GET THE BALL ROLLING

OPENING THE DOOR TO YOUR PERSONAL ESSAY

AND OTHER APPLICATION WRITING

WHAT IS THE PERSONAL ESSAY?

The Chance to convey who YOU are beyond the numbers

IT ISAn ESSENTIAL opportunity to reflect and

convey what has been personally meaningful to you, in a way that will help the reader know more about your self and your life experience.

Your chance to communicate directly to the Admissions readers as a real person, not a set of numbers and facts.

A chance to know more about yourself—and take deeper ownership of your own choices and motivations

Autobiographical Sketch VS the Personal Essay: what’s the difference?Autobiographical

Sketch Personal EssayInformal, 1-2 pagesprose or bullets like a “life resume”, a simple

description/outline of life experience and events that bring you to this decision.

It only goes to your letter writers (and posted on interfolio for composite writer)

Helps writers know about your character, personality and motivation for going to med school. writer(s) get to know

A coherent, polished piece of writing based on personal reflection

5300 charactersA beginning, middle and endThis is a significant PART of

your AMCAS applicationThis tells a story about you that

is authentic to you, and is the readers’ chance to discover something about who you are as a whole person. Also helps them know about your character and motivation for going to medical school.

MORE ABOUT THE PERSONAL ESSAY

*From Barron’s “Essays that Will Get you Into Medical School:”

•Some Admissions committee readers (comprised of staff, faculty, students and/or doctors) will read up to 40 essays a day

•Essays must be interesting and make the committee want to interview you.

•Essays should demonstrate “proof” of an applicants motivation to become a doctor

•Strong writing and communication skills should be demonstrated

•Evidence of skills not found elsewhere in application can be showcased

TO NOTE: OTHER APPLICATION WRITING

You will also be writing about up to 15 specific experiences—3 of which you will be asked to amplify with the question: how was this most meaningful?

You will eventually be writing secondary application essays

DO DON’TLet your personality come out!Tell stories. Use details.Be honest and genuine. Create or recognize your

Outline/Themes.Construct your paragraphs to make

sense.Make good transitions between

paragraphs creates cohesion.Write a lead-in that grabs reader’s

attention.Draw a conclusion that ties,

summarizes or emphasizes main pts.Be Active (verbs, for instance)Get feedback, have readers, check

all grammar and punctuation in final drafts.

Use gimmicksBe vague or generalMake unsubstantiated

statementsMake listsUse passive structuresOveruse words like:

however, thus, nevertheless etc.

Make overlong sentencesMake sentences too choppy.Overuse “big” words.Be triteBe hyperbolicMake grammatical errors or

typos

AND DO: Give Yourself Time!

Creativity (which is what this is), and reflection take time to percolate and come

into form. Meet up with the blank page and don’t wait

until you get “the perfect, fully formed, idea.”

Just get started, and you will find that your ideas will emerge and develop by having given yourself the time. A fully formed (GREAT) essay, will emerge. Really.

WHY IS THISREFLECTION IMPORTANT?• Self assessment gives you understanding

of your own personal growth, life experiences, accomplishments and skills.

• Recall events/things/people that influenced you

• Contemplate and clarify your motivations, choices and clearly identify your own goals

GETTING STARTED……In this phase you are gathering your ideas, your

material.

Writing exercises help you build your writing “muscle.”

Brainstorming exercises help devise essay topics.

As you do these kinds of exercises, notice what grabs your attention, feels sparky to you, best describes you and your motivations. Welcome surprises!

A few tips for Building your

Writing Muscle•Make timed writing “sessions” to explore a specific question or topic. Put your pen to the paper and just write until the time is out. You can use questions specific to the Personal essay or just play. IE: you can start with a word or idea: “goals;” “influences;” strengths;” “compassion;” integrity;” “inspiration;” “red;” “my grandparent’s house,” “fast cars;” etc.

•Morning pages: keep a notepad and pen by your pen and just write for 10 minutes as soon as you wake up, whatever comes to mind.

•Journal writing, taking stock or your thoughts, responses or experiences in your day.

•Notice What You Notice: Choose a question or idea, and, as if you were looking at a tree, or rock, that, just notice /describe anything, ANYthing that comes into your head about it and just take notes. Then you can do the same with a personal experience, or goal.

Today’s Exercises: Use again anytimeFor Today: 3-5 Minutes per question/suggestionJust put your pen to paperI will state questions /suggestions out loud

All questions/statements are on next slide for your future use

Question Topics (for today and beyond)

•Talk about something you love to do•Describe a time/experience of personal growth/change in awareness•Write down anything you are proud of doing/having done, no matter how “small” it might seem. Don’t limit this to “career” types of accomplishments. What’s mattered to YOU.•Who is someone that has been important to you and why? •Describe a meaningful experience in your life•What is a favorite food for you and why? Describe..•What are you passionate about?•What motivates you to be a doctor? Why medicine?•When have you “changed your mind” because of an experience.•What are your skills?

Other ways to “get the ball rolling” Make use of chronology for discovery (not necessarily how your structure your essay).

Starting from childhood note any and all special or pivotal experiences you might remember… Include feelings/responses.

Describe some of your personal characteristics/qualities, and consider how some of them are also skills. Note how they have been part of how you do things and what you choose. Note how they might be part of what would make you a successful doctor.

What healthcare experiences have been meaningful to you?

When have you experienced adversity and how did you go through it? When have you been resilient

What touches you, moves you, makes you laugh? When have you been affected by others you have encountered; when has your humanity

been touched, evolved.

**Remember--what’s been pivotal to YOU might have been apparently small moments, but for some reason were meaningful to YOU. That is what is important. Big or small, what is True for you?

NOW WHAT?You can Put it away for

a little while and let things percolate, BUT

Make time to keep exploring and keep coming back.

What pops out at you: what questions were easy to answer, what were difficult?

Was there anyplace where you just wanted to keep writing?

Did anything surprise you? Or did something grab you?

You Can Use some of this info for Autobiographical Sketch

Try an essay draft built around some of the bits that grabbed. See where it leads.

Ask a trusted friend to read it for feedback.

At this stage, know it might still change a great deal…

be open to starting one place and finding yourself writing in a whole new direction because of something you found out once you put your pen to the paper!

PART TWO in SPRING: Focusing on aspects of an excellent essay

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