College Planning - Completing Your Medical School Personal Statement With Ease

Perhaps you've completed your college education, and you're ready to take the next step in your education. If for you that means medical school and you've passed or soon plan to take the MCAT exam, it's time to start the application process. If this is causing you some stress, you're not alone. Even undergrads that are at the tops of their classes get a little nervous when it comes to filling out a medical school application.

That's because good grades do not necessarily 'seal the deal' with the admissions committee at the college of your choice. Even the brightest students sometimes get rejected from their institute of choice because they were not adequately prepared for this process.

The initial application is usually fairly straightforward. To begin with, you must provide your personal information. Next, you'll include your educational history, including college transcripts. Your MCAT scores, if you've already taken the exam, will be part of this.

The next part of the process is more difficult. This is where your personal statement comes into play. The first part of your personal statement will require you to sell yourself as a person, explaining why you believe you will make a good doctor. You'll be asked to describe your own personal philosophy of the practice of medicine, and how you see yourself carrying that out in practice.

For the second part, you'll need to persuade the admissions committee that you would be an asset to the institution. Talk about your reasons for choosing that particular college. Perhaps they emphasize a particular branch of medicine that interests you. Maybe you were drawn to their history of graduating physicians whose works continue to be published in medical journals. Tell them why their institution appeals to you, and why you would be a perfect fit.

When you sit down to write your personal statement, there are a few basic tips to keep in mind:

* Write well. In other words, observe the proper rules of grammar, formatting, etc. If you've made it this far in your college education, there's no excuse for poor grammar.

* Have your essay edited by someone you trust, or by a professional editor. This is especially important if writing isn't necessarily your 'thing.'

You can't always trust your spell-check program to pick up on spelling or grammatical errors. And even a good spell-checker can't evaluate your writing style. Having an objective second party read your essay can give you a good idea on how clearly you have expressed yourself. Even if you have to pay a professional editor, it's well worth it if it means the difference between getting accepted or not.

* Sell, but don't oversell. It's likely you've already encountered having to 'sell yourself' to someone, a prospective employer, or your undergraduate school. Be bold, but don't exaggerate. Mention every thing that is pertinent to your experience: studies that you've participated in, research work, etc. But don't stretch the truth. Admissions committees are very good at judging fact from fiction, and exaggeration will get you nowhere except out the door, and fast.

* Stick to the requested number of words. If the admissions committee requests a 1000 word essay, they want 1000 words. Give them less, and they'll believe that you don't care, or you aren't accomplished enough to find 1000 words to say. Give them more, and you'll lose them altogether. Admissions committees review hundreds or thousands of college applications, and don't have time for longwinded grandstanding.

Finally, choose your words carefully. Be concise, and never use ten words where four or five will suffice. Instead, focus on choosing words that are powerful. Quality is the key to success when it comes to preparing your personal statement.

Michael Fleischner the Managing Director of EssayEdge and ResumeEdge which provide college application essay help and resume writing services. He has appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media. For additional help with your Medical School Personal Statement, visit EssayEdge.com.