don't want to. If you do feel that it’s important that a selection committee knows this about you, reflect on why you would like for them to know that, and then be sure that it has an organic place in your statement. Your passion will come through in how you speak about these topics and their importance in forming you as an individual and budding scholar. 

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Harvard to resume standardised testing in admissions

Giving a major push to a growing trend, ivy league institution concludes that using the sat and act produces a net gain in equity.

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Harvard University will resume its standardised testing requirement with next year’s admissions cycle, giving a high-profile boost to a growing trend of institutions concluding that the once-maligned tool looks better than its more regressive alternatives.

The Ivy League institution said it had made its decision – a reversal from a previous commitment to keep its test-optional stance for at least two more years – in part because of research by its own experts, who found that equity is improved when standardised tests are part of a wider set of considerations.

“Admission officers understand that not all students attend well-resourced schools,” Harvard’s dean of admissions and financial aid, William Fitzsimmons, said in announcing the shift, “and those who come from modest economic backgrounds or first-generation college families may have had fewer opportunities to prepare for standardised tests.”

That assessment is similar to the reasoning offered by another Ivy League institution, Dartmouth College , when it announced in February that it would resume using standardised tests in admissions. Several other institutions have joined in, including Yale and Brown universities.

Campus resource: How to ensure college admissions are equitable and accessible

Selective admission institutions in the US had been gradually moving away from standardised testing requirements in recent years, concerned that the exams harm low-income and minority students because the questions make biased assumptions and because wealthier students can afford professional preparation and the cost of repeated test attempts.

That position strengthened during the pandemic lockdowns to the point where the overwhelming majority of US colleges and universities were not requiring the exams, which commonly include the SAT and ACT.

But with the reconsideration led by Dartmouth and others – now including the symbolically important position of Harvard – opponents of standardised testing have expressed alarm that standardised testing is regaining traction.

The nation’s leading critic of standardised testing, the National Centre for Fair and Open Testing, or FairTest, has insisted that nothing fundamental has changed about the realities of such tests . “Using the SAT as the gatekeeper for higher education,” FairTest argued in response to the rising number of reversals, “turns out to test one thing above all else: existing station in life.”

Yet Harvard is home to some leading experts on race and economics, including Raj Chetty, a professor of economics whose team has assembled data showing that SAT and ACT scores strongly predict long-term student outcomes in college. Dartmouth cited Professor Chetty’s work, along with that of its own experts, in explaining its decision, and Harvard has now done the same.

In a statement accompanying Harvard’s announcement, Professor Chetty said he agreed that standardised tests were not an unbiased measure of student qualifications. “But the data reveal that other measures – recommendation letters, extracurriculars, essays – are even more prone to such biases,” he said. “Considering standardised test scores is likely to make the admissions process at Harvard more meritocratic while increasing socioeconomic diversity.”

Harvard has faced especially high scrutiny of its admissions policies arising from a lawsuit over its use of racial considerations in its admissions process – a practice that was long endorsed by the US Supreme Court until last year, when the now conservative-majority court reversed its position. Harvard, however, has also refused to end its practice of granting admissions preferences to students with alumni and donor ties – a group that is overwhelmingly white and has been accounting for more than a third of its entering class.

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