Most pre-health programs require a personal statement. Some programs provide prompts. Most schools want the personal statement to answer the question, “Why do you want to be a (PT, PA, MD, DO, DVM, etc.)?”  Your personal statement should reflect your unique story. Writing a personal statement is a process that will take months or at least several weeks. For the best results, get started early and plan to get feedback during the revision stage. 

Getting Started 

  • Start early. Application deadlines vary, and the sooner you start the more time you will have to revise. Plan to turn in a polished draft that you are proud of.
  • Read the prompt carefully. Try rewriting the prompt in your own words. If the prompt is confusing, ask others what they think it’s asking.
  • Self-reflection is the key to writing a meaningful statement. Think about your experiences, values, strengths, and priorities, and motivations for seeking a career in healthcare.
  • This process requires multiple drafts. That means that you don’t have to write one perfect sentence after another. Start by writing freely, in whatever format helps you think and keeps you motivated. Put your inner critic away for a little bit. Don’t worry too much about punctuation or grammar at the beginning of the process. Your goal is to generate content so that later you can identify the most compelling stories, sentences, themes, and ideas.
  • Write about impactful experiences and identify which ones you want to highlight in your essay. Recognize stories and anecdotes that add to the narrative of who you are. However, keep in mind that you may have the opportunity to list your experiences in other parts of your application and even write about some of them, so the personal statement describes your journey and motivations in a narrative framework, rather than just listing what you’ve done to prepare for a career in healthcare. 

Content

  • Don’t use generative AI (Chat GPT). Admissions committees will be able to tell. This is an opportunity for you to tell them your story.
  • Check word limits. This will impact how concise you need to be (this gets done in the revision stage – see the drafting/editing section below). Note any formatting requirements.
  • Highlight what you have learned since starting college. Mention people and experiences that inspired you in your early years, but bring the focus back quickly to your experiences, lessons, and competencies.
  • Keep the focus on your reasons and motivations for studying health science and why you want to diagnose, heal and care for others.
  • What traits, characteristics, values, or skills have you developed, or are you in the process of developing, that make you an excellent candidate for their pre-health program?

 

Drafting / Editing 

  • Think about the feedback you’ve gotten in the past about your writing. Do you use passive voice, repeat words, or have trouble linking concepts? Go back over what you’ve written with a critical eye. Consult a style guide and ask your readers about these specific concerns.
  • You will want ample time to discuss the content with your mentors or people you can trust to give you honest feedback. Plan to get feedback at every stage (starting, stuck, almost there, proofreading) and be specific when communicating what kind of feedback would be most helpful.
  • Leaving and returning to the essay helps you identify what you need to revise. You might catch more errors, omissions, and opportunities once you’ve had some time away from it.  
  • As you move through the paragraphs, read them aloud. See if it makes sense. Does one idea/paragraph/sentence follow the others in a logical way? Does it flow? Do some sentences sound awkward? Do you repeat certain words or phrases? Does it sound like you?
  • Be open to constructive critiques. It can be frustrating to hear that you aren’t coming across how you want, but ultimately, it’s an opportunity to make your statement more coherent and persuasive.
  • Be sure to schedule at least one meeting at the Writing Center. (They have an online scheduler on their UI website.) 

 

Resources

Iowa Writing Center

Purdue Owl 

Humanities, creative writing, and English courses that emphasize writing could help you practice and strengthen your writing skills. 

Other Helpful Tips 

You may be able to write about challenges (poor grades, Ws, gap semesters or years, etc.) in a supplemental essay or a “anything else you want us to know” section. This is an opportunity to talk about what you learned from mistakes and challenges. Focus on your growth, resilience, and values. 

Have you been charged with a misdemeanor? This doesn’t necessarily make you inadmissible. Explain what happened in a separate paragraph or essay. Be honest and take responsibility of choices that you made in the past that conflict with your career goal. Focus more on you learned and how you have matured than on the details of the situation.