Medical School Personal Statement FAQs

Who are you? This is one of the most challenging and essential questions pre-medical students face on their path to medical school. Understanding who you are, why you want to be a physician, and how you have tested your motivation to determine your fit for the profession is the foundation of your response to the required medical school application essay, known as the Personal Statement. There are a couple of important themes to remember while brainstorming subject matter for your personal statement, or what many admissions officers refer to as “your interview in writing.”

What is the AMCAS essay prompt?

The question posed—or the essay prompt—is relatively open-ended. The AMCAS Personal Statement prompt is: “Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school.” Depending on how you look at it, this broad net can prove both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it allows you to take your story in just about any direction, and what could be better than that? On the other hand, it can feel overwhelming if you overthink it. While similar, guidance for writing your AACOMAS Personal Statement may be found here, and here for the TMDSAS Personal Statement.

What should I write about in my medical school personal statement?

Even though the prompt for the medical school personal statement is vague, it is generally understood that you have three goals to accomplish in this essay. Focus the essay with these in mind, but don’t be afraid to be creative:

• Why do you want to go into medicine?
• What motivates you to learn about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about you?

Your medical school personal statement is your opportunity to share your personal journey and goals. You’ll need to think seriously about why you want to go into medicine and, more specifically, why you want an MD or a DO. Note that this is also a good opportunity to explain any significant inconsistencies in your grades and/or discuss any obstacles you have had to overcome in your educational pursuits.

Refining Your Motivations

Far too often, students write generic, impassioned passages about “wanting to help people.” While that is a completely valid reason to go to medical school, it doesn’t really explain why you want to become a doctor to the exclusion of other health careers, like nursing or physical therapy. It doesn’t really explain why you want to go into medicine. Firefighters, teachers, plumbers, and landscapers help people too!

Take a step back and consider your motivations for becoming a physician. Here are some quick tips to use when writing your medical school personal statement and determining why specifically you want to become a physician:

• Is it the translation of your scientific knowledge into patient education about how to live a healthy lifestyle?
• Is it the pursuit of new therapies and cures through research?
• Is it the rigor of a career that demands lifelong learning?

It’s a good starting point for your essay and a critical part of your story to communicate to admissions officers. Medical schools want to know that if they admit you, you’ll contribute to the class in a unique and meaningful way. Think about what makes your desire to become a physician unique.

The Importance of Diversity and Theme

Medical schools want to admit a diverse class. Although diversity in medical education is a rather broad topic in general, they’re looking beyond just demographics—to facets such as educational experiences, life challenges, medical interests, and more. How does everything fit together?

You want your medical school personal statement to tell an intricate story about you—something a reader can get excited about and relate to. Rather than simply rewriting your résumé in paragraph form, construct your essay around a theme to which you can keep returning. Perhaps you’re a musicology major who’s also passionate about education and patient care.