Hi kathy, what makes a really good personal statement? Do you mind sharing what made yours stand out?
I can’t necessarily say that one thing in particular that makes a really good PS. However, some important things to keep in mind: 1. make sure each body paragraph is able to answer the question “why PA?” and 2. that your PS is something that is meaningful to you. For me, stories have always played an important role in my life, which was why I chose it to be the center/theme of my PS.
In my PS, I started off by talking about my parents’ stories of coming to the US for the American Dream—and how that laid down the foundation for my own. I talked about my patient’s stories, and how their very own stories in patient encounters became a part of mine. In the end, I brought it full circle by talking about the unturned pages and future chapters I had ahead of me. Personally, I put a lot of feelings into my PS because I’m an emotional person so I think that’s what made me stand out :-)
The theme sounds cliche, but cliche or not it all comes down to how you write it. I felt like having a theme kept me focused, and choosing something meaningful made it more fun to write. Even my friends have chosen to write about cooking (because it was his/her passion) or using the toilet (because it was one of the most meaningful encounters they had with a patient).
I hope this helps! If you have any more questions, feel free to message me again or even e-mail me! I’m also happy to share my PS as well (privately) :-)













